40 Days and 40 Nights of Fragrance Notes: Fruit Salad

Fruit Salad
By Patti F

I'm not one of those perfume lovers who turns her nose up (pun intended!) at the mention of fruit notes in perfumes.
As a matter of fact, most perfumes have at least one fruit note. We've already talked about some of them, bergamot,neroli, and grapefruit, as well as peach, one of my personal favorites. Let's talk about more of them!

When I first visited the Bond No. 9 boutique on Madison Avenue, there were only 16 fragrances in the line, all of them sold in the clear star bottles or sold by the ounce from the urns, decanted into pretty spray bottles by the sales associates.
I spent an hour in the shop before choosing my very first Bond, So New York. I purchased an ounce of the fragrance and chose the prettiest clear cylindrical bottle with a gold honeycomb cap. I went through that ounce within a month, and then I bought the star bottle in the large size on a trip to Chicago. The Bond counter at Chicago's Saks store was brand new, and the SA's there were so happy to chat Bond! The notes in So New York are bergamot, cocoa, chocolate, espresso, patchouli, lily of the valley,
peony, musk, precious woods, a warm milk accord, and mirabelle, which is a plum. The mirabelle plum is a fruit note that isn't quite like the plums we eat from the grocery store, it has a florally presence, it's not juicy like other stone fruit notes.
Mirabelle is also used in Emporio Armani City Glam For Her, the famously fascinating Molinard Tendre Friandise, and
in Bath & Body Works Dark Kiss (one of my favorites from that fun store!)

I have to thank Tania Sanchez and Luca Turin for introducing me to Prescriptives Calyx - they rave about it in their books Perfumes The Guide and Perfumes A-Z. This luscious fragrance is based on the juicy guava and wearing it is nothing short of mouth-watering deliciousness. It's perfect for a hot Summer evening and lingers on the skin without turning bitter or too ripe. Even though Prescriptives is long gone from the department stores, you can still find Calyx, and for that I'm grateful.

A visit to the local perfume counter can produce plenty of produce. Here's a little walk through the fruit salad of notes available in some fragrance I own, some odd and interesting fruits used in perfumery that are a little out of the norm but nonetheless lovely, light, and fun:

Rhubarb: found in the breezy and youthful Bond No. 9 Bryant Park, and in Grain De Folie by Gres. If you have the Gres and you do not love it, I would give it a very grateful home.

Kumquat: found in the now-discontinued but beautifully feminine Style by Ralph Lauren

Apricot: found in Lancome's Tresor (one of my newest loves, even though it's not a new fragrance,) John Varvatos, and Chopard Wish Pink Diamond.

Raspberry: found in Guerlain's Insolence and My Insolence, even though these fragrances have little else in common. Raspberry is also found in the impossible-to-find Fabulous by Countess Jan Moran. I thank my friend Patty for sharing hers with me. I wish I had a vat of this gorgeous fragrance.

Yuzu: found in Remember Me by Dior (nobody remembers it) and Versace Bright Crystal (not pictured, I didn't like it enough to own it.)

Lychee: found in my beloved Miracle by Lancome, Coco Mademoiselle by Chanel, and the lovely limited edition Midnight Charm by Dior, which was a Holiday scent that I never understood because it seems so much more for a hot Summer day than the cold Winter holidays.

Pineapple: found in Lauren by Ralph Lauren. The standard for pineapple scents, at least it was before the reformulation. I have the pure parfum, a gift from the husband. It was his favorite scent back when he thought women only wore one fragrance for their entire lives. He does not think that any more. Pineapple is also found in Victoria's Secret Sexy Little Things Noir, Now & Forever by Joan Rivers, Vivienne Westwood's Libertine, and the very under-appreciated Live by J-Lo.

Dates: found in the gorgeous Saks En Rose by Bond No. 9 and the equally gorgeous MAC Air Of Style/Monogram. Both of these perfumes were created by Laurent LeGuernec - my favorite perfumer and absolute master of the unexpected.

Pear: found in Victoria's Secret Sexy Little Things Noir Tease (and how adorable is that bottle!) and also in Alchimie by Rochas.

From the most lighthearted and easygoing eaux to the most mysterious and dark woodsy orientals, fruit notes are everywhere in perfumery, and we love them all!

Can you think of other weird or unusual fruit notes in perfumes that you love? Tell us all about them!

Reviewer: Patti F AKA Cavewoman
Disclaimer: The perfumes mentioned in this article and in the photos were purchased by the reviewer, with the exception of two.
Ralph Lauren's Lauren parfum was a gift from her husband. Fabulous by Jan Moran was a gift from her friend Patty.
Graphic Credit: Melanie Parker