Luscious Fig

Luscious Fig

Perfumers are indulging our collective sweet tooth this season with decadent gourmand ingredients. Vanilla in particular has been a global smash with Gen Z and Millennial consumers who crave the sweet aroma in their lattes and fragrances. Tonka bean, a base note ingredient that has a mellow almond smell is appearing in dozens of new fragrances. And luscious fig is adding a rich, sweet facet to a host of women’s scents.

Why do perfumers love fig? It’s because fig offers a complex and layered aroma that is sweet, fruity and slightly woody. Scent experts describe it as warm, enveloping and decadent. Some varieties of fig have a honeyed character. Others can be more green and fresh. It’s a popular ingredient in aromatherapy for its calming sensation.

The fig is the edible fruit of ‘ficus carica’, a species of small tree in the flowering plant family ‘moraceae’, native to the Mediterranean region. It has been cultivated since ancient times and boasts over 800 subtropical plant species. The tear-shaped fruit start out with a green skin that slowly ripens to purple or brown. Inside is a sweet, soft reddish flesh. The edible fig is one of the first plants cultivated by humans. The fruit was a popular food in ancient Greece, and their cultivation was described by both Aristotle and Theophrastus. And the Romans loved it as well.

In 2020, the world production of raw figs hit 1.26 million tonnes, led by Turkey, Egypt, Morocco and Algeria.

One of our very favourite fig-themed fragrances is Versace’s Crystal Noir. The composition boasts a rich black fig note that you can smell after a couple minutes of spritzing. It blends beautifully with jasmine and tuberose. And a hint of vanilla actually boosts the gourmand personality of the scent.

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