Patchouli is a deeply spiced, thickly herbal and immediately recognizable note - it’s “dirty hippie” reputation doesn’t do it justice. Patchouli’s scent lies somewhere between cumin’s sharp and acrid tang and nutmeg’s smooth, sweet warmth, and it can carry a fragrance or blend easily with other, spicier notes. It is ideal in heated, spicy perfumes that feature leather, smoke, resins, and lighter aromatic notes like lavender and geranium. Patchouli’s exotic strength can be an acquired taste in perfume, but it’s many moods and blends make it an endlessly fascinating note to explore in the spicy end of the scent spectrum.

Mint’s bracing, fresh, and sweet spice energizes perfume with its healthy, palate-cleansing bite. It’s snowy cool edge sharpens sweeter citrus notes, and provides an excellent contrast for heated spices like cardamom, pepper, and coriander. Mint is similar to lavender’s fresh, breathtakingly clean scent, but stays very cool and isn’t as soapy or herbal as lavender can be. It’s sharp, green, mentholated energy is a perfect accent to winter’s chill, and offers sweet relief from heavy and humid summers.

Oakmoss is all about deep, musty, green, earth tones. It’s aroma is already in the name; you can picture dark green mosses climbing up the base of an old oak tree, with a spongy, rich, vital green scent wafting up from the forest floor. Oakmoss in perfume is a mainstay of men’s colognes, and its rich, moist, green fern-like scent pairs marvelously with other earthy notes like vetiver, leather, tobacco, and aromatic spice. Oakmoss is definitely more for the fall/winter seasons rather than spring or summer - it’s heavier texture isn’t suited for hot weather wear.

An aromatic and deeply camphorous note used in masculine scents, most notably in eaux de toilettes and toiletries. It’s herbaceous and fresh, with woody undertones that evoke the fresh scent of incense oil.