While looking up which nut was the nuttiest, it came down to two options. Hazelnut and sesame. Sesame smells great, but (correct me if I’m wrong) I don’t think anyone would want to be walking around smelling like sesame.
PS: If you do, let me know, and I’d gladly write an article about it.
Back to hazelnut. The hazelnut originated in Asia Minor and has a long history of cultivation, with evidence of human consumption dating back to at least 7000 BC in Scotland. In perfume, hazelnut smells nutty, sweet, and warm, like a freshly roasted nut with earthy and sometimes chocolatey or coffee-like undertones. This is why we often find it paired with chocolate and or coffee notes to create a warm, creamy, delicious aroma.
Here are some of my favourite fragrances that carry a hazelnut note.
For Her:
1. D&G Devotion Intense EDP
| Highlights | Details |
|---|---|
| Brand | Dolce & Gabbana |
| Best for | Women |
| Fragrance Family | Amber Vanilla |
| Notes | Top: Hazelnut Middle: Orange Blossom Base: Vanilla |
| Release year | 2024 |
| Projection | Moderate |
| Perfumer | Olivier Cresp |
Devotion Intense was created to celebrate the noblest values of life, a unique essence sealed with the Sacred Heart. This right here is a niche gourmand by a designer brand, and it is done excellently. A simple composition, with only three notes of orange blossom, vanilla, and hazelnut, allowing each note to shine.
You can easily detect all three notes as they complement each other and lift each other up. The vanilla blends beautifully with the hazelnut, and the orange blossom gives it an extra sweetness and freshness. This fragrance is perfect for a fall/winter bride.
2. Dior Poison Girl Unexpected EDT
| Highlights | Details |
|---|---|
| Brand | Dior |
| Best for | Women |
| Fragrance Family | Amber Vanilla |
| Notes | Top: Ginger, Blood Orange, and Lemon Middle: Damask Rose Base: Vanilla, Tonka Bean, Hazelnut and Cashmeran |
| Release year | 2018 |
| Projection | High – Moderate |
| Perfumer | François Demachy |
Shifting to a more complex fragrance, Poison Girl Unexpected by Dior features a hazelnut base note, amongst others. The hazelnut in the base adds a yummy factor, but is not the star note here. That would be the ginger.
This Dior fragrance smells like a dessert. A sweet scent with ginger-lemon sparkly notes in the opening, it transitions into a sweet gourmand thanks to the hazelnut at the base. The hazelnut note highlights the sweetness of the vanilla and tonka bean. This fragrance is perfect for summer evenings, but can fare well in the winter and fall as well.
For Him:
1. Rabanne 1 Million Lucky EDT
| Highlights | Details |
|---|---|
| Brand | Paco Rabanne |
| Best for | Men |
| Fragrance Family | Woody |
| Notes | Top: Plum, Ozonic notes, Grapefruit and Bergamot Middle: Hazelnut, Honey, Cedar, Cashmere Wood, Orange Blossom, and Jasmine Base: Amberwood, Patchouli, Vetiver, and Oakmoss |
| Release year | 2018 |
| Projection | High – Moderate |
| Perfumer | Natalie Gracia-Cetto |
Lucky is the groom wearing this fragrance on his wedding day. I have realised while writing this, hazelnut is a wedding-appropriate note. It is sweet, sensual, warm, creamy, and dreamy. Everything you would want in your wedding perfumes.
1 Million Lucky is a flanker of the original 1 Million, a best-seller by Paco Rabanne, and dare I say, I like it much better than the OG. It is fresh, vivid and sensual. The hazelnut note enriches the woody elements, with fresh ozone and Greengage plum.
2. Valentino Uomo EDT
| Highlights | Details |
|---|---|
| Brand | Valentino |
| Best for | Men |
| Fragrance Family | Woody |
| Notes | Top: Bergamot and Myrtle Middle: Hazelnut, Chocolate and Roasted Coffee Beans Base: Leather and Cedar |
| Release year | 2014 |
| Projection | High – Moderate |
| Perfumer | Olivier Polge |
Valentino and Puig launched Uomo with the idea of creating a fragrance that would be a classic of the future, aiming at men who strive for classics and like casual style. They select top quality for themselves, as announced by the brand.
In Uomo, we see the classic combination of hazelnut, chocolate, and roasted coffee beans, right at the heart. The scent is roasted, nutty, and creamy, addictive. Overall, a quite distinct and satisfying versatile scent.
Unisex
1. Amouage Guidance EDP
| Highlights | Details |
|---|---|
| Brand | Amouage |
| Best for | Unisex |
| Fragrance Family | Floral Fruity |
| Notes | Top: Pear, Hazelnut, and Olibanum Middle: Osmanthus, Rose, Saffron, and Jasmine Samba Base: Sandalwood, Vanilla, Akigalawood, Ambergris, and Labdanum |
| Release year | 2023 |
| Projection | Moderate |
| Perfumer | Quentin Bisch |
Guidance by Amouage is definitely not a safe buy. You either love it or hate it; there is no in-between. This is why I would recommend you visit an Amouage store and try it on your skin before committing to a full bottle.
Guidance is intense, and will catch you off guard if you’re not careful. Spray too much, or sniff too closely, and you’ll be thrown off. The notes of this fragrance unfold with time. From toasted hazelnuts to roses, from spices to deep ambered vanilla. They emerge one at a time, and you might love or hate that, depending on your preference.
2. Jo Malone English Oak & Hazelnut Cologne
| Highlights | Details |
|---|---|
| Brand | Jo Malone |
| Best for | Unisex |
| Fragrance Family | Woody Spicy |
| Notes | Top: Hazelnut Middle: Cedar Base: Oak |
| Release year | 2017 |
| Projection | High – Moderate |
| Perfumer | Yann Vasnier |
Circling back to a simple perfume with just three notes, English Oak & Hazelnut by Jo Malone is the last on our list. I would highly recommend this as an everyday fragrance option. It is smooth, well-balanced and gorgeous.
English Oak & Hazelnut is probably one of the longer-lasting Jo Malone colognes. But, in true Jo Malone fashion, this fragrance is not a “beast mode” scent. But that’s not to say you can’t take it there. Layer it with a hazelnut fragrance oil to amplify the hazelnut note in there, or wear it on its own for a subtle signature scent.
Find all these hazelnut fragrances and more at V Perfumes, the biggest perfume store in the UAE and across the Gulf region. Visit us in-store, or shop online, and don’t miss out on our ongoing deals and offers.
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