Rice

Grain-forward fragrances may be the hottest new trend in scents.

It’s spring of 2024 and we are all suffering from vanilla exhaustion. Everyone has gone all-in on vanilla for the past two years, releasing scent after scent which showcases the sweetness of vanilla bean backed up by woods, musks, boozy and barrel-y notes. When a perfumer rolls out another vanilla scent, most recently Tom Ford’s Vanilla Sex everyone rolls their eyes. Companies are relying on branding and hype to sell us yet another bottle of the same thing. Chances are, if you wanted a vanilla, you would’ve found it by now.

But the fragrance market is starting to shift. We aren’t really ready to break it off with vanilla, but it seems we want sweetness that’s reminiscent of babies, whole milk, chalky old-timey candies in intricately painted boxes. Powdery scents, which received much hate and scorn in the past decade for being reminiscent of either infants or the elderly, against all odds, are on their way back in.

There is just one note in perfumery that accomplishes all: subtle sweetness, dryness, soft muskiness, and most importantly a nostalgic and comforting scent association for most. Yet a note that can convey so much still needs ideal conditions to thrive. In pastry, one may forgo adding in vanilla to let a more subtle aromatic ingredient shine - and that’s exactly what I am starting to notice as the new it-accord takes centre stage: Rice.

A few years ago I tried Affinessence Santal Basmati at H Parfums in Montreal and lost my mind. It felt like luxurious minimalism: the rice was magnified, it was plentiful, and it was warm. The santal propped up the rice, playing up its sweetness and milkiness, without that pickle note we often find in similar scents. (By the way, my theory is that smelling pickles in sandalwood scents is like hating cilantro - it seems like a common genetic anomaly.) Santal Basmati was developed by Alexandra Carlin, who is also responsible for the cult classic Velvet Tonka by BDK. This scent reads as being sophisticated, and completely unisex. While not a true gourmand, I feel like this scent is delicious.

Born To Stand Out’s Dirty Rice is a much cleaner concoction than it sounds. Once again, the rice is balanced with sandalwood but this time also put up against peony and almond. This scent conveys something really soft and milky, like cool horchata without the sprinkling of cinnamon, consumed on a very foggy morning. It’s the only scent at BTSO by Oliver Cresp, the genius behind Mugler Angel, D&G Light Blue and Cacharel Noa - this man is in the habit of making “it” scents, and this may just be another one.

And this sweeping wave of rice scents has even reached the indie darlings of the perfume world. Poesie’s Full Moon (At The Temple) once again pairs rice with soft aromatic wood - hinoki, in this instance - and green tea. The result is big opening with a note that reads to me like nutmeg sprinkled over milky rice pudding, but quickly relaxes down into a scent that is very demure and not at all gourmand - it is more like washing one’s face with rice water at a secluded onsen, drinking sencha in solitude. For a scent that smells expensive, a 5 ml rollerball will only cost you $21 USD.

But of course, I couldn’t get away with writing about rice scents without adding a true gourmand: Chokedee, by the beloved self-taught Thai perfumer Prin Lomros of Strangers Perfumerie. If you know me, you know I am obsessed with Prin and how generous he is in his formulas; his scents are the best-performing, longest-lasting, incredibly memorable and recognizable due to his unique style. Many of his fragrances are influenced by food and drink, and this one specifically feels like an ode to the dessert stalls of the night markets of Asia - pandan is first, melting into coconut cream, with sticky rice holding up the pillars of this decadent fragrance. Like in Full Moon, a tea note runs parallel through the structure of the scent. Once again, behind the sweetness, is the soft touch of santal and vetiver.

I think a rice scent could be the next big ticket item in perfumery, the natural transition into closer, softer, more intimate skin scents. These fragrances offer a refuge for those who want something sweet but not as cloying as BR540 or something sophisticated but not as overplayed as Santal 33. In addition, yuzu and green tea are still on the upswing, and both pair beautifully with a rice accord. I could see a rice scent coming out from Replika or backed by a Gen-Z celebrity within the next year.

PS: One scent I haven’t tried yet, but would love to get my hands on is Fils De Dieu by Etat Libre d’Orange, which boasts rice against tonka and ginger. If you have this one, please let me know what you think!

xo

Shrimp