Most savoury fragrances — and in particular, the ones from niche brands — aim for some subtlety. A note like the saccharine and sugariness of peach or the sharp acidity of coriander usually lingers a little longer (the creamy vanilla note in Bvlgari’s Allegra Baciami lasts and lasts) upon their dry down.

In essence, its waters are simple compositions because a fragrance has to sell after all (the original YSL Beauté Libre has spawned an Eau de Parfum version that ramps up its zesty mandarin orange notes). However, in today’s times, the existing savoury fragrances we love or have come to love (for example, 2005’s Mugler Alien smells like caramel, honey, and chocolate) have given way to more naturalistic ones with the advent of technology.

In a Refinery29 feature, it was reported that Olivier Cresp — who formulated another Mugler hit named Angel in 1992 — used a microwave system to extract the scent notes from ingredients, a far cry from how the generations of perfumers from Grasse extracted through distillation, solvent extraction, expression and enfleurage.

Three decades on, scents are now extracted using energy-friendly methods like pulse electrified field extraction (the application of voltage to plant matter to increase cell permeability) or surfactant-assisted extraction (lowering the plant’s surface tension for higher absorbency).

Coupled with technology that allows scents which traditionally go bad quickly to stay fresh longer (the carrot note in Abercrombie & Fitch’s Away Tonight Men stays distinctly earthy till one washes it off), there is now a growing appetite for savoury fragrances (the cherry, raspberry and strawberry notes of Christian Dior Paris La Collection Privée Rouge Trafalgar practically burst in flavour upon the first spritz).

New and unusual, fresher and greener, or just something so bizarrely unknown that it becomes a unique fragrance on one’s shelf, the grass is greener this season and the fruits yield a juicier bite. Just ask Calice Becker, the nose of By Kilian — Moonlight in Heaven is a heady concoction of mango, coconut and rice.

Photography Jaya Khidir
Styling Gregory Woo

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