Scent Encyclopedia

The Note Library.

The world's most comprehensive olfactory encyclopedia.
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Showing 20 Notes
Woody

Sandalwood

Santalum album

Creamy, milky, and deeply grounding. It mimics the scent of warm human skin. Soft and lingering.

Fun Fact: Indian Mysore Sandalwood is now protected; most ethical brands use Australian varieties.

Woody

Cedarwood

Juniperus virginiana

Dry, crisp, and clean. Reminiscent of pencil shavings or a log cabin. Adds structure to fragrance.

Fun Fact: Ancient Egyptians used cedar oil for mummification.

Woody

Patchouli

Pogostemon cablin

Earthy, dark, sweet, and spicy. Like wet soil after rain or a damp forest floor. Rich and intense.

Fun Fact: It gets better with age, like wine. A 20-year-old oil smells like chocolate.

Resin

Oud

Aquilaria

Musky, animalic, and intense. Complex layers of smoke, rot, and honey. The 'black gold' of perfumery.

Fun Fact: Created when the Aquilaria tree fights a fungus infection. Can cost more than gold.

Earth

Vetiver

Chrysopogon zizanioides

Dry, grassy, and smoky. Like uncut grass on a warm day or deep, damp roots.

Fun Fact: Known as the 'Oil of Tranquility' in India and Sri Lanka.

Citrus

Bergamot

Citrus bergamia

Complex citrus. Fresh, bitter, and slightly spicy. The distinct smell of Earl Grey tea.

Fun Fact: Grown almost exclusively in Calabria, Italy.

Floral/Citrus

Neroli

Citrus aurantium

Light, honeyed, and metallic. Extracted from the blossom of the bitter orange tree. Summer in a bottle.

Fun Fact: Named after the Princess of Nerola, who used it to perfume her gloves.

Citrus

Yuzu

Citrus junos

Aromatic, tart, and grapefruit-like. A Japanese citrus fruit that smells sparkling and optimistic.

Fun Fact: Traditionally floated in hot baths on the winter solstice in Japan.

Floral

Rose

Rosa damascena

The queen of flowers. Can be fresh and dewy, or jammy and dark. Timeless and multifaceted.

Fun Fact: It takes about 4 tons of roses to produce just 1 kg of rose oil.

Floral

Jasmine

Jasminum grandiflorum

Intoxicating, narcotic, and indolic. A heavy white floral that smells seductive and animalic.

Fun Fact: Flowers must be harvested at night when their scent is strongest.

Floral

Tuberose

Polianthes tuberosa

Creamy, fleshy, and intense. The most carnal of all floral scents, often described as explosive.

Fun Fact: In Victorian times, young girls were forbidden from smelling it to prevent spontaneous orgasms.

Floral

Iris (Orris)

Iris pallida

Powdery, earthy, and rooty. Reminiscent of lipstick, makeup, and luxury. Cool and elegant.

Fun Fact: The scent comes from the root (rhizome), which must dry for 3-5 years.

Aromatic

Lavender

Lavandula angustifolia

Herbal, clean, and soothing. A classic barbershop scent that balances freshness with calm.

Fun Fact: The name comes from the Latin 'lavare' (to wash).

Gourmand

Vanilla

Vanilla planifolia

Sweet, warm, and comforting. Real vanilla is dark and boozy, not just sugary like cupcakes.

Fun Fact: Vanilla is the second most expensive spice after saffron.

Gourmand

Tonka Bean

Dipteryx odorata

Sweet, spicy, almond-like, and tobacco-like. A sophisticated alternative to vanilla.

Fun Fact: Contains coumarin, which smells like freshly mown hay.

Spicy

Pink Pepper

Schinus molle

Fresh, rosy, and dry. It adds a sparkling, fizzy top note to fragrances. Not actually a pepper.

Fun Fact: It is actually a berry from a shrub related to cashews.

Green

Fig

Ficus carica

Milky, green, and fruity. Smells like the sap of a broken branch or crushed leaves. Very Mediterranean.

Fun Fact: The scent of fig is technically an accord; you can't extract oil from the fruit.

Woody

Tobacco

Nicotiana tabacum

Sweet, honeyed, grassy, and warm. Smells like pipe tobacco or dried hay, not cigarette smoke.

Fun Fact: Often paired with vanilla or cherry notes in fragrances.

Resin

Frankincense

Boswellia sacra

Spicy, lemony, and piney. A mystical resin smoke associated with churches and temples.

Fun Fact: One of the gifts of the Magi. Used in rituals for over 5000 years.

Molecule

Ambroxan

C16H28O (Synthetic)

Salty, musky, amber-like, and skin-like. A modern synthetic molecule that enhances other scents.

Fun Fact: A synthetic replacement for Ambergris (whale vomit), making it vegan and affordable.