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Volatile molecules
A smell is above all an encounter with a volatile molecule. You should know that there are more than 30,000 of them. Transported by the ambient air, the volatile molecule reaches our olfactory system, which is located under our nasal cavities. When a volatile molecule associates with our olfactory system, then it is as if the latter recognizes a smell already felt. With perspiration, the metal releases iron ions. These volatile molecules, which then remain on our skin, give off an odor that we interpret as a purely metallic odor. We can say that the metal has an odor.
Metallic notes in perfumery
BAlthough it may seem surprising, perfumers use metallic notes in the composition of certain perfumes. The latter give a fragrance a fresh side, a feeling of clean. Metallic notes do not personalize a perfume, but they bring a touch of nuance to the overall composition. The metallic notes are obtained thanks to synthetic molecules. Synthetic molecules appeared in perfumery in the middle of the 19th century, with the development of organic chemistry. There are metallic notes in all the olfactory compositions. Within an oriental masculine scent, as in Hugo Boss's Hugo Red, where the metallic notes are located in the heart next to the rhubarb.We will also find the metallic notes in a floral perfume as in Serge Lutens' Vierge de Fer. Here, the metallic notes are the only base note. We also discover that Yves Saint Laurent used metallic notes in his first, and no less mythical, Rive Gauche perfume. Here, the metallic notes are placed in the top notes, which is rather rare.
The smell of metal is special, because it results from the association of the lipids of our skin with the evaporation of the said metal. Very unique, the smell of metal is prized in perfumery since the noses use metallic notes in the form of synthetic molecules. The metallic notes give a fragrance fresh and clean tones.
