The scent and taste of watermelon screams !SUMMER! to me. As a child, cracking open a chilled watermelon was a celebratory event during steamy Virginia summers. At my urging (and purchasing, I bought the seeds), my father grew all types of watermelon varieties: classics, miniatures, ball-shaped; melons with pink, red, gold, yellow and white flesh. Watermelons originated in Africa but now are grown around the world. In Japan, the Densuke watermelon is grown in limited quantities only on Hokkaido; these rare, round watermelons with almost-black rinds sell for hundreds of dollars...or many thousands of dollars at auction (for single melons). I was surprised (given the perfume industry's propensity for "fibs" and pretension) that today's two watermelon-flavored perfumes didn't list Densuke watermelon in the ingredients lists. Stay tuned!
Hoping to find a watermelon fragrance that will refresh my summer, I tried two: Shay & Blue Watermelons and Parfums MDCI Bleu Satin.
Shay & Blue Watermelons
Perfumer Julie Massé (listed notes of watermelon, green mandarin, honeysuckle, green leaves, green tea, vetiver)
Watermelons does not smell like watermelons. It smells like a generic/dated "melon" chemical (a calone/ozone-tinged, neon-bright concoction). What I smell most in Watermelons is a sharp, inexpensive-smelling "green" aroma mixing with flat citrus. This fragrance screams "man's cologne;" it reminds me of the scent of a gym locker room where men are dousing themselves in sports fragrances. Since Watermelons' pricing is under $100, it's "free" in today's perfume world; but it still costs way too much. Overall, Watermelons smells like a bargain counter "fresh" accord placed in a pretty bottle. Lazy, lazy, lazy.
Shay & Blue Watermelons natural spray is available in 30 ml ($50) or 100 ml ($90).
Parfums MDCI Bleu Satin
Perfumer Cécile Zarokian (listed notes of bergamot, lemon, green notes, jasmine, cassis, watermelon, saffron, leather, woody notes)
Citrus creamsicle aromas start Bleu Satin on its prosaic journey. There's a minute or two of the same lifeless citrus, harsh "green" and Kool-Aid melon scents I smelled in Watermelons, too. Bleu Satin smells marginally better, quality-wise, than Watermelons. Saffron/suede and hazy wood notes add some interest to the fruit cream (but the vibe is ultra-synthetic throughout). Bleu Satin's $250 price is laughable as is its inspiration: The Blue Boy painting by Thomas Gainsborough! O-kaaaaaaaaaaaaay.
Since the suede note in Bleu Satin is most prominent, why wasn't this called Daim Bleu? As for packaging: this reminds me of the cheesy bottles of booze you see for sale at Christmas, with a Baroque or Renaissance painting on the flask. To suit Bleu Satin's mood, I would have recommended a painting of Elvis on black velvet for the label, a silver top, and, given its price, instead of the dumb tassel, two tiny blue suede shoes dangling from a shoestring lanyard.
As it is: 'meh' on all things inside and outside the Bleu Satin bottle.
Parfums MDCI Bleu Satin Eau de Parfum is $250 for 75 ml.
Suck (I mean such) is the state of niche perfume: low-budget (low-inspiration) wares at black-market prices. I spent $12 on these two tiny, less than 1 ml samples and feel cheated.
Does a realistic watermelon note even exist? If anyone knows of a true-to-life watermelon-scented cologne or candle...please comment!
I guess, for now, I'll be getting my fill of watermelon using the fruit, not commercial fragrance. Here's to a summer of watermelon salad, cocktails and sorbet!
Note: top image is watercolor of Citrullus lanatus by Royal Charles Steadman, 1916 via USDA Pomological Watercolors/NAL Digital Collections.
Not what you’re looking for, but worth a mention…..
Demeter Watermelon Lollipop is SPOT ON if watermelon CANDY is your thing! LOL
Have you tried the Escada Sorbetto Rosso?
JadainGA…just looked up the Sorbetto Rosso…pear, watermelon, pralines!!!! It sounds super-sweet. Maybe candy watermelon is the only note available?
Maybe Miami Blossom! A little pineapple added in that one!
Wondering if Escada limited edition Sorbetto Rosa would satisfy your watermelon craving. It is heavily discounted online and if I am not mistaken might have seen a full bottle for around thirty dollars.
chocomarz: don’t think so…the pear and pralines scared me off. Want my watermelon mostly “pure.”
Watermelon salad, cocktails and sorbet! Sign me up.
A true watermelon perfume? I don’t think it really exist yet but what a fun summer scent to wear, if any really managed to nail the scent
littlecooling: it must not be possible to make one…! Add watermelon, cut grass, champagne…a great cologne.
That sounds yummy..watermelon and champagne:). Much better than sport locker melon. I would not want my melon to be too musky either.
I bet Arielle Shoshana would do a good watermelon.
Omega: Agree!
Kevin; Now that sounds like a perfect cologne I would love to wear all summer.
I have a vague memory of Gianfranco Ferré Rose having a watermelon note. I sought it out because Kurkdjian was the nose, but I don’t remember it well enough to say more. I don’t remember hating it.
monkeytoe: LOVE that, uh, endorsement: “I don’t remember hating it.” HAHA! The name Kurkdjian scares me off anyway.
Kevin, Davidoff’s Cool Water Wave for Women has a rather pleasant watermelon note in it. However, it is short lived, and the perfume itself is an aquatic. So, I guess approach with caution?
jalapeno: yep…a nautical “stop sign” on that buoy over there!
A candid review, SO refreshing! I am in agreement on the S&B, and I did not find the Escada to be a satisfactory watermelon scent, either. It seems to me that this is a note that just cannot be properly replicated. I am very much looking forward to tracking down S&B’s White Peaches, though, have heard good things about it and I am told Luckyscent will have it in stock soon.
LunaGrrrl: white peaches done right would be great.
I don’t have any recommendations, but wanted to say I loved the reviews!
I watch alot of YouTube reviews, mainly to look at the pretty bottles. When I want to know what a fragrance really smells like, I read NST.
Thank you, Lillyjo!
Me too, lillyjo! This is the only place where what I read regularly matches up with what my nose smells.
What about Origins Spring Fever? It has a prominent watermelon note. It’s not on their website anymore, but it can be found pretty cheap online.
mrsdarcy: Didn’t even know Origins had fragrances!
I scoured the www for Origins Spring Fever – – seems like it’s discontinued, though I didn’t check fleabay.
Bath and Body Works Cucumber Melon ? Could be layered with another perfume if you wanted and it comes in body mist/lotion/etc.
Actually the BBW is honeydew + cantaloupe, I just realized. Maybe try eBay or Etsy for handcrafted scents. I found an eBay listing for “ethereal elixir watermelon natural fragrance oil” 7 ml roll on for less than $10, made with natural-derived (not synthetic) watermelon fragrance.
libramamma: thanks for the suggestions!
I like Parfum Satori Hana Hiraku, which not only has a savory melon note but also one of the most credible magnolia notes it has ever been my privilege to smell. There is also a beautiful bit of melon in Donna Karen Gold, particularly the EDT, if you do not mind your melon with a side of lily.
sk: used to love GOLD…and I know I have a bunch of Satori samples…haven’t tried them out yet.
These reviews made me laugh, so thanks for that! Didn’t Le Jardin Apres le Mousson have a watermelon note? My recollection was cardamom sprinkled watermelon.
“Cardamom sprinkled watermelon” sounds like the beginning of a beautiful salad
Elsa: Mousson overwhelms me and I don’t smell watermelon…that one and Monsieur Li are the two Jardins that “kill” me (in a bad way, alas).
Calone/ozone should, in my opinion, smell like calzone
!!!
Regina: and a calzone perfume is LONG overdue: Hilde Soliani — get on the case.
I’m racking my brains trying to think what watermelon smells like. The rinds, yes, have a distinctive smell but the fruit…. I just don’t have one handy as reference.
I agree Un Jardin Après la Mousson is suffocating… as is “melon” notes everywhere, sadly. But watermelon does not smell like this.
Watermelon candy is its own distinct thing… doesn’t really taste or smell of watermelon, but tastes like watermelon candy. Which is a good thing, but not what we are looking for here.
Furriner: I would include the rind in my “watermelon” note for sure…but do give the ripe flesh a good sniff this summer. And you are so right…watermelon candy is a different species.
BLUE BOY
lolloollll
sorry
but
SO KITSCHY
Jessican: isn’t it? HA!
I think watermelon is a sort of tart scent, one that I do not think of as aromatic. Candy watermelon smell on the other hand is sort of fun, especially in bubble gum form for 9 year olds. I’ve been resisting ordering from Demeter as I am always disappointed, but JadainGA’s comment about watermelon lollipop just might get me to spring a few bucks. (Yes. I am 9 year old trapped in the body of a middle-aged woman.)
OF: Agree…watermelon flavoring in lollipops, soda, gum can be fun. But they read “sticky” for me in summer and don’t make me feel energized or !Fresh! A great watermelon cologne would sell I think.
Kevin, thank you for a briskly frank & hilarious review. 😜
K, I’m going to be majorly aging myself here, but way back around 1990, something called “New West Skinscent” by Aramis / Estee Lauder came out. I’ve heard it was the first time the molecule calone was used in perfume. The watermelon note was prominent, but there was also citrus in the top and a floral accord in the heart, along w/ an interesting evergreen note. There are ~two bottles left in the world offered on eBay for $800 each. But I found a very credible dupe. It screeches “90’s!!” but also screams “Watermelon!” minus any sweetness. Let me know if you want me to send you a sample. (Could be good for a laugh – – or a shudder, if nothing else!)
ElleBe: oh, yes…New West led the pack with calone. I smelled it many times and even owned a bottle…didn’t it also come in a blue bottle or am I imagining things?
Kevin, I the version for men came & still comes in a blue bottle (they’re still cranking it out). But based on my exhaustive searches for that ancient memory, my understanding is that the version for men is extremely different from the now-discontinued version for women; it doesn’t have much watermelon smell.
Love the frank review. I’ve briefly smelled the three new MDCI’s and was not impressed the least.
I’ve never smelt a photo realistic watermelon (or apple and PEAR for that matter)
The closest thing is something someone else has suggested above. Parfum Satori Hana Hiraku does come close to a honey dew melon, minus the fresh dewiness. I know its not water melon, but its the closest to melon
I was at Ulta and sniffed Pacifica’s Contact High and got an IMMEDIATE rush of fresh watermelon, rind and all. (Per their website, the other notes are lemongrass and tourmaline, though that might just be referring to the tourmaline stone in the bottle.) I didn’t actually try it on, so I can’t promise that note lasts, but as soon as I smelled it I knew I would have to let you know!
caffeinequeen: thanks! And that one is easy to find and sniff….