What does Litchi smell like?
Peel a fresh litchi and breathe in. First comes a sugary water, then a floral note that clearly recalls rose. The fruit contains rose oxide, geraniol and linalool, all found in rose oil. So the perfumer doesn't have to force the link. Set beside a rose, litchi adds juice and transparency. It also takes away some of the flower's gravity.
Origin and production
The litchi tree (Litchi chinensis) comes from southern China, where it has been grown for over two thousand years. Legend says the Tang emperor Xuanzong had litchis rushed in by relays of horses for his consort Yang Guifei. The fruit yields no usable oil. The note is a synthetic accord that each house doses its own way.
How perfumers use it
The litchi and rose pairing settled in during the 2000s. Yves Saint Laurent Elle (2007) opens on litchi and peony before a heart of rose and pink pepper. Dolce & Gabbana Rose The One (2009) puts litchi in the heart, right against the rose. Chloé Roses de Chloé (2013) pares it down to bergamot and rose. Cartier Goutte de Rose (2013) adds rhubarb. Van Cleef & Arpels Orchidée Vanille (2009) bends it towards gourmand with chocolate and almond.
How to wear it
Litchi roses are spring scents. They stay light and work in the office. For a deeper rose, pick Elle, whose patchouli base holds up better at night.