Gourmand · Accord · Top notes, Heart notes
Red berries
Red berries is an accord that recreates the smell of mixed red fruits such as raspberry, strawberry, cranberry and redcurrant. It smells tart, sweet, juicy and bright, sometimes like fruit candy. In perfume, red berries usually sit in the top or heart notes and give a fresh, sweet first impression.
· Written by the FRAG team
What do red berries smell like?
Red berries smell like a handful of crushed red fruit: tart, sweet and juicy at once. The first impression is bright and a little sharp, then it softens into a gentle, slightly powdery sweetness. Many red berries accords feel closer to fruit candy or syrup than to fresh fruit.
On note lists, red berries is sometimes written as red fruits, berries or redcurrant. Red fruits usually means a more general red fruit impression. Redcurrant is one specific fruit that smells tarter and fresher, so it makes the accord feel sharper.
Where does the red berries accord come from?
Red berries is generally built as an accord, because berries are not extracted for perfume. The base is usually raspberry ketone, the main raspberry aroma compound. Perfumers then add strawberry-scented materials, violet-scented ionones and green materials that smell like fresh leaves. The balance differs in every perfume, so each red berries accord has its own character.
Redcurrant is the fruit of the Ribes rubrum shrub, native to western Europe. The berries are small and bright red and known for their tart taste, slightly tarter than their relative, blackcurrant. In perfume, redcurrant adds a clear tartness to a red fruit blend.
Red berries in a perfume blend
On a pyramid, red berries usually appear in the top or heart notes. It gives a bright, sweet opening and links the fruity part with the flowers in the heart. Staying power still varies from skin to skin, and with weather and concentration.
Common partners are rose, pink pepper and blackcurrant in the top and heart. In the base, red berries are often supported by musk, vanilla or patchouli. You find this accord in many fruity floral and gourmand perfumes, and in musk perfumes that want a sweeter touch.
When to wear a red berries perfume
Red berries feel bright and sweet, so they suit campus, casual afternoons and relaxed events. In hot weather, versions with musk and flowers feel light. When red berries are paired with vanilla or patchouli, the result is denser and fits the evening.
