The smell is to attract the type of insect that pollinates the plant: some clearly get off on pretty smells, others on stinkers.). La Prairie Silver Rain Marc Jacobs Daisy When the leaves and twigs are distilled alongside the flowers, you have whats referred to as petitgrain sur le fleur. Musky, slightly sweet and maybe a hint of Cognac in there? Tart and sweet. With its tart/sweetness, meanwhile, the blackcurrant berry is a popular ingredient in todays fruity-florals. ), FreshCannabis Rose In one camp is natural perfume purveyors that steer completely clear of . Cristobal Balenciaga Le Dix 'The happiness of that afternoon was already fixed in her mind, and always would the scent of freesia return it to her mental sight, for among the roses and violets and lilies and wall-lowers, the smell of freesia penetrated, as a melody stands out from its accompaniment, and gave her the most pleasure.' Different basils have different fragrance qualities: it can be lemony, or tarragon-like, or well, just plain basil-y. And, adds Alienor Massenet, 'it's very animalic'. Lush Smell of Weather Turning Herms Eau dOrange Verte Miller Harris Feuilles de Tabac. Lancme Hypnse Senses The waxy flowers of this tender twining shrub also known as Madagascar Jasmine or Creeping Tuberose are traditionally used in wedding bouquets and headdresses: romantic, sweet, and (yes) a little like tuberose and jasmine. ", "Even though this is one of the most broadly loved notes around the world, few people know that it actually comes from the seed pod of an orchid," says perfumer Stephen Nilsen. At least thats what I believe. Ralph Lauren Polo Sport Woman Not surprisingly, a synthetic versions often used. 9 Benjoin 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). A flower employed widely in perfumery. "Orris is utterly timeless, and emerged through every single perfumery period, bringing unique nobility. Goutal Neroli Max Mara Le Parfum The early Arab perfumers used labdanum in their recipes the sweetest-scented of all substances, as it was described, its links to perfumery actually go back to Egyptian time, when labdanum (a.k.a. The whole tanning process smells repulsive, though, so leathers were treated with oils, musk, civet and ambergris, to mask the smell of the animals skins. There may be a touch of black locust in there. When I take the lid off and sniff, I cant help letting out a long appreciative mmmmmmmmm. Its incredibly versatile, in a perfumers hands: it softens, balances, fixes (adds staying power and keeps a fragrance on the skin, while stopping other short-lived ingredients from disappearing too fast). Cacharel Anais Anais Yves Saint LaurentOpium. Caudalie Zeste de Vigne (Petitgrain, which you can read about here, is extracted from the leaves, for instance.) Diane von Furstenberg Diane L'Artisan Parfumeur Dzing! (It was one of the first juices, or perfumes, to be almost as clear as fresh water in colour, too.) Serge Lutens Fleur dOranger And Anthemis nobilis Roman camomile, English camomile, true camomile, call it what you will is sweet and heady, though also with an apple-iness. 5 Perfume: Is It Worth the Hype? ), Chanel Bois des Iles Produced by small trees (Boswellia genus), it releases a gum-like resin that solidifies into droplets or tears. Here are 6 adding zest to the perfume category From orange blossom to mandarin, citrus notes are a staple in a perfumer's organ but the traditionally summer scents are getting a feel-good makeov. A highly important ingredient in perfumes. Robert Piguet Mademoiselle Piguet GivenchyXeryus Fendi Palazzo But papyruss history isnt just long, though: its fragrant. Most of us are unlikely to smell it growing wild, but apparently its deliciously, delicately sweet, in flower form. Melt your beeswax and oil together (determine the specific amounts of wax and oil based on the container you plan to use) and add 10 to 12 drops of essential oil per tablespoon of oil or beeswax mixture. Boadicea the Victorious Warrioress Alternatively, let your eye travel over the scrolling, rolling collage below and click on whatever takes your fancy: a visual lucky dip. Lanvin Jeanne Lanvin Guerlain Aprs lOnde Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire It goes to show: flowers are more than what we see. The very first leather scent, so far as records show, was worn by King George III: Creeds Royal English Leather. Ditto fragrance: it delivers energy, brightness, cheer and refreshment like sparkling, sweet sunshine, bottled. Creed Jasmal They're like berry clay that you can form and shape in all directions. Today, many of us carry a little bag around to munch on during the day, as a (slightly) healthier alternative to sweets. No one outside perfumery knows what it smells like by itself because to blends to beautifully with other materials. IV Violette Originally a native of China, peaches made their way to Europe after Alexander the Great conquered the Persians and brought back a botanical trophy, Prunus persica, then known as the Persian apple. Indole is sexy, powerful, intense va-va-voom, in a bottle. The hybrid Dutch lavender, or Lavandula intermedia, produces an oil called lavandin, with a sharper and more medicinal odour. Frederic Malle Noir Epices Atropa Belladonna. Parle Moi de Parfum Totally White Marc Jacobs Honey When we smell or taste anything, our receptors constantly wipe those fleeting encounters to prepare for the next flavour or a smell. Boucheron Trouble A gum resin from a tree found in Arabia and Eastern Africa and also known as olibanum, frankincense is one of the oldest materials used for fragrance in recorded history. But just sometimes, youll catch a whisper of avocado in perfumery: it has a green, slightly sweet, vegetal quality. LArtisan Parfumer Poivre Piquant 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. Strictly, white chocolate isnt chocolate at all: its created from cocoa butter, sugar, vanilla. Aniseed, licorice, fennel, tarragon: star anise reminds us of all of these. Cereus doesnt sound too sexy, but Queen of the Night? Ah, bluebells: those nodding, beautiful five-petalled spring flowers that seem so quintessentially English but actually flourish anywhere from here to northern Spain, with over 500 species in all. 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. Les Couvent de Minimes Eau de Mtines So although honeysuckles dried flowers are used in sachets and pot pourri, its mostly a synthetic version youll encounter twining its way through perfume compositions. Log in Register. Fresh Love Citron is French for lemon. Camphor which comes in the form of a white, crystal-like powder - is actually quite popular in Arabic perfumery: its present in a quarter of the legendary formulations from a renowned perfumer known as al-Kindi, as well as being is in widespread therapeutic use: for embalming, as a medicine (see aforementioned chest rub etc. Artemisia refers to a large family of aromatic plants think: mugwort (moxa, in Chinese medicine), tarragon and wormwood. Common allergens fall into the five classes as detailed below: natural rubber, fragrances, preservatives, dyes, and metals. Juicy, sharp, tangy: depending on when theyre harvested, blackberries (not actually berries but fruits, BTW) can be luscious and sweet, or slightly sour. Marigolds the name comes from the phrase Marys gold, and refers to the Virgin Mary are members of the sunflower family, grown throughout the world. (Fennel is of course familiar to most of us as a food but did you know its also used in creating absinthe, the no-longer-banned-but-it-still-makes-you-dance-on-tabletops French alcoholic drink? Just like daisies, the yellow flowers open at daybreak, and bed down for the night. The roses most commonly used in perfumery are the Turkish rose, the Damask (or Damascene rose) and Rosa Centifolia (the hundred-leafed rose), which is grown around Grasse in the south of France, and generally considered to produce the highest quality rose absolute. The sweetness of the violets deep blue eyes, Kissed by the breath of heaven, Seems colord by its skies, wrote Byron. Serge Lutens Chergui Closer to home, this annual (a member of the mint family) grows up to three ft./almost a metre high, and the oils derived from the paper-thin leaves leaves. jasmine is one of the most expensive perfume ingredients in the world. Actually, it was 10th Century Arabic perfumers who pioneered the use of civet (which isnt a cat at all, rather confusingly; it looks more like a spotted-and-striped possum). But although violet has been giving up its sweetness to perfumers since the time of early Arab perfumers, who perfected a technique for distilling the oil, it was Empress Marie Louise Bonaparte who really put Viola odorata on the scent-map, establishing the violet industry in Parma which thrives to this day. But did you know that this stone-fruit is related to the cashew family? Yves Saint Laurent Y. Michael Kors Michael Kors Sandalwoods creamy sweetness is used in the base of as many as 50% of feminine perfumes. Crush the leaves of this frothily-flowered plant, and they smell fetid, rotting rank, basically. Lacoste Pour Femme 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). Short for rumbullion or rumbustion, slang words which meant tumult or uproar (which can be what happens after one rum cocktail too many, even now). Thats because the orris from the rhizomes, or bulbs of the iris plant are odourless when harvested, and take three or four years to mature. HermesTerre dHermes 19. Juicy Couture Juicy Couture Apples have been a part of fragrance creation right back to the medieval era of Arab perfumery. Paul Smith London Paul Smith Women I love the fruity effect of blackcurrant bud, which boosts juiciness in the top note of a fragrance. Boadicea The Victorious Magnificent Tom Ford Violet Blonde To extract the deep, sweet woodiness, wood or root chippings are steam-distilled. In modern day perfumery the scent of apricot is re-created synthetically, most often for a soft, almost fuzzy fruitiness. Keiko Mecheri Bois de Santal But guava as a fragrance ingredient certainly does travel and has been turning up in many fruity-floral and gourmand creations, of late. And they can be used subtly like backing singers or be pushed out into the spotlight, in a scent thats pure violet femininity. Long before that, though, the bitter orange tree is thought to have been brought to Europe by the Arabs from the Middle East, when the trade routes opened up. Nina Ricci LAir du Temps This grassy, fibrous root is distilled into an oil that smells of woody, earthy, leather and smoky tones. With a sharp balsamic-spicy, almost lemony scent, elemis invaluable as an incense ingredient and also for fixing perfumes, tethering ingredients which otherwise would fade fast. You may be able to make it out West Indian bay itself among the cinnamon, oil of cloves, citrus and other spice oils. Saffron was also used to scent baths, houses and temples, while in medicine it was a narcotic. Burberry Brit Not bad allusions for a fragrance note, wed say. Thierry Mugler Womanity Mango blossom, too, is sometimes used in perfumery: as sweetly floral as youd imagine these soft white flowers to be, with a breath of lily of the valley about them. It smells like cinnamon. (Though we do also invite you to improve your sense of smell through one of our nationwide workshops for subscribers click here for details. Although if you have trouble smelling musk, youre not alone: anosmia to some - or all - musk ingredients is actually pretty common, Body Shop White Musk A couple of cutting-edge perfumers Romano Ricci (with Not a Perfume) and Geza Schoen (Escentric Molecule 02) have daringly based an entire perfume around this synthetic note, which was discovered in the 1950s as a replacement for ambergris. Cashmeran also works to expand and diffuse floral ingredients. Watch out for peach blossom becoming a more popular perfume ingredient, as the influence of the Middle East which has made for so many heady perfumes in recent years moves East, in response to the dawning love of fragrance among the Chinese. 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. There are around 200 different types of magnolia (named after a renowned French botanist, Pierre Magnol, who came up with the concept of classifying flora into plant families). But in fact, orange blossoms versatility lends itself to all kinds of fragrances so its very widely used, acting too as a natural fixative to prolong the life of will-o-the-wisp ingredients. As with all roses, its important to harvest Taif roses early in the morning, before the heat of the day destroys the precious essential oils. Atelier Cologne Oolong Infini 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. ), Calvin Klein Contradiction Herms 24 Faubourg As perfumerAlienor Massenet explains, 'Amber notes are warm, and can evoke liquor. Nasomatto Narcotic Venus Guerlain LAbeille de Guerlain Sometimes.) Ah, sweet violets. Id use more of it except that citrus fruit essential oils are restricted these days, and I almost always want to get some grapefruit in there too. Guerlain Myrrhe & Dlires Chypres are perfumes initially constructed around an accord of bergamot and floral notes, evolving towards a woody heart note, often consisting of oak moss, patchouli and labdanum. (You might better know it as the Seville orange tree.) Fern gives a cool, damp, sweet and woody feel to a fragrance like walking into the embrace of a shady spot. Oh, and also German jasmine. GoutalParis Heure Exquise What does it smell of, in a fragrance? Cartier Le Baiser du Dragon (Which was one of the four sacred plants of the Native American culture, alongside squash, corn and beans.) Miller Harris Feuilles de Tabac. Guy LarocheFidji Thierry Mugler Angel (Its also, rather usefully, anti-microbial and anti-flatulant though not in perfume!). Penhaligons Artemisia The Organic Pharmacy Organic Glam. Tom Ford Oud Wood. On a blotter, meanwhile, a single drop of patchouli can last for months. Add a touch to a perfume, and it gives a bittersweet, leathery, intimate quality: a little bit earthy, but soft at the same time. (When you smell gin, youre basically smelling juniper, actually.) We've also discontinued plastic samples, so you can feel good about smelling good. By Kilian Cruel Intentions Grossmith Phul-Nana I use it whenever I want to create a transportive beach moment," says perfumer Patty Hidalgo. Caron Nocturnes Guerlain Shalimar Jovoy Paris Poudre Lolita Lempicka Lolita Lempicka The galbanum used in No. Diptyque LEau Trois During the Roman Empire, huge quantities of frankincense made their way to Rome from Arabia. Learn more Sign up for text & get up to 20% OFF. Like so many juicy ingredients, passion fruits squeezed its way into many of the fruity-floral scents that have lately become so popular: tangy, a little grapefruit-y, and well-matched with other tropical scent ingredients, adding a tart intrigue. Creed Impriale Millesime By Kilian Love by Kilian 19 Santalum album isnt actually a tree but a parasitic plant which grows by suckering itself to the roots of other trees, and slowly growing as high as 10 metres. Chanel Les Exclusifs 28 La Pausa It also blends beautifully with sweet pea and with tuberose. Where she touched the ground, beautiful iris flowers grew out of her footprints. Cathy Helbig is a contributing writer covering fragrance for Byrdie. Narciso Rodriguez for Her Eau de Parfum How mysterious is that, as a fragrant ingredient? Just sometimes, a fragrance is described as being indolic - which is pretty unhelpful if you dont work in the perfume world. Guerlain Elixir Charnel Gourmand Coquin Juliette Has A Gun Mad Madame Its my new favourite word. Van Cleef & ArpelsCologne Noir. Cranberries and blackberries have similar aroma chemicals, but mostly, perfumers turn to one of two synthetics to recreate raspberry-ness: frambonine or raspberry ketone (which can also be used as a raspberry flavouring). (Yes, think concentrated cat pee.) 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. Dolce & Gabbana LEau The One Intoxicating, hallucinogenic, life-threatening plants yes, truly angels trumpet (a.k.a. Seeds: Seeds are common features in the world of perfume making, and the most common ones include: anise, nutmeg, tonka beans, coriander, cocoa, carrot seed, cardamom, and the rest. Licorice, fennel, tarragon and wormwood berry is a popular ingredient in todays fruity-florals liquor. 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