Anatomy of a Scent: Paradisi

Welcome to Anatomy of a Scent, a series where we dissect much-loved scents from our collection of unique, niche Scottish fragrance to reveal their inner workings. This time, we're taking a look at Paradisi Extrait de Parfum, our long-lasting fresh green citrus perfume with a beautiful earthiness and after-rainfall effect.

 

IMPRESSION

Bergamot, Pear, Rhubarb, Grapefruit, Honeysuckle, Orange, Guava, Cucumber, Pink Pepper, Magnolia, Passionflower.

 

FADE

Tree Moss Absolute, Mushroom, Cedarwood, Patchouli, Soil.

 

Hedione® + Galbanum Oil + Pink Pepper + Grapefruit + Rhubarb + Aldehydes = Magnolia, Guava & Passionflower 

This little olfactory trio is, in fact, the result of an accord we created to portray a jungle setting in a tropical citrus perfume. The main material is Hedione®, a transparent flower-in-bloom material that produces radiance within a fragrance without creating too much floral drama.

Hedione® is supplemented with galbanum oil to add green realism, pink pepper for fruity freshness and multiple aldehydes that help to create a humid magnolia-and-passionflower profile. The guava tinge extends this exotic feeling and is produced by the inclusion of grapefruit and rhubarb odourants in addition to the aforementioned Hedione®, galbanum, pink pepper and aldehydes.

 

Bergamot oil – Furocoumarins = Paradisi

We use a high level of the finest Calabrian bergamot oil in Paradisi. The quality is of the utmost importance, especially in a luxury perfume as the levels needed to achieve the desired effect require the furocoumarins present naturally in the oil to be removed. Oils with furocoumarins removed or reduced can be used more freely, because furocoumarins become phototoxic and can be sensitising when present in high quantities within a perfume or cosmetic.

We find that there is a very small character change when using the furocoumarin-free extract of bergamot, and this character may need to be added back with some olfactory trickery. However it’s the only way to allow us to use large quantities of real bergamot without putting you, the customer in any potential photosensitising harm!

Beyond smelling utterly joyful, bergamot oil possesses a very interesting effect. In large quantities it becomes noticeably synergistic and appears to bind other materials together, creating greater structure in a blend and improving longevity and performance. Finding the right balance between citrus notes, sheer woods, musks and other less volatile materials can produce a very long-lasting citrus composition without weighing the profile down considerably. We have implemented and leveraged our decades worth of knowledge and intimate understanding of our materials to create Paradisi: a long-lasting citrus perfume with incredible performance. The key to Paradisi is, as always, the quality of the idea, materials and understating how to use the material to create the desired effect in a unique niche perfume.

 

Clearwood® = Patchouli?

Straight-up patchouli oil would add too much colour to the profile of Paradisi. However, shades of the distinctive tonality and great anchoring effect of Patchouli oil was needed to produce adequate longevity and transparent woody earthiness. So, we turned to one of our most versatile materials: Clearwood®.

Clearwood® is a biotechnology material produced and launched by Firmenich almost a decade ago. Clearwood® is the result of white biotechnology – living plant cells or plant enzymes are used to produce this new class of material via fermentation, bio-conversion and or advanced distillation. Clearwood® is more akin to isolated patchouli alcohol than traditional patchouli extracts – it is much lighter and cleaner smelling.

Beyond smelling amazing and performing incredibly well, Clearwood® boasts outstanding sustainability credentials. As a laboratory made biotechnology, Clearwood® uses less water and agricultural land, less heat is used in the process and it is produced using renewable carbon helping to reduce co2 emissions when compared to traditional extraction and processing methods of patchouli oil. The result is a consistent product of high quality that is sustainable and reliable. An all-round win-win for us perfumers, you consumers and the planet, what’s not to love?

There is a healthy dose of Clearwood® in Paradisi that helps to add structure without dominating the zingy, citrus profile. Substituting Clearwood® for a more traditional patchouli extract would create a completely different effect – the citrus would be dampened and the entire wearing would be much more woody and too heavily coloured in shades of dry earth and leaves – we wanted humidity and lushness with a hint of woods and earth, making Paradisi the much-loved unique, genderless perfume that it is.