Spices

According to the French dictionary, a spice is an aromatic plant substance used for seasoning dishes. Spices can come from bark, such as cinnamon, from flowers, such as saffron and clove, from leaves, such as tea, from bulbs such as garlic and onion, from fruits, such as pepper or dill, and from seeds such as coriander or dill. Most spices are exotic products (cinnamon, coriander, clove, saffron, chili pepper, ginger, nutmeg, curry) and come from the Middle East. Some have existed since antiquity and were used in medicine. Today, spices hold a prime place in perfumery.

The warmth of spices

In antiquity, the Egyptians used spices as incense to communicate with the afterlife, notably during commemorative ceremonies. The Parfum Royal (1st century AD), which was mainly used for scented baths, was composed of cinnamon, clove, saffron, and nutmeg. The main goal at the time was to obtain a lasting and heady scent. While spices have always been part of perfumery, their number has increased, and today many other ingredients can be added, such as cardamom, pink pepper, curry, or cumin. Spices are divided into two categories, namely warm spices (cinnamon, saffron, chili pepper) and cool spices (ginger, cardamom, coriander). In a composition, spices provide warmth, opulence, and sensuality, leaving an unforgettable sillage. As such, they are mainly positioned as base notes to envelop the other notes as a whole. Spices are currently highly sought after by perfumers, as they appeal enormously to both women and men.

Spices and their various associations with olfactory families

Spices undeniably give strong character to the perfumes that contain them. Spices are numerous, and each perfumer likes to use the one that best suits their composition. Naturally, spices are used in oriental compositions, as in Absolu by Rochas, where pepper is positioned as a heart note. When thinking of oriental perfume, one naturally thinks of the legendary perfume by Yves Saint Laurent, Opium, where coriander and clove appear as heart notes. One also inevitably thinks of Shalimar, the first oriental perfume of niche perfumery. Nevertheless, spices are found paired with all olfactory families. Spices can thus be found in floral and fruity perfumes, but also citrus ones, as in Allure Homme Édition Blanche by Chanel, where ginger, as a heart note, is combined with pink pepper as well as white pepper. Cinnamon and a blend of spices can also be found in a woody perfume, such as 1 Million for men, by Paco Rabanne. The list of perfumes containing spices is as long as it is unexpected. Among them, however, are Coco by Chanel, Individuel by Montblanc, Arabie by Serge Lutens, L by Lolita Lempicka, Amarige Mariage by Givenchy, Amor Amor Forbidden Kiss by Cacharel, and Angel by Thierry Mugler.