Issue 16
The Scent Of Provence
THE SCENT OF PROVENCE
WHY GRASSE IS MUCH MORE THAN THE WORLD'S PERFUME CAPITAL
By Susie Hollands
Grasse owes much of its history to an extraordinary combination of geography and climate.
The conditions here proved ideal for growing delicate flowers, and over time the town became the centre of France’s perfume industry. Jasmine, Centifolia roses, tuberose and orange blossom flourished in the surrounding fields, creating an industry that would eventually become known around the world.
Even today, perfume remains woven into the identity of the town.
I think that’s what makes it so compelling.
WHERE NATURE MEETS LUXURY
The flower fields surrounding Grasse are among the most beautiful landscapes in Provence. Depending on the season, they fill with colour and fragrance, creating scenes that feel almost impossibly romantic.
What fascinates me is that this is not simply history preserved behind glass. It remains a living industry.
The great perfume houses continue to operate here, drawing on centuries of expertise while continuing to innovate for a modern audience
THE PROPERTY OPPORTUNITY
It is perhaps no surprise that one of the women who transformed the global beauty industry chose Grasse as her retreat.
In the early 1950s, Helena Rubinstein commissioned architect Louis Süe to create Maison Blanche, a remarkable estate overlooking the hills above Grasse. By then Rubinstein had already become one of the world’s first self-made female millionaires, building an international cosmetics empire from a single face cream she began selling in Australia before expanding to London, Paris and New York. She revolutionised skincare by treating beauty as both science and luxury, introducing skin-type analysis decades before it became commonplace and creating a brand that still bears her name today.
Her choice of Grasse was no accident.
Surrounded by roses, olive groves and cypress trees, Maison Blanche became both a sanctuary and a source of inspiration.
-
PROVENCE MAISON BLANCHE
We are proud to offer for sale her estate which I feel captures everything that makes this part of Provence so compelling: extraordinary light, fragrant gardens, privacy and panoramic views stretching across the lush countryside beyond Cannes.
Beautifully restored, the historic property remains one of the Riviera’s most significant private residences, offering over 1,000 square metres of living space across five dwellings within more than three hectares of landscaped grounds.
For anyone who appreciates architecture and history as much as location, it is a rare opportunity to own a piece of the remarkable story that helped make Grasse synonymous with beauty itself.
A PERSONAL NOTE
What I find most compelling about Grasse is the way it combines beauty, culture, history and nature so effortlessly.
You can spend the morning exploring medieval streets, the afternoon walking through flower fields, and the evening enjoying a simple Provençal dinner overlooking the hills. The sea is nearby. The mountains are nearby. Nice airport is within easy reach. Yet the town itself feels pleasantly removed from the intensity of the coast.
That balance is rare.
It is also why remarkable homes have always been drawn here. From artists and writers to visionaries like Helena Rubinstein, and Edith Piaf, Grasse has attracted people who understood that true luxury lies not in spectacle but in authenticity, beauty and time.
Today, historic estates such as Maison Blanche continue that legacy, reminding us that some of the Riviera’s most extraordinary properties are found not on the shoreline, but among the scented hills where the story of modern perfume began.
And perhaps that’s why Grasse continues to draw artists, writers, entrepreneurs and travellers who are looking for something a little more enduring than the Riviera stereotype. Sometimes the places best known for one thing turn out to be remarkable for entirely different reasons.
Grasse is one of those places.
With warmth,
Susie Hollands
Founder, VINGT Paris & Twenty1
If you'd like recommendations for Provence - you'd like to explore it further - I'm always happy to share what I know. Sometimes the best discoveries come from conversations with someone who genuinely knows and loves a place.