Sage
16 fragrances with this note
Part of accords: Fougère, Aromatic, Fresh aromatic, Green herbal, Herbal
- Latin name
- Salvia officinalis (Dalmatian sage), Salvia lavandulifolia (Spanish sage)
- Family
- Mint family (Lamiaceae)
- Origin
- the Balkans (Croatia, Albania), Spain
- Parts used
- leaves
- Raw materials
- essential oil
- Extraction
- steam distillation of the leaves
- Olfactory group
- aromatic (herbal)
- Position in the pyramid
- top and heart
- Synthetic substitutes
- camphoraceous and herbal bases
Sage is a silvery-green Mediterranean subshrub with velvety leaves, familiar to everyone from the kitchen. For perfume the leaves of Dalmatian or Spanish sage are distilled.
How it smells: herbal, dry and spicy: camphoraceous freshness, a light bitterness, shades of eucalyptus and mountain herbs. Sage sounds cool and Mediterranean, adding cleanness and character to a fragrance.
Sage should not be confused with clary sage: the latter is softer, sweeter and more ambery, while common sage is sharper and more camphoraceous. Common sage oil contains thujone, so it is used in perfume in small doses.
What it pairs with: with lavender and rosemary — herbal Mediterranean compositions, with citrus — lively fresh ones, with sea salt — the “scent of the coast”, with vetiver and cedar — dry masculine scents, with amber — modern woody-herbal ones.
Good to know: the Latin name “salvia” comes from “salvare”, to save or preserve: in antiquity sage was considered one of the most valuable garden plants.
Fragrances with Sage
