Perfume Notes & Ingredients

Spices in Perfumery: Cardamom, Pepper, Cinnamon & Nutmeg — Unravel Perfumery
Spices in Perfumery: Cardamom, Pepper, Cinnamon & Nutmeg
A perfumer's guide to spices in perfume — how cardamom, black pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg behave, the fragrances that made them famous, and how to dose them safely (including cinnamon's... Read more...
Lactones: The Creamy, Milky, Peachy-Coconut Magic in Perfume — Unravel Perfumery
Lactones: The Creamy, Milky, Peachy-Coconut Magic in Perfume
A deep dive into lactones — the soft, creamy, milky and peachy-coconut molecules that add roundness and skin-like warmth to fragrance — with origins, smell, famous examples and practical DIY... Read more...
Green & Galbanum Notes: The Snapped-Stem Freshness of Perfumery — Unravel Perfumery
Green & Galbanum Notes: The Snapped-Stem Freshness of Perfumery
An in-depth look at green notes in perfumery — from raw galbanum resin to the synthetic sparkle of allyl amyl glycolate and dihydromyrcenol — covering origins, smell, famous fragrances and... Read more...
Neroli & Orange Blossom: Two Faces of the Bitter-Orange Tree — Unravel Perfumery
Neroli & Orange Blossom: Two Faces of the Bitter-Orange Tree
A perfumer's guide to neroli in perfume and its sibling orange blossom — how one bitter-orange tree yields two very different materials, the fragrances that made them famous, and how... Read more...
Tuberose: The Most Intoxicating White Flower — Unravel Perfumery
Tuberose: The Most Intoxicating White Flower
A perfumer's deep dive into tuberose in perfume — its origins, its famously narcotic scent, the legendary fragrances built around it, and how to dose and partner it in your... Read more...
Saffron in Perfume: The Leathery-Spicy Gold of Modern Niche — Unravel Perfumery
Saffron in Perfume: The Leathery-Spicy Gold of Modern Niche
A perfumer's guide to saffron in perfume — where it comes from, why its leathery-spicy facet defines modern niche, the fragrances that made it famous, and how to dose it... Read more...
Incense & Frankincense: Sacred Smoke in Perfumery — Unravel Perfumery
Incense & Frankincense: Sacred Smoke in Perfumery
Frankincense has perfumed temples for millennia and now anchors some of the most beautiful modern perfumes. Here is what incense smells like, why its cool smoke is so magic, and... Read more...
Tobacco in Perfume: Sweet Pipe-Smoke and Honeyed Leaf — Unravel Perfumery
Tobacco in Perfume: Sweet Pipe-Smoke and Honeyed Leaf
Tobacco is one of perfumery's warmest, most addictive notes — sweet, dry, honeyed and faintly smoky. Here is how the accord is built, the fragrances that made it famous, and... Read more...
Dry Woody-Amber Molecules: The Powerhouse Behind Modern Amber Scents — Unravel Perfumery
Dry Woody-Amber Molecules: The Powerhouse Behind Modern 'Ambermaccord' Scents
A deep dive into woody-amber molecules — Ambroxan, Amber Xtreme, Timbersilk and Cedramber — the dry, radiant powerhouses behind today's 'ambermaccord' fragrances, with origins, famous examples and practical DIY dosing. Read more...
Civet, Castoreum & Animalic Notes: Perfumery's Beautiful Dirt — Unravel Perfumery
Civet, Castoreum & Animalic Notes: Perfumery's Beautiful Dirt
Civet, castoreum, musk and ambergris built the great perfumes of the past from frankly dirty raw materials. Here is how animalic notes work, why a little filth makes a fragrance... Read more...
Leather & Suede Accords: How Perfumers Bottle Tanned Hide — Unravel Perfumery
Leather & Suede Accords: How Perfumers Bottle Tanned Hide
Leather is one of perfumery's great illusions: a smell of tanned hide built entirely from aroma molecules. Here is how the accord works, the fragrances that defined it, and how... Read more...
Labdanum and the Amber Accord: Building Perfumery's Golden Warmth — Unravel Perfumery
Labdanum and the Amber Accord: Building Perfumery's Golden Warmth
The amber accord is one of perfumery's most beloved inventions, a glowing, golden warmth built mostly from labdanum, vanilla and balsams. Here is what labdanum is and exactly how DIY... Read more...
Bergamot and Citrus Oils: The Bright Top Notes of Perfumery — Unravel Perfumery
Bergamot and Citrus Oils: The Bright Top Notes of Perfumery
A practical guide to the brightest family in perfumery: how bergamot and citrus oils create sparkling top notes, why they fade fast, what FCF and bergapten-free means for photosensitivity, the... Read more...
Vanilla & Tonka Bean: Perfumery's Most Comforting Naturals — Unravel Perfumery
Vanilla & Tonka Bean: Perfumery's Most Comforting Naturals
Vanilla and tonka bean are perfumery's warmest, most comforting naturals. Here is what each one smells like, how coumarin and ethyl vanillin extend them, and how DIY perfumers in India... Read more...
Rose in Perfume: Rose Otto vs Rose Absolute, and the Queen of Flowers — Unravel Perfumery
Rose in Perfume: Rose Otto vs Rose Absolute, and the Queen of Flowers
A story-driven guide to the most revered floral in perfumery: how distilled rose otto differs from solvent-extracted rose absolute, why rose has reigned for centuries, the legendary fragrances built on... Read more...
Jasmine & Indole: The Beautiful Dark Side of White Florals — Unravel Perfumery
Jasmine & Indole: The Beautiful Dark Side of White Florals
A deep dive into jasmine absolute and its signature molecule indole, exploring why white florals smell both radiant and faintly animalic, the famous fragrances built on jasmine, and how Indian... Read more...
Patchouli: From Hippie Icon to Haute-Perfumery Powerhouse — Unravel Perfumery
Patchouli: From Hippie Icon to Haute-Perfumery Powerhouse
Patchouli went from 1970s counterculture cliche to the secret weapon of modern niche perfumery. Here is what it is, why perfumers love it, and how DIY perfumers can use it... Read more...
Vetiver: The Cool, Earthy Root That Anchors Great Fragrances — Unravel Perfumery
Vetiver: The Cool, Earthy Root That Anchors Great Fragrances
Vetiver is the cool, smoky-earthy root that grounds some of the greatest fragrances ever made. Here is what it is, why perfumers treasure it, and exactly how DIY perfumers in... Read more...
Ethyl Maltol: The Cotton-Candy Molecule Behind Sweet Gourmands — Unravel Perfumery
Ethyl Maltol: The Cotton-Candy Molecule Behind Sweet Gourmands
Ethyl maltol is the cotton-candy, caramelised-sugar molecule behind nearly every modern sweet gourmand. Here is what it smells like, how it works, the right dosage, and how to pair it... Read more...
Ambergris: The Ocean's Treasure and Its Modern Substitutes — Unravel Perfumery
Ambergris: The Ocean's Treasure and Its Modern Substitutes
Ambergris is one of perfumery's strangest treasures, born in the gut of a sperm whale and aged by the sea. Here is what it really is, why it is so... Read more...
Sandalwood in Perfumery: Mysore, Australian & the Synthetic Sandalwoods — Unravel Perfumery
Sandalwood in Perfumery: Mysore, Australian & the Synthetic Sandalwoods
Sandalwood is perfumery's creamiest, most beloved wood. Here is how Mysore and Australian sandalwood differ, why true Mysore is so precious, and how DIY perfumers use sandalwood and its synthetic... Read more...
Oud (Agarwood): The King of Natural Perfume Materials — Unravel Perfumery
Oud (Agarwood): The King of Natural Perfume Materials
Oud is the dark, resinous heart of agarwood and one of the most expensive natural materials in perfumery. Here is what it really smells like, why it costs a fortune,... Read more...
Allyl Amyl Glycolate: The Green Pineapple Sparkle in Fresh Fragrance — Unravel Perfumery
Allyl Amyl Glycolate: The Green Pineapple Sparkle in Fresh Fragrance
A guide to allyl amyl glycolate, the intensely green, pineapple-galbanum aroma chemical that powers modern fresh and fougere fragrances, with practical DIY dosage and pairing advice. Read more...
Benzyl Salicylate: Perfumery's Invisible Floral Glue — Unravel Perfumery
Benzyl Salicylate: Perfumery's Invisible Floral Glue
A practical guide to benzyl salicylate, the quiet floral-balsamic material that binds white-floral and amber accords together and acts as a gentle fixative in DIY perfumery. Read more...
Florol: The Fresh, Dewy Lily-of-the-Valley Molecule — Unravel Perfumery
Florol: The Fresh, Dewy Lily-of-the-Valley Molecule
A complete guide to Florol, the soft, dewy muguet molecule that brings transparent lily-of-the-valley freshness to floral accords, with smell notes, famous uses, and DIY blending guidance. Read more...
Eugenol: The Spicy Clove-and-Carnation Molecule — Unravel Perfumery
Eugenol: The Spicy Clove-and-Carnation Molecule
An in-depth look at eugenol, the warm clove-and-carnation aroma molecule that powers spicy florals and oriental accords, with smell notes, famous fragrances, and DIY blending guidance. Read more...
Rose Ketones (Damascones & Damascenones): The Secret to Modern Rose — Unravel Perfumery
Rose Ketones (Damascones & Damascenones): The Secret to Modern Rose
A deep dive into rose ketones — damascones and damascenones — the powerhouse molecules that give modern rose its juicy, fruity-wine glow, with smell notes, famous uses, and DIY blending... Read more...
Linalool & Linalyl Acetate: The Soul of Lavender and Bergamot — Unravel Perfumery
Linalool & Linalyl Acetate: The Soul of Lavender and Bergamot
A friendly guide to linalool and linalyl acetate, the gentle floral-fresh molecules that give lavender, bergamot and countless fragrances their soul. Read more...
Aldehydes: The Sparkling Molecules Behind Chanel No. 5 — Unravel Perfumery
Aldehydes: The Sparkling Molecules Behind Chanel No. 5
Everything DIY perfumers need to know about aldehydes, the effervescent molecules that gave Chanel No. 5 its legendary sparkle and reshaped modern perfumery. Read more...
Coumarin: The Sweet Hay Molecule at the Heart of Fougere Perfumery — Unravel Perfumery
Coumarin: The Sweet Hay Molecule at the Heart of Fougere Perfumery
A deep dive into coumarin, the sweet hay-and-tobacco molecule that founded the fougere family and still anchors barbershop and gourmand blends today. Read more...
Ionones: The Violet & Iris Molecules That Add Powdery Elegance — Unravel Perfumery
Ionones: The Violet & Iris Molecules That Add Powdery Elegance
A guide to the ionones: where these violet-and-iris molecules came from, their soft powdery scent, the legendary perfumes they enabled, and how DIY perfumers can use them for elegant, woody-powdery... Read more...
Dihydromyrcenol: The Soapy-Fresh Molecule Behind Modern Men's Fragrance — Unravel Perfumery
Dihydromyrcenol: The Soapy-Fresh Molecule Behind Modern Men's Fragrance
A deep dive into dihydromyrcenol: where this soapy-fresh molecule came from, what it smells like, the iconic fougeres and fresh masculines it shaped, and how DIY perfumers can dose it... Read more...
Calone & the Marine Note: How Perfumers Bottled the Smell of the Sea — Unravel Perfumery
Calone & the Marine Note: How Perfumers Bottled the Smell of the Sea
The story of Calone and the marine accord: where the ocean-air molecule came from, what it smells like, the aquatic perfumes it launched, and how DIY perfumers can build fresh,... Read more...
Hedione: The Radiant Jasmine Molecule That Makes Fragrances Glow — Unravel Perfumery
Hedione: The Radiant Jasmine Molecule That Makes Fragrances Glow
An enthusiastic, accurate guide to Hedione, the radiant jasmine molecule behind modern fragrance glow and transparency, covering origin, smell, famous scents, and practical DIY dosage for hobbyist perfumers in India. Read more...
Vanillin & Ethyl Vanillin: The Sweet Backbone of Gourmand Perfumery — Unravel Perfumery
Vanillin & Ethyl Vanillin: The Sweet Backbone of Gourmand Perfumery
An approachable, accurate guide to vanillin and Ethyl Vanillin, the molecules behind sweet gourmand and amber perfumery, covering origin, smell, famous fragrances, and practical DIY dosage for hobbyist perfumers in... Read more...
White Musks Explained: Galaxolide, Habanolide & the Clean Skin-Scent Magic — Unravel Perfumery
White Musks Explained: Galaxolide, Habanolide & the Clean Skin-Scent Magic
A friendly, accurate deep-dive into white musks, the synthetic molecules behind the clean skin-scent effect, covering what they smell like, why they are magic, famous fragrances, and practical DIY dosage... Read more...
Cashmeran: The Cosy, Velvety Musk-Wood Behind So Many Modern Scents — Unravel Perfumery
Cashmeran: The Cosy, Velvety Musk-Wood Behind So Many Modern Scents
A deep dive into cashmeran, the cosy spicy musk-wood aroma chemical behind countless modern fragrances, with scent profile, famous uses and DIY blending guidance. Read more...
Ambroxan: The Synthetic Ambergris That Powers Today's Best Fragrances — Unravel Perfumery
Ambroxan: The Synthetic Ambergris That Powers Today's Best Fragrances
An in-depth look at ambroxan, the clean synthetic ambergris molecule behind countless modern fragrances, with scent profile, famous uses and DIY blending guidance. Read more...
Iso E Super: The Invisible Magic Molecule in Modern Perfumery — Unravel Perfumery
Iso E Super: The Invisible Magic Molecule in Modern Perfumery
A deep dive into Iso E Super, the soft woody-amber aroma chemical behind countless modern fragrances, with scent profile, famous uses and DIY blending guidance. Read more...