- Origin
- an accord composed by the perfumer
- Raw materials
- spice oils and extracts: cinnamon, clove, pepper, cardamom, nutmeg
- Olfactory group
- spicy
- Position in the pyramid
- top and heart
- Synthetic substitutes
- eugenol, cinnamaldehyde, spicy bases
“Spicy notes” is a general name used in pyramids when a fragrance contains not one specific spice but several: a little cinnamon, clove, pepper or cardamom. The perfumer creates an overall spicy impression from them without singling any one out.
How it smells: warm and energetic, with a light tingle: from fresh spices (cardamom, ginger, pink pepper) to warm and sweet ones (cinnamon, clove, nutmeg). Spicy notes add character, movement and a little “kick” to a fragrance.
Spices in perfumery are like salt and pepper in the kitchen: rarely the main thing on their own, but without them a fragrance feels flat. They wake up flowers, warm woods and make sweet compositions less cloying.
What it pairs with: with rose — a warm spiced rose, with citrus — a fresh spicy opening, with vanilla and amber — oriental compositions, with oud — luxurious Middle Eastern ones, with tobacco and leather — cosy evening scents.
Good to know: spicy fragrances are traditionally considered “winter” scents, but fresh spices — cardamom, ginger, pink pepper — sound wonderful in summer too.
Fragrances with Spicy Notes
