Marine notes in perfumery
Coralie Frébourg
Sea spray, seaweed, warm sand, salty skin after a swim: marine notes are the sea in a bottle. A symbol of a new wave of freshness at the end of the 20th century, they still need to be dosed with care. Here's why.
What is a marine note?
Marine, or aquatic, notes are very fresh and watery, sometimes iodine-like, sometimes oily, with facets of sea spray, seaweed, sand… the sea, basically. They soften a perfume and give it contrast.
Relatively recent, they are not one of the six original olfactory families defined by the French Society of Perfumers (SFP): floral, citrus, woody, oriental, fougère and chypre. They are a facet.
A bit of history: the 90s wave
The sea has no “extractable” smell: you can't put the ocean in a still. Marine notes were therefore born from synthesis, with a star molecule: Calone, discovered in the 1960s, which smells of watermelon and sea air.
It exploded in the late 1980s and 1990s with Cool Water, L'Eau d'Issey and Acqua di Giò. “Fresh aquatic” became THE summer perfume trend.
How are marine notes used?
As facets, in touches, to avoid a low-tide overdose (let's not swallow a mouthful of seawater while putting on perfume). They pair well with aromatic notes, flowers, citrus and even woods.
Most marine notes are heart notes.
Key raw materials
Natural materials are marked with an asterisk.
- Seaweed absolute*: moss, fruity, hay
- Calone: oily, iodine-like, watery fruit
- Helional: oily, floral, watery fruit
- Floralozone: marine, anise-like, aldehydic
- Salt and ambergris accords: mineral, salty skin
Iconic perfumes
- Cool Water, Davidoff (1988), Pierre Bourdon: aquatic aromatic
- New West for Her, Aramis (1990), Yves Tanguy: green floral
- L'Eau d'Issey, Issey Miyake (1992), Jacques Cavallier: aquatic floral
- Acqua di Giò, Giorgio Armani (1996), Alberto Morillas, Annick Menardo and Christian Dussoulier: aquatic aromatic
- Aqva pour Homme, Bvlgari (2005), Jacques Cavallier: aquatic aromatic
- Eau des Merveilles Bleue, Hermès (2016), Christine Nagel: aquatic aromatic
- Un Air de Bretagne, L'Artisan Parfumeur (2017), Juliette Karagueuzoglou: aquatic woody
This list is not exhaustive: there are many beautiful launches, some iconic, others more commercial.
Where to find the sea at Versatile?
No “aquatic” aisle at our place, but an apéritif overlooking the Mediterranean: Sea, Sud & Sun. Fresh, pastis, iced fig, neroli, then musky, tropézienne cake, salty, marine. The sea, yes, but gourmand and without the monoi. And alcohol-free: perfect for wearing perfume in summer.
FAQ
Is the marine note natural?
No. You can't extract the smell of the sea: marine notes are created through synthesis, sometimes rounded off with a little seaweed absolute.
Why do marine perfumes sometimes smell of watermelon?
Because of Calone, the queen molecule of marine notes, which has a melon and watermelon facet.
Are marine notes only for summer?
They're strongly associated with vacations, but that's mostly a cliché. Wear what makes you feel good, in any season.
