Character
The Story of Watermelon
A bright, refreshing note that captures summer's most iconic fruit. In perfumery, watermelon brings an immediate juiciness that lifts compositions with playful, modern energy.
Heritage
Watermelon ketone emerged from an accidental discovery in 1966. Chemists at Camilli, Albert and Laloue, a fragrance house founded in 1830, were working to develop a new tranquilliser when they created what would eventually become known as Valium. Instead, they produced a compound with an entirely different character. The molecule remained largely unexplored until the 1980s when perfumers began incorporating it into oceanic fragrance compositions. Its debut in mainstream perfumery came through Chanel's Allure in 1996, where it helped define the fresh, aquatic trend that dominated the late 1990s and early 2000s.
At a Glance
6
Feature this note
France
Primary source region
Ingredient Details
Synthetic
Laboratory-synthesized compound
Did You Know
"Chanel's 1990s hit Allure introduced watermelon ketone to mainstream perfumery, changing aquatic fragrances forever."
Pyramid Presence