Iso E Super (Cedarwood Note)
3 fragrances with this note
- Origin
- a synthetic molecule (1973)
- Raw materials
- Iso E Super
- Extraction
- synthesis
- Olfactory group
- woody-amber
- Position in the pyramid
- heart and base
- Synthetic substitutes
- related woody-amber molecules
Iso E Super is a synthetic molecule created in 1973, one of the best-known and most widely used in modern perfumery. It goes into thousands of fragrances — from classics to the most modern niche creations.
How it smells: soft, velvety and airy: smooth cedarwood, a light amber shade, a faintly violet-like and powdery touch. Iso E Super sounds quiet and close to the skin, yet creates a noticeable trail around the wearer.
The molecule's special quality is that it “widens” other notes, making a fragrance fuller and seemingly glowing on the skin. That is why it is often called an amplifier of a composition rather than a note in its own right.
What it pairs with: practically everything: with vetiver and cedar — dry woody compositions, with iris — powdery wood, with incense — quiet resinous smoke, with citrus — fresh, transparent wood, with musk — a “second skin”.
Good to know: Iso E Super contains a small admixture of an isomer that smells thousands of times stronger than the main molecule — and it owes a large part of its scent to it.
