What does Hawthorn smell like?
Perfumers’ hawthorn smells of sweet almond and honey, with the freshness of a white flower. Think almond paste rather than bitter pit. The real blossom has a stranger, slightly animal undertone that many people find odd up close. The accords keep the friendlier part. In perfume hawthorn adds a powdery, aniseed roundness that links flowers to woods.
Origin and production
Hawthorn (genus Crataegus) lines European country lanes and blooms around May. The flowers yield no usable oil. In French perfumery, aubépine is also the trade name for anisic aldehyde, a synthetic molecule that smells of almond and flowers. It forms the backbone of the accord. Perfumers add honey, heliotrope or mimosa notes depending on the effect.
How perfumers use it
Hawthorn bridges almond and flower. Dior Fahrenheit puts it in the top in 1988, next to lavender and mandarin, before the violet and leather arrive. Fahrenheit Le Parfum picked up the idea in 2014. Chanel Beige uses it in a honeyed white bouquet. Tom Ford Métallique pairs it with aldehydes. Reminiscence Patchouli Blanc and Mademoiselle Rochas in Black use it in the heart.
How to wear it
Hawthorn feels right in spring, when the hedges bloom. Formulas where it stays quiet work all year. Spray on skin rather than fabric to keep the almond softness.