There is nothing more personal than the perfume you wear due to the uniqueness of individual skin types.
A perfume can indicate your mood. Elevate it, simply raise your charisma up a notch or give you confidence throughout the day. Chocolate has always been associated with sensuality, guilt and pleasure. But chocolate flavour on its own does not elicit more than an accelerated salivation process. However, chocolate has been used more and more as a note in the perfume industry in the last ten years. Hence I tried to uncover the various reactions its use elicited from my senses.Ayala Sender, an artisanal perfumer, shares that in the last decade “the gourmand scents have gained a lot of popularity. Probably because people have felt a pressure to cut down on treats such as chocolate. However the desire still remains within them. The use of sweet and foodie scents is a way to compensate for the desire. Also those particular notes are associated with pleasurable and fulfilling experiences of eating and nourishment.” While people may enjoy the comforting smell of chocolate, they would not find it particularly attractive on their skin all day long. That’s why “more sophisticated consumers will appreciate a foodie note. Only in conjunction with other notes that will turn it from a novelty item to a wearable, chic perfume,”
Chocolate scent
Chocolate absolute that is used as a base note is a solvent essence extracted from raw cocoa beans. It is surprisingly sweet, almost caramel-scented, with a distinct aroma of chocolate. It mixes well together with vanilla essences, coffee notes, particular spices and floral notes. These will tilt the balance in favour of the perfumery as opposed to just gourmand. As is constitutes the base, it sometimes acts as a fixative between the other fragrances. However it is not as strong as other fixatives, therefore it is more used to add a familiar feeling in perfumes. Let’s explore which perfumes have chocolate in them. Thierry Mugler’s Angel that came to the throne in 1992. It launched a new category of fragrances named “oriental gourmands” as it mixed oriental spices with foodie scents to evoke “tender childhood memories.” Its components include Bergamot, Hedione, Helional, Honey, Dewberry, Red Berries, Vanilla, Caramel, Patchouli, Chocolate, Coumarin. The perfume smells like a mélange of sweet kitchen odors. The chocolate overpowered by the vanilla and caramel that are stronger in stability. Bvlgari also seems to take an active interest in the alluring scent of chocolate, and its perfumes are deep, oriental and woody. Omnia uses white chocolate as one of the base notes that are very subdued, and gives a gourmand feel for a very short time. It dries down to soft sandalwood with dusty spices masala tea, saffron and cardamom. Created by nose Alberto Morillas and released in 2003, the fragrance was said to have been inspired by the spices discovered by Marco Polo on his famous voyages, and was also described by Bvlgari as “a tribute to the tradition of the great oriental perfumes, re-interpreted for the world of today”.
The right notes
Blv Notte starts with a bittersweet chocolate note and evolves into very chilled vodka plus a hint of a very deep subtle floral. Princess from Vera Wang is one of the latest additions to the chocolate-happy family. Dark chocolate is one of the heart notes of this light yet, strangely exotic perfume. Enrobed in a bouquet of Water Lily, Lady Apple, Mandarin Meringue, Golden Apricot Skin, Ripe Pink Guava, Tahitian Flower, Wild Tuberose. It is not overwhelmed by the base notes of amber, warm woods, musk, and vanilla tempered by the handful of shining flowers. This soft oriental hits the right notes despite its multitude of ingredients. Are one of these perfumes your signature scent and what do you love about it? Acknowledgement: Editor’s name: Cristina Jaleru