Aquatic perfumes

What is a marine perfume?

A marine, or aquatic, perfume is one that brings the scent of the sea to your skin: the breeze, the shoreline, seaweed. The sea, however, cannot be distilled: the marine note is an accord recreated in the laboratory by the perfumer, and its emblematic molecule is a synthetic one, Calone, which studies of fragrance chemistry describe as the main marine messenger in perfumery.

Alongside marine notes, the family lives on different facets. Ozonic notes evoke the air after a storm and the air by the sea; salt adds a saline, mineral touch; seaweed and ambergris bring into the bottle materials that truly come from the sea. On this canvas perfumers lay citrus, aromatic herbs, sunny flowers and woods, and this is how the many faces of marine perfumes are born.

Molecule, accord or natural extract?

The sea reaches the bottle in three different ways.

Accord, molecule and natural extract often work together in the same perfume: the molecule gives the marine spark, the accord turns it into a seascape, and the natural materials add depth and warmth.

From the laboratory to the sea: the story of marine perfumes

The story of marine perfumes begins with a molecule. The main milestones:

1. 1966Three Pfizer researchers, J. J. Beereboom, D. P. Cameron and C. R. Stephens, file the patent for the molecule that will become Calone, described as having a watermelon-like odour.
2. 1980sCalone enters perfumes as a fragrance component, for its watery, fresh and ozonic accords.
3. 1988New West for Him by Aramis paves the way for marine notes. The same year Pierre Bourdon creates Cool Water for Davidoff, one of the perfumes of the new freshness of the late 1980s.
4. 1990New West for Her by Aramis, created by Yves Tanguy, with a massive dose of Calone. According to dsm-firmenich, it was Calone that launched the marine trend of the 1990s.
5. 1991Escape by Calvin Klein contains Calone; in 1993 comes Escape for Men, a marine perfume too.
6. 1992L'Eau d'Issey by Issey Miyake, created by Jacques Cavallier: an aquatic floral.
7. 1992Michael Edwards creates the Fragrance Wheel: in today's version marine and aquatic notes form the Water subfamily of the Fresh family, between Citrus and Green.
8. 1994L'Eau d'Issey pour Homme: a marine perfume for men.
9. 1996Acqua di Giò pour Homme by Giorgio Armani, with Alberto Morillas among its creators: an aquatic citrus composition.
10. TodayResearch did not stop with Calone: chemists at Givaudan and Firmenich have widened the family of marine molecules, and a Firmenich research programme gave rise to Cascalone.

Today niche perfumery takes the sea in every direction: from citrus and aromatic breezes to floral, salty, woody and ambery marine perfumes.

The raw materials of marine perfumes

ozonicwateryfresh

Marine notes are accords recreated in the laboratory, and their emblematic molecule is Calone: it does not exist in nature and its patent was filed by Pfizer researchers in 1966. It has an intense sea-breeze scent with a hint of watermelon, and dsm-firmenich describes it as having ozonic and marine notes with floral undertones. According to dsm-firmenich it was one of the very first watery molecules in perfumery and launched the marine trend of the 1990s.

Marine perfumes with marine notes

saltymineralluminous

Salt is one of the typical facets of marine perfumes: a saline, mineral touch that recalls skin kissed by the sea. It brings to mind the fleur de sel of the Guérande salt marshes, white and harvested by hand from the surface of the water.

Marine perfumes with salt

marinesalinetobacco

Seaweed absolute comes from bladder wrack, a brown seaweed gathered all year round on the coasts of Brittany, then dried and ground. The air bladders that give it its name help the frond float upwards when it is under water. According to Biolandes, its scent opens on slightly salty marine notes and moves towards leather, liquorice and dark tobacco.

Marine perfumes with seaweed

amberymuskywoody

It is a solid, waxy substance that forms in the intestine of the sperm whale, in only a small minority of animals: it floats, and the sea sometimes washes it up on beaches. Its scent comes from oxidation by sun, air and sea water. Today it is rarely used, and perfumery recreates its character with Ambrox, first synthesised in the 1950s from the sclareol of clary sage and today also made through biotechnology: a powerful, elegant amber with musky and woody tones.

Marine perfumes with ambergris

floralsunnywoody

It is the sunny side of marine perfumes: Robertet describes it as floral, with woody and solar undertones. The flowers are picked every morning and distilled that same day, above all in Madagascar and the Comoros. Continuous distillation gives the complete oil, while fractional distillation gives the extra, first, second and third grades.

Marine perfumes with ylang-ylang

zestyfreshherbal

On the Fragrance Wheel aquatic notes sit next to citrus, and bergamot is their natural companion. The great majority of the world's essence comes from Calabria, from the Ionian coast of the province of Reggio: the fruit is picked by hand from November to March, and the peel is cold pressed. IFF describes it as a zesty, fresh citrus with floral and herbal undertones.

Marine perfumes with bergamot

aromaticcamphorousminty

They are two sister species of the same genus. Absinthe, or wormwood, Artemisia absinthium, is native to Europe, North Africa and Asia, and thujone is among the main molecules of its oil. Moroccan armoise oil, from Artemisia herba-alba, is obtained by distilling the aerial parts of the plant, and IFF describes it as aromatic and camphorous, with a minty cooling effect. In marine perfumes they add an aromatic, refreshing touch.

Marine perfumes with absinthe

mossyshadydeep

Despite its name it is a lichen, not a moss: it is gathered from oak trees, then dried and made into an absolute. Today perfumery uses absolutes low in atranol, in line with EU Regulation 2017/1410. According to Biolandes it improves the staying power of a perfume on the skin, and so it helps the freshness of marine perfumes last longer.

Marine perfumes with oakmoss

The nuances of marine perfumes

The sea can be sparkling and ozonic or meet citrus, herbs, fruit, flowers and woods. From the freshest to the warmest, here are its main faces:

In our collection the most frequent second families are aromatic, citrus and woody: to explore every nuance, use the fragrance family or note filters.

When to wear a marine perfume

Marine perfumes are the scents of spring and summer: they carry the feeling of a day by the sea, from the first morning swim to the sunset breeze. And they are for everyone: from the very beginning the family has dressed both men and women, as New West for Him and for Her, Escape and Escape for Men, L'Eau d'Issey and L'Eau d'Issey pour Homme show.

Longevity depends above all on the base and the concentration: woods, mosses and ambergris extend the trail of marine freshness, and an Eau de Parfum stays with you for longer. In our collection the most frequent top notes are bergamot and lemon; in the heart, marine notes and ylang-ylang; in the base, patchouli, amber and musk.

Frequently asked questions

What is a marine perfume?
It is a perfume that evokes the sea: the breeze, the shoreline, seaweed, salty skin. At its heart there is a marine accord built by the perfumer, enriched with salt, seaweed, ambergris, citrus, herbs and woods.

What is the difference between a marine and an aquatic perfume?
In everyday use the two terms are often synonyms, and Michael Edwards gathers both under the Water subfamily of his Fragrance Wheel. Close to them are ozonic notes, which evoke the air after a storm and the air by the sea.

Are marine notes natural?
Marine notes are accords created in the laboratory, because the sea cannot be distilled, and Calone, their emblematic molecule, does not exist in nature. There are, however, natural materials linked to the sea, such as seaweed absolute from Brittany and ambergris, which perfumers combine with marine notes to add depth.

What is Calone?
It is the emblematic molecule of marine perfumes: born from a patent filed by Pfizer researchers in 1966, it has a sea-breeze scent with a hint of watermelon. According to dsm-firmenich it was one of the very first watery molecules in perfumery and launched the marine trend of the 1990s.

Are marine perfumes for men or for women?
They are for everyone: from the start the family has had its versions for him and for her, from New West for Him and for Her to L'Eau d'Issey and L'Eau d'Issey pour Homme. The best way to choose is to try them on your skin.

Can I try a marine perfume before buying it?
Yes. With every order over €100 you receive 10 free samples, and you choose 5 of them yourself: it is the easiest way to discover a marine perfume on your skin before buying the bottle. If you are near Rome, you can try them in person at our boutique in Nettuno.