Gunpowder

On the other hand, small newcomers are continually appearing. These are ingredients whose scent is entirely reproduced in the laboratory. Thus, the field of possibilities is now boundless, and every audacity of creators is permitted… Even that of incorporating a gunpowder scent into perfumes!

Gunpowder, a product synonymous with battle

Gunpowder is considered the oldest known chemical explosive. On a purely technical level, it is a mixture of sulfur, potassium nitrate, and charcoal. Some sources place its invention during the Han dynasty in China, around 200 years before the birth of Jesus Christ. However, most historians assert that gunpowder was actually invented in China in the seventh century. At the time, bamboo tubes were filled with this black powder and used as flamethrowers. The technique for making this substance was then transmitted to the Arab-Persian world around the eighth century. It then took until the mid-thirteenth century for it to reach Europe. While gunpowder is often associated with battlefields, it should be noted that it is also a festive element. Gunpowder is not used exclusively in firearms. It is also used in the making of fireworks and was employed to enliven equestrian shows in the Maghreb in the fourteenth century.

Gunpowder in perfume

There is no need to worry: wearing a perfume with a gunpowder base does not mean risking catching fire! In reality, this material is mainly known for its metallic scent. It is precisely this particular breath that perfumers try to recreate in the laboratory. Gunpowder helps preserve an initial freshness in a perfume while standing somewhat apart from the traditional citrus notes typically found in the top notes of most current compositions. For example, the latest Flowerbomb Nectar by Viktor & Rolf contains it. There, gunpowder is paired with more floral scents and takes nothing away from the glamorous side of this perfume. Contrary to what one might think, gunpowder is therefore not exclusively reserved for dark, masculine perfumes, as certain compositions by Serge Lutens might be. It simply adds an extra touch of originality to fragrances, and boldly signs the originality of certain perfume houses.