Seamus Hammond
The Fracas perfume, created by French perfumer Germaine Cellier for fashion designer Robert Piguet in 1948, is a scent that has been described as unforgettable and hypnotic. With its base notes of tuberose, jasmine, and gardenia, it is known for its bold, sweet, buttery, and indolic qualities. However, some have noted a strange, fake plastic-like sweetness in the fragrance, which might be attributed to the use of synthetic bases and the strong indolic flowers at its heart.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Launched | 1948 |
| Reissued | 1998 |
| Perfumer | Germaine Cellier |
| Dedicated to | Edwige Feuillère |
| Notes | Tunisian orange blossom, French jasmine, Italian iris root butter, natural violet leaf, sandalwood, musk, civet, C18, methyl anthranilate, Indian tuberose absolute, gardenia |
| Smell | Sweet, buttery, plastic, decaying fruit, urine, Hawaiian flowers, baby's head, white meadow flowers, sex, dreamy, joyful, happy, seductive, old-timey, milky, buttery, gourmand |
| Longevity | Some say it lasts all day, others report it doesn't last as long as expected |
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What You'll Learn
Fracas' sweet, buttery notes
Fracas, a 1948 perfume by French perfumer Germaine Cellier, is known for its sweet, buttery notes. Cellier sought to create a scent that would make its wearer feel like a bombshell, leaving an unsettling effect on everyone who encountered it. The result is a bold fragrance with a distinctive sweet, buttery character.
The sweet and buttery notes in Fracas come from a combination of ingredients, most notably tuberose. Tuberose is a pungent, small white flower known for its powerful scent, which has been described as smelling like "very, very hot flesh". To create an even more lifelike interpretation of tuberose, Cellier used Tunisian orange blossom absolute, French jasmine, and Italian iris root butter. Jasmine, like tuberose, contains heavy molecules called indoles, which contribute to the buttery aspect of the fragrance.
The sweetness of Fracas is enhanced by natural violet leaf, which gives the scent a harsh, wet green aspect. Synthetic notes like C18 and methyl anthranilate add a milky, soft tropical quality and a touch of fizz, respectively. The combination of these sweet and buttery notes results in a scent that is both bold and unique.
Over time, the fragrance of Fracas becomes even sweeter, although not in a gourmand way. The longer it wears, the more the tuberose comes through, providing a contrast to the initial buttery notes. This evolution of the scent showcases the complexity of Fracas, making it a memorable and intriguing fragrance.
While the sweet, buttery notes of Fracas are prominent, the perfume also contains other contrasting elements. Rich accents of sandalwood and delicate musk enhance the complexity of the fragrance, making it more than just a sweet, buttery scent. These additional notes showcase the artistry of Cellier's creation, blending seamlessly with the sweet and buttery character to create a well-rounded and captivating perfume.
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The scent's indolic flowers
The scent of Fracas is due in part to the presence of indolic flowers. Indoles are chemical compounds that are found in many flowers, especially white florals such as jasmine, tuberose, gardenia, orange blossom, and neroli. Indoles are also present in other flowers such as lily of the valley, rose, lilac, and honeysuckle.
Indoles are known for their distinctive scent, which has been described as musty, wet, sharp, and clean, with hints of wet dog, stale breath, and mothballs. In lower concentrations, indoles add a seductive and alluring quality to floral scents, enhancing their "aliveness". However, in higher concentrations, indoles can give off a muddled, mustier, and dirty undertone.
Jasmine, in particular, the Jasmine Grandiflorum variety, is known for its strong indole note. The indole in jasmine contributes to its distinctive scent, which has been described as dirty, sweaty, and narcotic. Tuberose, another flower high in indoles, has a similar scent, evoking armpit, flesh, and decay.
The use of indolic flowers in perfumery can create a carnal, sensual, and erotic effect. These animalic notes add richness, duration, and a touch of nudity, skin, and sweat to the overall scent. However, the use of indolic flowers in commercial perfumery has declined in recent years due to the high cost and the trend towards cleaner, sweeter, and more synthetic fragrances.
In the case of Fracas, the combination of indolic flowers such as jasmine and tuberose creates a bold, vivid, and energizing fragrance. The sweetness of the perfume may be attributed to the indolic flowers, as they can have a narcotic richness that verges on decay. While some people may perceive the scent of indoles as rotting fruit, sourness, urine, or plastic, others may simply experience the sweetness of overripe flowers.
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Tuberose and jasmine accords
The combination of these notes results in a sweet, heavy scent with a harsh, wet green aspect and woody depth. The scent is said to be bold, vivid, emphatic, and energizing, with buttery notes that can be overpowering if the wearer is feeling unwell or trying to convey seriousness.
Creating tuberose and jasmine accords can be challenging due to the complexity of the scents and the high cost of certain ingredients. For example, the GC/MS analysis of the Sacred Jasmine Sambac Absolute offered by Hermitage Oils is used as a basis for a jasmine accord, but the indole content, which contributes to the "mothball note", can be challenging to recreate synthetically.
Overall, the tuberose and jasmine accords in Fracas and other perfumes create bold and distinctive scents that have become iconic and well-loved by many.
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Fracas' plastic-like scent
The Fracas perfume, created by French perfumer Germaine Cellier for French fashion designer Robert Piguet in 1948, is based on the scent of tuberose, a pungent small white flower. Cellier, who was a known eccentric, sought to create a scent that would make its wearer feel like a bombshell and leave an unsettling effect on everyone that encountered it. The result is a bold, vivid, emphatic, and energizing fragrance with sweet and buttery notes.
The scent of tuberose has been described as smelling like armpit, flesh, and decay due to heavy molecules called indoles. Jasmine, another key ingredient in Fracas, is also loaded with indoles. These indoles can give the fragrance a rubbery element that, when over-ripe, can verge on the side of decay and give some people the impression of rotting fruit, sourness, urine, or plastic.
The plastic-like scent of Fracas is likely due to the presence of indoles in the tuberose and jasmine ingredients, which can give the fragrance a rubbery or synthetic quality that some may associate with plastic. Over time, as the fragrance interacts with the wearer's skin chemistry, the sweet notes can become more pronounced, possibly enhancing the perception of a plastic-like scent.
While the plastic-like scent of Fracas may be off-putting to some, others find it unique and captivating. The perfume has a dedicated following, with fans including Courtney Love, Madonna, and Martha Stewart. It is known for its boldness and longevity, often described as a signature scent that lingers on the skin.
In conclusion, the plastic-like scent in Fracas is likely due to the combination of indolic flowers, synthetic bases, and the interaction of the fragrance with the wearer's skin chemistry. While it may be a polarizing scent, Fracas has earned its place as a landmark fragrance in the world of perfumery.
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The scent's reformulation
The scent of Fracas, a 1948 perfume, was created by French perfumer Germaine Cellier for French fashion designer Robert Piguet. Cellier was a chemist by training and often used cutting-edge synthetic bases, which later ceased to be produced. This meant that the perfume had to be reformulated over the years.
Fracas is based on the scent of tuberose, a pungent small white flower, and contains jasmine, which is also a white flower with a strong scent. Cellier added Tunisian orange blossom to achieve a more lifelike, raw tuberose scent, as well as French jasmine and Italian iris root butter. Natural violet leaf was also added to give the sweet, heavy scent a harsh, wet green aspect, and iris for woody depth. Synthetic ingredients were added for power and a tropical quality, and methyl anthranilate for fizz.
The scent has been described as "viscous, rubbery, and rich" with a strong, sweet, buttery, and milky floral fragrance. It has been called "the empress of all white scents" and is known as a tuberose powerhouse. Over time, the perfume becomes sweeter, with some describing it as smelling like "a mall public toilet".
The perfume was reformulated in the 1990s, with perfumer Pierre Negrin tasked with recreating the original scent as accurately as possible. This version was a major success, receiving positive reviews from critics and celebrities. In 2008, perfumer Aurélien Guichard was responsible for creating newer versions of the scent.
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Frequently asked questions
The fake plastic smell in Fracas is due to the presence of indoles, which are heavy molecules found in jasmine and tuberose, two of the key ingredients in the fragrance.
The fake plastic smell in Fracas is not intentional, but rather a result of the combination of certain ingredients, particularly jasmine and tuberose, which contain indoles that can give off a plastic-like scent.
Yes, in addition to jasmine and tuberose, Fracas also contains orange blossom, gardenia, iris, and synthetic notes like C18 and methyl anthranilate that can contribute to the overall scent profile, including the plastic-like aspect.
