Gourmand · Accord · Top notes
Blackberry
Blackberry is a fruit note in perfume that recreates the smell of ripe blackberries. It smells sweet and juicy with a little tartness, plus a green, slightly tannic side like the seeds and leaves. The fruit cannot be extracted for perfume, so blackberry is built as an accord and usually sits in the top notes.
· Written by the FRAG team
What does blackberry smell like?
Blackberry smells like freshly picked dark berries: sweet, juicy and slightly tart. A green, leafy side and a slight tannic bite like the seeds make blackberry darker than strawberry or raspberry. In some blends, blackberry also has a faintly powdery, violet-like touch.
After a while on skin, the bright fruit of blackberry fades. What remains is usually a soft sweetness with a violet and light woody side, which blends into the heart and base.
How is a blackberry note made?
Blackberry is an accord. No natural blackberry extract is used commercially in perfume, so perfumers build the scent from several molecules. Typically there are fruity esters for juiciness, beta-ionone for a dark violet side and a cooked-sugar material for sweetness.
Blackberry is different from mulberry, even though both fruits are dark and clustered. Blackberries are rarely grown in Indonesia, so many people know the smell mainly from jams, sweets or berry drinks.
Blackberry in a perfume
Blackberry almost always sits in the top notes. Blackberry is the sweet, fresh first impression before the perfume moves into the heart. Because it is in the top layer, the fruit fades sooner than the flowers or woods beneath it.
In berry blends, blackberry is usually combined with blackcurrant, raspberry and red berries. Rose takes it toward a fruity floral, while patchouli and vanilla give a darker, sweeter base. Its slight tannic edge keeps a sweet blend from feeling cloying.
When to wear a blackberry perfume
Blackberry gives a sweet, fresh opening, so a perfume with this note is comfortable for daytime, campus or casual outings. If blackberry is paired with dense patchouli, vanilla or rose, the perfume suits late afternoons and evenings better.
