Perfume’s wackiest notes

If they can bottle the smell of old library books and just-fallen summer rain, you can bet there are other unconventional scents in fragrances too. Here are some of them.

The magic of musk 

Musk is one of the most popular aromas in history, once harvested from the male musk deer in the Himalayas. Since the 1950s though, hunting of these near-extinct animals has been banned and perfumers now use plant-based alternatives. It still remains one of the most popular base notes in the perfume world. 

A whale of a time

Ambergris is harvested from the digestive tract from the sperm whale and was once rumoured to be a keynote in Chanel No. 5. Now replaced by manufactured and plant-based alternatives, its heady scent is highly sought-after by perfume professionals.

Illicit ingredient

Back in 1977 when the exotically-scented Opium was first released, fashion and perfume icon Yves Saint Laurent was accused of condoning drug use. Of course, the name has nothing to do with illegal activity and remains a classic more than two decades later. 

Write this way

Leather has long been a favourite anchoring note in masculine perfumes. In recent years, the scent of libraries (a combination of leather bindings and wood polish) has come to the fore.

Sweet and lovely

According to Clinique, money may be able to buy you happiness after all. The creators of Happy, the uplifting citrus and floral scent, have enjoyed best-selling success with their easy-wear everyday creation. 

Sea harvest

We’re used to the notion of smelling the ocean in modern perfumes, but marine notes were unheard of until the ’90s. Eau d’Issey is a perfect example of a groundbreaking choice.

The good wood

Oud is an opulent and heady fragrance derived from agarwood, the most expensive wood in the world – one and a half times more expensive than gold! Its exotic notes make it instantly recognisable as one of the perfume world’s sensual scent offerings. 
 

IMAGE CREDIT: 123rf.com