RAW MATERIALS - FRAGRANCE

Chemical compounds that provide strong, recognisable scents. Aldehydes are found in aromatic materials, such as essential oils, and are among the most important molecules to the perfumer since they often have the most powerful aromatic values. Although aldehydes are a group of chemicals, they are easily recognised by the ‘al’ at the end of their name, such as citral.

This is a term used by perfumers to describe the aldehyde aromas, which can be described as having fatty/oily notes.

Fossilised tree resin; warm, oriental, rich and musky. Modern Ambers are often mixed with other scents, such as citrus or florals

Also known as grey amber; a solid, waxy substance produced by sperm whales. A natural raw material produced by sperm whales. Rejected by these animals in the ocean, it then floats to the surface. It used to be collected in a solid form and employed in perfumery.

A synthetic alternative to ambergris. A synthetic material from a naturally occurring fragrant chemical compound from sclareol, a component of the essential oil of clary sage.

Sweetly scented, woody plant with musky qualities. An aromatic flowering plant. The roots and seeds are used for perfumery. The odour profile is aromatic and bitter.

Warm, sweet notes that often characterise oriental perfume blends and lends richness and depth to perfumes.

Raw material of bitter orange. Bigarade is the French term for bitter orange.

A fragrant citrus fruit. A citrus fruit, a hybrid of lemon and bitter orange. Bergamot has a yellow or green rind. The odour profile is citrusy, tart and bitter.

Balsamic resin extracted from the bark of plants in the Styrax family. Resin that comes from a tree that grows in South East Asia. Benzoin has a warm and subtle smell with accents of caramel, vanilla and honey.

A chemical compound made to create a rich, musky, woody, floral aroma. It is used as a core / base note and develops a woody, vibrant, soft, sensual and unique smell.

A fragrant yellow flower, also known as acacia or mimosa. Cassie is the name of the essential oil of the flowers. The odour profile is sweet, spiced, clove, honeyed, woody with aspects of violet.

An animalic, warm and sweet compound, originally derived from beavers. Castoreum is used as a base note and has a very rich smell of leather and black olive.

Aromatic, spicy flower buds from the plant family Myrtle and related to all spice and eucalyptus. Clove essential oil is produced from the aromatic buds of a tree in the tropical evergreen family.

A flowering herb, Cypriol belongs to the same family as papyrus from Egypt. The aromatic rhizomes form a dense root system and are used for distillation in perfumery. The odor profile is powerful, woody, dried, earthy, leathery, animalic, with patchouli and vetiver aspects.

Aromatic, woody resin found in trees from the Boswellia family. The odour profile is peppered, balsamic, mineral with a resinous incensey finish.

A flowering plant commonly known as the cransebills, with hundereds of varieties. The essential oil is distilled from the leaves and stems. The odour profile is floral aromatic rose, minty, leafy green

A synthetic aroma, similar to jasmine. Hedione can add presence and diffusion. The odour profile is light, transparent jasmine with citrus freshness.

Purple flower with a strong, sweet scent similar to almonds. This scent cannot be obtained through classical extraction methods.

A synthetic alternative to heliotrope. Synthetic molecule with a powdery and almond smell that imitates the scent of heliotrope.

Aromatic, woody material that releases fragrance when burned. Incense is also used as an alternative term for frankincense. Incense can be composed of various materials like frankincense, myrrh, benzoin, sandalwood. The odour profile is woody, peppered, smoky, pine, mineral, resinous.

A bold, perennial plant with large petals and a powdery scent often described as similar to petrichor (the smell of rain on the pavement). Iris is a flowering plant with hundereds of varieties. The iris root system are rhizomes, specifically referred to as orris in Iris species. The odour profile is rich, floral, woody, long lasting powdery note.

Heavily scented plant with small, beautiful flowers. A flowering plant from the olive family with small pure white star shaped flowers. Cultivated in India, Morocco and France the flowers are processed to produce an absolute. The odour profile is distinct, its sweet odor is opulent, floral fruity, petaly green, warm, spicy, sensual and intoxicating.

Sticky brown resin obtained from Mediterranean Citrus Ladanifer plants and often used to recreate the scent of amber. Musky, leathery, animalic. The odor profile is amber, resinous, warm, and leathery.

Leather is an accord of synthetic and sometimes natural raw materials to give the impression of the essence of leather. The odour profile is sharp, woody, earthy, sweet and smoky with nuances of rubber and tobacco.

Woodland plant with white, bell like flowers. The odour profile is sweet, heady and romantic.

Magnolia trees produce fragrant white or pink flowers. The odour profile is fresh, lemon, citrus, sweet floral scent, with a hint of champagne.

The French term for Lily of the Valley. It is a woodland flowering plant with highly fragrant small, white bell shaped flowers. Synthetics is used today to create a striking likeness. The odour profile, is floral, watery, green, facets of jasmine.

Class of aromatic base notes, originally derived from the glandular secretions of animals. Initially, musk referred to an animal raw material that comes from the musk deer. Animalic, powerful and warm. Today, perfumers use other raw materials that mimic traditional musk. These musks now belong to a wide family of raw materials whose common purpose is to bring depth, sensuality and long-lastingness to a fragrance. Musk has an odour profile that is very soft, sweet, powdery, warm with animal tones.

Essential oil from the blossom of the bitter orange plant. It is extracted by steam distillation by freshly picked blossoms. Orange Blossom absolute comes from the same blossoms but is obtained by solvent extraction. The odour profile of neroli is fresh orange blossom, clean, with an orange flower water effect.

A type of lichen found in temperate climates. Grown on the trunk and branches of oak trees, oak moss is found in moist, shady locations, best known species carpet woodland and forest floors in North America and Europe. The odor profile is woody, marine, dry, earthy.

A dark resinous plant known as Agarwood. Oud comes from the wood of a tall evergreen tree of the genus Aquilaria agallocha. This tree is native to South East Asia and Northern India. Balsamic, woody and and complex aroma highly valued in perfumery. Oud is distilled from the agarwood. The scent profile is dark, rich, opaque, animalic and woody. Traded from India to the near east since antiquity. Pure oud oil is one of the most precious and expensive raw materials, the cost largely depends on its origin and purity.

Originating in India, it is a bushy herb of the mint family, reaching around 2.5 ft in height and bearing small, pale pink-white flowers. The scent profile has a woody, dry, earthy tone.

Woody perennial plant with beautiful, heavily scented flowers. Turkish and Bulgarian rose are the most widely used and both are from the species Damascena. The odor profile is spiced, wine-like, honeyed, and slightly earthy qualities.

A heavy, yellow, highly aromatic wood from trees in the Santalum genus. Sandalwood is a small tropical tree, native to India, Indonesia, and the Malay Archipelago. The smell is soft and smooth and has tenacity. The odour profile is milky, creamy, woody and exotic.

A salt or ester of salicylic acid, naturally found in some plants. Salicylates are molecules contained in many white flowers. They are used in perfumery to give sunny reflections to a composition.

Ornamental, highly scented plant with large, tuberous blooms. A night-blooming plant with fragrant white flowers native to Mexico. The white flowers are cultivated in India. The flowers must be picked while still tightly furled in the bud, in early in the morning to protect the natural oils from dissipating. Tuberose has a rich and complex smell, almost narcotic.Turbrose is not in the rose family.

Fragrant, plentiful grass commonly found in India and similar to lemongrass and citronella. The roots are used dry, they are cut between two and three years of age. Premium qualities come from Haiti and Java. The scent profile is smoky and has a humid earthiness, with green, woody, dry, fruity and spicy notes.

A synthetic musk that’s lighter and fresher than natural musk but retains its animalistic qualities. It is also very long-lasting and comfortable. Made popular by softeners, white musks are moreover employed in many modern perfumes, to convey an impression of softness and to make a composition long-lasting. The odor profile is very soft, sweet, powdery, warm with animal tones.