Fruits

Fruits are among the raw materials used in perfumery. Some fruits can be used naturally, while others have to be processed through synthesis, as it is impossible to extract their essence. 

Definition of fruity notes 

Fruits bring a lot of cheerfulness to fragrances and fruity scent have a real flavour. In perfumery, fruity notes are varied, and many types of fruit are used (red fruit, yellow fruit, watery fruit, exotic fruit, etc.). 

Traditionally, fruity notes were mostly integrated in feminine fragrances. But nowadays, masculine fragrances contain more and more fruity scents, including apple, pineapple, melon and watermelon.

Fruity notes have the particularity of being able to be associated with all the other olfactive families in fragrances (citrus, chypre, oriental, etc). Moreover, fruity fragrances are very popular in today's perfumery, because their scents are "regressive", reminiscent of childhood. In particular, they echo the sweets and pastries we used to love and almost immediately provide depth to a fragrance.

In a perfume, fruity notes can be orchestrated in several ways: 

  • either fresh, subtle and unsweetened, to accompany citrus or fresh flowers, for example.
  • to highlight a gourmand signature (cf. Gourmand Facet), which could, for instance, be accentuated by a synthetic caramel note (veltol).

Thus, depending on their orchestration in a perfume, fruity notes can highlight refinement and delicacy, or reveal a rather childish and playful side.

In a fruity fragrance, fruity scents are mainly present in the heart notes (notes that develop over several hours, and which constitute the most characteristic odor of the perfume). However, the juicy, watery fruit will act right from the top notes, which are more volatile, and are felt right after the perfume is sprayed. 

Note: fruity notes should not be confused with citrus notes, which are obtained from citrus fruits (cf. Citrus Facet).


Fruits on the perfumer's organ

You should know that there are very few natural fruity notes in perfumery. Fortunately, the discovery of synthetic fruity notes have allowed perfumers to increase their possibilities for creating fruity fragrances. Without the discovery of these synthetic products, there would not have been Guerlain's superb perfume Mitsouko, which was the first to contain the peach note (thanks to the aldehyde molecule C14), in 1919.

Recently, natural raw materials have enriched the perfumer's palette, including natural fruity notes, such as pear, apple ester, or natural raspberry. However, these products are very expensive.

Remember that 1,000 raw materials, both natural and synthetic, are selected by the perfumer, from among the 4,000 materials available in total.

 

 

Fruit subfamilies in perfumery

All the fruits used in perfumery can be grouped into several sub-families.

Red berries

  • raspberry (reproduced with frambinone in synthesis and in natural isolate)
  • strawberry (or C16)
  • cherry (created with the association of strawberry and almond)
  • wild strawberry (made from C16 and orange blossom)
  • blackcurrant and blackcurrant bud (used natural), as well as blueberry and blackberry

Yellow fruits

  • fishing (C14)
  • plum (created with “the base” of prunol, or prunella)
  • apricot (used in composition or with osmanthus, a flower giving an apricot and leathery note)

Exotic fruits

  • coconut (C16), which can be used naturally
  • mango, pineapple (natural allyl isolates illustrate pineapple)
  • bananas (natural amyl isolates exist to illustrate bananas)
  • passion fruit (which can be used naturally)

Watery fruits

  • melon
  • watermelon

Juicy fruits

  • pear and apple (both available naturally)
  • lychee (built with notes around the rose and the dimethyl sulfide molecule)
  • kiwi

Other fruits

  • fig (which is a combination of green notes: stemone, coconut and woody notes)

Some other raw materials other than fruits can still give fruity facets. This is, for example, the case of tagete (a herbaceous plant with orange or yellow flowers that has a taste close to passion fruit), davana (aromatic herb from South India), osmanthus (small shrub with white flowers) with its apricot note, resin and fir balsam (a slightly fruity woody note, from balsam fir, a coniferous tree from Canada).


Fruits and synthetic molecules 

Here are some synthetic products currently used in perfumery allowing to reproduce the scents of certain fruits: 

  • Allyl amyl glycolate and allyl caproate: to reproduce a pineapple scent
  • Ethyl acetate: to get a banana note
  • Verdox; ethyl acetylacetate; damascone alpha: to reproduce an apple scent. 
  • The berry base: for red fruits and mango (present in Angel by Mugler)
  • The citroasis and blackcurrant base: for the blackcurrant note 
  • Velvetone: for a fruity musk scent

Tip: to decorate your desserts, take some strawberries and pour drops of orange blossom into them. The taste will immediately change to a wild strawberry scent. 


Fruity perfumes 

The list of perfumes containing fruity scents is very long. Here are some references depending on the fruit used:

Yellow fruit fragrances

  • Nahéma Guerlain: peach
  • Treasure Lancôme: fishing
  • Mitsouko Guerlain: fishing
  • Nina Nina Ricci: peach
  • Chance Chanel: quince
  • Woman Rochas: plum
  • Yvresse Yves Saint Laurent: plum

Juicy fruit flavors

Scents with red fruits

  • La Petite Robe Noire Guerlain: cherry
  • Lost Cherry Tom Ford: cherry
  • In love Again Yves Saint Laurent: blackcurrant
  • Shadow In Water Diptych: blackcurrant
  • Oscarine Sylvaine Delacourte: raspberry, blackcurrant
  • Insolence Guerlain: Wild strawberry
  • Kiss of Russia Guerlain: cranberry
  • Lolita Lempicka: raspberry
  • Yes I Am Pink First Candy Cacharel: raspberry
  • Because it's you Armani: raspberry
  • Blackberry and Musk L’Artisan Perfumer: blackberry

Exotic fruit fragrances

  • Coco Fizz Guerlain: coconut
  • Passiflora Guerlain: passion fruit
  • Euphoria Calvin Klein: peach and passion fruit
  • Live irresistible Givenchy: pineapple and passion fruit
  • Angel Mugler: exotic fruits
  • Bana Banana L’Artisan Parfumeur: the banana

Fragrances with fig

  • Promenade des Anglais Guerlain
  • Philosykos Diptyque
  • Premier Figuier L’Artisan Parfumeur
  • Gardens in the Mediterranean Hermès
  • Mandarino Tom Ford
  • Di Amalfi Tom Ford

Watermelon fragrances

  • Garden After La Mousson Hermès

Osmanthus fragrances

Fragrances with fruit blends

  • If Fiori Armani
  • Lady Million Paco Rabanne
  • Black XS Paco Rabanne
  • World Kenzo 

 

Sylvaine Delacourte fragrances

Discover Sylvaine Delacourte's brand with her Orange Blossom, Musks and Vanilla Collections. You can try them thanks to the Discovery Boxes (5 Eaux de Parfum x 2 ml) and rediscover these raw materials as you have never smelled them before.