NOTE TO KNOW: BLACKCURRANT
THE JUICY FRUIT IS THE BREAKOUT STAR OF THE FRAGRANCE WORLD
This year’s best new juices have something a little fruity and fresh in common: blackcurrant. “As a note, blackcurrant, or cassis, is very versatile – it can bring both darkness and duskiness, or lightness to a perfume, depending on how it’s used,” says Samantha Taylor, a fragrance expert who runs masterclasses at The Powder Room. “The note works in both feminine and masculine compositions and it blends particularly well with rose, fruits and musks. It can add a tart, sunny note to perfume or, if paired with other materials, a juicy, dark, sultry note.” If you’re looking for the former, Tom Ford’s Mandarino Di Amalfi Acqua pairs the fruit with mint, basil, lemon and mandarin to create a unisex scent fit for a long hot Italian summer. Louis Vuitton’s Les Parfums Le Jour Se Lève channels the same kind of sun-soaked juiciness, teaming the blackcurrant with mandarin, jasmine and musk. If the latter is more your bag, Giorgio Armani’s Sì Passione dials up the seduction with pear, pepper and rose, while Amo Ferragamo offers a girlie take on blackcurrant, with rhubarb and vanilla. And for Versace’s Dylan Blue Pour Femme, perfumer Calice Becker used the fruity note to create an arresting eau. “I thought about the woman of today – she is strong, but also proud of the power of her sensuality, femininity, wittiness and flirtiness,” says Becker. “I wanted to create a fragrance that would embody all of these qualities, to capture a woman’s depth.” >