One of the many obstacles facing perfume consumers today is how to go about finding fragrances they might like in the great sea of new releases. As I've written in the past, reading the list of fragrance notes for a given perfume can be misleading, but sometimes it's about all you have to go on other than the ad visuals or celebrity sponsorship. Just because you find Jude Law sexy as all get out, it doesn't mean you're going to love Dior Homme Sport; likewise, just because you like jasmine and saffron, it doesn't mean Ungaro by Ungaro is going to appeal to you.
Still, it helps to know a little something about fragrance notes. Most of us have neither the time nor the inclination to smell absolutely everything. Figuring out which notes you find attractive and which you detest can at least help you to narrow down your choices, and if you want to spend time "talking" about perfume online at blogs or forums, you're going to need at least some basic familiarity with notes in order to follow the conversation.
I should say at the outset that identifying fragrance notes is hardly a particular skill of mine, and while being able to smell an unfamiliar perfume and immediately pick out all the notes would be a fun kind of parlour trick, it isn't something I'm able to do, nor is it something I really aspire to. I'm a perfume geek in some ways, but that isn't one of them. I don't really think you need to be an expert on fragrance notes to enjoy perfume — in fact, speaking for myself, I find too much knowledge has a way of "killing the magic". Still, in the interest of providing more fodder for Andrew Keen, here are a few suggestions for how you might go about learning to recognize basic notes in perfumery:
Smell the real thing
Many raw materials in perfumery come from nature; avid gardeners (or those who love to visit gardens) and cooks (or those who love to eat) therefore have a leg up on everyone else. If you don't know what common floral and plant notes smell like, you might start by visiting your local florist and/or botanical garden. If you don't cook, a visit to a spice market will also help, and if you've a really wonderful grocer nearby that carries all sorts of exotic fruits, that can be helpful too.
But bear in mind that smelling, say, figs, or saffron, or even roses, will only give you a vague idea of what you might smell in a perfume with that note. Perfume notes, even those that are naturally extracted from the material in question, do not always smell exactly like their "live" counterpart, in fact, sometimes they smell almost unrelated. Of course, not all perfume notes are naturally extracted to begin with, but don't assume that synthetic notes will smell "less real". They might, they might not. Moreover, it's important to remember that verisimilitude isn't really the point of perfume. I don't adore Diptyque's Philosykos because it best captures the scent of real figs, but because it's a gorgeous "fig" perfume.
Smell perfumes
In many ways, you'll learn more from smelling a variety of perfumes than you will from smelling the real thing. I don't have any idea what hawthorn smells like in nature, but I know what it smells like in perfume because I've smelled a handful of perfumes with a hawthorn note. Likewise, smell a handful of perfumes with "fig" and you'll find out what fig smells like in perfume — even if it's only vaguely related to the scent of real fig, it's a wonderful smell.
When I was starting out as a newbie perfumista, my tendency was to order whatever samples sounded appealing at that moment. In retrospect, I might have learned more by ordering groups of samples in the same fragrance family (see the FAQ for an explanation of the fragrance families) and with similar notes. I'm not sure that would have been as much fun, though.
If you're just starting out, you'll find that taking detailed notes on the fragrances you try, preferably in a searchable format, is crucial, and I'd also recommend that you hold onto as many perfume samples as you can, even those you don't like. That way, as you encounter new perfumes with similar notes, you'll have them on hand to compare.
Smell raw materials
Smelling the raw materials that perfumers use in their formulas is a more costly way to learn about fragrance notes, but it's probably the most helpful. Here are some resources:
Eden Botanicals has an extensive list of essential oils ranging from agar wood to ylang ylang, and all of them are available in small sample sizes. Do note that essential oils are not ready for use on skin — they must be diluted in a carrier oil or in alcohol first. You can find more information about diluting essential oils in alcohol at Snow Drift Farm (which, by the way, is another resource for essential oils and perfumery supplies, although it is not one I have used), or about diluting in carrier oils at From Nature With Love.
La Via del Profumo, in Italy, sells perfume making kits. The materials are all natural, and you get to select the notes you'd like included. They are one of few online sources for real animal-derived materials. As near as I can tell, the notes are already diluted.
Le Labo sells an "olfactionary" with "40 fundamental natural essences used in perfumery". These are pre-diluted, and all in 2.5 ml bottles, for $520.
The Perfumer's Apprentice sells a number of kits. Some are designed to help beginning perfumers, but there is also a "Perfumery Notes" kit which includes 40 natural and synthetic perfume notes, all pre-diluted, and geared towards consumers who want to become familiar with commonly used perfume notes. It is $95, and you get 4 ml of each material. This kit has become popular on MakeupAlley recently; you might try a board search there for more information.
Of all these resources, the only one I am personally familiar with is Eden Botanicals. If you're tried any of the others, or if you have any other suggestions, please comment!
Update: In 2009, Osmoz launched a series of olfactory kits — Les coulisses du parfum.
Note: image is Spring (Michelia champaca also known as champaka, champak and champa, sampige and shamba) by prashantby at flickr; some rights reserved. Update: the image does not seem to be of Michelia champaca, see comment from Huanani below.
Excellent article! I have a terrible time discerning certain notes in perfumes that other people pick up.
(BTW: I have used Snowdrift Farms in the past and was always pleased with their service.)
This is a great, darling. You are really good at picking up the notes, but I need to work on it! 🙂
Hugs!
Thanks — I think I've heard good things about Snowdrift Farms before, but can't remember where.
R, we should both order that Perfumer's Apprentice kit. Or, alternatively, sit back & read all the descriptions on MUA and save the time & trouble, LOL…
Hugs to you!
Hello! What an excellent article. Your comment that you “find too much knowledge has a way of 'killing the magic'” hit home for me. On the other hand, the people who frequent your blog, including myself, seem to have a strong analytical bent. I'm sure that balance is the key.
I also like your advice about taking good notes and saving samples to refer back to. My fledgling Excel database includes “House”, Name of Fragrance, Predominant Notes (as far as I can find out), and Comments. There's also a column in which I place my initial or not, depending on whether the fragrance is one that I feel is “me” enough to wear again. I think I'm going to go back and add the names of the perfumers, as well, as I'm seeing that I want to learn more about these individuals and their stylistic differences.
Last, this photo is beautiful, and prompted some research on my part. My homeland is Hawai'i, and the depicted flower is what I call “plumeria” and many around the world call “frangipani”. My understanding was that the “Michelia champaca” is related to the magnolia and is the floral note that Joy is famous for? This may be simply a naming issue. One site I found had this statement: “Indian names often connect the tree [plumeria] with unrelated Champaka (Michelia champaca ).”
Sorry such a long response (and from one who vowed to stay away for a bit!), but I found this all very interesting and thought you might, too. Thanks again for this wonderfully informative blog!
I took a brief aromatherapy class that was offered by a natural food co-op a few years ago. The class was not that expensive. We got to smell several different essential oils and also made bath salts, a body talc, and body lotion. The woman who offered the class had written a book about the subject and students received the book to keep. The exposure to all those essential oils was a great introduction to perfumes.
Haunani, I really have been sorry in a few cases that I ever smelled an aromachemical — I find it annoying to recognize them in everything else I smell, LOL…but that's just me. I think the people on MUA who have ordered the Perfumer's Apprentice kit have really enjoyed it.
I just did a picture search and it looks like you're right about the champaca — I had copied that info from flickr and should have checked it first. Will add a note above. Thanks!
That's a great idea. And I should mention for anyone else who is interested that many natural perfumers offer classes; you can find a list at the website for The Natural Perfumers Guild:
http://naturalperfumers.com
We call them (those in the picture) Frangipani in South China too.
Champaca tree is much bigger than Frangipani but the flowers are smaller compared with Frangipani.
Thanks! It's a lovely shot, even if it's not labeled correctly.
I love Eden Botanicals! Their “Sandalwood Dreams” is very lovely–and you're right, they sell pre-diluted oils, so unless a special blend is purchased, you're buying the raw/distilled stuff (i.e.–too strong without blending and dilluting!). They're out of Mysore sandalwood (who isn't—although, I don't know if I could outright buy the stuff without feeling guilty) but the Vanuatu is an acceptable alternative. I'll add a couple of drops to a vat of cold cream lotion and it blends very well.
Robin, You seriously are the greatest! You just read my mind because I've just been thinking about creating my own pefumes for fun. I've already purchased some essential oils and absolutes, I also found a great website: bestbottles.com On this website You're able to purchase anything from glas vials to beautiful perfume bottles and atomizer and all for some cheap prices! It's a wholesale website, Your minimum order must be at least $40.00, but hey for forty bucks You'll end up with all your supplies and You're ready to go! The only problem was that I wasn't sure what to add my oils to: grain alcohol? Vodka? I wanted the alcohol based fragrances (not the ones mixed in carrier oil, I wanted something that “regular” perfume designer use). For some reason it was hard to get that information when I tried to google it, some people said just use vodka but it sounded trashy too me. Now You tell me about all of those great ideas and webpages I am so relieved! My little bottles are on the way, I am getting so excited about making my own scents and I am ready to purchase some”perfumer's alcohol” thanks to You, Robin!
I agree with Haunani about striking the right balance – I am bemused by my ability to detect even small amounts of civet, yet there are many floral bouquets where I cannot idenitify a single individual note, and fall back on bland statements like “very pleasant floral, not sure why!” (Patou Sira des Indes) or resort to extravagant metaphors like: “somewhere in there there is a pleasant floral struggling to get out, but its ankles are tethered in a foetid puddle” (Tom Ford Velvet Gardenia). And that's fine by me, as I can also enjoy the perfume at a very superficial level. I would like to be able to pick out more notes, but it isn't critical, and I am relaxed about how far I get with it.
Interestingly, my brother, whom I infected with perfume mania a couple of months after I caught the disease myself, appears to have a more advanced sense of smell than me already – I reported to him that Jardin apres la Mousson, smelled of “spicy overripe melons” but he picked up two distinct phases: “ginger and cucumber” followed by “coriander and pineapple”. And was most definite about that, When we were children, he always beat me at board games, so I guess it was inevitable that by awakening his interest in the subject of fragrance, I would unleash a superior family nose. : )
Thanks, Robin! Love these little tutorials.
I can see that I need to add a couple of fields to my excel samples sheet! I like being able to determine some notes if only to ascertain which ones I despise, but the other night I caught cardamom in a sample I was trying and was pleased to see I hadn't made it up when I looked at the notes.
Smelling the real thing can be a bit misleading – tuberose is one of my favorite flower aromas and one of my least favorite perfume scents (except in smaller doses like EL Tuberose and Gardenia) – I think Fracas ruined me and I was completely shocked to find out it is allegedly tuberose. Plumeria is one of my favorite flower scents, too, but it is really hard to find anything plumeria-scented that smells like plumeria. But knowing what things are more or less supposed to smell like does help with perfume notes, I think.
But do bear in mind that some “floral bouquets” are literally just that — they smell so entirely synthetic that I don't think it is even possible to pick out the notes unless you've smelled the aroma chemicals in question. Not picking on Sira des Indes, mind you, but just making a general statement.
And good for your brother! You need to turn him into a perfumista 🙂
The scarcity of “real” sandalwood makes me sad, but I do understand some perfumers won't use it on principle, and that makes sense too.
Will have to try some of their blends, I haven't done that.
I am pretty sure that you can use real grain alcohol, but I understand it's hard to buy in some locations. But really, now we're totally out of my very tiny little area of expertise.
Body Time also sells something called “Perfume and Cologne Base”, but don't know exactly what it is other than it's alcohol based.
Congrats on catching the cardamom! Back when I used to cook, I made lots of Indian food so knew that particular smell very well, but everything else was a blur when I started smelling perfumes.
Have you tried the Kilian tuberose? I think it is closer to the real thing, although even then, not at all identical.
When I took a workshop led by Mandy Aftel, she said that Everclear is just fine for making your own perfumes. There are two strengths, though, so you would want to get the higher proof. It might be hard to find where you live, though. (Minnesota, where I live, has the lower proof; I can get the full strength stuff in Wisconsin.)
I have not attempted to make my own liquid perfume yet, so I can't say how well it works.
FYI, she advised us against using vodka. She said she uses grape alcohol for her colognes, but I don't recall what she uses for her perfumes. Grape alcohol is hard to come by, though.
Thanks so much — I've heard about Everclear but had forgotten the name. IIRC, I think there might be states where you can not buy it at all? Not positive, and obviously I've never used it.
about the perfumer's apprentice kit thats getting popular on MUA: i was just talking to linda (the owner. the store is in my town) and she mentioned that from reading MUA message board threads and receiving feedback directly, that people didn't really get the point of the kit. some people were thinking that it was a comprehensive beginning blending kit, which its not. you got it right in your brief mention. its more of an educational resource. she said that she tried to assemble a collection of some of the most important chemicals present in conventional perfumery and the accompanying booklet has a definition and function, a list of perfumes where the particular chemical has a strong presence, and an example accord. so its not a kit for a beginner to blend his or her own perfumes as its far from a complete kit of aromachemicals. i said id clarify if the topic came up and hopefully its clearer now.
Yet another lovely artile Robin. I am amazed at how I know of certain notes as if it was the back of my hand, namely frankincense, iris, leather, cedar, vanilla, saffron, vetiver, etc. But there are others that I know of the smell in pure form (EO) but can't seem to detect them in fragrances like jasmine, sandalwood, lavender, etc. I would love to be able to tell the different notes just by smelling but in my case one or two standout and only when I read what the notes are is when I start recognising them. I tend to order samples that I think I'd like based on the notes but sometimes include others just to get familiar with a certain note. I am completely ignorant of most floral notes – only starting to learn what tuberose and carnation smell like!
Another thing I found was trying fragrances on skin really brings out the notes. Yesterday, I sprayed Prada Man (which I like but only smelt on paper) on skin. I looked up your review of it and got confused whether I was reading the right review, as on paper I cant detect any of the leather or fougere notes but when I smelt my arm it was there! That's such a nice fragrance btw.
The picture is a photo of a Plumeria (or Frangipani commonly) and looks to me like a cultivar called 'Mardi Gras'. You were also right about Champaca being related to magnolias. There are in the same family (Magnoliaceae) and the flowers look similar except the flowers are orange and have a fragrance that resembles bananas somewhat. The reason you had some confusion in this issue is that while Michelia is commonly known as Champaca, Plumeria alba is known as Champa in Laos (where it is the national flower).
This is a prime example of why I wish other plant-related industries other than the horticulture trade would use scientific names as common names can often get messy and confusing.
I'm a horticulturalist at the US Botanic Garden downtown and I can vouch for many botanic gardens in general in saying that we do try to encourage the sniffing of the plants as well. Personally I'm always smelling many of the plants and always working on building our fragrant plants collection. If anyone will be visiting Washington, DC and would like someone to walk them around the US Botanic Garden with someone who can point and say “Smell this” I'd be happy to help as much as I can. I'm not sure what the best way to get those people my e-mail address is without pasting it here on a public website, but we'll figure something out.
I was having lunch with my boyfriend at an Indian Cafe. The most suprising thing was that when I was eating food with some exotic spices that I was trying for the very first time, I already had an idea of what they tasted like. It was through my experience with perfumes, lots of spices I knew from fragrances, it was easy for me to build a flavor image for some of them, justbased on what they smelled like. Also tasting them and knowing that our sense of smell is so amazing, was an incredible experience.
On of the things I was having for the very first time, was nutmeg. I ordered a bowl of Indian pudding, and it was full of ginger (which I love) and nutmeg (that I've never had before). I was able to know what nutmeg tasted like before I put some pudding in my mouth, because I had perfumes that included nutmeg note in them. I thought it was pretty cool. I enjoyed that pudding very much by the way:)
This is a wonderful posting. I too love Eden. Also the workshops put on by Sniffapalooza have been great in exposing people to the vocabulary of perfume notes. I recall one at FIT with the head of the perfume department, where they passed around samples of the notes from very good sources, even the rare and animalic ones. Also they have organized events where Creed and Guerlain pass around samples of their most important scents, and go into the ingredients listings extensively. So I have found that to be most helpful.
Thanks so much, that's very helpful!
Thank you so much for the clarification, and the very kind offer!
I am not good at smelling on paper either; don't know why. Skin works much better. Then again, Victoria of Bois de Jasmin wrote an interesting article about how often the perfumers at IFF ask to “borrow” her skin, so I guess professionals prefer it too!
Hey, how cool! I love Indian food and used to cook it frequently, so I knew all those spices, but must have been interesting to do it the other way around. Now you've got to get that nutmeg chocolate bar I love: Chuao Chinita Nibs!
Another good rec, thanks!
Yep, it is illegal in some states, but I don't know definitively which ones. I find conflicting information on the 'net. It is, for example, illegal in California, and that totally surprises me.
I'm new to this site and really enjoying exploring such a wonderful resource. I'm also fairly new to perfume, so I read this article with great interest.
Robin, I was intrigued by your comment that, if you could go back to being a newbie, you'd sample fragrances by note – I thought about doing this myself but unfortunatley, my innate scattergun approach to life won out and I've ended up trying anyting and everything I can get my hands on! In an attempt to regain some sort of method, I've been sampling things by house lately. I was lucky enough to score a couple of Chanel les exclusifs samples last week (Bois de Iles & Cuir de Russie) but on first sniff, I couldn't tell them apart, let alone pick out any individual notes (although I think I can detect the sandalwood in Bois de iles, a certain warmth that makes me like it a little more than Cuir de russie…).
All of which made me wonder – do certain houses have a particular 'house style' in their fragrances; a thread of similarity somewhere in their ingredients, like a family resemblance? Even though BdI and CdR are very different from other Chanels I've worn and loved, I'm certain there's something that unites them all – and I'm starting to suspect the same about classic Guerlains too – or is it just my inexperienced nose?! I'd love to hear what others think.
How great to have a plant specialist chime in, and someday I'd like to visit DC and those gardens. Thanks from me, too!
Hi Eloise, and welcome!
Yes, houses often have a “house style”, and in the case of Bois des Iles & Cuir de Russie, they were also by the same perfumer (Ernest Beaux), and I'm sure they share certain notes. And the “Guerlinade” used as the base of many classic Guerlain scents is well-known, although you won't find it in all the modern fragrances.
I think I agree with Tama when it comes to tuberose- I love the flower but am rarely moved/impressed with the note in perfumes (SL TC is an exception). By Killian's Beyond Love (and I might be the only one..lol) doesnt smell like the living flower to me but more like tuberose absolute/concrete – is something wrong with my nose??
No, nothing's wrong with your nose at all — nothing really matches the “live” flower. I don't think TC does either, although it still “impresses” me.
Great article , Robin!
1 and a half to 2 years ago while searching for a scent I could love I found your website which actually led me to MUA etc and then I decided I wanted to explore natural raw materials and try making my own perfumes..I thought I'd start of with oil based as oil is easier to find and buy (If it was to be alcohol I wanted to use either organic grape or grain alcohol) I love Eden Botanicals for their quality as well as the fact that they provide samples of their oils and absolutes- thats how I smelled neroli and Orange Blossom *swoons*. I have bought from Liberty Naturals also and though I didnt have a problem with the oils I wasn't crazy about their CS. sunburstbottle is a great source for bottles with no minimum purchase necessary. hope this helps someone..:)
And as for notes in perfume, many perfumes, esp the niche ones always seem to have some note that seems to have an Indian association for me- from the saffron in saffron troublant (which smells like a dessert) to the cloves and pepper in Caron's Poivre (which remind me of an Indian drink) and those notes usually eclipse the other notes …lol..Its almost as if familiarity acts as a magnifying glass and so sometimes I miss the other notes..But now I am getting better..:)
Thank you so much for a very enlightening and informative article. You never responded about nasomatto sample? Anyhoo…love this place!
Hi Robin,
This is an excellent post, as always. I've been a lurker here for three years now but would like to say I enjoy your honest writing immensely.
I think my ability to discern certain notes were due to a four-hour perfume workshop in Singapore where I come from (I live in Japan now) — I completely fell in love with iris, moss, and lily! I hope to do another one like this in future just for kicks and pure self-indulgence.
It is a never-ending journey in getting to know fragrances but a lovely one.
Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for the recs! I've ordered from sunburstbottle too, and I always like pilotvials, although I think they're more expensive.
And find that so interesting — “familiarity acts as a magnifying glass and so sometimes I miss the other notes”. I think that happens with me sometimes too, although not necessarily w/ Indian spice notes.
Bklyn fragrance lover — gosh, what nasomatto sample? Did I miss a comment of yours somewhere?
Hi Astrorainfall, and thanks for the very kind words! Sounds like a great workshop — was it to learn fragrance notes, or to learn how to make your own perfume? I wish I'd done something like that ages ago.
Yup, it was to learn how to make your own scents with oil and alcohol. The funnest hours of my whole life!! Did feel a little dizzy after sniffing for four hours.
Hi, Robin.
Just wanted to say, another fantastic and helpful blog posting. That Perfumer's Apprentice kit is next on my list…
-j.
Hmm, I'll put the Kilian and SL TC (someday I'll know what you're talking about without having to look it up – lol) on my ever-growing list of to-tries.
I'm still open-minded about things!
LOL…no worries. It was in the discussion of Escentric and Molecule 02.
Sounds like great fun 🙂
Thanks 🙂
Sorry about the abbreviations!
This may be the place to ask this question. I find that there is a note in aqua type juice that comes out in the drydown, that I just don't like. It reminds me of a fragrance New West by Aramis, I loved in high school and bought a bottle, and then disliked because of that strong note. I just tried Missoni Acqua and wanted to love it, but over time, that note got in the way. With so little info, anyone have an idea what that would be, so I can be aware of it? I smell it most often in sports type fragrances that are colored blue! Thank you!
If it's from New West, it would be calone — a marine/ozonic note with melony undertones.
thank you! ; )
No worries, just another language to learn like you would for any enthusiasm!
Thanks for the tips!!!
As a beginner, description of perfume notes really throw me off-
Glad it was helpful 🙂