Marine

The making of marine notes in perfumery

Long before being used by houses and creators in perfumery, the marine note was born in a pharmaceutical laboratory. Pfizer invented a synthetic molecule, calone, presented in powder form, capable of perfectly reproducing marine scents. Since the great trend for iodic fragrances in the 90s, new synthetic molecules have been designed such as melonal, floralozone, seaweed absolute, or scentenal. These molecular variations on calone thus make it possible to structure fragrances across different types of iodic and fresh scents.
The iodic note is created not only through these synthetic molecules but also through natural botanicals such as blue cypress, lotus and sea fennel. These iodic scents pair perfectly with citrus or floral notes that reinforce the freshness and vitality of these fragrances from the sea...

The trend for iodic and aquatic fragrances

In perfumery as in fashion, trends come and go. When calone was discovered in 1966, it was then unimaginable to use this iodic scent to create a fragrance. The era favored powerful, opulent scents far more than fresh, delicate perfumes. For a long time, the marine note was reserved for pharmaceutical care products and, a little later, for household products... That says it all!
Yet the 90s seemed to favor lighter, more natural fragrances after years of intoxicating perfumes. A shift toward the natural took hold both in mindsets and in fragrance preferences. Issey Miyaké with l’Eau d’Issey (released in 1992) would become the first great success among perfumes with marine notes. The fragrance, which sought to reproduce the scent of water, thus won over women of all nationalities and finally opened the door to other marine fragrances eager to be diffused and to perfume...

Today, fragrances with marine notes are aimed at men as much as women. As for men, iodic fragrances are numerous and are often synonymous with dynamism and vitality. The man who wears a marine fragrance often resembles a sporty gentleman close to nature.
For women, the sea breeze in a fragrance likewise evokes a desire for natural charm. Women thus present themselves in a fully assumed way, without embellishment or aesthetic pretense. It would seem, then, that the marine fragrance is the scent of a return to one's roots, like a wave of iodic freshness taking hold of our bottles to settle on our skin...