Describing the scent of ripe mango I’d have to resort to the most unusual contrasts. It’s syrupy sweet and yet refreshing, floral and piney, honeyed and spicy. A hint of rot, that essential aroma components of many tropical fruits, gives it an intriguing twist. It’s the most luscious and seductive expression of nature’s diversity. Yet, capturing the scent of mango in a perfume is complicated, and this is the topic of my FT magazine article, Mango’s Aroma.
The Thai dessert of mango and sticky rice seems custom-made to inspire a perfume. It has the sweet top notes of ripe mango, the creamy heart of coconut milk, the savoury finish of steamed rice and the delicate floral accent of palm sugar. Yet it wasn’t until perfumer Calice Becker created Moonlight in Heaven for Kilian in 2016 that I could finally enjoy the delicious twists of my favourite pudding in a fragrance. To continue reading, please click here.
Photography by Bois de Jasmin
41 Comments
Tourmaline: Hi Victoria,
Wow, I must try Moonlight in Heaven, because I adore mango (especially the Kensington Pride brand here in Oz).
And am I imagining things or is that rice blue? I love it – so pretty!
With kind regards,
Tourmaline July 29, 2019 at 9:24am
Victoria: The rice is blue, because it’s colored with the blue butterfly pea flower. It gives it such a beautiful color. July 29, 2019 at 10:23am
Tourmaline: Hi Victoria,
I just googled it and found that it has been introduced to Australia, and that we have the Blue Butterfly Pea Flower tea available here. I must check it out!
With kind regards,
Tourmaline July 29, 2019 at 10:37am
Victoria: Do try it! For instance, you can make lemonade with it (it turns vibrant pink if something acidic is added.) July 29, 2019 at 4:00pm
Tourmaline: I shall definitely try it. I love playing with colour as well as aroma! July 30, 2019 at 7:14am
Victoria: It can be used in savory dishes too. July 31, 2019 at 4:15am
Ariadne: Mmmmmmmango! Great photo!! How is it the rice is blue? July 29, 2019 at 9:26am
Victoria: As I mentioned to Tourmaline, it’s colored with a particular South Asian flower. No additional flavor, just a vivid color. July 29, 2019 at 10:23am
K: I wore Pulp by Byredo to work one day, and a workmate thought it smelled like mangoes! July 29, 2019 at 3:57pm
Victoria: I catch a bit of mango in it. July 29, 2019 at 4:01pm
Filomena: I do own Bombay Bling but need to try Moonlight in Heaven. July 29, 2019 at 10:27am
Victoria: One of my favorites from this line. July 29, 2019 at 4:01pm
OnWingsofSaffron: Of the three I’d love to Bombay Bling—the name alone is such fun! Plus frangipani: what a seductive flower scent! Unfortunately, all three perfumes are excessively expensive. July 29, 2019 at 5:10pm
Victoria: I agree, the prices are extreme. Niche brands and their pricing is really a topic of its own. July 30, 2019 at 6:45am
Brigitte: Indeed. July 30, 2019 at 7:18am
Sandra: Lemming Moonlight in Heaven. While I am at the By Kilian counter is anything else I must try? July 30, 2019 at 7:06am
Sandra: I smelled it today!
Very sweet! July 30, 2019 at 12:58pm
Victoria: Not quite your thing, right? July 31, 2019 at 4:17am
Sandra: It was a bit too sweet for me. I am fortunate enough to live walking distance to a BK boutique, which is maybe good or bad for my wallet!
Yesterday the woman asked me what scents I liked and she sprayed two on my wrists one was Dangerous Liaisons and the other was Voulez-vous coucher avec Moi. July 31, 2019 at 7:11am
Victoria: They have many very good perfumes, but yes, the base can be sweet. What did you think of others? August 1, 2019 at 6:53am
Sandra: Dangerous Liaisons made me swoon. It smells very fresh on me. Voulez was a nice surprise because I normally don’t like Gardénia if it is too strong. This was balanced. Everything is very long laying on the skin, any insight to why that is? Do you have a favorite? August 1, 2019 at 8:41am
Sandra: I meant long * lasting* August 1, 2019 at 8:42am
Victoria: They all last very well on me too, and my favorite by far is Sweet Redemption, orange blossom and incense. August 1, 2019 at 11:11am
Austenfan: I haven’t tried as many Kilians as you have but Sweet Redemption is just so gorgeous. It’s ever so slightly wistful. August 1, 2019 at 2:53pm
Victoria: It’s true. It’s the one I keep returning to again and again. I like the combination of accords which is original, and as you’ve put it, wistful. August 2, 2019 at 6:27am
Victoria: I really like Sweet Redemption, a beautiful orange blossom. July 31, 2019 at 4:15am
Figuier: I adore Bombay Bling. I received a travel size in a draw on this site several years ago – when the first 3 scents were launched – and I’m still hoarding it. At this time of the year it’s spectacular; as well as evoking the juicy & flesh it also really nails that lovely raspy musky odour of mango rind. July 30, 2019 at 10:19am
Victoria: It really does, doesn’t it. Not many other mango perfumes do. July 31, 2019 at 4:16am
Austenfan: Out of the three you mention I’m only familiar with Bombay Bling which I almost bought last summer (I got Trayee instead).
I’m now coveting a bottle of Moonlight in Heaven. I’ve become quite a fan of Calice Becker’s work for Kilian.
I happen to own a bottle of Fraîche Passiflore (MPG) which I enjoy a lot. It feels like an upmarket version of Rockin’ Rio. July 30, 2019 at 11:46am
Victoria: I like Fraîche Passiflore too. It was one of my first MGPs. July 31, 2019 at 4:16am
Victoria: I ended up with Trayee too. July 31, 2019 at 4:16am
Austenfan: Still kind of craving Bombay Bling as well. This is such a good line of perfumes. July 31, 2019 at 9:06am
Victoria: Me too, especially after writing this piece. August 1, 2019 at 6:53am
Debi Sen Gupta: Has anyone tried Mango Thai Lime from Jo Loves? July 31, 2019 at 1:29pm
Victoria: I didn’t find it either interesting or longlasting, but I didn’t try it more than once. August 1, 2019 at 6:53am
Debi Sen Gupta: Thanks Victoria, I have Smoked Plum from her line, which I really like, and was contemplating getting something else. August 1, 2019 at 8:50am
Aurora: Hello Debi: I have one Jo Loves too, Red Truffle, a gourmand fig, and I gave my brother Green Orange and Coriander for Xmas. Is Smoked Plum very plummy? August 5, 2019 at 12:24pm
Debi Sen Gupta: I find the smoke is more prominent than the plum. How do you like the other two? August 6, 2019 at 12:16am
Aurora: Thank you Debi that sounds very good. I like Red Truffle quite a bit, it’s an unusual take on fig because it’s non-coconuty fig (I got tired of of fig with coconut), a herbal and aromatic at first with a slight salty edge too and is long-lasting on my skin and Green Orange smelled great on my brother, orange and coriander is a great pairing. August 6, 2019 at 7:18am
Debi Sen Gupta: Thanks for such a detailed response. I will get the orange and coriander during my next visit to UK. Believe its unisex.
The smoked plum smells really good. It’s very long lasting too and not too sweet. August 6, 2019 at 11:29am
Aurora: It’s one of my favorite fruits. I find the green mango in Un Jardin sur le Nil very nice because it’s not cloying.
What a superb photo. August 5, 2019 at 12:26pm