Berry perfumes

Which berries appear

The same berries recur in our pyramids. Blackcurrant, also called cassis, is usually made from the buds of the bush, and the extract smells green, tart and slightly sharp. Raspberry and strawberry are mostly built as accords from aroma molecules, which is why you will see phrases like raspberry accord. Blackberry sits between them, darker and a little woody. Some pyramids use broader terms such as pink berries or red berry.

What berries do in a composition

Berries are top and heart notes. They add juice and a sweet-tart contrast to anything earthy: patchouli, leather, saffron and woods all gain brightness from them. With rose they make a classic, jammy pairing. With vanilla and tonka they lean towards dessert. A little cassis brings a green, almost tart edge to a floral heart, and a berry in the base, which is rarer, adds a lingering fruity sweetness.

Perfumes with berries

• Frederic Malle Portrait of a Lady places blackcurrant and raspberry in the heart with clove, between rose and a base of patchouli, sandalwood and frankincense. Frederic Malle files it as floral chypre.
• Byredo Black Saffron puts raspberry in the base with blonde woods and vetiver, after juniper berries, pomelo and saffron and a heart of black violet, Cristal rose and leather accord. Byredo files it as amber.
• Stéphane Humbert Lucas Mortal Skin opens with blackberry, saffron and cardamom, then sandalwood, opoponax and iris, then labdanum, musk and ambergris. See Stéphane Humbert Lucas.
• Ex Nihilo Spiky Muse opens on upcycled natural strawberry, bergamot and pink pepper, moves through rose absolutes and a pistachio accord, and ends on cedarwood, Akigalawood, Ambrofix and tonka bean. Ex Nihilo files it as floral, fruity and ambery.
• Les Eaux Primordiales Rose Supercritique opens with pink berries and bergamot, places rose, blackcurrant and cardamom in the heart and closes on myrrh, incense and ambroxan. Les Eaux Primordiales calls it spicy rose.
• Reinvented Ethereal Soul lists bergamot, lemon and cherry, then blackcurrant, raspberry, freesia, iris and jasmine, then amber, mossy notes and musk. See Reinvented.
• Maison Crivelli Cuir Infrarouge has no pyramid: Maison Crivelli lists a raspberry accord among bergamot, cinnamon, cedarwood, orris, osmanthus, leather and oud accords, and files it as woody fruity.

Choosing a berry perfume

Decide how tart or sweet you want it. Blackcurrant keeps things green and fresh. Raspberry with rose is classic and jammy. Strawberry makes a sweeter, more playful scent, and blackberry or dark berries pair well with saffron and incense. Check what surrounds the fruit: woods and leather ground it for evening, while citrus and musk keep it light for daytime.