Almond in perfumery: sweet almond smells of nothing
Sweet almond, bitter almond: two fruits, one smell
This is the first misunderstanding to clear up. The almond tree grown for the table, Prunus dulcis, gives a fruit with almost no smell: you can crush a handful and get very little. The smell everyone calls “almond” comes from the bitter variety, whose kernel holds amygdalin. Under the action of water and an enzyme, that compound splits and releases benzaldehyde — the almond molecule — but also hydrogen cyanide, which is to say cyanide. The raw essence has therefore historically been a material to handle with care; the one perfumery uses today has been stripped of that toxic fraction and its use is strictly regulated. In practice, most contemporary perfumes use no natural essence at all: the benzaldehyde of perfumery is most often synthetic, more stable, purer, and free of the original problem.
What does almond smell like?
Of marzipan, of orgeat syrup and of crushed kernel. It is a round smell, slightly milky, with a fine bitterness arriving behind it that keeps it from being merely sweet. Its closest relative is heliotrope, with which it shares an almost identical powdery facet, and cherry, whose stone contains exactly the same molecule: when a perfume smells of kernel, almond and cherry are two words for one thing. It also crosses paths with tonka bean, which carries an almondy facet without being almond. On skin it sits in the heart and the base: it takes a while to settle, then stays for hours, drawing close to the body.
Almond perfumes at Soleil d'Or
Confetto by Profumum Roma gives the most literal reading: the sugared almond, aniseed and vanilla, with no detour. At the opposite end, Mandorle by Sora Dora pushes it towards cocoa, suede and a base of smoky leather — the same material, an entirely different perfume. Crush Extrait by Akro, signed by Olivier Cresp, roasts it and sets it on a rose and a praline. At New Notes, Latte di Cherry by Erik Minati uses it to give crunch to a fleshy cherry, and Rouge Smoking Extrait by BDK Parfums, composed by Amélie Bourgeois, carries it towards oud and black vanilla.
Almond accords and fragrance families
Almond is the shortest route to gourmand perfumes, and that is no accident: confectionery has used it since the 19th century, from marzipan to frangipane, and our noses learned to read it as a dessert before reading it as a material. With vanilla, caramel and cocoa, it sets up the milky sweetness that contemporary perfumery keeps reworking. Taken differently, it gives far less expected results: paired with iris and heliotrope, it becomes a dry, slightly melancholy powder; set on a leather or an oud, it takes on a kernel bitterness closer to the apothecary than to the pastry shop. Finally it acts as a discreet binder in a great many amber perfumes, where it rounds off the edges without naming itself.
Who is it for, and when?
Almond is unisex, but its image is not quite there yet: tied to dessert, it is often read as a feminine note, which the leathery and woody versions immediately contradict. Its warmth points it towards autumn and winter, where it gains breadth on wool; in high summer and on warm skin, a gourmand almond can quickly turn cloying and it is better to reduce the dose. One thing worth knowing before buying: this is a note that saturates. You get used to it fast, you stop smelling it on yourself after an hour while everyone around you still smells it very well — hence the temptation to add more, which should be resisted.
How to choose your almond perfume
Start by deciding whether you are after the confectionery almond or the kernel almond: the same word covers two opposite directions, and disappointment almost always comes from there. Try it on skin, not on a blotter, and wait an hour: almond needs body heat to show whether it turns milky or bitter. The bespoke discovery box brings together five 2 mL samples composed by hand, each to be worn for a full day. To get your bearings, compare a confectioner's almond such as Confetto with a dark, leathery almond such as Mandorle. The gap between the two says everything this note can do.
Almond at Soleil d'Or, a Lille perfumery since 1953
Founded in 1953 by Jeanne Muyllaert on the Grand'Place in Lille, Soleil d'Or is an independent perfumery passed down from one generation to the next. Hubert Maës (third generation) turned it into a reference for niche perfumery; today his daughters Victorine and Apolline Maës (fourth generation) uphold the same standards at 22 rue de la Clef, Lille (59800). Our team will let you smell the almond perfumes in the catalogue, with expert advice and guided trials, and can point you in the right direction using our guide to fragrance families.
Delivery & free in-store collection in Lille
Within mainland France, Colissimo delivery is free from €49 to a pickup point and from €59 to your door. Within Europe, it is free from €99 to a pickup point and from €149 to your door, depending on the destination; we also ship worldwide. Live in Lille or the surrounding area? Free in-store collection at 22 rue de la Clef is the fastest and most economical option. Full terms on our shipping page.
