Unusual/Uncommon Note Descriptions
NOTE | DESCRIPTION |
Acai | Fruit: has a mixed berry quality, earthy, dark and sweet |
Akee | Fruit: a mild fruit, buttery and creamy, reminiscent of hearts of palm. |
Amber | Amber: a warm, resinous scent that can produce a faint prickle at the back of the nose, rich and earthy |
Ambergris | Animalic: musky and having a sweet earthy aroma, reminiscent of the damp forest floor |
Angelica | Green: earth, musk, celery, pepper, herbs, and just a hint of warm citrus |
Bay laurel | Green: herbal, slightly floral, and somewhat similar to oregano and thyme. |
Benzoin | Vanilla: vanillic, but spicy and musky with a woody undertone. |
Bergamot | Citrus: citrus-like fragrance and a distinctive spicy-floral quality, often used in black tea |
Birch |
Wood: a phenolic, tarry smelling ingredient mostly used in the production of leather scents, some chypres and some masculine fragrances.
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Blue Cypress | Wood: balsamic, slightly spicy, woody, and smoky, almost licorice-y notes |
Blue Musk | Musk: unisex, soft, balanced, neutral |
Blue Sugar | Gourmand: artificial sugar, cotton candy style |
Buddhas Hand | Floral: sweet, a bit lemony and similar to lavender |
Camphor | Atmospheric: mothballs, bracing, intensely green, pungent. Cuts through sweet florals |
Cassia | Spice: a very cinnamon-y spice, fairly intense |
Cedarwood | Wood: austere and somber woody note, adds much depth |
Citronella | Green: grassy/floral |
Chypre | Type: usually with a top note of citrus and woody base notes derived from oak moss and ambergris |
Classic Fougere |
Green: comes from the french word "fern", the class of fragrances have the basic accord with a top-note of lavender and base-notes of oakmoss and coumarin.
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Classic Musk | Musk: earthy, sweet, heavy |
Cloudberry | Fruit: tart but floral, a mix of a currant and raspberry |
Egyptian Musk | Musk: spicy, earthy, a bit floral, with a richness and depth |
English Ivy | Green: clean, fresh, earthy, shimmering. if you smashed a leave and smelled the wet pulp |
Floral Musk | Musk: white musk, classic floral undertones, cool-leaning |
Frankincense |
Resin: sweeter, cleaner and fresher than resin yet still is has a resinouse, earthy and also has a slight piney/lemony spicy smell
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Geranium | Floral: rosy, but with no powder note, leaning towards lemony. |
Gooseberry | Fruit: tart, like a currant |
Incense (Indian) | Spice: woody, warm, a little spicy but leaning more dry. sandalwood, dust |
Incense (Japanese) | Spice: smooth, neural, balanced, won't overpower |
Incense (Thai) | Spice: more floral and spicy, cardamom and jasmie, |
Indian Musk | Musk: classic musk, traditional Indian spice, light smoke |
Indonesian Musk | Musk: spicy musk, nutmeg, clove, lemon grass |
Jade | Atmospheric Accord: clear green/light amber resin |
Juniper Berry | Green: bitter, resinous, a little medicinal and green. |
Kumquat | Fruit: lemony-piney scent |
Marjoram | Green: a slightly foody herbacious note, similar to oregano but sweeter |
Myrrh | Resin: warm and woody resinous smell, that has an edge/bite to it like licorice |
Myrtle | Green: herbal and aromatic, strong and camphorous, like eucalptus. |
Nag Champa |
Resin: woodsy, calming, warming, and moist. Reminiscent of jasmine or magnolia flowers, the forest, or tea
|
Olibanum | Resin: see frankincense |
Oud | Wood: also called: agarwood, rich, musty woody-nutty scent |
Ozone | Atmospheric: clean, atmospheric, evoking air and freshness |
Palmarosa | Green: an uncommon vegetale note with a peppery quality |
Palo Santao | Wood: resinous, minty, citrus, fresh, green |
Pepper (Black) | Spices: hot and fiery, normally a top note, short lived, earthy and spicy |
Pepper (Pink) | Spices: not actually spicy, more rosy, without feeling powdery |
Pepper (Water) | Spices: spicy, with herbal undertones of eucalyptus and miny |
Pepper (White) | Spices: medicinal, barn-yard type smell, earthy with a little zing, grassy |
Peru Balsam | Balsam: warm, majestic, plush,vanilla, balsamic, a little floral |
Pink Ozone | Atmospheric: warm, ozone, unisex |
Romantic Musk | Musk: white musk base, cozy, warm, traditionally feminine |
Sassafras | Floral: slightly citrus, like a natural froot-loops scent |
Spanish Moss | Green: moss, herbaceous, agrestic |
Tar | Atmospheric: potent, slight amonia note (recommended as side sample) |
Teak | Wood: polished, light, like dried wood in sunlight |
Vintage Musk | Musk: classic musk, aldehydic, "old perfume" smell |
Warm Sweater Accord | Atmospheric: has a softness, a fuzzyness that adds warmth and richness to a scent |
Yuzu | Citrus: Citrus: half lemon, half lime, a little bitter, very fresh. |
Thanks to these sites for some reference material! If you have a question about a specific note, please go to "Contact" under the learn tab! We'd be happy to describe anything else for you.