Fragrance Terms

Tea

Tea (Camellia sinensis), an evergreen perennial shrub in the Theaceae family, is native to East Asia and probably originated in the border area of north Burma, north Myanmar, southwest China, and Tibet. It grows mainly in tropical and subtropical climates, although some varieties can tolerate marine climates in Europe, North America, and New Zealand. The plants are propagated from seed and cuttings and require about 3 years to be ready for harvesting. They can be maintained for harvest for up to 100 years. Tea grows naturally to a height of 15m, but under cultivation it is kept to a 0.5-1m bush size. Leaves are variable in texture and green color, flowers are white, and the fruits are green with 2-3 seeds each.


Leaf size is the chief criterion for classification of tea plants: Assam type has the largest leaves, China type has the smallest, and Cambodian type (a hybrid of the two) has leaves of intermediate size. Darjeeling tea also appears to be a hybrid of the Chinese and Assam teas. Chinese small-leaf tea is thought to have come from hybridization of wild tea relatives, although there are no surviving wild populations. It is estimated to have diverged from Assam-type tea around 22,000 years ago, while Chinese and Indian Assams teas diverged about 3,000 years ago. Two principal tea varieties are employed for brewing and perfumes, Chinese small-leaf (C. sinensis var. sinensis), used for most Chinese, Formosan, and Japanese green and white teas, and Assam (C. sinensis var. assamica), used in most Indian black teas except for Darjeeling.


History

A legend says that a breeze blew a couple of C. sinensis leaves from a nearby tree into the just-boiled water that mythical Chinese emperor Shennong was about to drink around 2700 BC, subtly changing its color and flavor and creating the first tea infusion.


It is theorized by some that Buddhists grew, harvested, and produced tea as early as 500 BC, drinking it for refreshment and to aid meditation, and that they spread the practice during their travels between China and India. The earliest known physical evidence of tea was discovered in 2016 in the tomb of a Chinese emperor, indicating that tea was drunk by Han dynasty emperors as early as the 2nd century BC, probably as a medicinal drink. A written Chinese text from 59 BC contains a reference to boiling of tea, and the first written notation of tea cultivation dates from the same period. The drink became very popular during the Tang dynasty (~600-900) in China, and from there its use spread to Korea, Japan, and Vietnam. 

Green tea is said to have become popular in Japan by around 1190, when a Zen priest visiting China returned to Japan with tea plants and seeds and used the tea for meditation rituals within his own community of monks, from which it eventually spread throughout Japan.

During the Tang dynasty, tea was steamed, then pounded and shaped into cake form, then during the succeeding Song dynasty (960-1279) loose-leaf tea became popular. During the Yuan (1271-1368) and Ming dynasties (1368-1644), tea leaves were pan-fried, then rolled and dried, a process that stops the oxidation process which turns the leaves dark, thus allowing the tea to remain green. During the 15th century, the process for oolong tea, in which leaves were allowed to partially oxidize before pan-frying, was developed. Subsequently, black tea, for which the leaves were allowed to oxidize fully, was also used in parts of China. Yellow tea was apparently an accidental discovery during the Ming dynasty production of green tea, when careless practices allowed leaves to turn a yellow color, producing a different flavor and aroma.

Tea was first introduced to Western priests and merchants in China in the 16th century, at which time it was termed chá; the earliest European reference to tea ('chiai') appeared in Venice in 1545. Tea appeared in Russia in the late 16th or early 17th century, when Cossacks visiting China were given tea to take back to the Tsar as a gift. In the early 17th century, the Dutch East India Company began to move large shipments of tea to Europe, and tea became a fashionable drink in The Hague. The Dutch introduced the drink to Germany, Britain, and France, and eventually to New Amsterdam (New York). The assamica tea variety was discovered growing wild in the Assam region of India in 1823 and was found to be better suited to production of black teas than the Chinese one. However, Chinese small-leaf tea also was introduced to the Darjeeling region of India by the British in the late 18th and early 19th century. Indian black tea was first sold to the English public in 1838 and quickly became a widely popular drink there. It is thought that the main reasons black tea came to be preferred in England over green tea are that (1) the delicate aroma of green tea deteriorated over the months of sea transport and (2) the hard water quality in England diluted the flavor and fragrance of green tea too much. In addition, sugar importation from British Caribbean colonies increased greatly in the 1700s, and the growing trend of adding sugar to tea may have fueled the greater demand for strong black tea. Tea originally was drunk in India only by anglicized residents, but it became widely popular in the 1950s after a successful advertising campaign by the India Tea Board.


Processing

Tea is generally divided into categories based on how it is processed: white (wilted and unoxidized), yellow (the same as white but allowed to yellow a little naturally), green (unwilted and unoxidized), oolong (wilted under direct strong sunlight, then bruised and twisted and partially oxidized), black (wilted, sometimes crushed, and fully oxidized), and post-fermented (a dark green tea that is allowed to ferment/compost). After picking, tea leaves quickly begin to wilt and oxidize unless immediately dried. This enzymatic oxidation process causes the leaves to turn progressively darker as tannins are released. Commercially, the darkening is stopped at predetermined stages by various heating heating processes. When the tea has been heated and dried, it is sorted and graded.



After basic processing, teas can be altered by other steps before being sold, including blending, flavoring, scenting, and decaffeination. Blending is the combination of different teas together to obtain consistency, improved taste, and/or higher price. Flavoring and scenting are usually accomplished through direct addition of agents such as ginger, cloves, mint, spearmint, cardamom, bergamot, and vanilla. But because tea easily absorbs and retains odors, alternatively it can also just be placed for a time in close proximity to an aromatic ingredient, a technique used in production of traditional jasmine tea. Lapsang Souchong is scented by being exposed to the smoke of burning pine root. Tea traditionally was drunk with added milk in cultures where dairy products were consumed, including Tibet and other Himalayan areas. The addition of milk to tea in Europe was first mentioned in 1680, and it became generally customary in England to drink tea with milk, especially hearty black teas such as the Assams, as well as Indian masala chai. In parts of Europe, it became popular to serve tea with lemon juice and/or either sugar or honey.


Black Tea

Black tea is divided into two types, orthodox (made in a time-consuming process with a traditional rolling machine) and CTC (a faster 'crushed, torn, and curled' process, with a Rotervan machine). Black tea has the most astringency and bitterness, with a flavor that is spicy, malty, fruity (slightly lemony), or roasted, depending upon processing. Tea from India's rainy, tropical Assam region has bold and malty characteristics; Darjeeling tea grown in mountainous Indian areas is softer and more herbaceous and can change from season to season; Sri Lankan tea (known commonly as Ceylon tea) varies depending upon whether it is from the cool mountains or the humid and tropical coastal areas but generally is strong, brisk, and spicy; and Kenyan black tea, primarily made in the CTC style, is known to be assertive and full-bodied.


Green Tea

Green teas from China have a grassy, earthy, roasted odor profile due to pan-firing (either once or multiple times, in a basket, pan, or drum over charcoal or gas flame, electric heat, or hot air). And those from Japan have a quite different sweet, vegetal, or seaweed-like aroma because of steaming.


White Tea

White tea, from China's Fujian province, is the least processed, neither rolled nor fired. The leaves, plucked when they first emerge and are still covered in fine white hairs, are allowed to wither and dry naturally in a carefully controlled environment, resulting in a tea with an extremely fresh, soft, and delicate scent. Sometimes the leaves are steamed very briefly or exposed to very low heat to help them dry more quickly and avoid oxidation. White tea was not available outside of its Chinese growing province until recently, when leaf processing and preserving methods improved greatly.

'Red' Tea

Red (rooibos, pronounced 'roy-buss') tea has existed as a product for only around 300 years. The plant is an herb (Aspalathus linearis) native to South Africa that is not actually a true C. sinensis tea plant. It is a legume plant that can be brewed into a reddish-brown infusion called 'African red tea' or 'red bush tea.' Oxidation brings out the full red color, as well as the scent and flavor. Rooibos evolved as an international commercial tea crop after the 1930s. In the late 1990s, a less-oxidized, green, and more grassy version was created, and in the 2000s a rooibos extract for perfumes was created. The scent of rooibos is smoky, sweet, woody, grassy, and floral.

Tea Fragrance

It is primarily through exposure to boiling water that tea's complex odor characteristics emerge, and it has been a challenge to the perfumer to simulate the tea experience without this essential preparation element being present. Tea-themed scents considerably. Sometimes components are derived from tea leaves themselves. In other compositions, raw materials are used instead to create an illusion of brewed tea: a few are floral absolutes that are reminiscent of tea, several are herbs and flowers used to brew tisanes and are described as possessing aromas similar that of tea, while others are notes of plants or flowers popularly associated with tea even though they are not actually 'tea-like.'

Fragrance essences that are extracted directly from tea leaves include the following:
Green tea absolute, a dark, sticky, semi-solid mass with an underlying sweet and slightly fruity apricot note and a dry, woody base. It has very low diffusiveness even with dilution in alcohol. It colors perfumes dark green.
Green tea CO2, with an appearance like Japanese matcha paste and a smell that is herbaceous and somewhat nutty, said by some to be the closest of the tea essences to nature. It is somewhat more diffusive. The extract dyes perfumes light green but leaves insoluble particles in alcohol.
Black tea absolute, with a scent even more diffuse and intense but still somewhat subtle. It is thick, resembling dark molasses.
Maté absolute, intense, bitter and reminiscent of hay, like its namesake tea beverage. It works well in fougere compositions.
Rooibos absolute, sweet and rich like pipe tobacco. It more often is made into a tincture that has a very subtle, faintly woody, slightly sweet aroma.


Yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensisis, in the holly genus) is not related to C. sinensis, but in perfumes it can recreate the effect of green tea, with a crystalline clarity and a soft and musky drydown. Also used sometimes to approximate or complement black tea in fragrances are smoky burnt rubber, birch tar, and caramel.


Notes that are used frequently to scent tea beverages and therefore are strongly associated with tea in perfumery include bergamot (a key ingredient in Earl Grey tea), jasmine sambac (green and fruity, used to perfume jasmine green tea), and lavender (also used in Earl Grey tea as well as being brewed as a tisane on its own). Toasted rice, often mixed with green tea as a drink called genmaicha, has a savory edge that has been paired with flowers in tea perfumes, adding depth to them. Closely associated with oolong tea is osmanthus fragrans, the Chinese olive plant flower. Rosewater, added to liquid tea since ancient Persia, is often combined with it in perfumes. Also added frequently are incense, sandalwood, cardamom, wisteria, lilac, and peony.

Unlike most other fragrant plants used in perfumery, tea leaves have a very subtle, faintly sweet, herbaceous, and green odor profile, without much diffusiveness. The overall quality of the natural aroma varies depending upon the type of tea, the region where it was grown, the growing conditions (the 'terroir'), when the leaves were plucked, and the subsequent processing (e.g. shaping, drying, cutting, and storage).


Japanese teas such as sencha and matcha have grassy, spinach-like scents, while oolongs share some aromatic notes with lilac, rose, and jasmine. Lapsang souchong has a smoky profile. Green tea fragrances frequently have added spices and herbs such as cardamom, nutmeg, and clary sage. Green tea scents in general are considered to be natural, refreshing, sweet, and elegant. The popularity of green tea declined in perfumery during the middle of the 20th century but then soared when much better technology for preservation developed in the 1980s and 1990s. In the later 1990s, with the increased focus on environmental issues and lifestyle diversity, the boom of 'naturalness' and health-consciousness (with its corresponding enthusiasm for Japanese food and drink), the use of green tea fragrance - like other light, transparent, relaxing, and refreshing ones, especially those considered unisex - became even more prevalent. The first synthetic green tea note was produced at the same time, and since then they have become diverse and more commonly used. In addition, a large series of perfumes with gourmand or fruity notes were released and gained acceptance in the 1990s. In this overall context, the scent of tea suddenly became extremely popular, with products like Bvlgari Eau Parfumée (1992), Elizabeth Arden Green Tea (1999), and Lancome Aroma Tonic (1999) appearing in rapid succession. Calvin Klein CK One (1994), a unisex fragrance with a prominent tea note, became a huge success first in Japan and then elsewhere, especially among the younger population. The green tea fragrance boom now appears to have waned since around 2006, although there is still a solid niche for the fragrances.

Masculine or Unisex Fragrances Featuring Tea:

4711 Acqua Colonia Green Tea & Bergamot, Lemon & Ginger (green)
Adolfo Dominguez Agua de Bambu
Alain Daniel French Club (male)
Alfred Dunhill Amalfi Citrus
Alkemia Thé de Ceylon, Apsara, Madam Pearl, Moroccan Tea, Beauty Like the Night (red)
Al-Rehab Green Tea
Altaia Yu Son
Annick Goutal Duel (yerbamate), Eau de Fier
l'Artisan Parfumeur Tea for Two (green), Dzongkha (masala chai), Coeur de Vetiver Sacre, 32 Venenum (masala chai, male)
Atelier Oolang Infini
Ayala Moriel Vetiver Rouge (red)
Azzaro Chrome United, Now (male), Aqua Cèdre Blanc
Bottega Verde Note per Due
Bvlgari Thé (various), Soir (male), Extrême, Omnia (masala chai), Pour Homme (Darjeeling)
By Kilian Bamboo Harmony, Imperial Tea
Calvin Klein One (green), Truth
Christopher Brosius (CB) I Hate Perfume Russian Caravan Tea (black)
Chrome Legend
Comme des Garcons Series 1 (black)
Coty Club Med My Ocean
Creed Silver Mountain Water, Asian Green Tea
Demeter Tea (various)
Derbe Te' Bianco, Te' Nero
Ebba L.A. White Tea
Ed Pnaud l'Impériale
Elizabeth Arden Green Tea, Untold
Emmanuel Levain Bleu
Esscentual Alchemy Gaia Botanical (red)
Fendi 2004
Floris Cefiro
Galimard Lotus Thé Vert, Rafting (male)
Gucci Pour Homme II (male)
Guerlain Homme, Aqua Allegoria Teazzurra (mint), Neroli Outrenoir
Hanae Mori HiM
Hermes Voyage, Eau de Citron Noir, Osmanthe Yunnan (Ooolong), l'Ombre des Merveilles
Hugo Boss Elements Aqua (male)
Issey Miyake Shades of Kolam
Jacques Evard Cyrus Edition Sport
Jacques Fath Yang
Jacomo Aura
Jaguar Classic Black
Jalaine Green Tea
Jean Charles Brosseau Thé Brun
Jo Malone Tea Collection (various, male)
Kenzo Tokyo
Korres White Tea Bergamot Freesia
Lacoste L.12.12. Rouge
Liz Claiborne Curve (various), Realities
Loewe Agua
Maison Margiela Tea Escape
Masque Russian Tea
Memo Paris Eau de Memo, Winter Palace, Oriental Leather
Monotheme Venezia Green Tea (male)
Murdock Black Tea (male)
Nadia Z Camino de Azahar (red, male)
Natura Hoje
Neil Morris Patchouli Narcisse
Nest Indigo
Nishane Wulong Cha
Nouvelle Etoile White Tea
l'Occitane Thé Bergamote, Thé Vert a la Menthe
Oliver & Co. Resina (red)
Ormonde Jayne Champaca (Genmaicha)
Panouge Perle Rare
Parfums et Senteurs du Pays Basque Dalai Lama (male)
Pierre Bourdon le Grand Tour (male)
Provence Sante Green Tea
Ralph Lauren White Tea
Rance 1795 Collection Classique 2
Ravenscourt Vanilla Rooibos (red)
Regime des Fleurs Floralia (red)
Rituals Eau des Indes
Rocawear X
Roger & Gallet l'Homme Sport
Serge Lutens Five O'Clock Au Gingembre
Shanghai Tang Jade Dragon (male)
S. Oliver Prime League
Tom Ford White Suede
Unic Thé (various)
Urban Outfitters Thé Matcha (male)
Urban Scents Dark Vanilla (red)
Versace Dreamer
Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb
Welton London Sencha
Xerjoff 1986
Yves Rocher Thé Vert
Zara Fig

Fragrances by Occasion and Season

This post no doubt will elicit a wide variety of mental and emotional responses among men here, since the allocation of a particular fragrance to a specific occasion or season is subjective, and the approach itself is controversial. Many men just have one or two bottles of favorite colognes or aftershaves and wear them everywhere, feeling quite comfortable doing so. However, perfume experts generally suggest the use of specific types of scents for particular occasions or times of day and for one or more seasons of the year, so what I will try to do here is summarize the consensus or majority opinions and recommendations of knowledgeable writers.

First, given the atmosphere of a particular occasion, a scent can be chosen for an overall experience and impression based upon its major notes. Each fragrance has primary notes that give it a backbone structure, and most authorities say that there are basic classes from which the primary notes can be selected depending upon their scents, durations, and strengths.

Oriental notes are generally considered to be the heaviest, strongest, and longest lasting; these scents are usually composed of blends of musk, vanilla, and sandalwood. They are recommended most for evening wear and romantic occasions. Examples are Calvin Klein Obsession, Giorgio Armani Black Code, and Chanel Egoiste.

Floral perfumes, in contrast, are a sort of breath of fresh air, light and subtle, and sometimes flaunting youthfulness. They are appropriate for nearly any occasion if not overdone but are most suited to daytime, casual, and evening casual use. Floral scents are either composed of single primary flower (soliflore) or a bouquet of different flowers. Examples include Bvlgari BLV, Givenchy Insense, and Burberry Touch.

Green/Fresh scents, light, airy, clean, and comforting, smell more natural and are less sweet than florals. They usually have overtones of fresh-cut grass and tea tree oil and often contain some citrus and bergamot. Because they are very reminiscent of the outdoors, they are not as useful for formal indoor events, but are good for nearly all other environments, especially the office. Examples are Ralph Lauren Polo Blue, Giorgio Armani Acqua di Gio, Emanuel Ungaro Apparition, and Guy La Roche Drakkar Noir.

Woody perfumes are said to be even more natural than green ones and significantly more masculine in general than florals. They usually are moderately strong mixes of sandalwood, tobacco, vetiver, oakmoss, patchouli, bergamot, and smoke or other heavy notes, which makes them excellent for fall and winter months. They work best for casual, evening, or romantic times. Examples are Dolce & Gabbana By, Calvin Klein Truth, and Christian Dior Fahrenheit.

Warm/Spicy fragrances, often featuring amber, clove, cinnamon, and musk, are heavy and rich and usually worn when the weather is colder. The sometimes are not suitable for dinners because their strength can overpower the appetite.

Marine/Oceanic perfumes, with nuances of seaweed, salt, and sand, are light, natural, and relaxing, and they work best for vacation or the spa, although they can be worn pretty much anytime, especially in warm weather.

Fruity scents are fresh, fun, and rejuvenating. Sweet like florals, they have a lot of energy and are uplifting. They lend themselves to casual times, especially following more formal times such as work.

Among the writers, there is some consensus about the most versatile men's fragrances overall, ones useful for all occasions:

Amouage Reflection
Atelier Orange Sanguine
Chanel Bleu
Creed Silver Mountain Water
Dior Sauvage
Dolce & Gabbana The One
Frederic Malle Vetiver Extraordinaire
Guerlain l'Homme Ideal
Tom Ford Neroli Portofino
Yves St. Laurent l'Homme

However, some experts and aficionados go further and recommend particular types of fragrances for certain individual activities or occasions.

Fragrances for Specific Activities or Times of Day

Work Scents

Writers generally suggest that a scent for the workplace should be natural, light, and subtle, yet sober and confident. Their implication is that your fragrance can play a role in impressing or offending your boss and perhaps can influence your chances of getting the office space or job you want, as well as affecting your popularity with colleagues. Most agree that a citrus, light floral, or earthy scent is a good choice; however, since these dissipate quickly, keeping a bottle or travel atomizer with you is recommended. Some suggest using a well-accepted classic, perhaps one with a crisp overall tone, but avoiding anything overpowering (including the highest-concentration parfums and EdPs, especially on hot days). And it is said that a long-lasting scent is a good idea if you are planning to spend a long and stressful day at work. Two fragrances commonly listed as good for work are Giorgio Armani pour Homme and Carolina Herrera 212.

(Board) Meeting/Interview Scents

Since first impressions can be a factor for business meetings, including board meetings, as well as for interviews, a classic, clean, somewhat subtle, gentlemanly fragrance is recommended, such as Dolce & Gabbana The One and variations of Bvlgari Man. Those with leather, basil, tonka bean, light musk, and cucumber tones, such as Givenchy Gentlemen Only Intense, Dolce & Gabbana pour Homme Intenso, or Kenneth Cole Mankind Ultimate, are other popular suggestions. Also recommended to suggest confidence in these settings are choices with ginger or sage, such as Nautica Life. And regardless of the composition, some writers suggest wearing a low-concentration eau fraiche, since it is the weakest (and therefore most subtle and best tolerated) of fragrance compositions for such occasions.

After Work Socializing

Getting together with colleagues after work, often seen as an essential part of one's job, can get to be a repetitive and boring experience if you wear the same fragrance that you wore for the office. Therefore, experts recommend switching your scent for the social environment, but still attempting to maintain an overall feeling of professionalism. One common suggestion is to choose something that is somewhat heady and distinctive but not overpowering, such as one featuring amber or ambergris, since it is not likely that someone else will wear something similar. An alternative suggestion is to select an aromatic 'modern classic' containing woods, such as Givenchy Gentleman. If the gathering spot is somewhat more formal, such as a country club, a good choice would be the nutmeg and saffron notes of Polo Supreme Leather Accord.

Date Night

If you want to leave a lingering favorable impression after a date, and because olfactory memory is the strongest type of memory, it is thought that choosing something unique - and something not likely to have been worn by an ex-boyfriend - is desirable. Unusual notes such as apple, blue fir, pomegranate, bamboo, and coconut are discussed, and there is general consensus that sweet, woody, spicy, or musky scents implying confidence are a good idea. Citruses and patchouli are relatively safe choices. However, it is recommended that you not go overboard with the strength or intoxication quality of your fragrance and that you limit the areas of application. Fragrances recommended include Penguin Original Blend, Dupont Paris by Night, Diptyque Oud Palao, and Christian Dior Homme. For a third or later date, a more 'aggressive' choice might include Michel Germain Séxual Paris, with its champagne and sandalwood notes, or the bergamot and vetiver nuances of Acqua di Parma Colonia Essenza.

A Dinner Party

For dinner parties, the challenge seems to lie in finding something strong enough to be noticed over the smells of the food and with persistence, but restrained enough to 'keep to itself.' The experts suggest using something with a heavy base such as oud or amber, with lighter top notes like vanilla, lavender, and rose that complement and dial it down somewhat. And if it is an small, intimate or romantic dinner, something with green mandarin and birch, like Givenchy Gentlemen Only, would be appropriate.

Nighttime/Clubbing

For socializing on cooler nights, gourmand and sultry scents such as honey, vanilla, or chocolate are suggested. If you are going to be with friends, a fragrance with nostalgic notes like coffee, cocoa, or vanilla can work well. If you will be dancing, then a scent with prominent and heavy base notes with good durability, is a popular choice. Consensus recommendations for this kind of environment include Dior Homme Intense, Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male, Joop!, Paco Rabanne 1 Million, Thierry Mugler A*Men, Gucci Guilty, and Yves St. Laurent Nuit de l'Homme. Recommended for a 'guys night out' is Montblanc Emblem, with grapefruit and wood notes.

Casual

For casual occasions, especially on weekends, scents that are relaxed and require little thought are suggested, and the experts agree that some of the tried and true classics work well. These include Jean Paul Gaultier Ultra Male, Hugo Boss Bottled, Old Spice, Ralph Lauren Polo Blue, or Paco Rabanne 1 Million. If your casual time includes vigorous sports, you might want to choose something with black pepper, juniper, cypress, or vetiver tones such as Vince Camuto Original or Michael Kors Extreme Blue.

Summer Socials/Weddings/Celebrations

For these relatively formal but upbeat gatherings, which frequently include outdoor time, it is recommended that you choose something that lasts well such as a higher-concentration parfum or eau de parfum. A selection with a tobacco base but with light, tropical, or sweet notes such as tonka bean, vanilla, lemon, jasmine, neroli, or orange blossom likely will work well. Suggestions include Versace Eros and Issey Miyake Nuit d'Issey.

Vacation

Generally the experts recommend choosing vacation fragrances based upon your destination, such as coconut, bergamot, and ambrox notes, in aquatic or marine compositions, for the beach. However, tones frequently recommended for the generally light and relaxed atmosphere of vacations, regardless of where you go, included florals, fruits, and citruses. A commonly recommended choice for the beach is Tommy Bahama Island Life.

Gifting

When you need to buy a fragrance for someone whose preferences you don't know, it is agreed that giving a classic and/or unisex scent is safe. Some also say that giving something relatively neutral, inclusive, and without the likelihood of 'emotional baggage,' is a good idea. Recommendations include Aramis for Men, Creed Green Irish Tweed, Giorgio Armani Acqua di Gio, and Hermes Terre d'Hermes.

Seasonal Fragrances

Some men, in addition to tailoring their fragrance use to particular activities, or instead of doing so, prefer to use certain compositions during specific seasons. Sometimes this is because the scents invoke happy or pleasant seasonal memories, but for some men it is simply because the accords seem to 'fit' well with other attributes or themes of the season. Any discussion of perfume seasons will be subjective, and in reading the following sections you will see that a number of fragrances are mentioned in the lists for more than one season, perhaps even in all. This simply implies that those particular compositions lend themselves to year-round use, and a man could just buy several of them and perhaps have all the scents that he needs.

Spring Fragrances

Spring is a time of freshness, greenness, blooming flowers, and a sense of rebirth, innocence, optimism, and happiness. Temperatures begin to rise, and moods seem to rise with them. Scents that enhance this feeling are fresh, light, sparkling, and crisp, frequently with notes like mint, basil, and orange blossom. They can be whimsical, almost humorous. They often have fresh aromatic, fruity, herbal, vegetal, or sweet floral accords with woody undertones, but they can vary quite a lot and are somewhat tricky to compare. Generally they are direct and relatively simple rather than deep or complex. Popular accords for spring blends include aquatics, citrus, ferns, greens, eaux de cologne, and floral aldehydes. Commonly used notes are almond, freesia, lilac, lily of the valley, iris, jasmine, white rose, lemon, and orange blossom. Some writers also suggest musk and pear for balance.

Men's fragrances often considered most suited to the spring season include the following:

Acqua di Parma Blu Mediterraneo (var.), esp. Cipresso di Toscana, Yuzu
AllSaints Sunset Riot
Annick Goutal Bois d'Hadrien
l'Artisan Parfumeur Mure et Musc Extreme
Bottega Veneta Illusione
Bvlgari Man Wood Essence
Burberry The Beat, Indigo
Byredo Mojave Ghost
Calvin Klein Eternity Flame, Everyone
Caron pour Homme
Cartier l'Envol
Chanel Bleu (var.), Allure Homme (var.)
Christian Dior Sauvage, Homme
Claus Porto Agua Flores
Creed Aventus, Green Irish Tweed, Millesime Imperial, Silver Mountain Water, Virgin Island Water
Davidoff Cool Water
Diptyque Paris
Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue (var.)
Dunhill Arabian Desert, Icon Racing
Ellis Brooklyn Rives
Ermenegildo Zegna Acqua di Iris
Floris Vert Fougere
Francis Kurkdjian Gentle Fluidity
Giorgio Armani Code (var.), Diamonds, Acqua di Gio (var.)
Givenchy Gentlemen
Gucci Guilty (var.)
Hermes Terre d'Hermes, Un Jardin sur la Lagune, Voyage
Hugo Boss Bottled (var.)
Issey Miyake l'Eau Bleue
Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male (var.)
Jimmy Choo Mana Blue
John Varvatos Artisan
Jo Malone Amber & Lavender, Whisky & Cedarwood, Grapefruit
Karl Lagerfeld
Krigler America One 31
Lacoste for Men
Maison Margiela Replica Sailing Day
Montblanc Explorer, Legend Spirit
Paco Rabanne pour Homme
Penhaligon's Cousin Matthew
Prada l'Homme (var.), Luna Rossa
Ralph Lauren Polo Blue
Tom Ford Neroli Portofino, Costa Azzura Acqua, Tobacco Vanille, Oud Wood
Versace Man Eau Fraiche, Dylan Blue, Eros
Viktor & Rolf Spicebomb (var.)
Yves St. Laurent l'Homme, Y Man

Summer Fragrances


Since summer days tend to be warm or hot, the use of light, refreshing, and perhaps cooling scents is recommended, and the experts suggest that they be applied lightly, since smells are significantly stronger in higher temperatures. Summer is a time of relative freedom, and in perfumes for this season there is a sense of naturalness and 'anything goes.' The most frequently used scent family in summer compositions is fougere, but others used include floral (especially iris, violet, mimosa, jasmine, geranium, magnolia, freesia, and peony), herbal, aquatic, marine, gourmand (fruits), and citrus. Very common notes are orange blossom, apple, bergamot, mint, and light spices and herbs (such as lemon verbena and rosemary). A powdery tone is often included. Also frequently used, somewhat in contrast, are musk, woods, vetiver, patchouli, and leather, because according to the experts, men tend to use in the summertime the more masculine scents with which they are already familiar or are known for wearing.

Common men's summer fragrances:

Abercrombie & Fitch First Instinct
Acqua di Parma Cipresso di Toscana, Blu Mediterraneo (var.), Colonia
Adidas Sport STRK
Aesop Tacit
Armaf Club Nuit Intense Man
Atelier Clementine California
Azzaro Chrome
Bottega Veneta Illusione
Brioni Brioni
Bvulgari Aqva (var.)
By Kilian Moonlight in Heaven
Byredo Sundazed
Calvin Klein Eternity (var.)
Chanel Allure Homme Sport, Bleu
Chris Collins Tokyo Blue
Christian Dior Homme (var.), Sauvage
Coach New York
Creed Aventus, Virgin Island Water
Davidoff Cool Water
DedCool Ivy Blanc
Diptyque Eau de Minthe
Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue (var.)
Dunhill Arabian Desert
Ermenegildo Zegna Strength
Ex Nihilo Lust in Paradise
Ferrari Brigh Neroli
Floris London Bergamotto di Positano
Frederic Malle Vetiver Extraordinaire
Fueguia 1883 Agua de Gardenia
Giorgio Armani Code Absolut, Acqua di Gio
Gucci Guilty
Hermes Un Jardin sur la Lagune, Terre d'Hermes
Hugo Boss Bottled Infinite, Scent Intense
Issey Miyake Eau Super Majeure, Eau d'Issey pour Homme
Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male Eau Fraiche Popeye
John Varvatos Artisan Blu
Jo Malone London Huntsman Birch & Black Pepper
Kenzo pour Homme
Lacoste L.12.L.12 (var.)
Lanvin Eclat d'Arpege pour Homme
Le Labo Tonka 25, Bergamote 22
Louis Vuitton Sun Song
Malin & Goetz Cannabis
Memo Paris Moroccan Leather
Missoni pour Homme
Montblanc Explorer, Individuel
Moschino Toy Boy
Nautica Voyage
Paco Rabanne Invictus (var.)
Penhaligon's Juniper Sling
Prada l'Homme Prada Water Splash
Ralph Lauren Polo Blue
Salvatore Ferragamo Uomo Urban Feel
Shawn Crenshaw Ovation
Thierry Mugler A*Men Ultra Zest
Tom Ford Costa Azzurra Acqua, Lavender Extreme, Neroli Portofino, Mandarino di Amalfi
Tommy Bahama Maritime Journey
Versace Man (var.), Eros
Viktor & Rolf Spicebomb (var.)
Yves St. Laurent l'Homme Ultime

Autumn Fragrances


With fall the temperatures cool, and life's tempo seems to slow. At this time the more tranquil, earthy, and warm base note accords, such as the woods, become the best choice. Oriental incense and spices are also common. Others that are popular include musk, oud, balsams, patchouli, tobacco, vetiver, amber, and oakmoss. Vanilla, honey, or caramel are sometimes added for balance. At this time, since scents don't carry as well in the air, it is appropriate to wear rich, headier, more robust blends that conjure a sense of warmth and imply the brown, orange, and red colors of leaves. Floral and sweet scents are much less often used. Autumn compositions generally tend to be based upon natural botanicals rather than the 'cold' synthetics. Because these autumn notes can seem harsh when used alone or too 'loudly,' they frequently are employed in deeper, more complex mixes. Tones that are added for additional depth and duration include blackberry, pear, cardamom, cognac, fig, guaiacwood, hay, myrrh, and ylang-ylang.

Men's fall fragrances named most often by the experts include:

Acqua di Parma Colonia Futura
AllSaints Leather Skies
Azzaro Wanted (var.)
Bentley for Men Intense
Bottega Veneta pour Homme
Bvlgari Man in Black
Burberry Touch
Carolina Herrera Men Prive
Cartier l'Envol
Chanel Bleu, Egoiste
Christian Dior Fahrenheit, Ambre Nuit
Creed Original Santal, Royal Oud, Tabarome Millesime
Czech & Speake Perfecto Fino
Dolce & Gabbana The One
D.S. & Durga Mississippi Medicine
Dunhill Icon
Floris 71/72
Francis Kurkdjian l'Homme a la Rose
Giorgio Armani Because It's You, Stronger with You
Givenchy Gentleman
Gucci pour Homme
Guerlain l'Homme Ideal, Habit Rouge
Hermes Terre d'Hermes
Hugo Boss Bottled (var.), The Scent
Issey Miyake Nuit d'Issey
Jean Paul Gaultier Ultra Male
John Varvatos Vintage
Jo Malone English Oak & Hazelnut
Laboratory Perfumes Amber
Le Labo Another 13
Marly Godolphin
Mercedes Benz Man
Molton Brown Black Pepper
l'Occitane pour Homme
Paco Rabanne 1 Million
Penhaligon's Halfeti Leather
Prada Luna Rossa Black
Roja Fetish pour Homme
Salvatore Ferragamo Black #5
Tom Ford Ombre Leather, Tuscan Leather, Oud Fleur
Valentino Uomo
Versace Eros
Yves St. Laurent Beaute Nuit Cuir, La Nuit de l'Homme, Y Man

Winter Fragrances


According to the authorities, winter is the favorite season for perfumers because the cold temperatures give delicate and sophisticated notes the necessary time to be fully expressed. Because winter tends to lack bright colors and vigorous activities, balancing fragrance tones can be strong, dark, heavy, and exotic, with one's olfactory sense not distracted by other outside smells. Bold complex blends that can cut through cold air and last longer are popular. Families typically included in winter compositions are chypres, gourmands, orientals, and woods. The most commonly used notes are vanilla, cinnamon and other spices (e.g. saffron, cardamom, and clove), incense, and amber, followed closely by musk, leather, tobacco, patchouli, and cedarwood. However, also noted as being popular by some writers are gourmand accords, heady white flowers, and other sweet aromas that would be more annoying in the summertime. Scents that are avoided for the most part in winter fragrances are the typical fresh citrus and aquatic accords, partially because they become 'transparent' (unsmelled) in cold weather.

Among men's winter fragrances are the following:

Acqua di Parma Colonia Pura, Colonia Sandalo
Allsaints Leather Skies
Amouage Epic
Armaf Club de Nuit Intense
Arquiste Nanban
Azzaro Wanted (var.)
Burberry London
Bvlgari Man in Black
By Kilian Black Phantom
Byredo Eleventh Hour
Calvin Klein One Shock
Carolina Herrera Men Prive
Chanel Bleu
Christian Dior Homme Intense, Fahrenheit
Comme des Garcon Wonderoud
Creed Royal Oud, Aventus
DedCool Fragrance 05
Diptyque Tempo
Dolce & Gabbana The One
D.S. & Durga Amber Teutonic
Dunhill London Century
Etat Libre d'Orange Exit the King
Francis Kurkdjian Grand Soir
Frederic Malle Musc Ravageur
Giorgio Armani Code (var.), Absolu, Stronger with You, Acqua di Gio Absolu
Gucci pour Homme
Guerlain Habit Rouge, l'Homme Ideal
Hermes Terre d'Hermes Eau Intense Vetiver
Histoires de Parfums 1828
Hugo Boss Bottled
Issey Miyake Pulse of the Night
Jean Paul Gaultier Ultra Male
Jimmy Choo Man
John Varvatos x Nick Jonas LE
Joop!
Kenneth Cole Black
Krigler Abrakaadabra 221
La Yuqawam Tobacco Blaze
Le Labo Tonka 25
Louis Vuitton Orage
Marly Carlisle
Margiela Jazz Club
Michael Kors
Paco Rabanne Invictus, 1 Million (var.)
Prada l'Homme Intense
Ralph Lauren Polo Supreme Oud
Replica Jazz Club
Thierry Mugler A*Men (var.)
Tom Ford Noir (var.), Oud Wood Intense, Oud Minerale, Tobacco Vanille, Ombre Leather
Valentino Noir Absolu Oud Essence, Uomo (var.)
Versace Eros, Oud Noir
Viktor & Rolf Spicebomb (var.)
Vince Camuto Virtu
Yves St. Laurent La Nuit de l'Homme

Linden

The Tilia genus, somewhat confusingly called 'lime, 'linden,' or 'basswood,' includes about 30 species of trees and bushes that are native to Europe and Asia and are now found throughout most of the temperate Northern Hemisphere, with the largest number of species in Asia. They actually are not related to the tree that produces the citrus lime fruit. The plants are mostly large deciduous trees, reaching 20-40m in height. Cultivated lindens sometimes are repeatedly chopped down, forcing the stump to regrow (coppicing) shoots or 'poles' that gradually increase the size of the stump to quite a large diameter.


A tree begins flowering at about 15 years of age and continues throughout its life. It has heart-shaped leaves and small yellow or white blossoms that typically bloom from late June through mid-July in Europe and North America. The flowers fade quickly, and they only have peak fragrance (and aromatic oils) for a few days.


Trees typically live for 150-350 years; in Europe, some linden trees have reached greater ages, sometimes up to 600 years or more, with one at the Imperial Castle of Nuremburg thought to be 1,000 years old and one in Gloucestershire estimated to be 2,000 years old.


Linden fossils, found from Europe to Siberia, have been dated to over 70 million years old. After the last ice age, littleleaf lindens dominated the woodlands of large parts of Europe. Archeologists have excavated linden tree dugout boats across much of central Europe, some dating to more than 7,000 years ago. There is evidence of the tree being planted and used for community social purposes there as early as the mid-8th century.


The name 'lime' is an altered form of Old and Middle English 'lind' or 'linde,' from the Latin 'lentus' (flexible). 'Linden' originally was an adjective ('made from linwood or lime-wood,' equivalent to 'wooden'), then by the 16th century it became a noun from the plural of German 'linde.' The tree is called lipa in all Slavic languages.

Linden in Perfumery
For perfumery, the fresh flowers are typically dehydrated and dried at low heat in large dehydrator machines, but in some places they are spread out traditionally on screens and allowed to dry in large open rooms, with fans for air circulation.


Linden absolute is solvent-extracted from the dried flower and attached leaf of the late-blooming small-leafed 'winter linden' (Tilia cordata, meaning 'heart-shaped'), the early broad-leafed 'summer lime' (Tilia platyphyllos), or one of the very common hybrids. The absolute is a thick, sticky, dark green, semi-solid mass. It is hard to use and must be diluted significantly in alcohol for use in perfume products. Linden is found most often in chypre and fougere compositions. The odor profile, resembling the smell of the blooming trees, is a bright yellow floral, with honey top aspects and herbaceous, grass-like or hay-like green undertone nuances. Its overall syrupy, sweet floral tone is similar to honeysuckle and is somewhat wine-like, but with some earthy tartness like a green lime. It is light, airy, sunny, and warm, a calming and comforting scent that lends itself especially to springtime compositions. The notes from early-blooming flowers tend to be more energetic, exhilarating and narcotic, while those from later-blooming ones are warmer and more honey-like.


By itself, linden can verge into being too cloying or powdery, so it needs to be balanced by deeper or smoother notes. Soft and subtle, it helps to balance sweeter florals such as jasmine, violet, rose, iris, and tuberose, and it adds mellowness to green, citrus, and herbal accords like orange blossom, neroli, grapefruit, lemon, basil, chamomile, ylang ylang, and vetiver. It also blends quite well with musk, vanilla, benzoin, and sandalwood. It is especially useful as a brightener in clean and sophisticated masculine blends. Used correctly as a top or middle note, it often is reminiscent of being outdoors in a park on a sunny late spring day.

The principal aromatic constituent of linden is farnesol. The authentic natural linden smell is rarely found in perfumery, since the very similar synthetic farnesol is significantly cheaper than the blossom absolute, and the majority of perfumes with the natural form are no longer even produced or they have been reformulated. Linden flower soliflores are not nearly as popular as other soliflores, and there are very few of them offered. However, true linden blossom fragrances are still created by a slowly growing group of Russian artisan perfumers. In perfumery and tea labeling, linden is sometimes known as 'tilleul.'

There is also a clear, transparent, less common CO2 extract with a scent that has intense honey notes; it is lighter and sunnier but sweeter and less green than the absolute. This extract is difficult to obtain but is actually easier to use, and active research is underway to improve and accelerate the extraction process, which should allow production of a wider range of true linden perfume compositions.


Other Uses
Linden trees are important plants for beekeepers, producing a very pale but richly flavored honey. Two mature linden trees can have enough flowers to produce nectar equal to that of an acre of sweet clover; a single acre of mature cultivated lindens make adequate nectar for over 1,000 pounds of honey. The flowers are also used widely, in many cultures, for herbal teas and tinctures. In addition, the flowers, raw leaf buds, and young leaves are edible and are sometimes used in salads.


The flowers, leaves, wood, and charcoal have been employed for medicinal purposes for centuries, primarily as a diaphoretic but also for treatment of colds, fever, infections, inflammation, high blood pressure, edema, headache, muscle spasms, anxiety, and liver and gallbladder disorders. In Germany, linden is included in modern common cold and antitussive preparations and in urological and sedative drugs, as well as in a tea used to treat pediatric influenza. Animal studies display binding to benzodiazepine receptors, and linden flavonoids are anxiolytic and sedating in mice. Research has suggested immunostimulatory and immunomodulatory activities of linden, with possible effects against tumors, but so far there have been no clinical studies showing chemotherapeutic benefit against cancer. Modern studies have shown Tilia extract to have in vitro antibacterial and antifungal activity, and current research is investigating its possible antiseptic use. Linden extract is often used in hair and scalp care products and in bath salts and creams to hydrate and soothe irritated skin.

Linden wood was used by ancient Vikings and Germanic tribes for constructing shields. The trees produce soft and easily worked timber with very little grain, making it popular for model-making, puppet-making, and intricate carving since the Middle Ages, especially in Germany and England. It is not clear how linden trees first spread to North American, but there is evidence that they were used for a variety of purposes by Native Americans. Starting in the 17th century, lindens began to be planted decoratively in public squares and along streets in Europe, and in the 17th and 18th centuries the timber played an important role in European city architecture. Ease of working and sanding the wood, and its resistance to warping and good acoustic properties, have made it useful for guitar bodies, wind instruments such as recorders, drum shells, and piano keys. It has also been a choice material for window blinds and shutters because it is lightweight but strong and suited to many finishes. The inner fibrous bark of the tree, known as 'bast' or basswood, was used for making cordage and for weaving of clothing by the Ainu people of Japan and by Britons during the Bronze Age.


Cultural Aspects
The masks of sarcophagi from the Hellenistic period in Egypt (c.323 BC-32 BC) were carved from linden wood. Lindens and their virtues are mentioned frequently in Greek mythology by Homer, Horace, Virgil, and Pliny. The linden is symbolic in German pre-Christian mythology, and local communities there traditionally assembled for community celebrations and judicial meetings under the trees. They believed that lightning would not strike the holy linden tree, so it often was planted close to churches and houses to bring luck. It also was used for carving sacred figures of saints in the Middle Ages and was called 'lignum sacrum' (sacred wood). In German folklore, the linden is the tree of truth and of lovers; it was believed that one could not tell a lie under the tree, and having a linden nearby was thought to bring fertility and prosperity.

Linden perfume products generally considered to be masculine include:
Adolfo Dominguez Alegria Hombre
Al Rehab Superman
Demeter Linden
Dzintars Be Trendy Force
Excelsis Benedictus
Gap Established 1969 Electric
Khalis Heyam, Musk al Liali
Marc Jacobs Splash Cucumber
Moschino Toy Boy
Penhaligon's Racquets Formula, Sartorial

Products with linden usually considered to be unisex:
Acca Kappa Tilia Cordata
Alkemia Lost Highways, Prairie 66, Rudeneja
Andrea Maack Silk
April Aromatics Unter den Linden
l'Artisan Parfumeur La Chasse aux Papillons, l'Ete en Douce
Astier de Villatte Grand Chalet, Honey Blossom
Auphorie Zen
Ayala Moriel Kinmokusei
Balint After Rain
Baruti Onder de Linde
Bastide Aix en Provence Tilleul
Bond No. 9 Eau de Noho, Hamptons, Central Park, Central Park West
Cognoscenti No. 16 Tomato Leather
D.S. & Durga Rose Atlantic
DSH French Linden Blossom, Le Jardin Vert, Sud de France
Esquisse Parfum Apres la Pluie
Essenzialmente Laura Madeleine
Fessalonika Linden Tea
Filigree & Shadow Follow, Aurelia
Floris Limes
Frapin 1270
Fueguia 1833 Agua de Gardenia
Le Galion Tilleul
Guerlain Cologne du 68
Heretic Parfums Florgasm
Hermes Aroma d'Orange Verte
Imaginary Authors The Soft Lawn
Jacques Fath Lilas Exquis
Jean-Michel Duriez Mes Fleurs de Tulipes
JoAnne Bassett Le Voyage
Jo Malone London Blue Agava & Cacao
Krigler Schone Linden 05
Ladanika Summer Breath, Shadow Gardens
Lollia Dream No. 25
Neil Morris Clear
l'Occitane en Provence Karite Bebe
Odoratika Honey LInden Blossom
Ormonde Jayne Frangipani
d'Orsay Vouloir Etre Ailleurs C.G.
Phoenix Botanicals Meadow & Fir
Raymond Matts Maiaday
Ricardo Ramos Perfumes de Autor Alijibe
Stephanie de Saint-Aignan Amande Honorable
Tauer Zeta
Tokyo Milk Parfumerie Curiosite Waltz No 14
TRNP Spirit
Urban Scents Ber Cavok
Vero Profumo Naja
Voluspa Taporo, Linden & Dark Moss, Linden Blonde Tabac
Yan Froloff & Valery Mikhalitcyn Spes
Zents Fresh, Water, Oolong
Zoologist Beaver, Civet

Nice review. The Basswood is one of my favorite trees. I have a planned one [10 years ago]. Tells and need love them. Certainly a majestic beast - and they are long lived. And, the fragrance is probably my favorite sporting floral. Great soap flavor! Thanks for posting!

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

Canoe

Nice review. The Basswood is one of my favorite trees. I have a planned one [10 years ago]. Tells and need love them. Certainly a majestic beast - and they are long lived. And, the fragrance is probably my favorite sporting floral. Great soap flavor! Thanks for posting!

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Linear Fragrances

A common criticism of a fragrance is that it is 'linear,' starting with one smell and continuing that way until it is gone, with the implication that this is boring and unexciting. This concept is equivalent in many people's minds to the visual 'dead line' on a hospital heart monitor: no highs or lows, just a uniform line to nothingness. But fragrance life cycles are assessed very subjectively, with some people preferring complex journeys of notes, while others are partial to simpler, more linear evolutions. And sometimes one's preference depends upon the situation or mood. The general purposes of linear and non-linear scents tend to be different: for instance, a person might want one with a clean, easy to wear top or middle note that will last unchanged during school or work hours, a "what you smell is what you get" approach instead of an aroma the might turn musky and disappointing after a few hours. Going on a date, on the other hand, someone might desire the opposite effect: a pleasant top note, perhaps citrus, that transitions gradually and intriguingly through other accords and into a vanilla-lavender.

Most classical fragrances, especially French ones such as those from Chanel, are non-linear and might be called 'morphers,' going through phases or layers of notes over time as they interact with the skin. This derives from the fact that in the past, perfumes necessarily changed during wear because of the instability of their ingredients. This was especially true for those considered masculine, which often opened with a blast of brightness, and then - over time and with exposure to the skin and body warmth - became something else as the materials evaporated from highest to lowest volatility, sometimes becoming almost unrecognizable during the process. Because of this type of evolution, the perfume pyramid has been an effective tool for visualizing a fragrance's note composition during reviews and for classifying and categorizing fragrances. However, some experts claim that all perfumes are actually linear to some degree, with all notes perceivable at the first moment of spraying. In addition, if a fragrance is applied in areas relatively close to the nose and providing constant smell delivery, such as the throat and sides of the neck, the brain eventually is triggered to ignore the scent signals, and after as little as 30 minutes only the top and beginning of the middle notes are remembered by most people.


Linear fragrances, sometimes composed of one or only a few notes or accords, are designed to stay basically the same from start to finish of their life cycles, with individual notes working harmoniously together throughout. This is often achieved with floral bouquets (especially soliflores), but sometimes with other effects such as a spicy-fruity effect, and nearly always supported by traditional woody, mossy, or amber base notes. Some odor types are more suitable for this purpose than others, and linearity is sometimes a compromise of overall olfactory quality for increased technical performance.


The nuts and bolts of linear scent creation generally rely on composition using materials with similar volatilities, perhaps either all high-volatility ones (resulting in a very fleeting effect comparable to that of old, traditional colognes) or all low-volatility ingredients such as resinous or balsamic ones that give a dense, thick, lasting effect. In other words, it involves using all base notes, all heart notes, or (less often) all top notes. This can be done by an expert who carefully assesses the life of each component on a smelling strip, but it also can be done more scientifically: by focusing on the vapor pressure of each ingredient, based upon its proportion in the blend, it is possible to create a fragrance that essentially can maintain a nearly uniform composition as it evaporates. This is one of the reasons why all-natural perfumes are rarely constructed linearly: the raw materials themselves have varying nuances of vapor pressures and frequently are crystalline or viscous, which creates solubility issues; and restrictions on the use of certain materials make it even more difficult. However, the vapor pressures of materials can be manipulated by the use of various newer solvents. And it is sometimes possible to use essential oils that have a single dominant aromatic chemical, such as clove or rosewood oil.


However, linear fragrances do not necessarily depend only upon the volatility of materials. Some of them use strong bases, which can allow a complex scent to retain the diverse character of its main accord with increased tenacity. An important differentiation is one between linear and 'flat.' Complex linear scents can project through volume and dimension, which elevates them from mere imitation of a single smell to being a complete sensory experience. Some examples of this achievement include Heremessence fragrances such as Poivre Samarcande Hermès, Ambre Narguile Hermès, Vetiver Tonka, and Rose Ikebana; APOM Pour Homme by Maison Francis Kurkdjian (with a clear, lasting orange blossom freshness); Calvin Klein Eternity for Men; Thierry Mugler Alien; and Hermès Terre d'Hermès. Others are Guerlain Tonka Imperiale and Diptyque Philosykos. 

In order to make an unchanging linear scent, a fragrance creator has to do one of two things, according to perfumer Ashley Eden Kessler. "You can identify loads of molecules with the same tenacity, or you can achieve it by the use of different materials that overlap olfactively as a singular impression, for example a green top, a green middle, and a green base that lock together to create a green linear existence."

The effect of a linear fragrance is comparable to the unison of a Gregorian chant: the typically fresh top notes seem to be missing entirely, replaced by small amounts of intensely strong materials that boost the overall character. This minimalist style was introduced in the 1980s by perfumer Sophia Grojsman, who created Trésor with an accord of only 4 or 5 ingredients that comprised 80% of the formula, flanked by other materials providing richness and complexity. Subsequently, with increasing numbers of fragrance launches, decreasing attention spans of consumers, the use of robot perfume compounding, restrictions on classical natural ingredients due to skin sensitizing concerns, and a growing cultural emphasis on 'simplicity,' other perfumes also tended to have short formulas. In his book The Alchemy of Scent, perfumer Jean-Claude Ella laments how focus groups and demand-led marketing grew in importance and stimulated the creation of perfumes with "the illusion of compactness... that had to express themselves without significant variation, with a strong, tight, and lasting presence. Diffusion and retention on the skin became powerful sales criteria." In other words, to ensure that consumers understood a fragrance from the first test spray and then proceeded to purchase a full bottle, manufacturers used perfume structures and chemicals that allowed the buyer to grasp the 'meaning' of a scent without requiring very much thinking time.


Manufacturers of low-cost scents don't want to invest in complicated orchestration of notes. Thus a cheap perfume often will be linear. For about the last 20 years, perhaps in reaction, there has been a somewhat snobbish emphasis on the art and creativity involved in producing non-linear fragrances, some of which have had 20 or 30 notes/accords and total ingredients in the hundreds, with the implication that complexity of composition and scent evolution equals quality. There also has been an emphasis on using natural or 'organic' materials, including essential oils, which often consist of many different molecules.


However, linear fragrances can be just as intricate and complex as those created in a pyramid style. An unchanging linear scent is not necessarily boring at all, and it may in fact be exactly what is wanted in a smell. Good linear scents are never truly simple, and engineering one is often much more technically and intelligently crafted that it would appear. Some of them have been quite refined, with structure provided not only by arranging the volatility of the ingredients, but also by using materials and ratios chosen to provide a stable skeleton for the scent.

Demeter's headspace technology allows it to match, with use of the fewest ingredients possible, the aromas of recognizable natural materials or environments. And there are actual single-molecule perfumes such as those of the Escentric Molecules series, technically simple but sometimes executed brilliantly. Says Berlin perfumer Geza Schön, who sometimes uses just one or two single-scent ingredients for a new perfume, "Linearity and complexity - those are the characteristics of any good perfume. But that does not mean that it has to be complicated. It doesn't take a genius to do this, you just have to be able to think outside the paradigm."


Often some or all of the materials in a linear fragrance are synthetic, consisting of single-scent molecules (in contrast to natural ingredients, such as rose absolute, which can contain hundreds of different molecules) that produce and maintain closely monitored effects acting in tandem. Improved technology, including newer fixatives and binding chemicals that slow the evaporation of chosen notes, has allowed for creation of increasingly complex linear fragrances using both synthetic and natural ingredients.


Recently, well-known perfume reviewer and biophysicist, Luca Turin, praised a unisex fragrance, Everlasting, from the perfumery The Zoo. Resinous, mossy, and dark, it is said to display labdanum, caramel, leather, and cedarwood. He described it as being a rare marriage of beauty and technical achievement, having no perceivable top, middle, or base notes, but rather giving an impression of a 'wall of scent,' like all the instruments in an orchestra playing at the same time. And he said that it stays sharp and in focus the entire time that it is worn, with a slight extra sparkle at the opening but with the volume of all the elements in unison unchanging. Its creator, Christophe Laudamiel, describes it as "chypre dark narcissus sensuous."


Other scent architectures that also do not fit the pyramid scheme

Prism - A variation on the linear scent concept is the 'prismatic' fragrance, in which there is a consistent central effect, but with occasional random notes appearing and disappearing repeatedly through the duration of the life cycle. An example of this is Chanel Allure Homme, in which there are four main and unchanging lines: green freshness, warm pepper sharpness, benzoin and sandalwood elegance, warm sensuality of labdanum and tonka, with no accord predominating. And revolving around these stable tones are more ephemeral fruit and floral notes.

Kaleidoscopic - Fragrances that are a tapestry of various notes which don't phase conventionally, but rather are a somewhat erratic tableau of complex accords working in harmony.


Baseless or Headless - These are rare scents, designed to lack either a base note or a top note entirely and therefore having a more limited evolution than a fragrance with a traditional pyramidal structure.


Undulating - These are perceived by the nose in recurring waves of notes, phasing in and out without a central theme. Sometimes this effect is an incidental illusion caused by the use of notes with similar smells in both the top and heart of the composition.




Linear masculine or unisex fragrances:
Acqua Viva Profumum Roma                                   
Al Haramain Excellent
Amouage Portrayal Man
Azzaro Chrome
Bel Ami Vetiver Hermès
Bvlgari Black
Byredo M/Mink, Sundazed, Super Cedar
Calvin Klein Eternity for Men
Carolina Herrera Aqua
Caron Pour Une Homme
Chanel Allure Homme
Christian Dior Homme, Addict, Eau Sauvage
Clive Christian V for Men
Creed Aventus, Sublime Vanille, Green Irish Tweed
Demeter (all)
Diptyque Tam Dao, Philosykos
Encre Noir Lalique
Equipage Geranium Hermès
Escentric Molecule 01
Fendi for Men
Frederic Malle Eau de Magnolia
Giorgio Armani Ambre Eccentrico
Giorgio Beverly Hills for Men
Givenchy Pi
Guerlain Aqua Allegoria series, Vetiver, Tonka Imperiale
Hermès Terre d'Hermès
Hermessence Epice Marine Hermès, Poivre Samarcande Hermès, Ambre Narguile Hermès, Vetiver Tonka,  Rose Ikebana
Indult Tihota
Jacques Fath Yang
Jean Louis Vermeil Pour Homme
Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male
Kanon for Men
Le Labo (most)
Maison Francis Kurkdjian APOM Pour Homme
Maison Margiela By The Fireplace
MFK Grand Soir
Molinard Patchouli
Narciso Rodriguez for Him
Nasomatto Baraonda
l'Occitane en Provence
Prada Amber Pour Homme
Profumum Roma Patchouly
Proraso Red
Ralph Lauren Polo                                         
Salvatore Ferragamo Pour Homme
Serge Lutens Santal Majuscule, Gris Clair, Chergui
St. James of London Sandalwood & Bergamot
The Zoo Everlasting
Thierry Mugler (most, especially Alien)
Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille, Bois Marocain
Wonderoud Comme des Garcons
Xerjoff Cruz del Sur II

Rose

"The rose, wherein the world divine makes itself flesh."
Dante Alighieri

Rose is an extremely important component in perfumery, perhaps the most important flower scent, and rose oil is the most widely used essential oil. Rose is said to be present in at least 75% of feminine perfumes and at least 10% of all men's fragrances.

The name 'rose' comes from the Latin 'rosa,' which may have come from the Italic language Oscan or from Greek rhódon, itself derived from an Old Persian word.

The rose plant is a woody perennial bush of the genus Rosa, in the family Rosaceae. There are over 300 species. They can be erect shrubs or climbing/trailing vines. Sharp growths along the stems that are commonly called thorns are technically prickles (outgrowths of the epidermis); a few species have only vestigial prickles without points. Flowers vary in size and shape but often are large and showy, in colors ranging from white through yellow and reds. The majority of species are native to Asia, with smaller nunbers native to Europe, North America, and northwestern Africa. Different species hybridize naturally quite easily. Most roses are deciduous, but a few are evergreen. The aggregate fruit is berry-like and usually red and is called a rose hip. Roses can survive for many years; those that cover the walls of the Cathedral of Hildeshiem in Germany were originally planted over a thousand years ago.


Rose History

It is thought that roses came into existence 60-70 million years ago. Rose fossils dating to at least 32-35 million years ago, in the Paleolithic era, have been found in Colorado mountain deposits. Rose cultivation is believed to have begun around 5,000 years ago in China. The modern rose is a man-made phenomenon: what we call roses are all actually cultivars of representatives of the genus Briar or Wild rose. The vast majority of rose varieties are obtained through breeding, by crossing and selection. There are up to 50,000 varieties of rose.


The cultivation of various fragrant flowers for obtaining perfumes, including rose water, may date back to the neo-Persian Sasanian Empire (224-651 AD). Large-scale commercial rose growing originated in ancient Persia and then spread through Arabia and India and eventually into eastern Europe, and the process of creating rose water through steam distillation was refined by Persian and Arab chemists in the medieval Islamic world. Egyptians used it for smoothing and scenting the skin and hair, sweetening the breath, freshening and cooling the air of their houses, and scenting the bodies of their dead. The major rose-producing countries of the world include The Netherlands, Colombia, Ecuador, Kenya, Israel, Italy, United States, and Japan. 


Cleopatra was known to cover the flowers of her palace with rose petals when receiving Marc Antony, and the Romans introduced rose water for washing clothes and for scenting fountains during feasts. Dried rose petals were used for church incense and candles by the 6th century, and they were rubbed on furniture as a scented preservative. In the 10th century, the Arab physician Avicenna first distilled the oil of rose petals. By the 12th century, a society of glove makers established in Paris scented their leather products with rose attar. Arnaldo de Vilanova, a Catalan physician in the 13th century, studied further and documented the effects of soaking, squeezing, and heating rose petals for extracting the essential oils; and by the 14th century the art of mixing rose attar with alcohol to create a perfume was developed. During the medieval period, tinctures of rose called 'simples' were used for aesthetic purposes: women packed their clothes with simples in cedarwood chests, sprinkled simples on bedding, and wore glass simple-scented bottles on chains around their necks. By the 16th century, rose perfumes had come into general use in England. King Henry VIII was said to have a favorite rose scent recipe consisting of 6 spoons rose oil, 6 spoons rose water, 1/4 oz. sugar, 2 grains musk, and 1 oz. ambergris. At one point during the 17th century, the rose was so highly valued that the flowers were considered to be legal tender for use in transactions. Empress Josephine Bonaparte was enamored of roses in the 18th century and had over 250 varieties in her famous gardens, many of them new hybrids of her own creation. The Victorian era of the late 19th century marked the widespread use of roses in formal English gardens, and it was at this time that botanists and other scientists first made attempts to define and classify floral scents.


The excessive cross-breeding of roses to create the myriad of their colors has led also to hybrid roses generally losing their scents. Perfumers now primarily use just two species of rose: Rosa damascena (damask, Turkish, or Damascus rose, or the Rose of Castile) and Rosa centifolia (the 'hundred-leafed rose,' also known as the Grasse rose or Rose de Mai).

Rosa damascena has been known in the Middle East for centuries. It is a hybrid with light pink to light red flowers. This rose was used in the 7th century by Arabs to produce rose water. By the 19th century, the species had spread from Syria to Europe. It is widely grown now in Bulgaria, Syria, Turkey, Russia, Germany, Pakistan, India, Uzbekistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and China. The majority of rose perfumes are based on this rose. The 'Taif rose,' a species of R. damascena that is grown in Saudi Arabia near Mecca, is especially valued in the perfume industry for its intense fragrance. The 'Moroccan rose' is another variety of R. damascena that is grown in Morocco's M'Goun Valley (Valley of the Roses) and is used primarily to make rose absolute and rose water.


Rosa centifolia (Provence rose or cabbage rose), is a hybrid that was developed by the Dutch beginning in the 17th century. It is cultivated primarily in Morocco but also in France, Egypt, Tunisia, and other countries of North African, with lesser amounts grown in Europe and China. The plant is traditionally called the 'Rose de Mai' in France after the month during which its harvesting begins near the perfumery center of Grasse. It is less commonly used in perfumery than R. damascena but is also quite popular.


Rose Essential Oil

About 70% of the world's rose oil comes from Bulgaria, with other significant producers being Turkey, Iran, and Morocco, and smaller amounts made in France and China. Some of the most highly prized oil is produced in Grasse. To make the oils, rose petals are picked early in the morning, when the scent is strongest. The aroma begins to fade quickly after the flowers are cut, so they are processed the same day.


There are two main types of extracted rose essential oil used in perfumery, rose otto and rose absolute.

Rose otto (attar) is steam-distilled from crushed petals. Because the scent begins to fade quickly after flower picking, some farmers transport their own copper stills to the fields, heating them there over wood fires to distill the oil immediately. The species used most often is R. damascena, with much smaller amounts of similar R. gallica also used. The petals are soaked in water and then heated, which causes release of their volatile oils into the steam. The steam is condensed and cooled in flasks, and the oils float to the surface, where they can be collected. This primary oil makes up 20% of the finished attar. The water that condenses along with the oil is drained off and redistilled several times (cohabation), to produce the water-soluble fractions such as phenethyl alcohol, which are vital aroma components and comprise the other 80%. The two oils are combined to make the final rose attar. Some of the hydrosol portion (rose water) is also used by itself in perfumes to give a lighter rose fragrance, as well as in skin care products, medicines, and food flavorings.
 

Rose otto is clear to pale pink or yellow or yellow-gray in color. Initially it is mobile but gradually becomes more viscous and will form white crystals at room temperature, which disappear when the oil is warmed slightly. The essence has a very strong odor, but it is more pleasing when diluted for use in perfume. It is very rich and deep, sweetly floral, and slightly spicy; the rose attar blends very well with other oils. Due to the heat required for distillation, some of the aroma compounds denature (break down chemically), so rose attar does not really smell very similar to blooming rose flowers. Its main fragrance constituents are geraniol, citronellol, and rose camphor. It takes about 10,000 pounds of rose petals to make a single pound of rose otto.

The major producers of rose otto are in the Bulgarian Rose Valley, near the town of Kazanlak; in Grasse, France; and in the city of Kannauj in India (the 'Grasse of the East').

Specific well-known variants of rose otto include:
- Rose Alba (aka White Rose Otto), which is made from a particular pink-blush and white flower of plants dating to the Middle Ages. The oil is more labor intensive, and twice as many flowers are needed to produce the oil, so it is extremely expensive. It is used in very small amounts in aromatherapy.
- Rose Bulgarian, an oil with a very rich, deep, sweetly floral, and slightly spicy fragrance, cultivated in the heart of the Kazanlak Valley of Roses. Its scent is long-lasting and is used in very high-quality perfumes.
- Jack Rose (aka General Jack), named after a French General of the Napoleonic wars, having ddep red to dark purple petals, and developed in 1853. It is thought by horticulturalists to be an ancestor of the modern rose. The oil is extremely fragrant and is also used in expensive perfumes.

Rose absolute is solvent-extracted. The flowers are agitated in a rotating vat with liquid hexane, which draws out the aromatic elements and other soluble substances such as pigments when it evaporates. The extract is then vacuum processed, which removes the solvent for re-use. The remaining waxy residue is known as rose concrete. Ethanol is added, dissolving the aromatic constituents and leaving behind the wax and other undesired subsances. The alcohol is then low-pressure evaporated, which leaves the finished absolute. The absolute is often processed further to remove impurities. This is a darker oil than rose attar, dark yellow to orange or reddish-brown in color and with no crystals. Its fragrance is somewhat deeper, richer, and sweeter than the otto, with undertones of honey and greenness. With less pronounced spicy aspects, its aroma is thought by many perfumers to be closer to that of an actual blooming rose (probably due to the low temperatures used in the process). Because of its potency, tenacity, and relative cost effectiveness (producing 7 pounds of absolute from 10,000 pounds of petals), it is more widely used in perfumery than rose otto.


Rose absolute is produced primarily in southern France, Morocco, Bulgaria, and Turkey; and most often it is made with R. centifolia, which typically yields more 50% more absolute than R. damascena petals. Some perfume manufacturers, especially those in France, prefer to buy the raw concrete and perform the extraction themselves; they can then call it a 'French absolute.'

Similar to rose absolute, organic rose extract is derived using a solvent-extraction process but with more 'benign' organic solvents that are said to result in a softer and less intense oil than conventional absolute made with hexane. This extract's color is clear to pink or greenish.

Rose CO2 concrete or CO2 absolute is produced in much smaller amounts, by 'supercritical' carbon dioxide extraction. In this process, carbon dioxide under high pressure and relatively low temperature becomes a fluid with the permeation properties of a gas but the solvent properties of a liquid, and it is able to remove the aromatics from the rose petals. It extracts a wide range of compounds unaltered by heat, thus producing an essence that is most faithful to the original flower fragrance. The equipment for CO2 extraction is expensive, which is reflected in the high price of the product.

For any of these extraction techniques, many different factors, ranging from the environmental conditions and soil composition where the roses are grown (the terroir) to the conditions of storage and the quality of extraction equipment, can affect the composition of the essential oil that is produced.

To mitigate the high cost of rose oil production, some dealers and perfumers dilute the oil with geranium (Pelargonium graveolens) or palmarosa (Cymbopogon martinii) oils, both of which are rich in fragrant geraniol. Some of the adulterated 'rose oils' are actually up to 90% geranium or palmarosa oil. This is referred to as 'extending' the rose fragrance. It is sometimes done also to balance the components of an oil to a more desirable structure.

Rose in Perfumery

Rose has variously been called the king of flowers and the queen of fragrances. The fresh flower scent has very wide diversity of character. Its qualities are generally divided by experts into 7 distinct categories: true damask rose, nasturtium, orris, violet, apple, clove, and lemon. There are an additional 20+ aroma tones that can be discerned by some experts, including honeysuckle, musk, hyacinth, honey, wine, marigold, peppers, parsley, and raspberry. Generally, darker colored roses with thick, velvety petals have the strongest and most memorable scents. Red and pink roses have the most 'true' rose fragrance. White and yellow blooms have an aroma more similar to violet, nasturtium, and lemon; and orange roses often smell of fruits, violet, nasturtium, and clove. It is claimed that the fragrance of most modern roses, although strong at times, lacks the exquisite beauty and depth of early rose ancestors. However, some of the older rose variants still in existence, being closer to the original species, have retained the successful combinations and balances of components that were 'perfected' by nature over millions of years of evolution.


The scent of rose essential oils is very complex, intense and sensual yet delicate. Its odor profile is fresh, warm, sweet, clean, and velvety, with nuances of lemongrass, amber, cognac, minty greenness, powder, wood, and fruit (peach, plum). It is a powerful note, somewhat waxy and slightly spicy or balsamic.

Rose has been used most prominently in floral, chypre, and Oriental compositions, with chypres using it in their heart notes to harmonize the citrus top with the mossy base. Rose de mai absolute is used extensively in mixed floral bases and also is added to round off the sharp or rough edges of synthetic compositions. The most classic perfume combination is rose with jasmine, but it also pairs especially well with amber, benzoin, bergamot, lemon, mandarin, neroli, petitgrain, chamomile, clary sage, fennel, ginger, geranium, frankincense, ylang ylang, patchouli, vetiver, cedarwood, and sandalwood. Gourmand rose themes are also popular, with vanilla, raspberry, and honey frequently paired with rose, and Middle Eastern fragrances sometimes combine it with date scent.

Aroma Chemical Composition

The four key compounds that contribute to the distinctive scent of rose oil are beta-damascenone, beta-damascone, beta-ionone, and rose oxide. Although these molecules make up less than 1% of the oil by volume, they account for slightly more than 90% of the overall smell due to their extremely low odor-detection thresholds (the lowest concentration of a certain odor compound that is perceivable by the human sense of smell). This is a pattern quite similar to that of other flowers such as jasmine, narcissus, and lavender. Beta-damascenone's presence and quantity is sometimes considered to be a marker for the overall quality of a rose oil. Other molecules contributing significantly to the complex scent include citronellol, geraniol, nerol, and phenylethyl alcohol (PEA). These substances occur in different proportions from one rose variant to another. One study of a Bulgarian damask rose otto found it to have 45% citronellol, 25% geraniol, and 9% nerol; while Provence rose absolute had 10-12% citronellol, 5-7% geraniol, and over 60% phenylethyl alcohol.


Rose oxide by itself smells like a 'metallic rose.' Phenylethyl alcohol has a soft petal-like character typical of lighter-colored roses. Citronellol has a warm and vibrant character most prominent in darker hybrids. Geraniol is similar, but with a somewhat sharper character reminiscent of geranium  leaves, while nerol is the harshest but freshest of these molecules.

The principal difference between rose otto and rose absolute is the content of phenylethyl alcohol. Distilled rose otto oil contains hardly any PEA at all because PEA is very soluble in water and remains in the hydrolate. Some but not all of the PEA can be recovered by repeated distillation (cohobation) of the hydrolate and re-attached to the primary oil. Phenylethyl alcohol is also the main scent ingredient in commercial rose water. Some rose extracts, especially those not processed as completely, can also contain indoles, which make them smell more animalic.

Synthetic Rose

Scientists and perfumers have been unable to reproduce exactly in the lab the complex and subtle scent notes of natural rose oil. But because of the high price and limited supplies of the oil, due to crop failures, natural disasters, and war-related production instability, perfumers have had to rely heavily on various synthetic rose ingredients, which are many times cheaper. These are not derived from natural aromatic raw materials, but rather from petroleum. Chemists have also tried to create alternate substances with smells similar to rose but longer lasting, by making the synthetic molecules heavier but still retaining the same spatial shapes. It is very common for perfumers to use combinations of natural rose extracts and synthetics, and nearly all perfumes now contain synthetic materials. Among the most often used are synthetic versions of alpha-damascone and rose oxide.


Taking a different approach, the Boston company Robertet has recently teamed with a biology startup, Gingko Bioworks, to genetically engineer baker's yeast to produce a complete synthetic rose oil. Says Patrick Boyle, one of the organism designers, "We're calling this project the cultured rose. What we're doing is taking genes from roses, tranferring them into yeast, and rebuilding the biosynthetic pathways for the fragrances that roses produce." By working with designer yeasts, the company hopes to be able to customize its own rose fragrances by selectively mixing and matching genes from different rose varieties in the lab.

Rose Popularity

Rose was considered too old-fashioned and passé in perfumery for many years, but it has undergone a renaissance over the past 10-20 years and once again has become ubiquitous. According to Mia Collins, head of beauty supplies at Harrods, rose scents have regained their popularity in England because they remind the current generation there of childhoods with hedgerows, verges, and paths littered with wild roses, and of the common experience of making rose water with petals from home flower beds. Says perfumer Terry de Gunzberg of damask rose scents, "They're delicate yet powerful and pure, they suit all seasons, and they're pan-generation." According to Linda Levy, president of the Fragrance Foundation, rose scent never really left: "Rose has been an important element forever. However, I think there are phases it's gone through olfactory-wise, and what we once considered a rose scent - like what we smell when we walk through a garden - has taken on a different meaning." And noting the use of rose substitutes, she says, "Natural fragrance isn't always better than synthetic. Sometimes the perfumer's interpretation is what they 'feel' is a rose scent, rather than using the actual bloom."

Rose Gender

For centuries, the terms 'feminine,' 'beauty,' and 'powdery' have been associated with the rose flower. However, according to sociologist Marcello Aspria, there is nothing actually gender-specific about the rose, other than the meaning accorded to it in a given social context at a given time. In the Middle East, for instance, rose-based fragrances have always been quite popular among men. As unisex perfumes have become more prevalent in Western perfumery, rose has been incorporated into fragrances for both genders more than ever. In fact, certain rose species carry a hint of citrusy, woody, and spicy notes in their scents, lending themselves to making oils with tones more typically associated as masculine. In general, the rose aroma is made up of several facets that can make a fragrance easy for a man to wear: simultaneously citrusy, green-leafy, peppery, and sometimes animalic.


Masculine fragrances usually use rose relatively sparingly, while feminine compositions use it more heavily. According to perfumers, the secret to making a rose fragrance wearable by men is in masking rose's persistent flowery sweetness with notes such as earthy patchouli, clove, pepper, and/or leather; or using the sweetness strategically, as a counterpoint to darker, woodier, more bitter masculine materials like oud and civet, which give the light rose tone more depth and gravitas. And, says perfumer Francis Kurkdjian, "It's a question of timing, because what is 'masculine' today may not have been 'masculine' a decade ago and may not be 'masculine' two or three decades from now. The idea of 'masculinity' and 'femininity' are conventions, and they are concepts that evolve with society. When I started in perfume 25 years ago, fruity notes - it could be pineapple or pear or apple - were not appealing for men, but are very commonly used in male perfumes now. Taste has evolved since then... and fragrance is a translation of the time you live in."

Other Uses

Rose essential oil is known for its antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and astringent properties. Dioscorides, an ancient Greek physician, developed an elixir by cooking roses in wine, which could relieve headaches and conditions involving the eyes and ears, as well as womb problems. In Medieval Europe, rose water was used to clean the hands at meal tables before and after feasts. Native Americans used various parts of the rose to treat fevers, colds, diarrhea, and stomach problems, and they steeped rose hips to make a liquid that soothed inflammation and reduced wound swelling. Many cultures have used rose extracts for relieving insomnia, anxiety, and depression, and for stabilizing mood swings. Rose has often been considered an aphrodisiac.

Some rose petals are edible and can be used as a food flavoring or garnish or brewed in herbal tea. They have been used in many regional dishes in Europe and throughout Asia. Chicken with rose is a popular preparation in Middle East cuisine, especiallt in Iran. The French are known for their use of rose syrup (rose water with added sugar) in cooking. Rose hips have been used traditionally to make wine, vinegar, jams, syrup, and teas, and rose water is used in many cultures for flavoring sweets, baked goods, and drinks.


Rose Geranium

Rose geranium (Pelargonium graveolens v. roseum), sometimes called sweet-scented geranium or old-fashioned geranium, is in a different genus than true roses. It is native to South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique, but it is also grown in China and Europe. It is an erect shrub that reaches a height of 1-2m, and it has plush, velvety leaves and flowers varying from pale pink to almost white. Some of the plants are strongly scented, while others have little or no scent. The sweet, floral, lemony aroma is said to have rich but less powdery rose notes than actual rose, and it is used frequently in aromatherapy, as well as in some perfumes. The oil, steam-distilled from all parts of the plant, is found in herbal, floral, fougère, and chypre compositions, and it is used sometimes to increase the longevity of the scent of rose essential oil or to balance oils low in phenylethyl alcohol. As noted before, it also is used to 'extend' the volume of true rose oils.


Male fragrances with prominent rose (or rose geranium) include:

Acqua di Parma Colonia, Mirto di Panarea, Colonia Leather
Aesop Rozu
Ajmal Rose Wood, Ambre Pimente
Al-Rehab Aseel
Amouage Lyric Man, Reflection Man
Aramis 900
Armaf Club Nuit Intense
Art de Parfum Sensual Oud
Atelier Cologne Rose Anonyme                                         
Atkinsons 24 Old Bond Street
Azzaro Now Men, Acteur
l'Artisan Parfumeur Voleur de Roses
Bond No. 9 Washington Square
Bvlgari Garanat
Burberry Brit for Men
Byredo Rose Noir
Cartier Declaration d'Un Soir                                         
Chanel Egoiste                                                       
Christian Dior Ambre Nuit, Homme, Oud Ispahan
Comme des Garcons Rose
Creed Aventus, Royal Mayfair, Viking
Czech & Speake Dark Rose, No. 88
Davidoff Zino
The Different Company Rose Poivree
Diptyque l'Ombre dans l'Eau, Othoniel Rosa, Oud Palao
Domenico Caraceni 1913
Emanuel Ungaro pour l'Homme III
Etro ManRose
Ferrari Essence Oud
Floris White Rose, Special No. 127, No. 89
Francis Kurkdjian l'Homme a la Rose, Lumiere Noire, Oud Satin Mood
Franck Olivier Oud Touch
Frederic Malle Portrait of a Lady, Noir Epices
Guerlain Habit Rouge (var.)
Hermes Rose Ikebana
Histoires de Parfumes 1876
Karl Lagerfeld Bois de Vetiver                                       
Le Labo Rose 31
Majda Bekkali Mon Nom est Rouge
Montale Aoud, Black Aoud
Ormonde Jayne Ta'if
Oros Oud
Paco Rabanne One Million
Penhaligon's Hammam Bouquet, Elixir
Ramón Monegal l'Eau de Rose
Rasasi Al Wisam Day
Reyane Tradition Acqua di Parisis Arabian Roses
Serge Lutens Santal Majuscule, Fumerie Turque
Tabac Original, Man Gravity
Tauer Incense Rose
Tom Ford Noir de Noir
Tommy Hilfiger Loud for Him
Trussardi Black Rose
Van Cleef & Arpels pour Homme
Versace The Dreamer                                                   
Yves Rocher Comme une Evidence Homme
Yves St. Laurent l'Homme Ultime

And my favorite Rose was in Casablanca...

Perfume Solvents: Carrier Alcohols and Oils

Because most aromatic organic molecules will not dissolve in water, solvents used in perfumes usually are alcohols or fixed carrier oils. Carrier oils are vegetable oils, extracted from the fatty parts of plants, that 'carry' aromatic ingredients in fragrances. They are said to be 'fixed' because they do not evaporate along with the aromas, but they make the scented essential oils 'come alive' and diffuse into the air. These oils are used in both perfumery and aromatherapy.

Rather than oils, however, alcohol has been used as the major perfume carrier. It has been used this way in perfumes in Europe since early in the 12th century. Grain or grape alcohol (190 proof or higher) or perfumer's alcohol is most often used. Perfumer's alcohol is 200 proof denatured ethanol, sometimes blended with isopropyl myristate (to aid in absorption) and monopropylene glycol (a cosolvent that allows fragrance oils to be solubilized, controlling the alcohol evaporation). Alcohol does not mix with fixed carrier oils, so they are never combined in products. 

Essential oils are added to the alcohol for fragrance, then combined with fixatives, coloring agents, and preservatives. The alcohol medium protects the wearer by diluting the essential oils that otherwise could cause skin irritation; it lifts and carries the scent further as it evaporates; it tones down the fragrance so it is not so unpleasantly pungent; and it assists in dissolving aromatic materials that are thick or resinous, allowing them to be blended. Alcohols evaporate much more quickly than oils, thus dispersing scent into the air faster.

The following alcohols are used in perfume compositions:

Cane alcohol, which has a relatively strong, toasted aroma with notes of molasses, brown sugar, and/or hard caramel. It is usually used for fragrances with vanilla or sweet and spicy herbs, such as in Oriental compositions, whose essences it seems to enhance. It is said to be more environmentally friendly than other alcohols: an acre of sugar cane produces double the amount of alcohol that corn does, so not as much land is needed.

Grape alcohol, with floral aromas, earthy but not sweet. It is said to have slight notes of pine, lemon, berries, melons, cherries, and black currant. The scent can be prominent, even with other fragrance layers. Some perfumers prefer grape alcohol, claiming that is forms the best bond with natural perfume ingredients and carries their scents better than others. Discovered in the 16th century, Spiritus Vini (alcohol distilled from natural grape wines) was commonly used by European perfumers by the 18th and 19th centuries because of their abundant wine grape crops, which made it cheap to use. In modern times, grape alcohol is sometimes replaced in 'natural' perfumes with alcohols distilled from apple or pear ciders.

Wheat alcohol, crisp and very slightly spicy, sometimes with a hint of freshly baked bread. Alcohol made from wheat (or other grains such as rice or barley) was at one time the preference of perfumers because it has less smell than cane or grape alcohol.

Corn alcohol, the most consistently neutral in aroma, renowned for its ability to create a pure, nearly odorless base. The best one to use for delicate botanicals. Corn alcohol is the non-synthetic alcohol most widely used by commercial perfume manufacturers.

Synthetic alcohol, a petroleum product that is usually cheaper than the other alcohols and is replacing botanical alcohols in most commercial perfumes.

Most commercial fragrances are made with SD40 Alcohol, which is a 'specially denatured' ethanol, of whatever source. It is denatured with the addition of t-butyl alcohol and brucine sulfate. Other denatured alcohols that are commonly used in U.S. cosmetic products are SD Alcohols 23-A, 29, 35, 35-A, and 40-B, with the number designation indicating the specific denaturant(s) added. Other common denaturants in perfumes include denatonium benzoate, diethyl phthalate, and methyl alcohol. Some perfumers, especially those making 'natural' fragrances, claim that additives, especially methyl alcohol, are readily absorbed across the skin and can be toxic.

Carrier oils, which keep the fragrance closer to the skin than alcohols do, still are used in some perfume products, especially roll-on or dabbing types. One of their main advantages is that they are less harsh and are non-drying; and since dry skin does not hold a scent well, the oil base assists in retaining the aroma on the skin for longer than alcohol-based perfumes.


Oils were thought to have been used first as a perfume carrier medium in ancient Greece. Since oils evaporate slowly, scents of these perfumes would have been subtle, and one would have to be close to the wearer to smell them. In Greece and later in Rome, the abundance of olive oil made it the first choice oil for perfumes, though other oils such as almond were also popular. Then, as now, cheaper oils generally were better for use as carriers because they had less scent of their own to compete with the fragrance materials.

Carrier oils can be extracted from plants by one or more of five major methods, producing different qualities of oil:


1. Cold pressed. In this process, the nuts or seeds are placed in a horizontal press with a rotating screw that drives them through a barrel-shaped hollow and compresses them, forcing the oil to separate. The oil seeps out through an opening in the end of the barrel, while the 'meal' or pulp remains inside. (In centuries past, the crushing was done with stones, which is a method still used in some areas of Europe and Asia.) Due to the friction created, a slight amount of heat is produced, but not enough to damage the oil; the harder the nuts or seeds, the higher the required pressure to extract the oils and thus the higher the friction and heat. Cold-pressed oils retain all of their aroma and vitamins. The legal definition of 'cold pressed' is that the oil must be produced at a temperature below 122 degrees F, and most are actually controlled at temperatures of 80-90 degrees F. Cold pressing typically removes the least amount of oil from the seed (80-90%), making it the most expensive method available. However, balancing this is the fact that there are no solvent residues, so the oils are higher in natural colors and scents.


2. Expeller pressed. This is another mechanical method, in which the raw materials are squeezed under high pressure by a similar hydraulic, screw-type machine in a single step. The oil seeps through numerous small openings in the container. This process causes the material to heat more through friction, often to temperatures above 120-200 degrees F that destroy some nutrients. Expeller pressing obtains 87-95% of the oil from most seeds, although it is claimed that as little as 65% is removed at times, making the process more expensive overall. When expeller pressing is done at extremely slow rates, so that the resulting temperatures remain below 122 degrees F, it is termed 'low resistance' expeller pressing, and it can legally be called cold pressing. Other newer variants of this method that meet cold pressing standards are Modified Atmospheric Crushing (MAC) and Modified Atmospheric Packing (MAP), which use presses with enhanced refrigeration cooling mechanisms in an effort to minimize heat damage.


3. Refined. In this procedure, oils are first degummed by water and/or oil centrifuge separation to remove phospholipids, then refined. The refining can be done through physical steam distillation or through chemical treatment with weak alkali bases to remove free fatty acids (FFA), pigments, and contaminants such as metal ions. Chemical refining is the older, more traditional method. Modern chemical refining is done via repeated caustic soda treatments. The resulting neutral oils finally are deodorized (by vaporizing the oils and vacuum-removing volatile aromatics) and bleached (by passing them through earth or clay). The total process is called RDB for 'refined, deodorized, and bleached.' RDB processing is often done with expeller pressed oil to purify it further, improving color and texture. A final refinement that is sometimes done is winterization, which involves cooling the oil and filtering it to remove any solid crystallized portions, leaving a lighter and clearer oil.


4. Partially refined. This is similar to whole refining except that rather than the two-step degumming and neutralizing, a single neutralizing process is used to removed the FFA phosphatides.

5. Unrefined. Some experts define both cold pressed and expeller pressed oil as 'unrefined,' while others say that to be truly unrefined, no pressure can be used. Instead, the raw material must made into a paste and then washed and fine-filtered using a screen. No further processing to alter the condition (color, scent) is done. This type of oil is also sometimes called 'organic.'


Other methods also used, but less frequently, are enfleurage, infusion/maceration, solvent extraction, and CO2 extraction. Maceration is used for botanicals that do not contain sufficient oil to justify pressing methods. Solvent extraction is used with some seeds, such as canola, for which it is the most efficient, removing 97-99% of the oil. This involves soaking the raw material in ethanol, methanol, petroleum ether, or hexane to rupture the cell membranes, then filtering out the solvent. If an oil does not explicitly say 'cold pressed' or 'expeller pressed' on the bottle, then it most likely was solvent extracted.

The main disadvantage of relatively unrefined oils is that they can be less stable, even at room temperatures, meaning they are more likely to go rancid in a short period of time. Their shelf lives can sometimes be extended by adding 1% of vitamin E oil. Refined oils have a significantly longer shelf life, and they often are less expensive.

There are over 50 different carrier oils on the market that are used in perfumes. The five most often used are almond oil, apricot kernel oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, and jojoba oil.


Almond oil is a favorite carrier oil for both perfumes and aromatherapy, transporting scents better than most others. It contains vitamin E, vitamin D, calcium, and magnesium. It reduces inflammation and irritation, soothes sore or itchy skin, and moisturizes the skin and lips. The oil is reputed to delay aging processes and to lighten dark skin. It adds a silky texture to a fragrance blend. Almond oil has a very light, subtle aroma with hints of nuttiness, and it complements essential oil scents very well. The almond tree is native to the Middle East and southern Asia, but the largest producers of almonds are the U.S., Spain, and Iran.

Almond oil is obtained using solvent extraction, CO2 extraction, or low-temperature pressure systems. Refined oil, the cheapest and worst quality oil, comes from the use of solvents. CO2 extraction results in higher quality oil but at a high price. Cold pressing and expeller pressing, producing unrefined oil, are the most cost-effective options for achieving quality almond oil.


Apricot kernel oil is a good carrier. It is fine-textured and is absorbed quickly through the skin without leaving any oily residue. It contains vitamins A, C, and E. The oil has anti-inflammatory and anti-aging properties. It is not quite odorless, and it has a pale yellow color that may stain light-colored clothing. Its slight smell resembles that of vanilla essential oil. Apricot kernel oil is popular for aromatherapy use. Turkey is the largest apricot producer, followed by Iran and Uzbekistan.


The oil is extracted by cold pressing of kernels that have been soaked in water to soften the outer shells. Sometimes the kernels are pulverized into a powder or paste before the pressing. The 'press-cake' left inside the squeezing barrel is subsequently water- or steam-distilled to remove any residual oil.

Avocado oil also has a light odor as a carrier, but it blends well, and it emphasizes the scents of essential oils. It is rich in vitamins A, D, and E, and it is said to moisturize, relieve eczema, and decrease the effects of aging. Due to its rich, thick, oily consistency, it usually is highly diluted for perfumes. The avocado tree is native to Mexico and Central America. Mexico, Chile, and the Dominican Republic are the largest producers of avocados.


The process for recovering avocado oil is mechanical extraction, after the skin and stone have been removed: the flesh is ground to a paste and then slowly churned at 104-122 degrees F, the oil and water phases are separated from the pulp with a centrifuge, and then the oil is removed from the water in final high-speed 'polishing' centrifuges. The resulting 'virgin' oil is sometimes refined further.

Coconut oil is another versatile carrier oil and is the most popular among home perfumer makers. It has vitamin E and soothing fatty acids such as lauric acid, caprylic acid, and capric acid. These fatty acids are antifungal, antibacterial, and anti-oxidizing. Because of its thick consistency, it is better for lip balms and body lotions than for perfumes. Raw coconut oil is generally solid at room temperature, but it often is fractionated for sale in liquid form. It is relatively resistant to becoming rancid. The coconut palm grows in tropical and subtropical areas of the world. The Philippines, Indonesia, and India are the largest coconut producers.


Dry processing of the coconut involves extracting the meat and drying it with fire, sunlight, or kilns to create 'copra.' The copra is pressed and/or dissolved with hexane solvent to produce the oil and a mash, which are then separated by filtering. Wet processing, on the other hand, uses coconut milk from the raw coconut: the proteins in the milk naturally create an emulsion of oil and water; this emulsion is pretreated with cold, heat, acids, salts, enzymes, electrolysis, or distillation, or some combination of these, and then is centrifuged. Wet processing has a lower yield and requires expensive equipment. Both of these methods produce what is termed refined oil. To obtain virgin oil, the fresh meat or milk is just cold pressed, which may then be followed by centrifuging.

Jojoba seed oil is an excellent carrier, better than all except almond, and is recommended especially for home perfume making. It moisturizes and is absorbed quickly without leaving any greasy effect. A liquid at room temperature, it is colorless and nearly odorless, and when combined with other oils it loses any of its own faint smell, emphasizing the aromas of the essential oils. The oil solidifies at cooler temperatures. It is also used in moisturizing, softening, and anti-aging products; makeup removing products; acne medications; and hair products. Jojoba is a shrub that grows in dry regions of northern Mexico and the southwestern U.S. Approximately 60% of a jojoba seed's weight is oil. Jojoba oil does not become rancid, and it has a very long shelf life. Some manufacturers sell two varieties, a golden one with a slight smell and a clear one that has been charcoal filtered to remove color and any residual odor.


The best quality jojoba oil (actually a liquid wax) is made by cold pressing or expeller pressing the dried seeds and then filtering to remove glycerin. To make refined oil, the virgin oil is bleached, filtered further, and decolorized/deodorized; this is the type most often used in making commercial cosmetic products.

Olive oil is sometimes used as a carrier oil, but its smell is stronger and it does not blend as well. Grapeseed oil is used as a base for many skin care products because of its toning and non-clogging characteristics, providing a smooth finish, but it is used less often in perfumes, especially oil-based ones. Palm oil, a semi-solid at room temperature, has very little scent and is often used in cosmetic products because of its natural antioxidants. Other carrier oils used more often in skin care products include sea buckthorn oil, macadamia nut oil, meadowfoam oil, camellia seed oil, argan oil, rosehip oil, evening primrose oil, pomegranate oil, hemp seed oil, borage oil, carrot seed oil, and neem oil. Civet oil and ambergris are still commercially available to use as oil carrier bases, but they are very expensive.

Other fluids that are sometimes added to fragrances in smaller amounts that also have some carrier properties include dipropylene glycol (DPG), glycerin, and dioctyl adipate (DOA). DPG, petrochemically derived, can dilute otherwise insoluble materials in fragrances. Benzyl benzoate and benzyl alcohol are also sometimes used to aid in the blending of materials with which it is more difficult to work. Also available are medium-chain hydrocarbon or hydrocarbon-ether solvents (MCHE), which primarily are used by a few niche perfumers to make non-aqueous, 'non-alcohol' perfumes.

Clary Sage

Clary sage, Salvia sclarea, is a flowering evergreen shrub in the Lamiaceae (mint, deadnettle, or sage) family, growing both wild and in cultivation. With long, hairy leaves and pink or white-purple flowers, the plant reaches a height of 3-4 feet.


It is native to central Asia, the northern Mediterranean, and northern Africa, and it is now grown commercially in England, France, Italy, Bulgaria, Morocco, Russia, China, and the U.S. In the United States it is grown primarily in North Carolina, with some also produced in the Pacific Northwest. The story of production in coastal North Carolina goes back to the 1950s and early 1960s. At that time, countries of eastern Europe produced an aromatic variety of tobacco called Oriental or Asian tobacco and had formed a cartel with the goal of controlling the price of their product. Researchers at R.J. Reynolds discovered at that time that a constituent of clary sage, sclareol, is the precursor of a compound (sclareolide) that was an important flavor ingredient in the Asian tobacco. Hoping to reduce their dependence on the European cartel suppliers, R.J. Reynolds began cultivation of clary sage in coastal North Carolina. The shortage of Asian tobacco never materialized, so within a few years the tobacco company shut down their factory. However, when ambergris use in perfumery was banned in many countries in 1972, scientists discovered that sclareolide was a very good substitute for it, and in 1978 the RJR Company re-opened their clary sage factory. Large-scale commercial growing has continued there since then.


The planting of clary sage can be difficult. If the seeds are placed more than a half-inch under the top of the soil, or if they don't get the precisely right amount of moisture, they might germinate. The shrubs don't flower in the first year, so farmers plant them in the fall so that the winter cold tricks the seeds into thinking that the spring is actually year two.


Clary sage is named from the Latin salvere, meaning saved or healthy, because it was purported to preserve health and prolong life. The species name comes from the Latin word clarus for clear, because it was used for eye problems. Other names for clary sage include eyebright clary, clary wort, muscatel sage, clear eye, and common clary. This plant is not the same as the Salvia officinalis, the sage commonly used for cooking.

Perfumers use both the essential oil and the absolute of clary sage. The oil is obtained through steam distillation of the leaves and flowers, with the oil quality dependent upon the geographical origin and the freshness of the plants. Three main distilling methods are used:
Green shredded - The plant is harvested, shredded, and distilled green without drying, producing a 'vert broye' (crushed green) oil, with high concentrations of linalool and a subtle, tart, green smell.
Pre-wilted - The plants are cut and dried in the field, then shredded and distilled in warehouses, making an oil with a less green aroma.
Traditional - Plants are cut and dried in the field and shredded but with the whole stem preserved, and then they are distilled, giving the oil a sharper tone.


Much less commonly, the oil is obtained by cold expression or enfleurage.
The essential oil yield from distillation generally is 0.10-0.15%. Also produced in the distillation process is clary sage hydrosol, which can be used for scent. No synthetic form of clary sage oil is used in perfumery.

The absolute and a concrete are produced through CO2 or solvent extraction. With CO2 processing, a carrying agent is sprayed onto the fresh flowers, and they are put into an extraction kettle for continuous-circulation extraction with supercritical carbon dioxide fluid. The carbon dioxide fluid enters a separator, and extract is discharged from the bottom of the separator, leaving behind the wax-like bulk concrete. The extract is left to stand for awhile, and then the clary sage essential oil is obtained after oil and water separation. Oil extraction can also be done with hexane or ethyl alcohol as the solvent.


In perfume language, clary sage is in the aromatic herbal/balsamic olfactory family. Surprisingly, the fresh flowers in the fields are said smell like dirty socks or cat litter boxes, but the aroma changes dramatically and becomes very pleasant after distillation.

The essential oil is described as earthy and sweet to bittersweet, with nuances of lavender, musky amber, hay, and tobacco. The scent is much less pungent and bitter than that of culinary sage. It is soft, slightly fruity, and grassy-green, full and diffusive, with a slight minty or camphoraceous tone. Some writers describe it as nutty, like mild rosemary with a touch of anise. The clary sage dry-down is somewhat medicinal at times. Perfumers translating their olfactory perceptions of the fragrance into visual ones sometimes say that it would be white in color, with light green and purple accents. The aroma strength is medium to strong.


Says expert Steffen Arctander, "Clary sage oil is a colorless to pale yellow or pale olive-colored liquid, sweet-herbaceous, tenacious in odor, soft and somewhat reminiscent of ambra in its bitter-sweet undertone. Apart from the initial linalyl acetate-linalool notes, there is a very characteristic note in the odor of clary sage oil. The note remains in the dryout odor on a perfume blotter. Some perfumers describe it as tobacco-like, others as balsamic or tea-like. It also has something in common with the odor of cistus oil and Moroccan chamomile." He further describes the uses of the oil: "Clary sage oil is used in perfumery as an individual body or as a modifier for bergamot oil, lavender, etc. and for ambra notes with labdanum extracts, cistus oil, olibanum resinoid, cinnamic alcohol, nitromusks or synthetic ambergris materials, etc.; in chypre bases, fougéres, Oriental and ‘tabac’-type fragrances and in modern fantasy creations with aldehydic notes or even in woody bases. In the classical type of cologne perfumes it lends unique tenacity and acts as a very fragrant fixative, particularly in combination with labdanum products and musks. It blends beautifully with coriander, cardamom, citrus oils, lavandin and lavender, geranium oil, sandalwood oil, eugenol and derivatives, cedarwood derivatives, methylionones, phenylethyl alcohol, etc."

A very versatile scent, clary sage softens green notes and focuses florals, and it gives added body, fullness, and warmth. It is most often used in the heart notes of compositions, although it also can be included as a top note. (It is said to be a base note only in a single perfume, Laguna Homme.) Clary sage is most often included in chypre, fougere, cologne, Oriental, woody, and amber accords.

It is a complex aromatic material, with over 250 identified constituents. The major ones are linalyl acetate (up to 75%, fruity, and 'narcotic'), linalool (woody and mildly floral), and germacrene (woody, similar to ylang-ylang). These are very much like those in lavender oil. The only potential allergen that it is known to contain is geraniol.

Clary sage absolute is quite different from the essential oil, darker, woodier, sweeter, more 'muscular,' and somewhat more minty. It lacks some of the herbal notes, exhibiting more green tobacco, hay, sweet floral, and ambergris tones. It is often used to boost citrus, oakmoss, or tobacco accords, especially in masculine compositions. Clary sage absolute is completely soluble in alcohol but is not soluble in fixed carrier oils. However, it does impart its aroma to carrier oils when both the absolute and the carrier oil are heated separately before being combined.


The concrete contains a high percentage of sclareol, a raw material that is chemically manipulated (through a process analogous to coffee percolating) into sclareolide, a precursor for the commercial synthesis of ambroxan. Ambroxan is a modern perfume substitute for ambergris, providing additional complex nuances of wood, tobacco, and oakmoss and acting as a fixative in many products.


Clary sage is used widely as a fragrance component and fixative in soaps, detergents, and cosmetics. Phosphates, once heavily used as cleaning agents, became infamous for choking waterways with fish-killing algae, and laundry detergent makers removed the phosphates from their products, switching to enzyme-based solutions. However, these solutions had the unwanted side effect of causing the laundry to smell bad, so the producers began to use sclereolide to counteract this and to keep the clothing smelling fresh. As little as 0.1% by volume of sclereolide can make the pleasant 'fresh' smell of laundry items last for days. And when the economy has taken hits, people have stopped buying as many new clothes, washing the ones they have more often and increasing the demand for detergents. Subsequently clary sage has become even more profitable than tobacco, and the amount of it grown in North Carolina has more than tripled in recent years.

Its use in medicines was described by Pliny the Elder and Dioscorides in the first century. The Greeks and Romans used clary sage to sooth skin irritations and alleviate redness and swelling, and different cultures have prized it for its alleged ecstatic and aphrodisiac properties. In the Middle Ages, the seeds were soaked in water, and the liquid then was used as a topical treatment for various eye ailments. It was also used at that time as a tea for colic and other intestinal complaints. In England it was a popular beverage tea before the importation of black tea from China. The 17th century Chinese valued it highly and were even said to barter one crate of clary sage leaves for three crates of tea. Clary sage has been used for centuries to treat high blood pressure, asthma and cough, sore throat, depression, cramps and muscle aches, menstrual spasms and labor pain, impotence, migraines, infections, acne, dandruff and hair loss, and dry skin. Some modern studies suggest that it has antifungal and anti-inflammatory properties.


Clary sage is also used in aromatherapy for relieving anxiety and reducing stress, to alleviate premenstrual syndrome, and to help with insomnia. It is said to promote clarity of thinking and concentration, improved memory, and better dream recall. In addition to the essential oil, clary sage often is used in tablet form for baths.


The oil is used extensively by the food and drink industry. The coriander-like notes of clary sage oil have been employed in tiny amounts as a flavor enhancer in jellies, tea, liqueurs, wines (especially muscatels and vermouths), and rum, beginning in Germany in the 15th century. It also acts as a fixative for the flavors of foods and drinks. Clary sage was used as a hops substitute for beer brewing in the Middle Ages in Britain; beers infused with clary sage were reputed to have increased intoxicating powers, but unfortunately they also produced severe headaches. The young plant tops have been used in many cultures in soups, stews, and omelets, and the leaves have been chopped into salads. A traditional 17th century recipe instructs that the leaves be dipped in a batter, fried in butter, and served as a side dish for meats.


Masculine fragrances with significant clary sage notes include:

Ajmal Shadow Grey
Alfred Dunhill for Men, Edition, X-Centric
Aramis for Men, Tobacco Reserve
Armanai Acqua di Gio Essenza
Aubusson Man Intense
Azzaro pour Homme, Amber Fever, Sport
Bentley for Men Intense
Bvlgari Aqva
Cacharel pour Homme
Chanel Allure Sport, Antaeus, Egoiste Platinum
Chevignon Heritage
Christian Audigier Ed Hardy
Comme des Garcons Ouarzazate
Crown Perfumery Spiced Limes
Davidoff Champion, Zino
Dolce & Gabbana Pour Homme
D.S. & Durga Cowboy Grass
Dzintars Hit Red, Sport Record
Emanuel Ungaro for Men
Ermenegildo Zegna Essenza 2007, Essenza di Zegna, Milan
Givenchy Xeryus
Henry Jacques Greco, Roi sans Equipage
Herban Cowboy Dusk
Hermès H24
Hollister Break Line
Jean Paul Gaultier Ultra Male
Jil Sander Scent 79 Man
Joseph Abboud Black Linen
Lacoste L.12.12 Bleu Powerful
Lancome Balafre
La Rive Elegant
Martin Margiela Jazz Club
The Merchant of Venice Dalmatian Sage
Monsieur Rochas
Montblanc Emblem
Oriflame Born to Fly, Espionage, Friends World, Leader, Ultimate
Paco Rabanne pour Homme
Prada Luna Rossa
Ralph Lauren Chaps, Polo Red (various)
Renato Balestra Caesar
Roger & Gallet l'Homme Menthe
St. James of London Cedarwood & Clarysage
Salvador Dali pour Homme
Salvatore Ferragamo Acqua Essenziale Colonia
Ted Lapidus Supreme Desire
Tuscany per Uomo Forte
Valentino Uomo Intense
Versace pour Homme
Victor Original
Yves Rocher Bois de Sauge
Yves St. Laurent Body Kouros