You may be able to make it out West Indian bay itself among the cinnamon, oil of cloves, citrus and other spice oils. Just like daisies, the yellow flowers open at daybreak, and bed down for the night. ), Amazingly, tonka bean is actually a member of the pea family. Vera Wang Lovestruck, Zing! "Sandalwood is an extraordinary wood with a deliciously creamy, milky scent, almost buttery, with the strength of a vertical and dense wood," says Michalon-Bertier. A woody evergreen, rosemary has super-fragrant needle-like leaves, and white, purple, blue or pink flowers, depending on the variety. The poisonous, hallucinogenic black berries are what were most familiar with (and warned about, as kids). Once cut, theyre turned frequently to prevent them breaking down too quickly. WebAcetoin Agarwood Agave amica Alpha-isomethyl ionone Ambergris Ambrein Ambroxide Aroma compound Artemisia pallens B Balm of Gilead Balsam of Peru Bdellium Benzoin Dior Dune It goes brilliantly in tuberose compositions, and beautifully enhances chypres. This tree - native to the Middle East and south Asia but now also blossoming across Europe, Africa and the United States first offers us a froth of white or pale pink blossoms: almond blossom absolute, taken from those flowers, is a soft note with hints of subtle heliotrope, or honey. But do you enjoy wearing chocolate? Este Lauder Private Collection Hugo Boss Femme LEau Fraiche In perfumery, apricot can be lush and sweet like the fruit or bitter, like the extract of the apricot kernel (think of an Amaretto-ish bitter almond scent). Partly for that reason, there are now quite a few cedar-like synthetic notes used to give depth and a grounding quality across some womens fragrances and many mens. This is also sometimes known as The Honolulu Queen Flower; the large, short-lived flowers of the cactus-like plant bloom for just six hours, opening in the evening and closing by dawn. Giorgio Armani Sensi And in a fragrance? Are you a honey-lover? Gucci Envy Me A synthetic aldehyde with a spicy, ambery, musky, floral odor, cashmeran is used to invoke the velvety smell or "feel" of cashmere. Everyone, surely - even the least green-fingered person - has rubbed a tomato leaf between their fingers to get that so-green, astringent, slightly bitter smell. Amazingly, this grey-leafed toughie gives off a lovely, almost straw-like sweet scent, with hints of honey, tea, rose and chamomile - giving a flowery sweetness to perfumes, Goutal ParisSables Its a naturally-occurring chemical, found in many essential oils especially the glorious white flowers (jasmine, orange blossom, neroli), as well as wallflowers, and some citrus fruits. (Because of course if you simply filled a bottle with water, youd end up with something with no more of a scent than Perrier or Evian.). Its kind of everywhere - both in plants and in cosmetic products. When the trees are infected with a type of fungus, a black resin is produced in the heartwood. Petigrain. Chanel Allure Were much, much more than just a website: were a also a subscription organisation for perfume-lovers, offering events (including meet the nose events), courses, sampling opportunities, and a beautiful regular downloadable magazine, The Scented Letter. In general, its a fantasy or synthetic note you smell, rather than any essence from cocoa beans themselves but its there for the sheer, pleasurable links with one of mans (and especially womans) most indulgent foods, Cartier Le Baiser du Dragon Fragrances today are mostly a fusion of ingredients taken from nature or inspired by nature together with the synthetics (man-made ingredients) that are used to make them last longer, carry further, or stay true, when worn on the skin. ), Bottega Veneta Bottega Veneta Woods of Windsor Lavender Pierre Balmain Ambre Gris Kenzo LEau Par Kenzo When Cleopatra welcomed Mark Antony to her boudoir, her bed was strewn with these aphrodisiac blooms and the floor hidden under a foot and a half of fresh-picked petals. And then theres orange itself (sometimes referred to as sweet orange, to distinguish it from the bitter, marmalade variety.). Byredo La Tulipe The most prized geranium of all comes from the Ile Bourbon, with its rich, green, fruity-mint rosiness. "Amber is a warm, powdery, sweet scent. Moschino Cheap & Chic, Pink pepper is now a hot perfume ingredient (in several senses): bright, cheerful, with a woody-rosy scent thats quite different to the nose-tingling spicy warmth of the more-familiar black pepper. Unlike rose or jasmine, which are more familiar, you may never have smelled a magnolia up close but this family of flowering trees is worth sniffing out, especially the Magnolia grandiflorum variety. Not terribly romantic, but we do like the Greek myth behind the naming of the plant. (Theyre deeply alluring to slugs, as gardeners know.) Serge Lutens Fleur dOranger Ormonde JayneFrangipani. Rochas Femme It almost hypnotises. Because its feels like a glorious smell. Lolita Lempicka Lolita Lempicka Frederic Malle Cologne Bigarade Este Lauder Pleasures Nina Ricci LAir du Temps Perhaps because vanilla is the second priciest spice in the world, after saffron, the vanilla you smell in many perfumes today is synthetic vanillin: clever chemists have worked to mimic the real thing although the most gifted noses will probably tell you that real vanilla is earthier, with touches of treacle and a touch of booziness. This powerful oil can then be played with by perfumers, who use it as an ultra-feminine heart note. Tom Ford Oud Wood. But wait! Musk produced by a gland at the base of the African civet cat's tail, pure civet is said to have a strong, unpleasant odor, but in small quantities, it is often used to add depth and warmth to a fragrance. Este Lauder Private Collection Interestingly, the Thierry Mugler brand now says its ageing its fragrances in wood casks an echo of the wine and spirits world, By Kilian Back to Black Hints of tobacco, too, or the whiff of burning leaves in winter. Serge Lutens Fleur dOranger. Adding to the cocktail of perfume ingredients, thats what, with its citrussy, tart-sweet fruitiness. Tommy Hilfiger Tommy Girl. Sun-dried, they make their way into all sorts of foods and have been used in Ambre medicine for over 3,000 years, for its stimulating effect on the digestion. Versace Crystal Noir. Givenchy Fleur dInterdit Bulgari Mon Jasmin Noir Since ancient times, the opium poppy has been regarded as a symbol of nocturnal decadence, intrigue but also, with healing powers. (And conservationists.) Orange blossom is extracted from the flower through the use of solvents. Nina Ricci Mademoiselle Ricci. Freesia works perfectly to complement lily of the valley, peony, magnolia, but is rarely the shining star of a perfume itself. Miller Harris Jasmin Vert Its seriously low-maintenance: the name rosemary comes from the Latin for dew (ros) and sea (marinus), because all it needs is the humidity of a sea breeze to flourish. Amouage Memoir Woman (A tradition wed quite like to see revived!). (And weve adopted it ourselves.) Clinique Happy Its been around for thousands of years: archaeologists found Roman licorice along Hadrians Wall, and it was also uncovered in the pyramids. By Kilian Love by Kilian Yves Saint Laurent La Collection Yvresse. ", Frangipani is a fragrant tropical flower, also known as "West Indian Jasmine.". But in perfumery, I love it for its multitude of facets. A perfect ingredient to blend with patchouli and spices. Thats because it takes almost forever to produce agarwood, which is actually the resinous heart-wood from fast-growing evergreen trees usually the Aquilaria tree. Kenzo Amour (Now that wed have loved to smell), As perfumer Alienor Massenet explains, 'tonka is warm and smooth - but unlike vanilla, it can remind you of hay. Weve been known to stand there, sniffing, for the sheer pleasure of it. Unpick the chemical structure of this plant and youll find its incredibly rich in an aroma compound called eugenol - so quite often, what you smell in a perfume hasnt come from a plant at all, but has been synthesised. The Italian term for neroli is zagara. The plant valiantly grows in mountain areas above 3,500 metres, in countries like India, Tibet, Bhutan and Sikkim. The leaves of banana are sometimes used in perfumery, too: less sweet, more green and subtle. The resin produces a scent similar to that of balsam or lavender. As a perfume ingredient, cannabis has been in the news recently as a controversial ingredient in actor Richard E. Grants debut scent. In fact, in 1991 the EPA tested conventional, synthetic perfumes and found a long list of toxic chemical ingredients, including acetone, benzaldehyde, benzyl acetate, benzyl alcohol, camphor, ethanol, ethyl acetate, limonene, linalool, methylene chloride as well as phthalates, stearates, and parabens. As tended to happen at bacchanales, he imbibed too much, and became somewhat over-amorous towards a priestess. Burberry Body But a small touch in a feminine structure can be extremely sexy', Byredo M/Mink But its often also synthesised, adding a spicy warmth to Ambres (and quite a few mens scents). (Jasmines one of the priciest ingredients in perfumery.) The seeds and fruit are edible and used in many cuisines and soft drinks, the bark produces a gum that is used as a stabiliser (gum Arabic) and in the production for printing and ink; and the timber is used in furniture making. Floral Street Neon Rose Sarah Jessica Parker Lovely Roja Dove Reckless Acqua di Parma Colonia Acqua di Parma Floris Tuberose Our hunch is that forget-me-not is simply there to help conjure up an image for the perfume either to give a sense of delicacy and softness, or for emotional reasons: according to folklore, the wearers of forget-me-nots would not be forgotten, by their lovers, Have you ever enjoyed fresh lemon verbena tea? Another note of warning: in its purest commercial form, citral can paralyse the nose for several hours, making it impossible to smell anything at all. What interests todays noses is the nutty, almost maple-syrup note obtained from its yellow-golden seeds and leaves. Now, though, theres a way through which is glorious news for chypre-lovers everywhere. With such huge amounts of timber felled to extract teensy qualities of oil, its no wonder that Brazilian rosewood trees which are grown in the rainforests of Brazil, Mexico and Peru are now protected, under CITES (the convention which safeguards endangered flora and fauna). Delicious mixed with lots of sugar and baked into pies and tarts; delicious when used to add a fresh, sharp edge to fruity florals and sheer aquatics, in perfumery. Labdanum comes from the resin of the twigs and branches of a Mediterranean shrub widely found in the south of France, Spain, and North Africa. Walk past a hedgerow in full blossom and youll breathe the spicy, almond-like scent of the flowers which has been prized for centuries by perfumers. Marc Jacobs DOT, Labdanum from the Cistus plant (better known to some gardeners as Rock Rose) is a pillar of chypre perfumes and many Ambres. Herms Eau de Pamplemousse Rose Sensitising cinnamal, potential allergen. It can smell aromatic or woody, a little dry, earthy and spicy. Cartier Dlices Cartier Les Heures de Cartier LHeure Brilliant VI Not surprisingly, a synthetic versions often used. Balenciaga Cristobal Balenciaga (An idea wed rather like to see revived) Iris has long been a symbol of majesty and power, too. LancmeTrsor Nez Nez Ambre Sade Versace Versus. (Its also known as copahu balm.) Its been used in ritual at least since the Stone Age (stoned age? As a flower, orange blossom has long played a role in weddings: maidens have carried it in bouquets and woven it into bridal headdresses since the time of the Crusaders, when trees were brought from the East to Europe, and began to flourish here. The Different Company Sienne dOrange. Unlike the flowers, which add a powdery touch to scents, violet leaf smells very green and works best in watery fragrances and masculine scents, especially in the fougre family. (Think of the way that lemon can cut through rich flavours, in cooking, and you get an idea of why the two work so well together.) You might think that the name has sexy overtones but not at all: allegedly the passionflower (a glorious blue/purple, twining vine) and passion fruit were named by Spanish Catholic missionaries who saw the flower as the symbol of the Passion of Christ, because the ring around its heart looks like the Crown of Thorns. Halston Woman Amber We love the idea that (as fragrance writer Mandy Aftel puts it), black pepper isnt just thought to stimulate the mind, but to warm the indifferent heart, Perfumer Andy Tauer tells us he's still experimenting with it, as an ingredient. It has a waxy, soft floral quality, in perfumes almost as if it lightly dusts the perfume with pollen. (Its also used in folk medicine.) "It's a vgtal scent, hay like, which brings a musky sensuality to perfume," says Michalon-Bertier. Succulent but somehow creamy and milky. Patchouli is a magical ingredient. Generally blooming from March to mid-April (earlier, if temperatures are warmer), the beautiful cherry blossom also known as sakura is a welcome harbringer of Spring, and has become an iconic feature of Japan's tourist industry, with visitors flocking to see the stunning canopies of pink blooms in all their splendour. Later, the Arabic and Byzantine perfumers (including the famous Al-Kindi) perfected the art of capturing its aphrodisiac powers, and musks popularity spread along the silk and spice routes. Nez Nez The Unicorn Spell The fruit, by contrast, is lush, juicy, ripe and sunny. Burberry Weekend for Women Bond No. Steam distillations used to extract the essential oil. I love to use it because it's big and powerful, very sensual. Shay & Blue English Cherry Blossom. Dior JAdore Narciso Rodriguez for Her Since gourmand fragrances took off, bananas been used more widely: the sweetness of the juicy fruit note gives a good-enough-to-eat quality. Known as the carnal flower (Roja Dove also calls it the harlot of perfumery), tuberoses blooms are so powerful that just a few stems can fill a room with their headiness, pumping out their scent for days or even weeks. There are dried fruits giving it a gourmand character, supported by what brings "cocoa" to mind. And did we say sexy? Paul Smith London Paul Smith Women Apples have been a part of fragrance creation right back to the medieval era of Arab perfumery. LArtisan Parfumeur Seville a LAube Lolita Lempicka Lolita Lempicka Bella Bellissima Royal Saffron Yes, really: this salty, smoky breakfast food has been used in synthetic form as a novel (very novel) perfume ingredient in John Leydons Fargginay fragrance brand, in a specific bacn collection. ", Natural musk comes from the glands of the musk deer and is one of the most expensive perfume ingredients. (Time is money, in perfumery.) Fresh Brown Sugar LOccitane de ProvenceCitrus Verbena Intense Theres a great article on angels trumpet on the perfume website Fragrantica, if you click here. An annual-flowering member of the borage family, also known as cherry pie flower, youll often find Heliotropium arborescens on sale in nurseries and garden centres for summer bedding (and you can create a wonderfully scented display with the plants, which butterflies will also love). (And when they do, the essence is prohibitively expensive. Fragrances with high levels of ambergris (natural or synthetic) can also smell salty. IV Violette Sharp, aromatic, refreshing, grapefruit from the peel of the fruit of the Citrus paradise tree - blends well with other citrus ingredients in the overture, or top notes, of summery and uplifting scents, blending well with basil, lavender, cedarwood and ylang-ylang. (Though mandarin also blends beautifully with spices like nutmeg, cinnamon and clove in perfumery rather as it does around Christmas-time, in cooking and in our homes). Galbanum oil immediately brings sophistication to a perfume, thanks to its combination of earthy, floral hyacinth tonalities, and a bitterness evocative of gentian," says perfumer Jean-Christophe Hrault. Guerlain Champs Elyses Crabtree & Evelyn Lavender (Nobodys quite sure where the fruit originated: maybe the southern Mediterranean, maybe China) Because of their luscious, hint-of-raspberry juiciness, blood oranges have become incredibly popular to eat and now theyre making their way into zesty perfumery, too, with a warm, tangy, citrussy, berry-like quality that adds a real sparkle factor to fragrance creations, complementing other citrus elements (mandarin, neroli, grapefruit), as well as rose and geranium, and spicy notes of clove and cinnamon. 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