How about finding the fruit cocktail from your favorite smoothie in your perfumed ritual? Behind their apparent simplicity, fruity notes invite themselves into many compositions to bring them an irresistible freshness and sweetness. Whether red, yellow or exotic, fruits are no longer enjoyed only with the taste buds, and even compete with floral bouquets. Who said fruity perfume was reserved for the summer season? From the basket to the bottle, how did they manage to conquer our nose?
The origin of the fruity perfume
From the Eau de Cologne…
Fruits have always been more or less present in perfumes. Very discreetly at first, almost saturated a few years ago, they are now well accepted. Citrus fruits were the first to find their place in compositions. Especially used in Eaux de Cologne for the first time, bergamot, lemon or orange find a scented playground to deliver their acidity and freshness. But with the craze for headier and animal notes, the fruity perfume will hardly be present throughout the evolution of modern perfumery.
It is only at the beginning of the 20th century, thanks to the progress of synthetic chemistry, that fruits will once again be highlighted in a fragrance. This time no orange or lemon: it is the peach that will tickle the nostrils of these ladies. In 1919, Guerlain succeeded in this daring gamble with Mitsouko, by incorporating C14 aldehyde, a synthetic molecule that manages to recreate the milky and woody notes of this fruit.
… to strawberry-cherry shampoo
But the complexity of the search for new scents and the desire for powerful fragrances will once again silence the fruity perfume. At least for a few decades. It will come back in force in the early 90s thanks to the technical progress. New molecules are then worked on: melon, pear, apple and lychee scents will first titillate cosmetic laboratories. Strawberry shampoo and hygiene products are becoming increasingly sweet. In perfumery, fruity notes were often aimed at teenage girls in soft and reassuring eaux de toilette. But faced with growing success, perfumers took a closer look at them to create fragrances that are now iconic.
Synthesis to Mother Nature’s Rescue
With such familiar scents, these notes seem rather easy to get at first glance. However, creating a fruity perfume has long been a laborious task. In fact, to bring a fragrance to life, noses assemble different raw materials that they obtain from natural ingredients. These produce essential oils or absolutes, depending on the methods used. It is in the form of essence, thanks to the extraction of their peel, that citrus have long been the only fruits present in perfumery. They have even become the basis of the Hesperides olfactory family. But citrus, apricot and blackcurrant, created respectively from a shrub called osmanthus and blackcurrant buds, are the only fruits that can be used in perfumery in their natural form. For all the others, it is necessary to use synthesis in order to reproduce their smells.
A fragrance to savor
A true salad of fruits
From now on, fruity notes are very much appreciated and can be found in creations that are at once fresh, modern and original. Thanks to a multitude of synthetic materials, perfumers can incorporate a wide variety of fruits into their fragrances. Melon, pear, red and yellow fruits such as peach or apricot are the most commonly used in perfumery. But their exotic cousins, lychee, mango and papaya are perfectly integrated into sunny fragrances. Did you know that the sweet, thirst-quenching note of melon can be found in the eau de parfum musc, or that apricot is as sweet as it is bewitching in kilim?
Fruits yes, but not only !
Omnipresent in citrus fragrances, fruity notes can also be savored in different ways. Nostalgic for orchard blossoms or spicy blends, their facets can also be found in other olfactory families. Fruity notes are particularly volatile, and to accentuate their scent and stability on the skin, perfumers associate them with floral or chypre accords. But it is not uncommon to smell fruit alongside spices or amber in oriental or aromatic compositions.
When the fruity perfume breaks through the barriers
The fruity fragrance is widely represented in the range of so-called feminine fragrances, thanks in particular to their floral associations. Although entrancing, these notes are not very gendered and appeal to both men and women. However, we like to remind that perfume is a subjective creation that everyone appropriates differently, beyond codes and traditions! Thanks to this “mixed” scent, fruity notes are common in unisex compositions like Eaux de Cologne. But they can also be found in more masculine fragrances to bring a sweet note to spices or to an aromatic composition.
The fruity scent has not only crossed the gender boundaries, but also those of the world. These fresh and delicate notes have even won over Japanese women. The wall of modesty that still dissuades them from perfuming themselves is slowly beginning to crumble in the face of peach or cherry wakes, which they love.
The success of the fruity fragrance still does not seem to be running out of steam, for our pleasure! Between sweetness and freshness, these notes awaken our senses and make us travel in a few drops. Do you love this kind of fragrance as much as we do? What fruits do you like to smell in your perfume?
Discover the fragrances mentioned in the article
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