You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain. That’s true for perfume notes too. Popular ingredients like aldehydes go on to define an era and live on as the sensory representation of the time. Earning the ‘classic’ perfume honour comes with one drawback– being labeled as dated by younger generations. They become relegated to ‘old lady’ or ‘grandma’ scents, a category used to revile experience and value naive youthfulness in women.
Every popular class of perfume eventually goes through this as I’m sure today’s fruity perfumes will be a few decades from now. But as the trend cycle changes again, the dated perfumes become new again, either due to a nostalgia for the good old times or creative new formulations. Aldehydes are the star ingredient of Chanel N°5, the most popular perfume there has been.
Aldehydes are a curious, hard-to-describe beauty. They’re a family of ingredients that have distinct fragrances. They can feel soapy, waxy, fruity, floral, powdery, metallic, or green depending on the aldehyde used in the perfume. They suffered the ‘old lady’ label for a while due to their wide use in classic perfumes, but are becoming trendy again, especially with the popularity of clean, laundry scents.
Here are a few aldehydic perfumes that are making the classic ingredients feel more modern:
For Her:
1. YSL Libre L’Absolu Platine Parfum
| Details | Details |
|---|---|
| Brand | Yves Saint Laurent |
| Best for | Women |
| Fragrance Family | Oriental Floral |
| Notes | Top: Aldehydes, Calabrian Bergamot, Calabrian Mandarin Orange Middle: Provençal Lavender, French Lavender, Moroccan Orange Blossom Base: Bourbon Vanilla, Heliotrope, Ambergris |
| Release year | 2023 |
| Longevity | Over 10 hours |
| Projection | Moderate |
| Perfumer | Anne Flipo and Carlos Benaïm |
Libre L’Absolu Platine is the clean, successful corporate woman sister of the YSL Libre family. The aldehydes at the top gives it a clean, crisp, metallic character that plays well with the deep, warm notes of vanilla. The combination of two lavenders makes for a complex lavender accord that makes this perfume an absolute must for lavender lovers.
2. Byredo Blanche EDP
| Details | Details |
|---|---|
| Brand | Byredo |
| Best for | Women |
| Fragrance Family | Floral Aldehyde |
| Notes | Top notes: Aldehydes, Rose, and Pink Pepper Middle notes: Peony, Violet, and African Orange Flower Base notes: Musk, Woodsy Notes, Sandalwood |
| Release year | 2009 |
| Projection | Moderate |
| Longevity | Over 8 hours |
| Perfumer | Byredo |
Byredo Blanche is arguably the most popular modern-day aldehyde, helped by the popularity of clean girl scents. It takes a turn away from the classic aldehydes of the past and works to enhance the perfume’s comforting fragrance profile while balancing out the powdery musky accords. Its modern take on aldehydes has made it the everyday scent of many chic young women.
3. Parfums de Marly Valaya EDP
| Highlights | Details |
|---|---|
| Brand | Parfums de Marly |
| Best for | Women |
| Fragrance Family | Floral Fruity |
| Notes | Top: Aldehydes, White Peach, Bergamot, Mandarin Orange Middle: Orange Blossom, Petalia, Lily-of-the-Valley, Nympheal™, Vetiver, Mahonia Base: Musk, Ambroxan, Akigalawood and Vanilla |
| Release year | 2023 |
| Longevity | Over 8 hours |
| Projection | Moderate |
| Perfumer | Quentin Bisch |
Parfums de Marly did clean and fresh without going the soapy route in Valaya. Nympheal, a relatively new Givaudan creation, brings a beautiful creamy and powdery touch. The use of white peach gives it an enjoyable sweetness that doesn’t get cloying. After about 5 hours, the fruitiness dissipates to give an opulent white floral fragrance.
For Him:
1. Faiz Niche Woody F8013 Extrait De Parfum
| Highlights | Details |
|---|---|
| Brand | Faiz Niche |
| Best for | Men |
| Fragrance Family | Woody Aromatic |
| Notes | Top: Aldehydes, Bergamot, Ginger, Mint, Lemon Middle: Apple, Violet Leaf, Pineapple, Sage, Geranium Base: Ambergris, Musk, Cedar, Balsam Fir, Incense, Vetiver |
| Release year | 2023 |
| Longevity | 8 Hours |
| Projection | Medium |
| Perfumer | Faiz Niche |
Aldehydes are most often used in women’s perfumes as they’re so good at enhancing floral notes. But, men don’t have to miss out on the zingy freshness of this classic note. The opening is quite refreshing like sips of sparkling water flavoured with citruses, ginger, and mint. The ginger continues on to give warmth in the dry down, playing really well with the perfume’s subtly sweet and smoky background. It’s a modern everyday scent that can go well for the office.
Find these beautiful modern aldehyde fragrances and more at your fragrance destination. V Perfumes, online and in store, for the best prices in the UAE.
