Absolutely Patchouli

Absolutely Patchouli

Is patchouli for hippies? That’s the image that often clings to it. But over the last few years, this distinctive woody note has come back into fragrance designers’ good graces with and is cropping up all over the place.
Patchouli’s popularity was at its height in the 60s and 70s. In fact, several classic scents were born in the era of flower power and sexual liberation. In 1970, jewelers Reminiscence launched Patchouli, an ode to this leaf and its woody, syrupy, and smoky scents. A year later, Clinique created Aromatics Elixir, pairing patchouli with notes of roses and white flowers. This year, Clinique is celebrating the 40th anniversary of a scent that has become patchouli fans’ cult fragrance.

Yet nowadays, patchouli has shaken off its retro feel. You could even say that it has become a pivotal note, just like musk or sandalwood. Presented as the key note by several niche brands, patchouli has also slipped more discreetly into most company’s fragrance formulas.
After 1992’s woodsy-gourmand Angel, patchouli made its big comeback in the 2000s, and the chances are that the trend will continue into the 2010s. Chanel’s Coco Mademoiselle as well as Narciso Rodriguez’s For Her inaugurated a neo-chypre trend, in which patchouli is paired with sweet, musky and gourmand notes. In 2011, shoe designer Jimmy Choo’s first fragrance joined in, pairing patchouli leaf with fruit, orchid, musk and caramel notes.