Ananas Fizz

What Olivia Giacobetti has done for fig on several occasions (Philosykos, Premiere Figuier), Anne Flipo (Verte Violette, Mimosa pour Moi, Fleur de Narcisse) has done to pineapple in Ananas Fizz. Premier Figuier and Ananas Fizz share quite a bit in common: the milkiness of coconut and the dryness of cedar, and the fuzzy, green top notes and overall impression. While Premier Figuier has green notes added to the green fig, Anans Fizz is a bubbly citrus that is more like a tangy citrus soda than the ripe juicy fruity. The citrus notes chosen are not the sweetest either – bergamot, bitter orange, grapefruit and lemon. There is a hint of cinnamon-like warmth on first spritz, and this warmth fades in and out, as does the actual “pineapple” note, which is more of a tangy and green pineapple, acidic slices of the under-ripe fruit rather than the dripping sweetness of the juicy nectar that follows once the pineapple has turned yellow-orange from the outside. Ananas Fizz settles into sweeter notes of coconut and the soft powderiness of cedar and sheer clean and barely-there musk which make the base, as the pineapple weaves in and out, alternated by lots of fizz. Overall, I’d say there is more fizz than ananas in Ananas Fizz.

Ananas Fizz makes a great summer scent as its presence, though refreshing, is quite subtle and non-obtrusive. The tangy pineapple and citrus are refreshing - both literally and mentally, as this scent does offer something new to the realm of light, summery citrus eaux.

Ananas Fizz is the second or third perfume by perfumer Anne Flipo which I think smells very Olivia-Giacobettian. The two talented parfumeuses must have gone to school together, or as they say “Great minds think alike”. It’s often that I get confused between the style of both, and quite a few of their perfumes share some similarities in concept as well as they manner in which they are carried out.

Pineapple as a note in mass marketed fragrances is only achieved artificially, by a simulated aroma, usually by using primarily either one of two molecules pineapple heptadienone, which is greener or the overripe type pineapple hydroxyhexanoate. Being an entirely simulated aroma, pineapple fragrances often smell utterly artificial, and presenting more of a symbol of the aroma rather than the true aroma of the fruit itself. Referring to other pineapple scents in the history of perfume, pineapple appeared first very sporadically in fruity chypres (i.e.: Revlon’s Intimate from 1955 which included pineapple as well as papaya and green tea – all notes that were very unusual at the time). However, pineapple didn’t make a real entry into the world of perfume until the very late 70’s (Charles of the Ritz – a floriental; and Lauren – a fruity-floral) and truly in the early 80’s where it was used in several perfumes. But it was not until the age of watery-marines and fruity-florals of the 90’s that simulated pineapple notes started being used more frequently. Pineapple seems to be used either in its more tart and “gree”, acidic character (i.e.: in scents such as Cool Water and Aaqua di Giò for women). In the later 90’s, when the fruity florals started to emerge, the tartness of pineapple added an extra oomph to otherwise very sweet concoctions such as Baby Doll (and similarly in Anna Sui’s Secret Wish from 2005). Later on, it’s the overripe sweetness of pineapple that we find in more and more pineapple-tinged scents during the early milenia (which were probably preceded by the sweetness of Sophia Grojsman’s Sun, Moon, Stars for Karl Lagerfeld) such as Vanilla Pineapple (Comptoir Sud Pacifique), Live (J Lo), and the like.

P.s. According to the Journal of Food and Science, the molecules that make up the aroma of pineapple areacetoxyacetone, dimethyl malonate, trans-tetrahydro-α,α,trimethyl-5-vinyl fur-furyl alcohol, methyl cis-(4?)-octenoate, γ-butyrolactone, methyl β-hydroxybutyrate, methyl and ethyl β-hydroxyhexanoate, methyl and ethyl β-acetoxyhexanoate, γ-octalactone, and δ-octalactone.

Image: Taken by moi near the Juicery of Sheinkin street in Tel Aviv. You can see in the picture a pineapple, wheatgrass and a little miniature orange tree in the background. All were on a top of a beetle car!