If we were to ask a hundred people to describe the perfume they associate with cinema, we would probably have a hundred different answers. Many might mention popcorn, the smell of the closed environment or the slightly plasticky smell of the film heated by the projector, but the similarities would end there. The truth is that cinema is not characterized by a single smell, but by a fascinating medley, an olfactory orchestra that melts into the air, enveloping the cinematic space. 

This sensory variety becomes the protagonist, a fragrant work that is intertwined with collective memories and unfolds in a unique way through individual experiences. It is as if each spectator brings their own olfactory baggage, making each visit to the cinema a personalized olfactory journey.

The first scent that comes to mind is the unmistakable one of popcorn. It is a sweet and salty duet, a round, comforting and decidedly delicious aroma. Personally, I’ve always preferred caramelized popcorn to salted popcorn. Immortelle by Manos Gerakinis, a Greek brand, invariably evokes these delicious sensations. The spicy warmth of helichrysum dances with sugary and milky notes, while balms bring an amber sweetness. It’s not just a scent, it’s almost a taste.

Childhood memories are effortlessly intertwined with the popcorn experience: the captured essence of licorice wheels in Adjiumi’s Nightmare or the fruity explosion of Xerjoff’s Erba Gold gummies, with its citrusy, juicy sweetness.

For me, the most cherished perfumes of cinema are intrinsically linked to the carefree days of adolescence, when the world opens up with a new charm. At the time, cinema smelled of anticipation, excitement, first loves and clandestine touches in the darkness of the theater. 

It’s a symphony of sensations, just like The Zoo’s Dangerous Curves, a creation by Christophe Laudamiel. Labdanum mixes with rose and violet, the warmth is dampened by fruity notes and a touch of pink pepper. It is a perfume as textural as velvet, but at the same time effervescent: a memory of warm lips with a hint of coke and stolen kisses in the dark, accompanied by subdued laughter.

Cinema also brings with it another distinct fragrance: the fresh, crisp air tinged with green, the silver light of the screen reflecting off faces. La Reverie by Tonatto Profumi encapsulates this aroma of open-air cinema with its spicy, resinous juniper embraced by woody, musky and subtly salty notes.