Fruity fragrances are in and I'm actually kind of into them?
A non expert, non-original observation of perfume trends and how I might finally be over my pre-teen trauma of fruity body mists and on board with the new fruity fragrances on the market now
It’s going to be a sweet year, literally. Sweet fruity fragrances are everywhere right now - and I’m not talking about bright or zesty citrusy fragrances, I’m talking berries, stone fruits, and everything bright.
Of course, fruit scents have always existed, and they’ve always been popular with certain subsets of the perfume community. But what I’ve observed in the perfume world over the previous few years have been all about skin scents (thanks Glossier You) alongside a consistent love for gourmands, with a few select fruity fragrances like Vilhelm Parfumerie’s Mango Skin or Tom Ford Bitter Peach or the barrage of cherry scents that I think (?) kicked off with Tom Ford’s Lost Cherry - but cherries fall into a deeper, more seductive category; whereas, the scents I’m seeing everywhere now are fun and bright and juicy. It started with the mango and cherries and peaches, but lychees and strawberries and even gummy fruits are taking center stage in a way I haven’t seen before...or at least, not since DKNY Be Delicious circa 2005.
The last time my collection heavily featured fruit fragrances was in my pre-teen days when I had a whole arsenal of Bath and Body Works body sprays (Sun Ripened Raspberry or Pearberry, anyone?!). I’m sure you’ve seen all the same fragrances coming out as I have, but these fruit forward fragrances are coming out everywhere, particularly with:
Apple - Ellis Brooklyn Apple Love, Kayali Eden Juicy Apple 01
Lychee - Kayali Eden Sparkling Lychee, Nest Lychee Rose, and D.S and Durga Dream Lychee in candle form
Fresh Figs (as opposed to greener figs in the past) - Ellis Brooklyn Sun Fruit, Phlur Father Figure, Caudalie Fig Body Oil
Strawberry - Burberry Her, Phlur Strawberry Letter, Malin + Goetz Strawberry
There’s also another recent Phlur release, Mood Ring, that isn’t one specific fruit, but rather a fragrance specifically about fruit gummies. A whole fragrance about fruit gummies?? And one that doesn’t only smell like some half melted fruit roll ups got stuck to my clothes (I cannot be the only one this happened to, btw!!!) Chanel could never! And let’s not forget the body sprays that are coming back, from Sol de Janeiro scents to Phlur’s Mango body spray, Ellis Brooklyn Peach, and more.
But what’s behind it all? Is it just that we’re veering into a fairly unexplored territory in an over-saturated world of floral or woodsy or gourmand scents or basically nothing scents, and this is the next territory? Or is it the sign of the times - is this a way to cope with what seems like a never-ending news cycle of doom and gloom after 2+ years of being cooped up in a pandemic, and we all want to be wrapped up in nostalgia of our youths?
My hunch is that it’s very much the latter, given the onslaught of nostalgic products (squeezy lip glosses and Juicy tubes, I’m looking at you). But while I love the callbacks to my carefree childhood, for me it’s all tinged with a little bit anxiety about the times we’re actually in.
Look, I’m not here for an existential conversation - though I’m happy to bring my existentialism to anyone who does want to talk about it - but it’s where my mind starts to go every time I step into a store and see nothing but Y2K or early 2000s inspired beauty and fashion. But back to fruit.
I have some beef with fruity scents because most of them just don’t last on me, for some reason. While I loved the scent of Mango Skin, I got maybe an hour of that one, tops, while other Vilhelm Parfumerie scents would last the whole day. However, whatever is driving the influx of bright fruity notes, I must admit it is at least breaking through the noise of yet another floral fragrance, or another vanilla fragrance - although as a vanilla lover, I do love vanilla fragrances. Except Tom Ford Vanilla Sex. I’m sorry, that one is both bad and unoriginal at the same time.
A lot of fruity fragrances also tend to turn sour on me and they just don’t tend to work with my body chemistry, which seems to love spicy floral or deep gourmands. For example, Chanel Coco, Fenty Eau de Parfum, and Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540 are among my most beloved and longest lasting perfumes that just jibe with my body chemistry and last forever.
Unfortunately, the fruity body sprays still don’t work for me, and give me not so pleasant flashbacks into the 7th grade pre-teen gym locker room. I’ve only tried the Ellis Brooklyn Peaches body mist and the Phlur Mango Mood Hair and Body Mist and both of them do that thing where they turn sour with my body chemistry - I think it’s because they are both so purely fruit, without many other notes to hold them down. If you love a fruity scent and they tend to work with you, those are both fun places to start!
For myself, I am getting along very well with some of the new fruit scents. Here are my top picks:
Ellis Brooklyn Sunfruit - this is the first fruity fragrance in years that I’ve enjoyed, and a great entry into fruity perfume because it has a creamy base with coconut and vanilla that balances out the fig, bergamot, and pear notes. It’s bright but the coconut notes prevents this from smelling juvenile, and the creamy base notes help make this fragrance last all day. I’ve heard that for some people, it smells like a pina colada, and I get some of those vibes, but to me, It smells like a vacation in a bottle. P.S. the mini of this fragrance is on sale at Sephora right now!
Phlur Mood Ring - Mood Ring is what I can only describe as a Y2K-reminscent technicolor fantasy in a bottle - but in a good way. This is the perfume that the 13 year old version of Jenna in 13 Going on 30 would feel familiar with but would also love as she wakes up as her 30 year old self. It’s fun, it’s bright, and is a mood booster all around. The notes are gummy bear, orange flower, and musk, so it’s got that slight sweet tartness but that musk note makes this feel a little more grown up. This one doesn’t turn sour on me, although it also doesn’t last that long on me because it doesn’t have those creamier, earthier, or spicier notes that tend to work best with my body - but your mileage may vary!
Phlur Strawberry Letter - Juicy and sultry are not adjectives I would normally put together, but that’s how I think of this newest release from Phlur. The fragrance starts with a bright hit of fresh strawberries but quickly transitions to something more sugary, richer, and warmer. In addition to strawberry, it also has notes of cassis, red poppy, woods, tonka bean, and amber.As expected for my body chemistry, my skin really pulls out the tonka and ambery notes so it turns into a warm cozy fragrance on me that has a hint of fruity brightness.
It’s quite complex and hard to describe, and I would put this as like a 3rd cousin of another one of my favorite fragrances, Maison Francis Kurkdijian Baccarat Rouge 540, but a brighter, fruiter version of it, and with amber instead of saffron. Let me be clear - I am not calling this a dupe or a similar fragrance!!!!!! I’m simply saying that I get some of those rich warm vibes of Baccarat Rouge, but with a bright strawberry twist. I also much prefer this over Burberry Her, which also has strawberry an amber notes, alongside a whole slew of other fruit and floral notes. Burberry her smells a little too sugary sweet without the deepness that the woods brings to the Phlur fragrance. Needless to say, Strawberry Letter is a winner for me.
What do you think of this bright fruity trend? In it or nah? And if you’re in it, are there other fragrances that you can recommend?
As always, thanks for reading.