The New Freshness facet

In perfumery, facets come to dress the main theme of the fragrance (which is defined thanks to the different accords created from the raw materials). The more facets there are, the more complex the fragrance will be. In perfumery, the new freshness facet is obtained by synthetic notes, notably dihydromyrcenol.

What is freshness in perfumery?

The feeling of freshness in a fragrance is very subjective and depends above all on how one feels. 

For example, a person might describe Guerlain's Shalimar as a fresh perfume, whereas technically speaking, this fragrance, even if it contains 30% of bergamot, is mostly made up of very warm and enveloping amber notes. In general, the sensation of perceived freshness will mostly be a sign that the fragrance is appreciated.

There are, however, perfumes that are technically very fresh, and considered as such by perfumers. There are different types of freshness in perfumery: 

  • Hesperidia freshness with citrus fruits: bergamot, lemon, mandarin, orange.
  • Aromatic freshness with mint, aniseed or lavender notes.
  • Green freshness with the scents of sap and cut grass.
  • Marine freshness with iodine notes and molecules such as calonne and helional.
  • Aldehydic freshness.
  • Spicy freshness with fresh spices: ginger, cardamom, and pink pepper.
  • Fruity freshness with only certain fruits such as apple and pear.
  • The new freshness facet.

In the Sylvaine Delacourte range, the following eaux de parfum have a very fresh opening, that is contrasted by warm base notes : 

 

 

Dihydromyrcenol: the birth of a new wave of freshness 

This facet was born from the combination of citrus fruits and an extremely fresh synthetic odorous molecule called Dihydromyrcenol (or DHMOL), which was created by the company IFF. This molecule was used for the first time in a perfume with a fern accord: Cool water by Davidoff (1988). 

Dihydromyrcenol has a very invigorating scent, with a clean linen or laundry scent, that differentiates it from aldehydes. This molecule has the particularity of being a booster of citrus notes in a fragrance. Much appreciated by men, this facet has been widely used in fragrances for men, but is now more unisex.

New freshness and perfumes for men

Perfumers thus use the new freshness note to create perfumes for men often dressed in aromatic, green or marine citrus notes, which they combine with the fern accord.

All these very fresh fragrances must have base notes that structure the whole, such as woody notes, like cedar, or the fern accord. The latter is made up of aromatic minty, aniseed or lavender notes, with an important element in the structure: pink pelargonium with the scent of "masculine rose" and finally tonka bean (thanks to the isolated coumarin of this tonka bean). The classic fougère accord creates an olfactory atmosphere reminiscent of the scents in a barber's shop using old-fashioned bearded soap bowls. Guy Laroche's Drakkar Noir fragrance is a true classic fern.

Cool Water by Davidoff was the leader of new freshness. This perfume truly offers a clean, air-dried linen scent, with notes of lavender, fresh spices, and certainly aromatic notes. The base is woody and musky, extremely clean, and above all very tenacious.

Other perfumes for men with new freshness facet

Here are some perfumes for men with new freshness facet:

  • Acqua di gio Armani : between marine et new freshness notes
  • Issey Miyake : marine notes
  • Body Kouros Yves Saint Laurent
  • Emporio Lui Armani
  • Only The Brave Diesel
  • Starwalker Mont Blanc
  • Ck one summer Calvin klein 
  • Gucci pour Homme Gucci
  • Hugo Man Hugo Boss 
  • L’Homme Yves Saint Laurent
  • Gentlemen Only Givenchy 
  • Drakkar Noir Guy Laroche

All these fragrances are essentially masculine and have a great freshness. They are also very virile, and DHMOL is more or less present.

The best known of these fragrances, which is also more feminine, even unisex, and in which we can clearly feel this new freshness note is Ck One by Calvin Klein.

This new freshness facet is representative of the archetypal man coming out of the shower, clean-shaved, whose shirt gives off a pleasant smell of washing powder. 

New freshness facet and perfumes for women

In 1994, Calvin Klein's perfume CK One opened up the notes of freshness to a whole new feminine public, looking for lightness and modernity. It was the first unisex fragrance, or claimed as such. It was an international success. 

In this perfume, the note Dihydromyrcenol (DH MOL), is now used in a more subtle way and can give a sparkling, airy, invigorating and long-lasting freshness. Used very often as the top note of all the fragrances on the market (without being precisely perceived), this clean note is very marked.

New freshness tended to be associated with the vitality and dynamism of the sporty, modern man. Now it is also associated with the contemporary woman. This facet provides a clean, powerful, sparkling and very airy top note, that better brings out the base and heart notes in the fragrance.

Sylvaine Delacourte fragrances

Discover Sylvaine Delacourte's brand with her Orange Blossom, Musk and Vanilla Collections. You can try them thanks to the Discovery Boxes (5 Eaux de Parfum x 2 ml) and rediscover these raw materials as you have never smelled them before.