Mapping the Vocabulary of Scent: What Smells like Nail Polish/ Metal/ Sweat/ Horses/ Hairspray/ Burnt Toast/ Baby Powder/Dirty Socks etc?

When testing fragrances, the average consumer is stumped when faced with the ubiquitous list of "fragrance notes" given out by the company. That they do not accurately reflect actual essences or oils entering the composition is a given: Safraleine does not mean anything to the casual buyer, whereas they're familiar with the smell of saffron possibly or the nuance of leather goods, so the "fantasy" copywriting is preferred for all the obvious reasons. But how can in turn the consumer decipher which "notes" appeal or displease in any given perfume thus? "This smells weird and dry, must be the mastic note" comments one, while another says "I sense it as fluffy, could it be the heliotrope?" When in front of an aromatic stanza, one is often at a loss to describe in words the feelings evoked. But the feelings and associations are undeniably there, so an articulate, knowledgeable vocabulary is sorely missing, in part due to the secrecy of the industry and in another due to the limited scope that smell has on our language. Even perfumers themselves could benefit from translating the impressions of people into a concrete transliteration in perfumery terms. In short, which perfumery ingredients give which effect in any given formula? Let's see the most popular queries in alphabetical order and their explanation in a short guide on Perfume Shrine.


Baby powder/talc smell: Usually based on white musks (see this article on classification/perception of musks and that one on synthetic musks) or orange blossom. The latter due to its ubiquitous use in baby products, imparting a feeling of both freshness and tenderness. For reference the actual Johnson's Baby Powder has traditionally relied on the combination of citrus-vanilla-lavender.

Banana note: A natural facet of some white flowers (particularly jasmine sambac or ylang-ylang), when the effect is an unripe, green banana, unpeeled. It's also common when there is a lot of benzyl acetate in the formula, which is in turn naturally found in jasmine, ylang ylang and tobira blossoms.

Band-Aid note: Usually a synthetic "oud/aoudh" base is responsible for this weird, medicinal effect. 

Blood/metallic note: Due to 1-octen-3-one. Has an odour that is a cross between metallic blood and mushroom (see "cepes" notes in perfumery). Blood can be evoked via two aldehydes as well: decanal and nonenal.

Body Odour: see Sweat below

Caramel note: Usually a combination of vanillic notes (real vanilla pod orchid essence or vanillin).

Bad breath note: Usually caused by trimethylamine, fishy in low concentration, ammoniac in higher. (see also Fish note). Sulfurous notes from grapefruit in scent might also "read" as a bad breath note or body odour. Methanethiol (methyl mercaptan) is a constituent of bad breath and has a fecal scent (it is indeed found in flatus and in "asparagus urine", i.e. urine after eating asparagus).

Barnyard note: Usually there is a strong animalic note such as civet/civetone as well as indolic notes via jasmine or other white flowers. The horse note can be produced by presence of p-Cresol (a phenol) as well. A little hay (as in Chergui by Serge Lutens, the closest to natural hay absolute on the market) adds to the impression of a proper barnyard. L'Air de Rien for Miller Harris is a good example of "barnyard" scent via "dirty musks" and animalic notes.

Bread note: Due to 2-Acetyl-1-pyrroline (this is present in pandanus) and to lesser degree 6-Acetyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydropyridine.

Cabbage note: Due to Methanethiol (also known as methyl mercaptan). Naturally occuring in nuts and cheese.

Cardboard/Old Books note: Due to salycilates (see more info)/"solar notes" and vanilla (the decomposition of wood pupl's lignin ~ a close relative to vanillin~ over time produces that effect natually in old books). Smell Dzing! by L'Artisan Parfumeur.

Cat Pee note: That intense ammoniac spray is due to blackcurrant buds, which have both butyric and sulfuric facets.

Celery note: Due to vertofix, a IFF molecule (methyl cedryl ketone) which smells like vetiver/leathery. It can therefore hide as "vetiver" and musky notes in a fragrance notes pyramid.

Cheese note: Butyric notes, like rancid butter (from βούτυρον/butyron, ie. butter in Greek), coupled with animalic notes such as civet/civetone. Frequent in some intense white florals.

Cotton-Candy (US)/Candyfloss (UK) note: Due to ethylmaltol, as famously used in Angel and Pink Sugar.

Cut grass: A sweet and green scent, usually due to triplal/ligustral (smelling like ligustra leaves) and coumarin (a material naturally found in tonka beans, as well as woodruff, sweet clover and cassia cinnamon). Also cis 3 hexenol smells like grass and is very common.

Curry note: Usually a combination of spices, one of which has to be cumin. It also includes coriander and sometimes "dirty" musks. See L'Autre by Diptyque.

Dentist's office: Cloves, cloves and cloves again! Dentists use clove for its naturally antiseptic properties. Several older Caron fragrances have a clove-y base and most carnation scents are traditionally built on a pepper and clove accord.

Detergent/Fabric Softener note: A great quantity of synthetic musks, especially "white musks" (see index) due to their ubiquitousness in detergents & fabric softeners thanks to their hydrophobicity (i.e. they rinse poorly and thus stay on clothes for long, which is the desired effect by the functional products industry). Cheap ambers such as Cetalox are also used in functional fragrances (i.e detergents), so presence in a fragrance can also give the association of laundry day. If the effect is acrid, it could be also due to dihydromercenol (the ingredient in many fresh aquatic men's colognes, see Davidof's Cool Water for instance) or lily of the valley. Lily of the valley (in the form of synthetics) is commonly used in detergents for the home as well as toilet cleaners thanks to its fresh, clean, green-floral aroma: witness Ajax White Flowers floor cleaner, which replicates the effect to a T.

Doll's Head: A combination of vanillin alongside heliotropin in smaller dose.

Earth (wet) note: This can be due to patchouli being dominant. Also patchouli coupled with oakmoss, but then the note is dryer and more bitter.

Feces/Fecal note: Usually due to indole (a constituent of white flowers, especially jasmine).

Felt-tip pens/markers: This is an effect of p-Cresol. Usually it's done in a "dry" context.

Fish note: There must be a trimethylamine note in there somewhere. At high concentrations, it can be ammoniac-smelling.

Fruity hard candy: Veltol gives a note of berries and caramel-like nuance(it increases the caramel effect and reduces the off cooked butter notes). It increases "creaminess" in both flavours (in lite products especially) and fragrances. You might also find Veltol in chocolate fragrances due to its creaminess.

Fuel oil/diesel: Cis 3 hexenol gives such an effect sometimes, although usually it's producing a green-grassy effect. Consider methyl benzoate as well, as evidenced in the opening of Jicky and Tubéreuse Criminelle.

Garbage note: The sickly sweet smell of rotting flesh/foodstuff is evoked by methyl anthranilate. Naturally found in bergamot, black locust, champaca, gardenia, jasmine, lemon, mandarin, neroli, orange, strawberry, tuberose, wisteria, galangal and ylang ylang. Of course the real corpse smell is due to two other compounds, not used in fragrances, cadaverine and putrescine.

Gas (natural) note: Although gas is primarily constisting of methane, it is the added compound tetrahydrothiophene which gives it its characteristic unpleasant rotten eggs odour.

Glue: This smell is a combination of heliotropin (synthetic heliotrope note with a marzipan facet), coumarin or anisic aldehyde. Styrax also has a faint glue aroma that reads as cinnamon-spicy.

Grape/Kool Aid note: Grape-fruity (concord grapes) is evoked thanks to methyl anthranilate. Dimethyl anthranilate is used to flavour Kool Aid. You might see this masked as a fruity note (berry) in perfumes. Sometimes has musty facets.

Greens bitter: Some pyrazines are responsible: 2-methoxy-3-isobutyl-pyrazine is the main flavour constituent of green bell peppers. Methoxy-methyl-, -ethyl- or-isopropyl-pyrazine increases the potato flavour of a potato salad while 2-methoxy-3-sec.butyl-, 2-methoxy-3-isobutyl- and 2-methoxy-3-isopropyl pyrazine appear in peas.
On the other hand, 2-methoxy-3-sec.butylpyrazine has been isolated from galbanum oil and has its characteristic bitter green odour profile.

Hair (dity) note: The culprit is costus root (do not confuse with cistus labdanum which has a leathery-ambery smell). Now restricted from perfumery, it is quite common in vintage perfumes (see Fille d'Eve by Germaine Cellier for Nina Ricci)

Hairspray note: Usually due to benzyl acetate. Among hairspray brands, some further aromatize their product with other aromata: L'Oreal Elnette hairspray for instance is particularly musky (in a pleasant ~to me at least~way)

Honey note: Either due to natural beeswax absolute in natural perfumery or -more commonly- due to mimosa & cassie absolute as well as cinnamic acid (used in the manufacturing of the methyl, ethyl, and benzyl esters for the perfume industry), which has a floral nuance to its honeyed note. Smell L'Instant by Guerlain in Eau de Parfum.

Horses note: see Barnyard note above

Leeks note: See Cabbage.

Melon/Watermelon note: Usually rendered by the immensely popular in the 1990s Calone aromachemical. (technically: methylbenzodioxepinone) . Unmistakeable, you know it well from Eau d'Issey and Aqua di Gio.

Metal/Cold Air note: Often due to helional, giving an impression of ringing cold air in some Northern steppe. Luca Turin describes it as "sucked silver spoon".

Mold/musty note: Dominant "dusty" variations of patchouli, sometimes coupled with carrot seed (which has a turnip-iris effect by nature). It can also surface in some incense variations with patchouli, such as in Messe de Minuit by Etro. Methyl anthranilate also might play a role, in the context of grape-fruity.

Mushroom note: See also Blood (1-octen-3-one) and look out for it in some gardenia compositions.

Nail polish note: Usually due to benzyl acetate, naturally found in white flowers.

Nail polish remover note: Due to methyl acetate.

"Old-lady" note: Due to powdery notes alongside woody ones or aldehydes (see more on types of aldehydes on this link). Too much iris can also give that effect in certain contexts due to its dryness. This is purely a cultural effect, because these happened to be popular smells in decades past, whose wearers are now "older ladies"! (For this controversial can of worms, read this essay).

Peach: Often due to gamma-Decalactone (referenced as C14 aldehyde, famously featured in Mitsouko). Peachy-apricoty scents can be rendered through jasmolactones too, and are actually preferred due to their fatty-creamy aspect.

Pear drops note (UK boiled sweet): A similar smell is found in ethyl acetate, a very evnescent, low-cost liquid used in perfumes as diluent and a common solvent in nail polish removers and decaffeinated coffee beans & tea leaves. It's worthy of note that it's the most common ester in wine, so the mental pear-wine link aromatically is not without cause.

Play-Doh note: Common lore wants it to be similar to heliotropin/heliotrope notes (affectionately referenced in iconic L'Heure Bleue by Guerlain). Etro's Heliotrope is a good example of this in action. I suggest that the modeling clay note is more wheat-almondy in nuance, a bit like marzipan but saltier, not classic Guerlain. Compare with Hypnotic Poison by Dior or Jaipur by Boucheron. Such a beloved, nostalgic note that it has entered a seperate creation by Demeter, simply called...Play Doh!

Pop-corn note: Due to 6-Acetyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydropyridine, a common flavour used in pop-corn and tortillas.

Rice steam/basmati rice/jasmine rice note: Rendered through 2-Acetyl-1-pyrroline, a common flavouring in said products.

Rice powder/facial powder note: Often due to iris (either due to natural orris butter or violet-like ionones) as well as mimosa.

Rosy apple note: Due to damascones, materials analogous to ionones (which smell of violet/iris). Smell Knowing by Lauder or Coriandre by Jean Couturier to see them in action.

Tar: Due to phenols. Phenolic smells simply refer to tarry ones! Please note that "birch tar" is the pungent, leathery scent associated with Cuir de Russie type of scents (explanation on what Russian Leather scents are here).

Toast/Burnt note: This is due to pyrazines, compounds present in foodstuffs (see Greens Bitter above). Alkoxy- and/or alkylpyrazines can be added to coffee to increase the roast aroma, as well as other roasted foods (even meat).

Tomato note: Due to triplal (green leafy aroma) being overdosed, also green notes/cis 3 hexenal (similar with grassy greens).

Salty skin: Beautifully rendered through natural ambergris. Nowadays often replaced by synthetics.

Socks (dirty) note: Usually due to the presence of costus. Costus being restricted in current perfumery, this will be less and less a concern. The effect is apparent however in several vintage perfumes.

Suntan oil/tanning lotion/warm sand: If the fragrance or cosmetic has a floral-warm odour like the classic Ambre Solaire, sthis is due to salicylates (see this article for info on salicylates). Ylang ylang naturally contains them. You might also find this effect under "solar notes" in a traditional list of accords. If smelling of coconut, the classic Coppertone smell, it's due to gamma-Nonalactone (aldehyde C18) which is traditionally used in suntan lotions.

Sweat note: Common lore wants cumin to smell like sweat, but this is debateable as attested through research (Sweat has naturally sulphurous compounds, such as garlic, grapefruit and onion). Refer to Barnyard and Socks notes as well.

Urinal cake: Due to dihydromercenol (see also Detergent note).

Urine note: Phenylacetic acid is infamous for smelling like honey in large concentrations and urine in dilution. Miel de Bois by Serge Lutens is derisive for a reason...

Warm milk/warm pudding notes: A combination of vanillic notes, possibly with veltol or ethylmaltol if it reminds one of puddings or desserts off the oven. Saffron and mimosa also have some facets which are reminiscent of these, perhaps due to associations with edible notes.

Wine notes: Since ethyl acetate is the most common ester in wine, its presence in a perfume formula (which is common) evokes a wine-like effect (also see Pear drops). Some rose essences also have wine-y facets; witness Ce Soir ou Jamais by Annick Goutal.


There are also some more abstract effects which are caused by specific ingredients:
The "nose-hairs burning" effect is often due to synthetic woody-ambers, such as Ambroxan or Karanal, which smell like strong rubbing alcohol when in isolation. The "needles up the nose" effect (very sharp feel) can be due to lots of aldehydes in a very alkaline/soapy context: see White Linen by Lauder for that sharply fresh, sudsy effect. A seeming anaesthetizing of the nose can be due to a preponderance of ionones (violet notes). The too sour, too acid impression can be due to a very citric touch of hesperidic essences (from citrus fruits).
Usually the designation of something as "fresh" is considered a positive one, even though it might not relate to a specifically "fresh" family (such as aqueous/light floral/light fougere/citrus); analogously, "heavy" usually is used to describe a negative effect, again not relative to specific fragrance families but rather to "volume" of perfume, intense projection and radius of evaporation, especially when combined with more potent notes such as lush florals, intense mosses/woods or oriental/resinous notes.

In the end, getting to know the vocabulary of scent not only facilitates a common language reference among fellow fragrance enthusiastcs, but also enriches the experience itself, much like getting to know the parameters of art critique enhances the appreciation of art itself.

If you haven't caught on the Perfumery Definitions series till now, please visit:

• Definition: Indolic vs. Non Indolic
• Definition: Lactonic, Creamy, Milky, Butyric
• Definition: Powdery & Dry in Fragrances
• Definition: Resinous & Balsamic
• Definition: Soapy in Fragrances
• Definition: Phenolic, Terpenic, Camphorous

Ambrox/Ambroxan: a Modern Fascination on an Elegant Material

When a new raw material enters the perfumery scene only the involved few are cognisant of the fact. When this raw material however takes the role of manna from heaven in times of crisis, however (see how synthetically-derived irones for substituting orris butter produced "the year of the iris" and how synth aoud made 2009 the year of "oud") companies invest it with panegyrics extoling its qualities. The latest material to do that is Ambrox and if you thought you haven't smelled it before think again: Almost everyone has a rather good scent memory of it through the ubiquitousness of Light Blue by Dolce & Gabbana, composed by Olivier Cresp in 2001, to name but one of the scents which use this raw material in ample amounts. In synergy with other two synthetics, Z11 and Norlimbanol, Ambrox gives Light Blue that non-perfume smooth base which made it so very popular and instantly recognisable on commuters and elevator partners across the globe.

As is usual on Perfume Shrine when dissecting perfumery materials (this is the list with the posts on them) we revert to a little Chemistry 101 to explain Ambrox and its smell in detail. The chemical formula for Ambrox is C16 H28 O. Ambrox was therefore born through organic chemistry in the 1950s at the laboratories of aroma-chemical producing firm Firmenich SA as a substitute for ambergris (grey amber) which was very expensive for wide use in fragrances and exceedingly scarce. (You can read more on ambergris and its commonalities/differences with the term amber on this article). Although used interchangeably with Ambroxan as they share almost identical odour profile, they are not one and the same. The construction of Ambrox follows the route of sclareol, a product of the process of clary sage, a natural essence known to aromatherapists for many years [source]. Nevertheless another path exists for Ambrox synthesis, this time from labdanoic acid, since 2002. The main diterpenoid of the acid fraction of non-polar extracts of Cistus ladaniferus L.) converts using an organoselenium reagent, is then oxidatively degradated in its side chain, and finally cyclization of the resulting tetranorlabdan-8α,12-diol happens. Thus, Ambrox is obtained by a six-step procedure in 33% overall yield from methyl labdanolate. [source] Other paths include synthesis from (E) Nerolidol and β-ionone, as well as through (+) -carvone and thujone. [source]

Ambrox is typically used as one of the base notes of perfume compositions, due to its extremely lasting velvety effect which oscillates between an impression of ambergris (salty, smooth, skin-like), creamy musky & labdanum-like (read on labdanum on this link) and with "clean"/blond woody facets in the mix too. In short, a fascinating molecule that presents itself as a prism through which different facets can shine. Its reception is undoubtedly one of positive response: You're hit with something that smells warm, oddly mineral and sweetly inviting, yet it doesn't exactly smell like a perfumery or even culinary material. It's perfectly abstract, approximating a person's aura rather than a specific component, much like some of the more sophisticated musk components do. Fittingly, Ambrox solves some of the shortcomings of the latest IFRA restrictions on several musks and animal-like base notes. No wonder it's been used so much in perfumes in the last couple of decades! Although one might argue that synthetics replicate naturals due to increasing constrictions on formula costs on the part of perfume companies, the truth is Ambrox is relatively costly in the mostly inexpensive world of synthetics. However until recently companies were reticent into mentioning its inclusion in a perfume formula. It took the pioneering guts of Geza Schoen and his niche brand Escentric Molecules to elevate chemistry into the realm of bottling single molecules in bottles to be put on one's vanity or bathroom shelf: Molecule 02, solely an Ambroxan dilution was coupled with Molecule 01 fed on only Iso-E Super (details on that material on this link).
Recently companies however took on a different path, actually boasting on their flamboyant, mono-chromatic use of this popular material, thus making ultra-hip Parisian concept-store Colette’s newsletter talk about "fragrances fed on Ambrox"! 2010 might well be the year of Ambrox as apart from Juliette has a Gun who boasts on their sole use of Ambrox diluted in ethanol for their Not a Perfume, other companies bravely declare the emphasis on this synthetic: Another 13, from the New York based brand Le Labo and M Mink by Byredo. The latter fragrance uses Ambrox alongside chypry, aromatic and animalic tonalities which are reminiscent of ink.
Whatever you might think of it, we haven't seen the last of Ambrox yet!

List of Perfumes containing perceptible Ambrox/Ambroxan at the base
(Listed in diminishing order of perceptability. NB. The highlighted links lead to reviews/more info):

Not a Perfume by Juliette has a Gun
Molecule 02 by Escentric Molecules
Another 13 by Le Labo
Calamity J by Juliette has a Gun
Mille et Une Roses by Lancôme
Eau de Fleurs de Capucine by Chloé
Light Blue by Dolce & Gabbana
Vetyver by Lanvin
Géranium pour Monsieur by Frédéric Malle
Baie Rose 26 by Le Labo
M Mink by Byredo
White by Lalique
French Lover by Frédéric Malle
Portrait of a Lady by Frédéric Malle
Rumeur by Lanvin
L'Eau d'Issey Goutte sur un Pétale by Issey Miyake
Midnight Poison by Christian Dior
Emporio Armani Diamonds for Men by Armani
Silver Black by Azzaro
1881 Intense pour Homme by Cerruti
Extravagance d'Amarige by Givenchy
Cuir pour homme by Esteban
A Scent Eau de Parfum Florale by Issey Miyake


Please note that another name for Ambroxan is Orcanox, such as mentioned in Etat Libre d'Orange Malaise of the 1970s. 


pic via perseus.blog.so-net.ne.jp

Indole & Jasmine: Indolic vs. Non-Indolic or Dirty vs.Clean

Say the word jasmine among perfume circles and expect to see the characterisation of indolic being brandished a lot at no time. Expect to see upturned noses with "indolic" mentioned alongside "fecal" in the same breath. Is jasmine a "dirty" word? Who potty-trained it? These thoughts evolved in our mind as we re-examined the troubled relationship of perfume lovers to the perfumery "king of flowers", especially now that the weather is warm and jasmine vines are flowering like mad; and so decided to take things at the top.

Indole is often used as the scapegoat for "stinky" smells, but the truth is somewhat different. Originally indole is a portmanteau of the words "indigo" and "oleum", because the chemical substance named indole was first isolated by treatment of the indigo dye with oleum (oil), thus giving rise to indole chemistry.
Indole is an aromatic heterocyclic organic compound which contains a six-membered benzene ring fused to a five-membered nitrogen-containing pyrrole ring (don't worry if you're not great at chemistry, it will all make sense in a second); thus compounds which contain an "indole ring" (sequence of molecules) are accordingly named "indoles".  

What does this mean? It smells "weird". But not necessarily of feces or poop, contrary to common knowledge! Organic chemistry on the whole isn't averse to naming names quite literally, especially when it comes to foul-smelling components: Hence we have cadaverine (for cadaver smell), putrescine (for the stench of garbage), skatole (from the Greek σκατό, litterally meaning shit), or butyric acid (the smell of rancid butter from the Greek βούτυρο/butter). No, the nomenclature of organic chemistry is pretty much to the point, which would pose serious doubts as to why leave such an appropriate scent out there with no fitting baptism!

The answer is simple: Pure indole, the one which is indeed present in feces and also in small part present in white flowers (such as jasmine, gardenia, tuberose and orange blossom; but also in honeysuckle and lilac, technically non white) doesn't really smell of poop in isolation. The white crystals of indole (mainly derived from coal tar) contribute to the effect, in tandem with other things (surely both feces and flowers contain myriads of molecules) but not in seperation so much. Isolated indole has a musty, weird moth-ball smell that is a little stale, reminiscent of decay, like something has gone off and you can't really pinpoint what it is. In presence of humidity and musky compounds it can become a little much, reminiscent of the ambience of a...toilet. In a way an "Eros & Thanatos" concept.
It's interesting to note that a common derivative is the amino acid tryptophan, calming neurotransmiter serotonin's percursor and an essential amino acid in the human diet. (It's isolated in caseine which is found in dairy products, but also in chocolate, oats, poultry, pumpking seeds, peanuts, spirulina and several others. Makes seeing food in a whole different way!).

But should the smell direct us into seperating white floral and jasmine fragrances into naturally-derived or not? In short, does an indolic scent indicate we're dealing with a fragrance containing natural jasmine? The answer isn't as easy as all that. It's true that natural jasmine essence, as used in the perfume industry, is dark and narcotic, containing about 2.5% of pure indole. This often gives a "full", lush and intimate ~some say naughty~ effect in the finished compound, making the jasmine "sexier" or "animalic" as described by perfume enthusiasts (the naughty effect is more due to paracresol, reminiscent of horses' smell). Try Serge Lutens' A la Nuit, also his Sarrasins (a different treatment of intimate) or Montale Jasmine Full, and you know what I am talking about. Olene by Diptyque is another one which has a dubious intimate ambience (described by someone as "one bad mama jama of a jasmine"), as does the extrait version of Joy by Jean Patou, sublimated in rosy and musky tones as well, and the heart of Bal a Versailles (flanked by naughty civet). Also try Bruno Acampora Jasmin. However you don't necessarily have to tread on jasmine to get copious amounts of indole either: Try a carnation scent as well: Carthusia Fiori di Capri. It can make walking in the park where dog owners routinely walk their dogs a completely novel experience in perception!

Nevertheless, the picking up of a poopy smell can't be a compass into actual composition after all: The natural oil requires the processing of tons of flowers raising the cost to 10,000$ per kilo of essence, while it would be perfectly easy to add seperate indole to synthetic substitutes in order to produce a compound that would be closed in value to 10$ per kilo. The difference in pricing is staggering, which explains why natural jasmine oil is today only used in minute amounts in specific extrait de parfum formulae and only there; the rest is mythos and marketing communication of the brands.

But not all jasmine fragrances need to be indolic either. Try the non-indolic Armani Sensi and Sensi White Notes. Also get a feel for Jasmine White Moss by E.Lauder or Voile de Jasmine by Bulgari. Nothing "dirty" about them whatsoever!
To construct a light, virginal jasmine without indole, the perfumer has several synthetic options (assuming they're not involved in the masochistic effort of taking the natural and getting it fractioned in order to remove the indole). Hedione in copious amounts is the first choice, as it reproduces a greener, dewier version in contrast to the natural jasmine absolute. It's combination (in elevated ratio within the "jasmine base" thus created) with benzyl acetate, benzyl salicylate (for diffusion and tenacity), alpha amyl cinnamaldehyde and linalool produces the desired effect. These jasmine fragrances are easy to wear, lighter in feel, less heady and do not pose the problem of reminding people of impolite (even if necessary) human functions.
The choice between heaven and hell, as they say, is yours!

 If you haven't caught on the Perfumery Definitions series till now, please visit:

• Definition: Lactonic, Creamy, Milky, Butyric
• Definition: Powdery & Dry in Fragrances
• Definition: Resinous & Balsamic
• Definition: Soapy in Fragrances
• Definition: Phenolic, Terpenic, Camphorous
• Definition: Which Material Produces Which Note/Effect?

Related reading on Perfume Shrine: The Jasmine Series, Raw Aroma Materials of Perfumery

photos by Horst P.Horst in collaboration with Dali and Lisa with Harp.

Musk Series 2: The Natural and Everything about Synthetic Musks

The beauty of musk's scent is that when you smell it on a person's skin, it's hard to tell where one aroma ends and the other begins. "I can feel you on my skin", says one lover to another...The fascinating subject of musk, its origin, its synthetic replication and the multiple variations, surfaces from time to time when we wonder what is hidden in our favourite fragrances ~and not only...

"Not limited to strong perfumes of questionable taste, musk is in fact the basic ingredient of practically all perfumes, from the most expensive and refined French florals to the sleaziest reek of high school hoochies. Everything in your medicine cabinet contains musk: soaps, shampoos, powders, cosmetics, bath oils, even your toothpaste. It is an ingredient in household cleansers, laundry detergents, insect repellents, and almost every other commercial product that requires fragrance - including food. Does the label say "artificially flavored?" Musk is added to fruit flavors, vanilla, chocolates, licorice, hard candy, chewing gum..."[1]

So where do these musks come from and what are synthetic/white musks?

Short History of Musk Use
Musk is the essence coming from a glandular secretion of the male Tibetan musk deer (Moschus moschiferus L), considered an aphrodisiac (as well as a spiritual fragrance in the Muslim world) in the past. It also fixes and balances a composition , refining it in the most plesasurable and sensuous way and allowing floral and resinous ingredients to flourish in it. Its first historical appearence is in the 5th century BC when it is mentioned in the Talmud (Brachot 43.) as an animal-based fragrance. Despite mentions of the supreme smell of the panther, the creature with the most divine scent imagineable according to the ancient Greeks, no reference per se is made in classical antiquity. In the 6th-century Greek explorer Cosmas Indicopleustes references it as a raw material of Indian origin. It took the Arabs and Byzantine perfume makers for it to rise as an aphrodisiac especiall during the height of the Abbasid Empire. The spice and silk route soon took the aromatic essence aboard and the string of languages that reprised the Sanskrit muṣká (denoting testicle, the source of the musk pod) ~via Middle Persian mušk, Late Greek μόσχος (moschos), Late Latin muscus, Middle French musc and all the way into Middle English muske~ is a journey into its aromatic signposts. In the 1970s musks soared: "In response to the "back-to-nature" ethos of the hippie movement, American perfumers on both coasts sought alternatives to traditional French perfumes. Around 1970, both The Body Shop* in Berkeley, CA, and Kiehl's in New York City introduced single-note "essential oil" fragrances". [2]

*In 1987 The Body Shop was taken over by a huge English firm of the same name, taking over the Musk oil that was synthesized in the 1970s and re-introducing it as White Musk, which is comprised of Galaxolide (7,7%), Tonalide (1,6%) a little Cashmeran (0,1%)for a total of 9.4% of white musks.

Origin and Scent of Natural Deer Musk
The musk deer (moschus moschiferus) is a small, inofensive creature living in Pakistan, India, Tibet, China, Siberia and Mongolia and only the mature male can produce musky odour in rutting season. The best quality musk used to come from Tibet (Tonquin/Tonkin musk) and China, while products from India and Siberia were considered of inferior quality. The practice of extracting the musk pods from the deer however is very difficult, as they're close to the testicles of the animal, and becomes fatally cruel (a kilo of musk necessitated the loss of between 30 to 50 deer), rendering the practice nowadays extinct. (According to Christopher Brosius however , there are currently ways of extracting it without harming the deer being examined ,which could bring back the practice of using real musk). The precious pods (worth twice their weight in gold) were dried in the sun, on hot stones, or by putting them in hot oil. The resulting black granular "musk grain" is used in alcoholic dilution, called tincture.
Natural musk in its raw state is pungent, with a strong pervasive urinous (ammoniac) smell that borders on the somewhat fecal and needs storage and considerable dilution for it to unfold all its potential. Still, The cultural perception of musk varies significantly, often swayed by the smeller's twisted impression of what they are smelling, as discussed in our Musk Series Part 1. Most common descriptors state animalic, earthy and woody notes or baby's skin scent, yet when perfumers talk about musk they refer to muscone, the very core of the musk essence devoid of the other ingredients that are included in natural musk (such as ammonia, cholesterol and animalic compounds with resinous odoriferous characteristics).

Other Natural Sources of Musk
The matter is further complicated by the reference of musk in relation to other animals from which glandular substastances are exracted: Ondatra zibethicus, the muskrat (ondantra zibethicus) a rodent, the Musk Duck (Biziura lobata), the muskox, the musk shrew, the musk beetle (Aromia moschata), African Civet (Civettictis civetta), the musk turtle, the alligator of Central America, and often people refer to the animalics of civet cats (civettictis civetta) or castoreum from beavers as animals' musk, further confusing the terms (those last two animals produce animal substances that have different odour profiles). Even a particular type of alligator emits a musky secretion, but it proved to be non-functional for this type of odour aim as it is mainly rosy.

Some plants also have musky smelling compounds, usually of a lactonic macrocyclic nature, such as Angelica archangelica (containing 12-methyl-13-tridecanolide and Exaltolide) or Abelmoschus moschatus (ambrette seeds) produce musky smelling macrocyclic lactonic compounds which enrich fragrant compositions and are a handy if expensive resource for niche and natural perfumers. The former is amply explored in Angeliques sous la Pluie by Jean Claude Ellena for F.Malle. The latter is highlighted in Chanel Les Exclusifs No.18 and Musc Nomade by Annick Goutal. Other sources include musk flower (Mimulus moschatus), and muskwood (Olearia argophylla), to a much smaller degree. Even galbanum, a bitter green grass not usually associated with milky sweet musky smells, contains musk components (14-pentadecanolide and 15-hexadecanolide).
Interestingly, animal derived musks are all ketones, while plant-derived musks are large-ringed lactones.

The Rise of Synthetic Musks: History and Classification
Musk deers became a protected endangered species by the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES) in 1979, rendering natural musk almost obsolete in perfumery (The erratic quantities used by a handful of perfumers come from either old stock ~musk only gains in complexity with storage and doesn't lose its aroma for centuries~ or illegal poaching). Therefore all musk used in perfumery today is synthetic apart from only a handful exceptions which are usually small artisanal perfumers (who are often not at liberty to be open about it due to ethical concerns from consumers).
Although "white musk" is a prevalent epithet used as a blanket-term, the reality is somewhat more complex. The high cost and scarcity of natural musk had always been a concern for the fragrance industry and it was a happy accidental discovery when in 1888, Baur discovered the nitromusks. He had actually been working on explosives, hence the "nitro" prefix, when he discovered that the molecules actually smelled nice: the warm, sweet ambience recalled the scent of muscone. The first nitromusk was thus baptized Musk Bauer in honour of this occurence and a frantic exploration of these aromatic molecules started with the aim of replicating the elusive smell of natural musk. Follow-up nitro-musks, notably musk ketone and musk xylene, are rich, expansive-smelling and very warm; they can be savoured in vintage extraits and colognes, notably in Chanel No.5 (at a staggering 10% concentration) where they shine with their come-hither whisper. Later developments effectuated different kinds of musks.
Synthetic musks can be therefore divided into three major classes — aromatic nitro musks, polycyclic musk compounds, and macrocyclic musk compounds. The first two groups have broad uses in industry ranging from cosmetics to detergents but their continuous presence in human tissue and environmental samples coupled with carcinogenic properties has created concern resulting in a ban or reduction of their use in most countries. Macrocyclic musk compounds are generally considered safer and have replaced the nitro-musks (abandonded since the early 80s) and slowly phasing out the polycyclics. For those concerned with the dangers, WWF has an interesting article downloadable as PDF on this link. (primarily against musk ketone, musk xylene ~both nitromusks~ and polycyclics)
Synthetic musks are essential in modern perfumery forming the base note of most perfume formulae.

• Nitro-musks

Albert Baur came up with the first synthetic musk in 1888 by condensing toluene with isobutyl bromide in the presence of aluminium chloride, and nitrating the product, the process a collateral effect of trying for a more effective form of trinitrotoluene (TNT). The odour of this first nitro musk, Musk Baur or Tonquinol, depends upon the symmetry of the three nitro groups. Following Musk Baur, he developed another three synthetics: Musk Xylene, Musk Ketone (beautifully animalistic in the base of vintage Chanel No.5) and Musk Ambrette, which dominated in perfumery for the next 50 years. L'Air du Temps by Nina Ricci beautifully juxtaposes the warmth of musk ambrette with sunny salicylates and the piquancy of spicy notes (eugenol-isoeuegenol). Another nitro-musk that is less popular is Moskene.

• Polycyclic musks

Polycyclic musks are thus named due to the presence of more than one ring in the molecular structure and their popularity rose after WWII and the discovery of ambral (a non-nitro musk), when the photo-toxicity and molecular instability in alkline media of nitromusks became a concern, necessitating the removal of the nitro group. Givaudan, the aromachemicals company, thus managed to created Phantolidein 1951 via Kurt Fuchs; it was a less potent molecule, but very stable and suitable to use in detergents (musks are hydrophobic, thus rendering them supreme candidates for laundry detergent products, as they don't wash off). Further development resulted in Galaxolide (HHCB), perhaps the most popular synthetic musk in the polycyclic group, as well as Celestolide (or Crysolide), Fixolide, and Tonalide (Musk Plus, AHTN). Galaxolide from IFF has a clean, but also musky flowery-woody odour with a sweet, powdery nuance. It was first synthesized in 1965, gaining popularity in dosages up to 40% in fabric softeners such as Comfort and Soflan and in detergents like Coral at 27 by the end of the decade. Fine fragrances didn't escape its intrusion, for instance Trésor by Sophia Grosjsman for Lancôme with its 21,4% of Galaxolide. Its powdery, starched-cottons feel is exploited to memorable effect along with aldehydes in the original White Linen by E.Lauder (at 20% concentration) and it even enters Caron's incense-y Parfum Sacre! It's also in 13% concentration in Ralph by Ralph Lauren. Indeed the most widely used "clean musk" in the industry is a simple combination of Galaxolide and Adoxal.
However apart from hydrophibic, polycyclics are also lipophilic, as was first discovered in the early 1990s, building up in the bodies of humans and wildlife over time (Daughton 1999).
Traesolide is another synthetic polycyclic musk used as a fragrance ingredient in a variety of consumer products, including soaps, perfumes, and cosmetics and even though Traseolide is not as commonly used as other polycyclics, such as Galaxolide and Tonalide, it has been detected in breast milk, adipose tissue, and blood in humans (Rimkus 1996; TNO 2004; Duedahl-Olesen 2005). They're being steadily replaced by newer molecules.

• Macrocyclic musks

Macrocyclic musks are a class of synthetics consisting of a single ring composed of more than 6 carbons (often 10-15) and amongst artificial musk they most resemble the primary odoriferous compound from Tonkin musk, Muscone, with fewer environmental and health concerns so far. They also generally considered expensive ingredients, used in quality products. The synthesis of muscone only became possible in 1926 by Leopold Ruzicka, but until the late 1990s the difficult process and subsequent high price made it unpopular. Interstingly 50% of the general population are anosmic (unable to smell) to macrocyclic musks, because they have an exceptionally high molecular weight! So if someone can smell the musk in your fragrance but you cannot, consider the chance you're anosmic to the macrocyclics in it. Therefore perfumers often utilize a cocktail of musky notes to bypass this problem.
Ethylene brassylate (or Musk T) is a brassilic ester with floral woody facets, commonly used in cosmetics, because it acts as an odour neutraliser to the other chemicals used, as well as in fine fragrance. Notably it is featured in Dove's Cleansing Towelettes, as well as Olay, Cover Girl, Max Factor and The Body Shop foundations.
Globalide (Habanolide) is a metallic smelling, fresh radiant musk: Smell it in Emporio Armani White For Her, coupled with Helvetolide (please see below), where it forms the signature of nose Alberto Morillas in 2001, giving rise to the term "white musk" ~as opposed to the balmy darkness of the prior nitromusks. Or try it in the ultra-popular aldehydic musk Glow by Jennifer Lopez, accenting the fresh white floral components of the formula; the cooly herbal-soapy Cologne by Mugler and the baby-soft"clean" of Clair de Musc by Serge Lutens. It also balances the sweeter calorific elements in Hypnotic Poison by Christian Dior.
Ambrettolide is lightly sweetly-musky, uniquely vegetal with bordeline floral tones possessing exceptional diffusion which comes through from the very top notes through the base of the fragrance! Although it naturally occurs in ambrette seeds (prefered by niche brands or natural perfumers), it is usually synthesized in the lab. Other popular macrocyclics are Thibetolide (Exaltolide) ~more detectable by women than by men~ and Velvione, the latter from "velvet" and "ketone", referencing the velvety softness resembling older nitromusks and famously comprising almost the entirety of Helmut Lang's Velvione cologne formula.

• Alicyclic musks

Alicyclic musks, are novel musks hailed as the 4th generation and known as cycloakyl ester or linear musks. They were introduced in 1975 via Cyclomusk. Contrary to aromatic (nitro), polycyclic and macrocyclic musks they consist of modified akyl esters. Firmenich first manufactured Helvetolide in large commercial scale in the 1990, its name evocative of Helvetia, aka Switzerland. Its unique fruity facet (nuances of pear along with ambrette) makes it especially congenial to fruity blends which were popularised by the late 1990s. The fruity aspects of some musk compounds were first explored in L'Artisan Parfumeur's Mûre et Musc in the late 1970s backed by blackberry notes and from then on they literally blossomed. Romandolide, another popular Firmenich molecule is an alicyclic musk with more ambrette than fruity facets compared to Helvetolide and close to Galaxolide and was introduced in 2000.

One interesting case is IFF's Allyl Amyl Glycolate (iso-amyl oxyacetic acid allylester), one of my less prefered musk variants (Chandler Burr describes it as “a combination of the smell of processed pineapple and the tin of the can it comes in”), a clear liquid that can be used in any blend. It possesses sharp green facets with a top resembling the bitter touch of galbanum and a sweet pineapple fruity note. First discovered in 1936, it lagged unnoticed until it was popularised via Italian detergents in the late 1960s. Its use in Camay soap made it familiar and thus it entered fine perfumery: Trace amounts can be found in Alliage by E.Lauder while higher doses can be found in Drakkar Noir by Guy Laroche (1%)and Cool Water by Davidoff (3% which is very high for a powerful synthetic such as this). Trésor, Eternity, and Boss Elements Aqua also use it for its harmonization with the greener notes (lily of the valley, violet leaf).

Newer musks are constantly created, often with imaginative and inspiring names.
Nirvanolide, a chemical produced by Givaudan has a clean sweetly powdery and slightly animalic odour close to the restricted older Musk Ketone. You can smell it in the perfume Forever Elizabeth created by David Apel where it is used in 6.7% concentration. Another chemical with an odour close to Musk Ketone is Muscenone, possessing a very elegant and diffusive musk odour.
Firmenich offers two musk blends, Auratouch 911382 and Auranone 911383. The base of these products contains a captive* musk with a berry top note that performs like a polycyclic musk. Auratouch 911382 is a strong layered musk base with a substantive drydown and contains only triethyl citrate as a solvent. Meanwhile, the base of Auranone 911383—a strong substantive musk base with a delicate floral and somewhat animalic character—has strong ambrette connotations and contains no solvents, or polycyclic or nitro musks.
Meanwhile, the base of Auranone 911383 is a subtle but substantitve assemblage of some of Firmenich's finest musks with ambrette and animalic facets, blended with soft floral notes, devoid of polycyclic or nitro musks. Created around Romandolide, the captive alicyclic is paired with Habanolide, Exaltolide Total, Muscenone and Helvetolide to produce a hard-core musk with traces of sandalwood, amber, violet and powdery notes.
Givaudan has two new synthetic musks: Cosmone and Serenolide. Cosmone, is a single molecule the first C14-macrocyclic musk commercially available, which has a nitro-musk character of great warmth and diffusion which blends well with all kinds of accords. This biodegradable molecule, in addition to Nirvanolide, enlarges Givaudan’s range of environmentally friendly macrocyclic musks and can be smelled in Pi Neo by Givenchy (2008). Serenolide is an elegant white musk with sweet fruity connotations providing warm and soft velvety notes that blend well with all kinds of trendy fruity accords.
Musk R1 (originally from Quest International) is an example of an oxa-macrolide with sensual, powdery musky character.

The fascinating world of musks is far from over: We will return with classifications, descriptions and reviews of musky fragrances on the market!

*Captives are molecules which are patented by companies for their exclusive use for a number of years. 

Related reading on Perfume Shrine: Musk Series 1: a Cultural Perception of Musk, Musk Series 3: The Many Permutations of Musk (musk "types")


Ref:
Rowe, David J. (Ed.); Philip Kraft (2004). "Chapter 7. Aroma Chemicals IV: Musks". Chemistry and Technology of Flavours and Fragrances. Blackwell
Charles (Ed.), Sell; Charles Sell (2005).The Chmistry of Fragrances Chapter 4. Ingredients for the Modern Perfumery Industry". Royal Society of Chemistry Publishing.
Robert R. Calkin and J. Stephen Jellinek, Perfumery Practice & Principles
PChirality & Odour PerceptionJohn C. Leffingwell, Ph.D.
Perfume & Flavorist magazine, Musks in Fragrance Blending
Jenny van Veenen Perfume Making
Aromax blog

[1] [2]Epistola S.Fowler: Musk


Painting Lovers by a Tree Mughal, Muhammad Shah period, about 1725 via lokvani.com. Pics via mikndfully.org, Natural Health Crafters, homotography.blogspot.com

Perfumery material: Oud/Aloeswood/Agarwood & Synthetic Substitutes

Oudh seems to be THE major trend in perfumery and as recently as this season we have two launches featuring it, the excellent Epic by Amouage and the shortly launching Al Oudh by L'Artisan Parfumeur. However, the market is becoming so increasingly busted by oud-this and oud-that that a closer examination of truths, rather than claims, is needed. Only if you have been living under a rock, have you not read a hundred times already that oud/aoudh/aloeswood is the aroma-rich prized resin produced by the pathological secretion of Aquillaria trees when attacked by a fungus.
Nevertheless, much as the ad copy circulating and the articles in glossies insist, there is a mythology built about oudh in western fragrances which doesn't exactly justify the tsunami of oud-based fragrances launched in the past few years. Several fragrances which feature notes of oud in fact use a synthetic substitute in lieu of the extra-expensive, ultra-rare ingredient: It was a mere consequence of the eternal law of offer and demand. That's how a designer scent with oud "notes" (YSL M7) even became possible. So many fragrances on all price levels as we will see below simply cannot be based on real oud.

Synthetic Oud in the Majority of Perfumes you say?
Even if the whole Southeastern jungle is eradicated in its pursuit, as apart from endagered, the mere process is so time consuming (often necessitating HUNDREDS of years for the noble rot to manifest itself sufficiently in the wood that produces the essence) that it's a logical impossibility. By Kilian freely admits using the synthetic, to their credit.
Firmenich, the aromachemicals giant, has a nicely rounded synthetic base, the Oud Synthetic 10760 E. Seriously hip niche brand Le Labo uses it in their Oud27. Interestingly the material bears some sentising dangers which might bring it into axing under a future IFRA Amendement perfumery restrictions policy.
Givaudan also have Agarwood Orpur/"Black Agarwood base" which is another product used to substitute the golden nectar in fragrance releases, reflecting the particular scent of burning Agarwood chips and amalgamating ambery, olibanum and balsamic nuances.

Somehow the above facts makes the price asked seen under a completely different light!Le Labo are not the only ones to employ these synthetics: Several fragrances have the discernible fingerprint of those aromachemicals all over them (Tom Ford Oud Wood uses Agarwood Orpur by Givaudan for instance, same goes for Bond No.9's offerings)

If the pace of using oud synths escalates everyone will be wearing "ouds", the way at some point they wore acquatics or gourmands a total defeat of the purpose of "coinnoisseurship" which is so brandished in the oud-selling game. Not to mention that by that time, with the help of Bath & Body Works, there will be an oudh for every budget (Ironically enough yes, there is one by B&BW as we speak!), which proves the statement above. But let's explore this fascinating material and the synthetics that often imitates it in this guide on building blocks of perfumery.

The cmplex natural material
Agarwood or Oud or Oudh or Aoud (the name taken from the province of Oudh) is the resinous heartwood from Aquilaria trees (predominantly from Aquilaria malaccensis), evergreens native to southeast Asia. As they become infected with mold (Phaeoacremonium parasitica, a dematiaceous fungus) they compensate by producing an aromatic resin over the course of several decades. The damage is so extensive that agarwood sinks in water. The growing of the infection results in a rich, dark resin within the heartwood. That resin is known as gaharu, jinko, aloeswood, agarwood, or oud/oude/oudh, valued in many cultures since antiquity for its distinctive aroma ~terribly complex with nutty, musty-earthy undertones redolent of undergrowth. Agar use dates back to prehistory: mentioned in the Bible, ancient Persian and Sanskrit religious texts and part of the first historical biographies in Sanskrit. Oud is also inextricably linked to Assam’ s cultural heritage, since the Indian monarchs employed the used bark of the Sasi Agar tree as writing-material for chronicling their royal circulars.
Oud nevertheless is prohibitevely expensive, fit for royalty only, even for niche and ultra-expensive brands and quite rare. One of the reasons for the rarity and high cost (above $62,000 cash for one kilo) of agarwood is the depletion of the wild resource: Since 1995 Aquilaria malaccensis has been listed in Appendix II by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, while in 2004 all Aquilaria species were listed in Appendix II, even though some countries have reservations for the latter listing. Middle Eastern or French perfumers seeking oud at source must establish ginormous bank funds in the pertinent countries, because governments are aware of the trade capitalizing on it. Additonal obstacles arise from the sheer reality of harvesting: Dead infected wood cannot be distilled and heavily infected live wood is not worth it as the wood itself is so more pricey. Thus the only wood distilled is live. Distillable wood is only good for a few months on the other hand, as the essential oil cells dry out, making oud a stratospherically expensive business.

Besides there are grades within the product: The highest quality comes from the tree's natural immune response (known as agarwood #1) while an inferior resin is rendered by deliberatily wounding aquilaria trees (agarwood #2, within which there aslo several grades of quality). Adulteration is not unheard of either, according to Tryvge Harris. The average oud available in the US will have changed hands at least 10 times (!), while rumours abound about Chinese factories who churn out beautiful but fake product ~made of the lowest possible grade agarwood soaked for a month in synthetic (European manufactured) oud. It's also worthy of note that Arabs are not that concerned with purity as might have been supposed, instead focusing on the pleasure principle the aroma brings.
Jenny, an amateur perfumer writing Perfume Making describes the sensation of smelling oud well:

"The scent of Oudh sometimes called Agarwood or Eaglewood is so incredible wonderful. It has all kinds of shades, it's smokey, deep woody, a bit sweet in an intriguing way. It even has some green notes and some kind of mouldy notes. It's hard to describe the scent. It reminds me of a blend of vetiver, birch tar, sandalwood, guiacwood, vetiveryl acetate, patchouli and some spicy notes like the note of clove".

One of her readers gives a price ballpart as well: The pure Oudh Oil Grade A costs about USD300.00/12mls (1 Tola) and the Resins for Grade AAA is about USD 7,000.

The difference in smell in the finished product is also relative to how oud is treated as a "note" from a perfumery standpoint (regardless of whether it derives from a natural or a synthetic source): From the Band-Aid note of Montale's Aouds (due in several cases to the phenolic guaiacwood used in tandem) to the smoother versions like in M.Micallef Aoud Homme when the lactic notes can pop up under the shriller introduction. Le Labo went for a camphoraceous feel with pungent rather than burning tonalities, while Tom Ford extended the effect with lots of cedar.

Word of Mouth and Word of Mouse
The literature on oud is picking up fast with all the semi-underground fora, specialty blogs and even mainstream press mentioning the prized ingredient:

"Oud (pronounced ood) smells expensive and it is. What it perhaps has going for it most is its obscurity and ineffability. There really is nothing quite like it. Hence its appeal. While the cultivation of agarwood can be traced back to ancient Asian civilizations, only recently has oud become the note du jour in high-end Western fragrances from Yves Saint Laurent's M7 to Tom Ford's Oud Wood."

Thus says Amy Verner on the Globe and Mail, only to semi-contradict herself later stating:

"Just don't expect to see oud featured in mainstream fragrances any time soon. Since it's not only rare but pricey, most experts think that it will remain on its rarefied perch." [ed.note: We already stated that Tom Ford's posh Oud Wood uses a synthetic anyway]

The truth is somewhat different than what you often read in the press, as we have proven.


Fragrances with Oud Notes
Fragrances stating oud notes start as low-end as Culture by Tabac: Arena di Roma by Mäurer & Wirtz (2002) and as mainstream as Versace pour Homme (2008) or Farenheit Absolute by Dior (2009). Ava Luxe, an ultra-niche brand with remarkably low prices states oud as a note in her unisex Chaos. Of course there are several niche players involved as well: From "classic oudet-cadet" Montale (Aoud Leather, Black Aoud, Red Aoud, White Aoud, Bois d'Aoud, Louban, Aoud Rose Petals ~the latter incidentally is sublime~ etc.) and the Arabian real mcCoy El Haramain's line-up to By Kilian Arabian Nights Pure Oud (and Cruel Intentions) and Le Labo Oud27. And from the newest Midnight Oud by Juliette has a Gun all the way through Ormonde Jayne Ormonde Man (2004), M. Micallef Aoud Homme, all-naturals Ayala Moriel (Charisma, Megumi, Razala), Dawn Spencer Hurwitz (Prana) and Neil Morris (Taj, Fetish, Flowers for Men Gardenia, Burnt Amber). If you want to smell real, medicinal expensive natural oudh beyond any doubt to get a feel of the material go no further than Anya's Garden Temple: the fragrance is almost entirely comprised of oud's dense complex notes. Mona di Orio's Oud also uses an amount of the real thing, accounting for the very pungent yet layered smell.

And remember that as with anything when there is great demand, the offer tends to cut corners. Think about it next time you're asked stratospheric prices and go by the only rule-of-thumb that should apply in choosing fragrance: how much pleasure it gives you!
Additional reading on the Eastern use of aloeswood in incense as well on this link.
Painting of As Afuddaula, the nawab of Oudh via Exotic India Art. Pic of agarwood rot by Robert Blanchette, University of Minnesota, Advertisement of M7 via easycorner.com.

Distant Cousins: Lily of the Valley & Lily ~part 2: Lily

Pensive garden, affectionate, fresh, and faithful,
where lilies, moon and swallow kiss.
Army on the march, child who dreams, woman in tears!

Adjectives like "astonishing" and "ravishing" may sound like hyperbole, yet it is enough for someone to have leaned once over an open, waxy petaled blossom of pure, gleamingly white and delicately flocked lilies to have stood transfixed.

Words fail one upon the sight, while the nose is mesmerised by its oleaginous, yet at the same time spicy interlay of softness, sharpness and intense femininity. Even John Ruskin in his lectures “Sesame and Lilies” designates the second one, Lilies, to the treatment of women in literature and lore. An allusion which brings an added dubious sub-layer in the common reference of lily white skin in rapper songs ~such as the hilarious “Pretty Fly (for a white guy)" ~ by the Offspring) and in street parlance!

The beauty of lily is at once as pure and as sensuous as the face of Ingrid Bergman in "Casablanca"; its strong emition of scent in late summer makes an evening spent in a garden where it blooms an exercise in aching wonder faced with nature’s magic. And most astonishing of them all, among this plush, there raises its little head a small facet of horse stable manure (Luca Turin in a playful reminiscence while reviewing a lily fragrance refers to it as salami), enough to place lily in the category of the majestically strange, much like tuberose or jasmine. There's something awe-inspiring yet vulnerably tragic in the lily, like the Dresden-doll beauty of Vivien Leigh.

Lilies belong to the Liliaceae family, from which they take their name. The genus Lilium are herbaceous flowering plants growing from bulbs, comprising about 110 species with infinite visual variety. Lily of the Valley/Muguet (Convallaria majalis) on the other hand belongs to the Ruscaceae family (genus Convallaria), making them botanically unrelated to the former blossoms. Within the lily group there are several sub-varieties and contrary to the vernacular sayings equating lily with white, not all species are so. The following varieties are amongst the most prominent and beautiful: Columbia lily ,Tiger Lily , Easter/Madonna Lily ,the Goldband lily of Japan , the Amazon lily as well as the Stargazers, a popular and colourful subdivision of the Oriental lilies and the Casa Blanca Lilies (another Oriental hybrid).
On the other hand, the well-known Calla Lily (erroneously often misspelled as Cala) is not strictly a lily, since it belongs in the family Araceae. Generally Calla Lilies do not possess the characteristic heady odour of lilies nor do they have a potent odour profile in themselves, although the species Zantedeschia odorata possesses the strong scent of freesias. Vera Wang original perfume for women claims notes of Calla lily in its bridal bouquet. In perfumery, however, the lily par excellence is usually one in the Lilium family. And in this guide we will try to list fragrances which include the different varieties of lily.

Lost in history, the beautiful flower has even some interpreters of the Bible identify the Hebrew word Shoshannah as 'lily' in Song of Songs ("As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters." Song of Songs 2:2 (KJV), instead of the customary translation as rose.
The heady odour of the flower is usually rendered through headspace technology or dynamic purge-and-trap headspace analysis, which reveals the main enantimomer as R-(-)-linalool, while the alluring strangeness of lily is closely tied to high levels of p-cresol accounting for its animalic tonality. [1]
The suave and sugary scent of Madona/Easter lilies which is all the more intense as the hours draw on towards the night is evident in the classic Anais Anais by Cacharel, in the more billowed aldehydic Dolce & Gabbana pour femme (the one which is crowned with a red cap), and the suave, lightly green and tender Un Lys by Serge Lutens underscored by snuggly vanilla, painting the picture of a Werner Herzog delicate heroine. The floral sweet touch also offers an unexpected marriage of opposites in Passage d’Enfer by L’artisan Parfumeur. The scent of incense and lily mesh through the ecclesiastical tradition, overwhelming my memory with liles offered during Easter whilst frankincense is being slowly burned on charcoals around.

Tiger lilies with their wild patterns are evoked in the equally jungle-inspired print (leopard) on the cylindrical bottles of the sadly discontinued feminine By by Dolce & Gabbana. The ginger overlay of some of the varieties of the lilies makes a perfect accompaniment to the coffee and sandalwood notes of the D&G fragrance. Inpendent perfumer Yosh has no less than three scents featuring tiger lily: Wanderlust (a fresh bouquet with a whiff of incense and patchouli), Tigresse (a fruity floral encompassing figs and pomegranates) and Ginger Ciao (the creaminess of coconut compliments the sweeter aspects of lilies and ylang ylang)! Reportedly Baby Phat Fabulosity and Lucky Number 6 also feature tiger lily as a note, although I have not personally tried either. The fresh, sea-spray-like and photorealistic undertake by Edouard Fléchier for Frédéric Malle’s Lys Méditerrannée (Mediterrannean lily) is one of the most elegant lilies on the market today, injecting a subtle gingery facet on a precious musky backdrop.

White and red Casa blanca lilies are evoked in the soft, non aggressive and diaphanous treatment of Des Lys, a soliflore in the Annick Goutal line. For her denser, hypnotic Grand Amour, the majestic lily is paired to sweet honeysuckle, the oily emerald hue of hyacinth and a host of eastern promises (myrrh, vanilla, musk). The woody-ambery aroma chemical Karanal presents some lily facets, reminiscent of the treatment of lily in such scents as the glorious Donna Karan Gold which explores the waxy facets of Casablanca lilies ~especially in the rich and excellent Eau de Parfum concentration. While the alpha-, beta- and gamma- terpineol are used to render clearer lily notes.
In Pleasures Intense by Estee Lauder, the abundance of green and sweeter lilies give off a contrasting image of sharpness and sweetness, highlighted by fresher peony on one end and benzoin on the other. One of the best oriental lily renditions in a mainstream fragrance was unfortunately an all too short-lived and now regretably elusive version of Pleasures, called Garden of Pleasures Moon Lily. A limited edition from 1999 in a trio collection which highlighted facets of the original best-selling Pleasures (the other two included Peony and Lilac), it presented a soft, orientalised and subtly sweet ambience of gigantic white liliums with intense red stamens protruding provocatively.

Oriental lilies and Stargazers seductively emit their fragrant indolic headiness, close to jasmine, in other best-selling fragrances such as the kitchy White Diamonds by Elizabeth Taylor and the suave Lily & Spice by Penhaligon’s.
Last but not least, in order to train your nose into the subtleties of the diferent varieties, Ava Luxe has composed a trio of lily scents with different effects: the simple and greenish Lily, the traditional Madona Lily and the more orientalised Stargazer.

Related reading on Perfume Shrine:Distant Cousins part1 Lily of the Valley

[1]Rey Marsili, 2001
Painting of lilies by Amy Steward via lostcoastdailypainters blog. Pic of Vivien Leigh via Seraphicpress.com, stargazer illustration via create4u.blogspot.com