Fragrance Note Glossary

Deepen your understanding of scent with our fragrance note glossary. Discover the origins, nuances, and profiles of the notes that describe fragrances. Get ready to elevate your candle scent game and impress your friends (maybe?) with your newfound knowledge!

A B C D E F G H I J K L M

N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

P

PALM

Description:

vegetal, green, herbal

Olfactive Profile:

Vegetal, green and watery, like tropical palm leaves blowing in the breeze.

Facts:

Palm leaves have been used for centuries in religious ceremonies and festivals worldwide, and often symbolize victory, peace, and resurrection.

PALO SANTO

Description:

woody, minty, fresh, cedar, lactonic

Olfactive Profile:

A cedar woody profile with lactonic minty effect. Palo Santo adds a sweet and creamy facet to a fragrance.

Facts:

Palo Santo is an aromatic tree in the Burseraceae family, which also includes frankincense and myrrh. It can grow up to 25 feet tall and is native to South America.

Papaya

Description:

exotic, tropical, sweet, delicous, fleshy, lactonic

Olfactive Profile:

Papaya is a tropical fruit with a sweet, lactonic, and slightly anamalic aroma. It has a watery quality similar to melon, with subtle citrus and floral undertones.

Facts:

Much like people perceive the scent of cilantro differently, people often disagree about how pleasant papayas taste and smell. This debate is likely because of an enzyme called papain, which causes a strong, distinct aroma in ripe papaya fruits.

passionfruit

Description:

fruity, sweet, tropical, ripe, juicy

Olfactive Profile:

Passionfruit is tangy, tropical, sweet, and juicy. While this exotic aroma is very distinct, it's similar to guava, papaya, and other tropical fruits.

Facts:

Passionfruit is technically a berry. It grows on a vine plant that can grow up to 40 feet high.

patchouli

Description:

woody, camphorated, green, earthy, mossy, balsamic, powdery

Olfactive Profile:

Patchouli's aroma is woody, earthy, and slightly sweet with powdery undertones.

Facts:

Patchouli is native to tropical Asia, where it is widely cultivated and has been used for centuries for its essential oil.

peach

Description:

fruity, lactonic, creamy, velvety, juicy, ripe fruit

Olfactive Profile:

Peach is juicy and fruity with creamy lactonic elements.

Facts:

Peach is native to China and grows in temperate and Mediterranean regions. Their fuzzy skin helps protect them from pests and other environmental factors.

pear

Description:

fruity, pear, green, crispy, sweet

Olfactive Profile:

Pear's fruity aroma is juicy, crunchy, watery, and green. It adds a fresh, ripe sweetness to fragrances.

Facts:

Flemish flower and fruit paintings from the 15th to 17th century often featured pears. The fruit was also a favorite subject of Vincent van Gogh, who painted both pear trees and the fruit itself.

pecan

Description:

nutty, sweet, woody, gourmand, buttery, toasty

Olfactive Profile:

Pecans smell nutty, sweet, buttery, and woody with a toasty, hearty tone.

Facts:

"Pecan" is derived from the Algonquin term "pacane," which refers to the "nuts that needed a stone to crack."

peony

Description:

floral, white flower, green, rose, lily of the valley

Olfactive Profile:

The white peony note is airy and floral, evoking rose and lily of the valley. With a greener scent than rose, it is fresh with slightly animalic undertones.

Facts:

The peony is the national flower of China. In the Middle Ages, ground peony seeds were taken to prevent bad dreams.

peppercorn

Description:

spicy, fresh, smoky, woody

Olfactive Profile:

Peppercorn is spicy, smoky, and woody. It brings fresh, zingy tones to fragrances and is a great way to add interest to floral or fruity compositions.

Facts:

Peppercorns are the fruit of a vine that belongs to the Piperaceae family. Green peppercorns are unripe, while black peppercorns are cooked and dried. White peppercorns come from mature fruit with the skin removed. Red peppercorns are rare and come from fully mature fruit.

peppermint

Description:

fresh, sharp, cool, refreshing, calming, minty

Olfactive Profile:

Peppermint is minty, fresh, full-bodied and intense with the cooling effect of menthol

Facts:

Peppermint is thought to have originated in Northern Africa and the Mediterranean and is a natural hybrid between spearmint and water mint.

persimmon

Description:

sweet, fruity, earthy, pulpy

Olfactive Profile:

Sweet, pulpy and aromatic, with notes similar to mango and peach but slightly earthy

Facts:

Persimmon was first cultivated in China more than 2000 years ago, and introduced to Japan in the 7th century.

petitgrain

Description:

green, floral, Leafy, Citrus

Olfactive Profile:

Petitgrain has a citrussy, green leaf and floral scent. Especially used with floral, white flowers and orange blossom accords.

Facts:

Petitgrain is derived from the French term "petit grain," which translates to "little grain." This term originally referred to the small, unripe fruit of citrus trees that was utilized to extract petitgrain essential oil.

pie crust

Description:

baked, warm, buttery, sugar, gourmand, toasted flour

Olfactive Profile:

The comforting scent of pie crust is warm, buttery, and slightly sweet, with notes of toasted flour and vanilla.

Facts:

The first pie crusts were made from just flour and water. Fats like lard and butter were later added to the dough to create a more tender and flaky texture, giving rise to the buttery aroma we associate with pie crusts today.

pine

Description:

woody, fresh, dry, weedy, green, pine

Olfactive Profile:

Pine has a woody, fresh, dry scent. It adds hints of both sweet and green facets to a fragrance.

Facts:

Originally from Scandinavia and Russia, Sylvester pine has been prized for its medicinal properties dating back to the middle ages. Its wood is currently used in carpentry and furniture building, and the essential oil is extracted from its buds or resin.

pineapple

Description:

fruity, exotic, pineapple, sweet, lactonic, tart

Olfactive Profile:

Fruity and juicy pineapple offers an tropical experience full of sweetness with a slightly milky effect and hints of tartness.

Facts:

The name pineapple comes from the similarity of the fruit to a pine cone. The pineapple is a symbol of hospitality and can often be seen in carved decorations.

plum

Description:

fruity, plum, berry, honey

Olfactive Profile:

Plum is rich, sweet, and fruity with ripe berry and honey notes.

Facts:

Plums are part of the Rosaceae family, along with peaches and apricots. Most of the plums cultivated in the United States are hybrids originating from the Japanese plum.

plumeria

Description:

plumeria, gardenia, creamy, lactonic, peach

Olfactive Profile:

Plumeria has a gardenia-like scent that is soft with fruity, creamy peach lactonic nuances.

Facts:

Plumeria flowers are often associated with Hawaiian culture and are commonly used to make leis, which are traditional Hawaiian flower garlands.

pomegranate

Description:

sweet, fruity, red fruit, green, citrus

Olfactive Profile:

Pomegranate is sublty sweet red fruit with slightly tart citrus qualities.

Facts:

Pomegranates have been cultivated and enjoyed by humans for thousands of years. Evidence of their use dates back to ancient civilizations, including the Greeks, Egyptians, and Persians.

popcorn

Description:

toasted, buttery, sweet, gourmand

Olfactive Profile:

Fresh, toasted and buttery or sweetened with vanilla and caramel notes, popcorn evokes the nostalgia of movie theaters and boardwalks.

Facts:

Popcorn is one of the world's oldest snack foods, with evidence of its consumption dating back to at least 3600 BC in Peru.

powder

Description:

soft, gentle, subtle, fresh, dry, clean

Olfactive Profile:

Powdery scents are soft, clean, and enveloping.

Facts:

Dusting powders were used to absorb sweat and odor in the early twentieth century. As a result, the scent of powder became associated with freshness, luxury, and sophistication.

praline

Description:

balsamic, burnt sugar, milky, ambery, nutty, caramel

Olfactive Profile:

Praline candy is made from sugar, cream, butter, and almonds or pecans. The aroma is warm, ambery, nutty, balsamic, and milky.

Facts:

During the 19th century, New Orleans chefs substituted pecans for almonds in the traditional French praline recipe, then added cream to thicken the confection for the American South's rendition of this candy.