Amber · Accord · Top notes, Heart notes
Plum
Plum is a fruit note in perfume that recreates the smell of very ripe plums and dried prunes. It smells sweet, a little tart and dense like jam, with a slight tannic edge like grape skin. Plums do not yield a usable fragrant oil, so the note is built as an accord and usually sits in the top or heart of amber and floral perfumes.
· Written by the FRAG team
What does plum smell like in perfume?
Plum in perfume smells like very ripe plums or plum jam. The opening is sweet and juicy with a little tartness, then it turns darker and denser, like raisins, prunes or candied fruit. A thin tannic edge, like grape skin, keeps the sweetness from feeling flat.
Plum is denser and warmer than peach or apple, so it rarely comes across as fresh. Plum gives a deep fruit effect that suits warm, slightly dark perfumes.
How is a plum note made?
Plum is an accord. The fruit cannot be distilled or extracted into a usable fragrant oil, so perfumers build the smell from several molecules. They typically use fruity materials from the damascone family and lactones for a ripe, soft effect, plus a touch of an almond-smelling material for a cherry-like edge.
In Indonesia, plums are mostly known as imported fruit or dried prunes. The plum note in perfume usually imitates very ripe plums and prunes, so it smells sweeter than the fresh fruit.
Plum in a perfume
Plum is almost always listed in the top or heart. In the opening, plum gives a sweet, juicy fruit effect. In the heart, plum is often paired with rose, since both share an aroma molecule called damascenone, which helps the two blend smoothly.
Besides rose, plum is often paired with oud, saffron, cinnamon, patchouli and vanilla, a combination common in Middle Eastern style amber and floral perfumes. Because plum sits in the upper layers, the fruit fades first and leaves a dark sweetness that clings to the base.
When to wear a plum perfume
The dark fruit sweetness of plum is easiest to enjoy in the evening, at events or in air-conditioned rooms. For daytime, choose a lighter plum blend, such as one with rose and musk, and keep it to a spray or two.
