What does Chamomile smell like?
Roman chamomile smells of warm, almost baked apple over dry grass and hay. There is a slight bitterness too, like tea left to steep too long. German chamomile oil is darker and more herbal, with a tobacco side. In a perfume, chamomile rounds off citrus and sets up the floral heart. It stays discreet and fades quickly. What lingers is a green softness that's hard to put a name to.
Origin and production
The name comes from the Greek khamaimēlon, "ground apple", after the plant's scent. Two species are used in perfume. Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile) gives a pale, fruity oil. German chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) gives a deep blue oil, coloured by chamazulene, which forms during distillation. In both cases the flower heads are steam-distilled.
How perfumers use it
Chamomile sits in the top, with citrus or coriander. Clinique Aromatics Elixir, composed by Bernard Chant in 1971, opens with it alongside coriander and bergamot before a rose heart and an oakmoss base. Calvin Klein Escape (1991) reuses almost the same chamomile and coriander pairing but turns it towards lychee and apple. Serge Lutens sets it beside rose in Sa Majesté la Rose (2000). Ralph Lauren Romance (1998) pairs it with ginger.
How to wear it
Chamomile suits spring and autumn. Aromatics Elixir is still very loud: one spray is enough and it carries across a room. The more aquatic Escape works in summer.