AnOther Loves: A Sweet and Salty Scent

Jil Sander expands Olfactory Series 1 with six androgynous scents. Sesame – a salty, buttery gourmand feels fresh, not cloying

Add aldehydes to any fragrance and they’ll cut through other notes with a sharp, fresh tang. Like a hint of washing powder. Or anti-bacterial soap. Think of Chanel No 5 – a bouquet of aldehydes and florals – which, while pioneering in its launch year of 1921, endures for its avant-garde take on perfumery. Aldehydes remain a somewhat unexpected note in modern mixes, but act as the thread between all six of Jil Sanders’ new androgynous scents: Shiso, Salt, Lily, Mahogany, Vanille and Sesame. Each formula sees a short composition of just three other naturally derived notes. 

Sesame stands out as a sweet, salty favourite. Creamy, like ice cream, perfumer Meabh Mc Curtin injected it with polygonum aldehyde to stop it from entering sickly territory. This comes from the polygonum plant, which is known for its tart and spicy profile but peaks through in Sesame as a crisp freshness. “Aldehydes are like salt,” says Mc Curtin. “They amend a formula and bring out other notes without overpowering. They let other ingredients settle like a sheen over them.” She chose polygonum because it blends and disappears with little effort, like sugar in a cup of tea.

She married the aldehyde with a cocoa shell note which, on its own, smells like a thick glass of chocolate Nesquik. Then came the smoky inflections of carbon dioxide-extracted oakwood – surprisingly medicinal and warm, like Tiger Balm for a headache. Next, cedarwood tied the formula together with a hint of just-sharpened pencils. Separately, each note sounds strange. Together, they become a buttery gourmand; a honeyed freshness that lingers on skin without overpowering.

Jil Sander Sesame is available to buy now.