Banana is not a common feature in many fragrances. I think I’ve only tried two fragrances that include banana in their note pyramid. The first I tried was Quasar by Jesus Del Pozo, released in the mid-90s, a watery green banana fragrance that had good longevity but is sadly very hard to find these days. The second was Bat, by Canadian outfit Zoologist, which is an artsy take on the habitat of a bat, a very different fragrance, but ultimately difficult to wear. When I heard the quirky French outfit, L’Artisan Parfumeur was releasing a banana fragrance I was excited to see how they would deal with this oft neglected fruit.
The idea for Bana Banana was inspired by L’Artisan Parfumeur’s founder, Jean Laporte’s decision to wear a banana costume to a fancy-dress party. The party coincided with the night that the brand came into existence. Call me crazy, but every time I say the name of the fragrance my mind immediately harkens back to my childhood and the late 1980’s movie Beetlejuice. Remember the scene where they’re all gathered round the dinner table and a possessed Catherine O’Hara breaks into the Banana Boat Song. A very funny scene. You should watch it if you haven’t seen it. You won’t be able to get the wonderful Jamaican folk song out of your head for weeks, trust me.
However, this is a fragrance blog and not a movie blog, so I should probably discuss the fragrance. The initial blast of Bana Banana once again transported me back in time. It reminded me of those candied banana sweets that we used to eat as children. Fortunately, this doesn’t last long as it starts to turn green and more floral as the banana leaf, jasmine and iris combine to give the impression of a ripe banana that’s ready to eat. There’s a mild sweetness at the heart of this fragrance, but it never gets cloyingly sweet. The use of amber and tonka is not overplayed and is softened by the iris and musky base, that provides a clean powdery feel to proceedings.
On first testing, I only got about 6 hours of longevity from the fragrance, and I wish the green banana in the opening lingered a bit longer than a couple of hours. Overall, though it’s a well-executed fragrance, that I look forward to testing again. The nose behind the fragrance is Celina Ellena. I tested it from an official L’Artistan sample I purchased myself.
Have you tried any banana fragrances? Have you tried Bana Banana?
Note: Bottle image courtesy of fragrantica and banana bunch courtesy Ioana Cristiana at unsplash.
