If you don’t know anything about perfume ingredients, well, we’re here to help you.
“It has a light green aroma.”
“Aldehyde adds an effervescent and bubbly almost kinetic feeling to fragrance,” says perfumer, Adriana Medina.
Stocksy
“It first became popular in the 1920s with the launch of Chanel No.
5, making it one of the first synthetics in fragrance.”
“Amber is a warm, powdery, sweet scent.
“Amber provides sophistication and sensuality to a fragrance.”
“Ambergris develops a more pleasant aroma the longer it is cured by natures elements in the sea.
When it is fresh, it is blackish in color and smells quite foul.
AmberXtreme
“AmberXtreme is the superpower of perfumers.
Ambrette
This oil obtained from ambrette seedswhich come from hibiscushas a musk-like odor.
Commonly, ambrette is used as a substitute for true musk.
It is the most natural musk sensuality,” says perfumer, Pascal Gaurin.
Benzoin
Benzoin is a balsamic resin obtained from the bark of a Styrax tree.
“It’s milky and sweet, without being sugary, like vanilla with a hint of caramel.
A perfect ingredient to blend with patchouli and spices.
Its richness allows for multiple ways to create with it,” says perfumer, Caroline Sabas.
“The fragrance is an orange floral that is tart, sweet, uplifting, and aromatic.
Bergamot blends well with other aromatics, which is why it is so popular in fragrance.”
It is credited for starting an entire subfamily- the Marines,” says perfumer, Christine Hassan.
Cassis
Cassis and blackcurrant are the same thing, explains Du Petit Thouars.
Citron
The zest of this tree’s fruit is used to createcitrus fragrance notes.
“Crystalline in form and snow-white in color, coumarins presence in fragrances is ubiquitous.
“It is super-chic, and I strongly believe in its rebirth after years of outdatedness.”
It also has the rosy notes of tea leaves,” says perfumer, Jacques Huclier.
Heliotrope
Flowers of the family heliotropium have a strong, sweet vanilla-like fragrance with undertones of almond.
“Heliotrope is an herbaceous plant that produces small flowers with white, purple, or blue shades.
The note usually gives an earthy impression and compliments green and herbaceous nuances.”
Honeysuckle
Honeysuckle is found in many different perfumes because the note is so versatile.
It is sweet, warm, and addictive,” says Pohl.
“Honeysuckle pairs well with other florals and fruity notes like citrus and berry notes.
It is a versatile note that works for both day and night.”
Indole
A chemical compound that smells floral at low concentrations, but fecal at high concentrations.
“It provides an indescribable, underlying animalic note that allures to the primal senses.”
Used to impart fullness into fragrances.
“Jasmine notes are powerful, green fruity facets reminiscent of honeysuckle.
Jasmine Sambac
Jasmin Sambac is one of the grande dames of perfumery.
“Jasmin Sambac adds richness and naturality to all my creations and is quintessential for my floral bouquets.
“The appeal of this material is its complexity and variety depending on the treatment of the plant.
“Typically, magnolia essential oil is sourced from Southeast Asia, harvested mainly in the tea industry.”
“Green, floral, powdery, and honeyed, too, it embellishes any perfume with its beauty.
Unlike jasmine and rose, usually synthetically reproduced.
“I love its green, rosy, and slightly musky scent.”
Musk
“Musk is an aromatic base note derived from a combination of natural and synthetic sources.
Musk notes are alluring, smooth, powdery,” says Binder.
“Musk is the fragrance that is left behind once the other aromatic notes have disappeared.”
Natural musk comes from the glands of the musk deer and is one of the most expensive perfume ingredients.
“Typically musks add texture to fragrances and give them depth,” says Illolahia.
Myrrh
A gum resin that is produced from a bush found in Arabia and Eastern Africa.
I love every facet of myrrh, which gives long-lastingness and elegance to both womens and mens perfumes.
I see it as an addictive woody, licorice-like, and resinous,” says perfumer, Nelly Hachem-Ruiz.
Neroli
Neroliis distilled from the blossoms of either the sweet or bitter orange tree.
The Italian term for neroli iszagara.
“I love this ingredient because it takes me to the beach.
I use it whenever I want to create a transportive beach moment,” says perfumer, Patty Hidalgo.
“Thanks to new modern chypre fragrances, oakmoss is having a renaissance moment.
Oakmoss Absolute has a mossy, forest-like, and marine algae-like note,” says perfumer, Nicole Mancini.
“Smells like forest bathing to me.”
“Orris is utterly timeless, and emerged through every single perfumery period, bringing unique nobility.
It is both immediately recognizable and versatile.
“Over the past twenty years, oud has become a phenomenon in Anglo perfumery.
Oud essential oil is produced from Aquilaria trees which mostly grow in the rainforests of Southeast Asia.
“Ozone has been used for many years but really exploded after the creation of L’eau D’Issey in 1992.
Patchouli is a magical ingredient.
“It turns a scent into a chypre, into a fougere, into an amber.
Whether you hide it or show it, it does its magic every single time.
“Its sourced from regions like Brazil, Madagascar, Reunion Islands.
It smells just like the sweet confection and is a synthetic note.”
It is an extremely rich, warm, and voluptuous rose odor with a hint of honey.
“It gives a strong effect in a perfume even in a very small amount,” says Gillotin.
Emitting warm, spicy, and slightly sweet notes, saffron pairs well with floral scents.
“It brings extra-soul to perfumes, with the sensuous tonalities of sun-kissed skin.
Sandalwood oil is derived from the Indian sandal tree.
It’s often used as a less-expensive alternative to vanilla, although has become popular on its own.
Tuberose
Tuberose is a plant with highly perfumed white flowers, resembling those of a lily.
“Vetiver is proof that upcycling can give amazing products,” says perfumer, Claire Liegent.
