Almond Fragrances

The term almond is used in reference to both the tree and its seeds. The almond tree is native to the Middle East and South Asia. The seeds are contained in an outer shell and a hard shell, and are highly regarded for their flavor and nutritional value.

Bitter almond oil is used in making perfume

The fixed oil, Oleum amygdalae, is a glyceryl oleate with a faint smell and a nutty flavor that is made from either sweet or bitter almonds. In alcohol, it is essentially insoluble, while chloroform or ether is quite soluble. Almond oil is extracted from the dried almond kernel. Bitter almond oil, which contains benzaldehyde, is used as a culinary flavoring and perfume. In contrast, sweet almond oil is used as a carrier oil in aromatherapy and cosmetics.

However, thanks to the many discoveries made during this century concerning synthetic molecules, different materials wonderfully reproduce the almond note in pretty flowery juices mainly and other beautiful scented creations.

The creation of the almond note in perfumery

Unfortunately, the almond note cannot be the direct product of the delicate nuts we know in our pastries in powder form. As a result, it was naturally necessary to overcome this problem by offering our noses the delicately sweet and powdery flavors of this almond fruit.

So the very first method is to use apricot by distilling the apricot kernel in order to obtain the benzaldehyde, a natural almond note, and what is more allows to use of all the parts of the apricot, not only its flesh, during the apricotine manufacturing process. The famous natural benzaldehyde is obtained.

Then, scientific discoveries brought us in 1869 heliotropin, made from the powdered vanilla notes of the pretty heliotrope. Both heliotropin and anisic aldehyde, molecules discovered almost simultaneously, made it possible to create the sweet and almondy notes of "Blue Hour" and "Après l'ondée" fragrances by Guerlain. The amandolene created by Chez Firmenich also allows, by the same principle, to reproduce delicate and flowery almond notes.

Finally, the famous tonka bean and its powerful coumarin active ingredients can also be used to create an almond note in a fragrance that asks it to transform into this pretty nut.

The almond note in our floral or oriental fragrances

As we have seen previously, the almond note, although it does not exist naturally thanks to the almond tree, can be reproduced in different ways depending on the facet you want to obtain. However, the favorite olfactory family of the almond note is, of course, the florals which exhale its delicate powdery and gourmet notes in armfuls of flowers that delight our nostrils!

The almond note can therefore come in different forms and different names. However, some flowery fragrances do not hesitate to name it clearly. "Fleur Défendu" by Lolita Lempicka associates almond in base note with white musks and cherry, "Eau de Fleur de Plunier" by Kenzo associates almond and powdery notes in the base note of a pretty flowery and fruity juice, "Roberto Cavalli Essenza" by Roberto Cavalli mixes almond with original animal base notes for her where "One love" by Jean - Louis Scherrer clearly shows it as a top note accompanied by bergamot and galbanum.

In addition, the almond note is also very popular with oriental perfumes such as ""Ambrosine" "Flower by Kenzo Le Parfum" by Kenzo, which uses almond as a heart note with Bulgarian roses, without forgetting of course, the almond mixed with fruits which creates the famous cherry aromas of "La Petite Robe Noire." 

The perfumes containing the almond note are very numerous and ultimately relatively original in their composition. If, at first glance, the fragrances that take advantage of the scents of almonds are rather feminine, let's not forget the pretty masculine exceptions with almond notes that are "L'Homme Idéal" by Guerlain or even more surprising the woody "Cargo de Nuit" by Prada.