Apricot is a warm, velvety fruit note that recreates the smell of ripe apricots, Prunus armeniaca. Part of the fruity family, it is built by the perfumer from lactones and floral materials, and smells sweet, lightly tart and faintly floral, with a sun-dried, almost leathery warmth that sets it apart from peach.
What does Apricot smell like?
A ripe apricot smells denser and tangier than a peach. There is the same soft, creamy lactone core, but it comes with a brighter acidity, a floral nuance close to violet or osmanthus, and a dry, golden warmth reminiscent of fruit left in the sun. Where peach reads as juicy and skin-like, apricot feels drier and more concentrated, sitting halfway between fresh fruit and dried fruit. Lighter versions lean fresh and nectar-like; richer ones drift towards honey and suede.
How perfumers create Apricot
The fruit yields no usable aromatic oil (apricot kernel oil is an almost odourless carrier), so the note is composed. Gamma-decalactone and gamma-undecalactone supply the creamy stone-fruit body, ionones add the violet-like floral edge, and fruity esters lift the opening. Osmanthus absolute is the natural material most often used, because its own lactones and ionones give a strikingly apricot-and-leather effect. A little linalool or a green note keeps the accord fresh.
- Also known as: Abricot, Prunus armeniaca
- Fragrance family: Fruity
- Type: Accord (created by the perfumer)
- How it's obtained: Built from lactones, ionones and esters, often with osmanthus absolute
- Key aroma molecules: Gamma-decalactone, gamma-undecalactone, beta-ionone
Apricot in perfume history
The species name armeniaca reflects the old belief that the fruit came from Armenia, but genetic studies point to domestication in Central Asia and China. The English word arrived in the 16th century via French and Spanish from the Arabic al-barqūq. In perfumery, apricot long played a supporting role inside osmanthus and fruity chypre accords before appearing as a named note in the fruity and oriental launches of the 1990s.
Apricot in modern perfumery
Apricot is popular in fruity florals and soft gourmands, and niche perfumers like it for its bridge to osmanthus, suede and tea. Turkey is the leading grower of the fruit, although this has no bearing on the note, which is fully synthetic or osmanthus-based.
How Apricot wears and what it pairs with
Apricot opens in the top notes, but its lactones carry it into the heart for several hours. It pairs well with osmanthus, orange blossom, jasmine, rose, black tea, suede, almond and vanilla.
Fragrances featuring Apricot
- Dior Hypnotic Poison (1998)
