Aromatic
Metallic notes
It is often said that money has no smell. Literally and figuratively, it is true that metal releases no odorous molecule perceptible by our sensory receptors. Nevertheless, metal gives the impression of giving off an atypical and highly particular odor. Everyone has noticed this at least once, after handling coins. A metallic odor then remains on the skin. Numerous researchers have analyzed this odor and confirm that the metallic smell would result from a chemical reaction between iron and the lipids present on our skin.
Volatile molecules
An odor is above all an encounter with a volatile molecule. There are more than 30,000 of them. Carried by the ambient air, the volatile molecule reaches the olfactory system, located beneath the nasal cavities. When a volatile molecule binds with the olfactory system, it is as though the system recognizes an odor already experienced. Through perspiration, metal releases “iron ions.” These volatile molecules, which then remain on the skin, give off an odor that is interpreted as a “purely metallic” odor. It can thus be said that metal has a smell.
Metallic notes in perfumery
Although it may seem surprising, perfumers use metallic notes in the composition of certain perfumes. These notes give a perfume a fresh side, a sensation of “clean.” Metallic notes do not personalize a perfume, but they add a nuance to the overall composition. Metallic notes are obtained through synthetic molecules. Synthetic molecules appeared in perfumery in the mid nineteenth century, with the development of organic chemistry. Metallic notes are found within olfactory compositions of every kind. Within a masculine oriental perfume, as in Hugo Red by Hugo Boss, metallic notes sit in the heart alongside rhubarb. Metallic notes are also found in a floral perfume such as Vierge de Fer by Serge Lutens. Here, the metallic notes stand alone in the base note. It can also be seen that Yves Saint Laurent used metallic notes in his first, and no less iconic, perfume, Rive Gauche. Here, the metallic notes are placed in the top notes, which is rather rare.
The smell of metal is particular, since it results from the combination of the lipids on the skin with the evaporation of said metal. Quite singular, the smell of metal is prized in perfumery, since noses use “metallic notes,” in the form of synthetic molecules. Metallic notes give a perfume fresh, clean tonalities.
Perfumes with the Metallic notes note
Aromatic
Aromatic