Pink pepper and black pepper perfumes – the sparkling spice

Pepper is the humblest spice in the kitchen and one of the most striking in perfumery. A single peppercorn in the top notes can turn a dull citrus into a sparkling opening, and a pinch of black pepper makes a woody base drier, more masculine and more interesting. But pink and black pepper are two completely different stories – literally, because they are not even related. Here you will find out what each of them brings, how to recognise a peppery fragrance from its pyramid and which pink and black pepper perfumes are worth trying.

Pink versus black pepper: sparkle versus bite

The two spices often stand side by side in descriptions, but on the nose they behave like opposites.

Pink pepper – the champagne of spices

The pink berries sold in grinders together with black pepper are actually the fruit of the South American tree Schinus – a plant from the same family as mango and cashew. In perfumery they bring:

• a sparkling, "fizzy" freshness close to citrus;
• a rosy, slightly fruity nuance – hence its easy friendship with rose;
• a fine resinous dryness without any real heat.

Pink pepper has become one of the most fashionable top notes of the last two decades. You will find it both in women's floral fragrances and in fresh men's classics – there it works as light rather than as spice.

Black pepper – dry, woody, with teeth

Real pepper (Piper nigrum) is used as an essential oil or CO2 extract. Its characteristic woody sharpness is partly due to the molecule rotundone – the same one that gives some red wines their peppery nuance. In perfume, black pepper:

• adds a dry, warm "bite" at the start;
• emphasises woody notes such as cedar and vetiver;
• makes sweet and vanilla bases less sugary and more mature.

What pepper does in a composition

Perfumers rarely use pepper as a soloist – it is more a director of the mood. Here are its three most common roles:

1. A spark at the start. Pink pepper next to bergamot, lemon or grapefruit makes the first minutes brighter and "bubblier".
2. A contrast to sweetness. Pepper next to vanilla, toffee or tonka balances the sweetness and adds a grown-up, more elegant note.
3. A bridge to the woods. Black pepper links a fresh opening with cedar, sandalwood, oud or leather, which is why it is so common in woody-spicy fragrances.

It is also worth knowing about longevity: pepper is a volatile top note and does not last long on its own. That is why the sensation of pepper in a good fragrance is sustained by the base – resins, woods, musk.

Niche perfumes with pepper as the hero

If you want to sense pepper clearly rather than as a background, niche perfumery is the right place. The four fragrances below even carry pepper in their names.

Montale Intense Pepper

Black pepper and Sicilian lemon at the start, pink pepper and floral notes in the heart, and underneath cedar, oud, white musk and oakmoss. Spicy, dry and with the density and projection typical of Montale. Suited to the cooler months.

Mancera Cosmic Pepper

Lemon, pink pepper, sage and mandarin open the composition, black pepper and Damask rose form the heart, and oud and white musk the trail. Rosy-peppery and modern, with more light than Intense Pepper; a good choice for unisex wear.

Brecourt Poivre Bengale

The most "culinary" of the four: pepper, ginger, nutmeg and clove over sandalwood, leather, amber and cashmere wood. Warm, enveloping and cosy, like an oriental spice market on a cold day.

Serge Lutens Poivre Noir

Black pepper, spice accords and aromatic herbs over woody accords, resins and musk. Clean and dry, in the brand's typical minimalist style. It is available unboxed, which makes it an affordable gateway into the world of Serge Lutens.

Designer bestsellers with pink pepper

Pink pepper is the secret sparkle of many popular fragrances – you often do not notice it consciously, but without it they would sound flatter.

• Emporio Armani Stronger With You Intensely (2019) – pink pepper, juniper and violet at the start, then toffee, cinnamon and lavender over vanilla. Here the pepper is the spark that makes the sweet gourmand more energetic.
• Creed Aventus for Her (2016) – green apple, bergamot and lemon with pink pepper, rose, violet, patchouli and musk. A fruity chypre fragrance with plenty of style.
• Bleu de Chanel EDT (2010) – grapefruit, lemon, mint and pink pepper with ginger, nutmeg, jasmine and incense. Perhaps the best-known example of how pink pepper makes a men's fragrance fresher and more elegant.
• Chanel Chance – pink pepper, jasmine, iris, patchouli and vanilla; proof that the note works beautifully in a feminine chypre-floral context too.

Woods and spices: pepper in oriental fragrances

When people search for a "woods and spices scent" or "perfumes with oriental notes", what they usually like is exactly the combination of pepper + woods + a sweet resinous base.

Lattafa Asad

Lattafa Asad is one of the most sought-after Arabic fragrances of recent times: black pepper, apricot and juniper berries, then coffee and violet, with rosewood, vanilla and cedar in the base. Many compare it to more expensive spicy-vanilla designer fragrances, but it has its own, fruitier character. An excellent choice for the evening and the cold season at an accessible price.

Viktor & Rolf Spicebomb

A 2012 classic: pink pepper, elemi, bergamot and grapefruit, then cinnamon, paprika and saffron over tobacco. Pepper and spices in "explosive" packaging – literally and figuratively. Take a look at Spicebomb EDT.

Hermès Terre Intense

Bergamot and black pepper over coffee, liquorice, woody notes and mineral accords of volcanic lava and stone. Earthier, drier and very refined.

There are more compositions like these in the collection Arabic perfumes, and if you like warm spiciness, also explore the cardamom perfumes.

Which peppery fragrance is for you

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