- Origin
- an accord composed by the perfumer
- Raw materials
- patchouli, vetiver, geosmin (traces), mossy notes
- Extraction
- synthesis; natural oils
- Olfactory group
- earthy, woody
- Position in the pyramid
- base
- Synthetic substitutes
- patchouli, vetiver, geosmin
Earthy notes are an accord that conveys the smell of damp earth: forest soil after rain, a freshly ploughed field, roots and moss. It is a natural, “grounded” note that adds depth to a fragrance.
How it smells: damp, dark and natural: fresh earth after rain, a light smell of roots, a faintly mushroomy and mossy shade. Earthy notes sound calm, deep and very real.
The familiar smell of rain on earth comes from geosmin — a molecule released by soil microorganisms; the human nose detects it in incredibly small amounts. Perfumers combine it with patchouli and vetiver to create the feeling of living soil.
What it pairs with: with patchouli and vetiver — a deep earthy base, with iris — an “earthy” powdery root, with moss — woodland compositions, with rose — a “rose in the garden after rain”, with woods — natural autumnal fragrances.
Good to know: the smell of earth after rain has its own name — petrichor; scientists coined the word in the 1960s while studying why dry soil smells like that after the first drops.
