Fruity aromas are a kind of outlet after a long winter and always a working catalyst for good mood. Interestingly, perfumers never singled them out into a separate group, even if they clearly sniffed out raspberries, an apple with a broken barrel, or pear slices, defining them as woody, floral or oriental.
Such harmless aromas have a lot of haters, because often fruit compositions do not shine with a play of shades, expensive gloss or depth of sound. Kilian Hennessy, founder of the by Kilian brand, explains: “Perhaps you just did not come across worthy candidates, of which there really are not many. Indeed, in perfumery, there are often two extremes - thoughtful economy and thoughtless waste. Both affect the quality of the scent. Take peach, for example. Somewhere he can give off air freshener and a cheap perfume, and somewhere he can imagine a peach garden on a sultry afternoon. It all depends on the ingredient of dodecalactone and its synthetic analogues - one costs mere pennies, the other will cost a tidy sum. So much for the difference in sound."
Another feature of decent fruit flavors is to make your mind fantasize. You are unlikely to clearly catch a specific fruit with your nose, but vividly imagine a Flemish still life or a fragrant fruit decay somewhere in Moldova. Those same haters even have an offensive label "compote", which, at the same time, we must agree, quite clearly (for the layman) characterizes the nature of fruit compositions. Our five favorite scents are not like that - each of them definitely has a specific tropical fruit note. A delight for the eyes, nose and limbic system at the same time.
Tim Jacob, professor of neurology at Cardiff University, explains: “75% of our emotions are caused by smell. Inhaling it stimulates the brain's emotional control center - where fear, depression or joy arises. If you feel the right connection with the scent, it distantly reminds of happy times and the brain begins to release serotonin and endorphins, substances to improve mood."
Mango
A fruit in a green skin with a red cheek is not a debutant in perfumery. But, alas, mostly a supporting actor. It is loved for its characteristic pine or balsamic note. The bright yellow pulp also does not differ from the usual sweetness and obsession for "fruits". The mango note is more like a sip of fresh lassi on the shores of the Indian Ocean. If you listen to the essence on a paper strip, then you can additionally distinguish the subtle nuances of apricot, melon, rose or lime.
Mango is a seasonal fruit, but thanks to the aroma of Mango Skin by Vilhelm Parfumerie, the fruit harvest promises to be year-round. The founder of the brand, Jan Wilhelm Algrem, says: “It all started with a video explaining how to peel the mango fruit properly. Do you know when he turns out and looks like a hedgehog? I really love mango and absolutely can not peel it! But what a pleasure it is to dig into the juicy pulp! The composition that we came up with is pleasure, or rather its focus. Flirtation, love, play, sun, joy and endless happiness. The peculiarity of Mango Skin is that it becomes a source of pleasure for those who wear it on the skin or for those who just hear it nearby."
Cherimoya
This unusual faceted green fruit, originally from South America, is a regular guest of any markets and supermarkets in Spanish-speaking countries. It's also a favorite treat of writer Mark Twain. It has a lot of accompanying names - sour cream apple, cream apple, annona, ice cream tree - which, however, does not change its rich, unlike anything else taste. It is enough to cut the ripe fruit in half, scooping up its dessert contents directly with a teaspoon.
The pulp, reminiscent of fruit puree or bircher-muesli, is a real treat that tastes like a mixture of banana, strawberry, pineapple, papaya, mango and selected cream. Jo Malone's new Hot Blossoms collection of intriguing fragrances, arriving in stores in May, is inspired by the spontaneous fun of São Paulo and includes the Tropical Cherimoya cologne. The imitation of a creamy dessert was achieved by a combination of ripe pear, smoked tonka beans and Brazilian resin. It is categorically not recommended to eat such a cherimoya, but you can spray it into the air for mass pleasure as much as you like.
Lychee
Thanks to food sanctions and supplier reviews, the hitherto unseen fruit from the island of Madagascar is now available in any Auchan. Funny pink balls in a rough skin are easy to peel, like a boiled egg, revealing to the world a juicy decorated pulp with a large bone inside. "Dragon's Eye", as the inhabitants of Southeast Asia called it, tastes like white grapes, only more aromatic and pleasantly astringent.
In perfumery, lychee is used mainly in recognizable top notes, giving the composition a sweet and sour mood with hints of rose and garden strawberry. Manakara, Indult is not new, but still the best fragrance among the rest. Created by Francis Kurkjian back in 2006, it celebrates the Manakara region of Madagascar, famous for its lychee tree plantations. Locals know that the best fruits are sold on branches with leaves (rest assured, they won't even look). A bowl of berries, a flashing lantern with a carousel of moths, a black, impenetrable sultry night and intimate conversations in an undertone - these are the pictures that the wet and sweet scent of Manakara draws.
Pomelo
This fruit is a significant representative of citruses and the largest in the family: some fruits can reach 10 kg and resemble a soccer ball in shape. The birthplace of the pomelo is China, where it is a traditional ingredient in many national dishes. Its sweet wedges resemble a perfect grapefruit without bitterness. Perfumer François Demachy says that the note of pomelo is rare, somewhat reminiscent of sweet orange and grapefruit with spicy nuances in its smell: “An inquisitive nose can even distinguish a note of pine needles. Pomelo in aromas comes out fresh and intense, creating a feeling of very light coolness and vigor. As a rule, this fruit does not solo, but complements the top of the perfume pyramid with other citruses, flowers and fruits."
The touching aroma of citrus fizzy (don't think of us as haters, even in the soda category there is Buratino, but there is San Pellegrino Chinotto: can you feel the difference?) Conquers with fruit splashes and smooth velvety-spicy hugs - this is exactly how the good-natured dismissal of Pomelo Fizz from Comptoir Sud came out Pacifique. Amusing is the fact that there is no trace of a pomelo in the fragrance, and its such a clear presence is achieved by a skillfully assembled composition of many different notes.
Passion fruit
Fruity aromas made themselves known in the second half of the 20th century, and since the early 2000s, every perfumer considered it a matter of honor to practice in this difficult category. Of all the variety of components, passionfruit has taken hold more than others in the industry, which can be found both in uncomplicated commercial fragrances and in niche perfumery. The passionfruit fruit resembles a crumpled and very large plum, but only visually. It is also often called passionfruit, but this is not due to the fact that it is an aphrodisiac and awakens passion, but because its flowers resemble a crown of thorns and symbolize the passion of Christ.
Passion fruit combines the perfect balance of sour and sweet, accompanied by a delicious aroma. In perfumery, it all pours out into a refreshing, long-lasting and rich swirl of notes of pineapple, mandarin and pear. It is difficult to describe, but easy to recognize. A novelty in the AquAllegori line from Guerlain - Passiflor - a polyphonic ode to an exotic delicacy. Bright, contrasting and eye-catching - like a photo of breakfast on the veranda of a famous blogger on Instagram with the same round passionfruit halves.
Photo: Getty Images, press archives
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