What makes a scent powdery?
Powdery notes can be created using several different ingredients. Most notably, aldehyde, which is used in many, including the iconic powdery perfume Chanel No 5. Powdery scents also often have notes of iris, vanilla, musk, heliotrope, violet, amber, and resins to create a powdery-like puff of fragrance in the air. They often smell clean, soft, and evoke the gentle warmth and silky soft elegance of being wrapped in a cashmere jumper.
Some people say that powdery = grandma, but we’re saying NO! Powdery scents can be sensual and sexy. They have a vintage, old-world charm, can be skin-like, and are oh-so-calming to wear.
Let’s jump into Jess’ top 5 powdery fragrances at Lore:
Okay, so this is a powdery fragrance with some guts to it. I mean, she is a queen so she was never going to be a shrinking violet style, innocent powdery scent. She is bold, powerful, and demands your attention and respect. This is a fusion of classic and modern perfumery at its best. Described as an aldehyde chypre fragrance, Citizen Queen has the leather, earthy base that lends to the chypre family, while the powerful note of aldehydes create a powdery yet bright tone. Romano describes this queen as edgy, intimidating and glamorous. She’s untouchable, but the irony is that when you’re wearing this fragrance, or when someone around you is wearing Citizen Queen, all you want to do is nuzzle into them to get a little more of this scent. For anyone from the 90’s, it totally reminds me of that scene in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (the OG film) when she gets on the back of Luke Perry’s motorbike in her flouncy white prom dress, leather jacket thrown over the top, off to save prom night by killing all of the vampires.
Besos means kisses in Spanish. While Carner Barcelona describes this scent as a ‘come-hither kiss, sensual and deep’, to me this fragrance feels more like an innocent and pure love, like that of a child. It almost has that new baby head smell—clean, comforting, and slightly powdery and musky. Besos gives me the feelings that you feel as a new mum—an overwhelming amount of joy, a heart-expanding kind of pure and unconditional love, and beautiful moments of skin-on-skin bonding with the bub. Such a clean skin moment with hints of floral and musky depth to ensure it lasts on the skin.
This is romance in a sexy vintage bottle right here. Let’s step back to 1950, Robert Piguet met a mystery woman and was so mesmerised by her that he created a fragrance inspired by her. Referring to her only as ‘the dreamer’, she became a fragrant memory, like a plume of smoke in her wake (but obviously a plume of powder to suit the elegance of the scent). The powdery softness of this fragrance is intended to symbolise this unforgettable and beautiful woman with her head in the clouds. A scent for the dreamers—those with an imagination that knows no bounds. I imagine this woman wearing an incredible fur lined sheer silk robe, lounging along her velvet chaise lounge as she draws, writes and indulges in everything her imagination can conjure.
An incredibly modern and unique powdery fragrance, Allesandro Gaultieri created this fragrance amidst being in love with a taken and unattainable woman – a familiar story of unrequited love. Strength is found in vulnerability and in allowing fragility. It is a fragrance that explores the fragility of the heart. The lid is the only one in the collection not made of wood, it is china and will shatter if dropped, symbolising how delicate our hearts can be.
China White has a wonderful blend of powder, smoke, spice and florals. The most complex in the Nasomatto collection, this scent is a perfect analogy for our emotions. Soft, billowing powdery notes sit on top of an incense smoke, and soft white flowers and earthy forest-like notes fill the base. It is almost like a magical dreamscape that merges the cloudy sky with the earth below.
In the first spritz of Loukhoum, you immediately get the scent of powdery clean skin. I smell this gorgeous soapy scent that is reminiscent of old school soap bars from childhood. Maybe it’s Dove soap or Imperial Leather, but it’s definitely one of those classic 80’s/90’s soaps. There’s a clean comfort that comes from it, like I’ve just jumped out of the shower and that nostalgic soap smell has been amplified. This is not the true heart of Loukhoum however, just a fleeting moment. Inspired by the Turkish delight “rahat loukhoum”, this powdery scent allows the sweet Bulgarian rose, gourmand almond and vanilla notes to slowly emerge from this billowy powdery opening. The powdery-ness then becomes more like a gentle sprinkling of icing sugar on top of a deliciously gourmand, yet refined and elegant Turkish Delight.
