Alluring, sensual, enticing… Musk is well-known for its aphrodisiac powers. Perfumers play with a myriad of synthetic musks to fix, blend and mold ingredients in a number of intoxicating accords. These notes are clean and transparent—lending a velvety, skinny effect. Musk notes in perfume used to be processed from the actual musk glands of animals to impart a gamey, warm, and sensual texture. But this practice is illegal in modern times, and nowadays musk notes in fragrance are entirely synthetic. Musk’s tangy aroma can range from sheer, metallic and bright to very animalic and even as intimate as the scent of warm, damp, human skin. Musk adds a sultry, sensual feel to demure feminine scents, as well as making masculine notes like tobacco and leather vividly expressive in cologne. For perfume fans who enjoy the alluring scent of warm, clean, skin - musk is a must-have note in fragrance.

Playing the leading role in mysterious, sensual fragrances, mandarin orange commands attention with its subtly sweet, fruity, and citrusy scent that has a lingering floral undertone. Mandarin orange opens the compositions to announce a seductive gourmand fragrance or a vivacious citrus-led, aromatic-tinged cologne. When it comes to spicy fragrances, you’ll often find it in the company of nutmeg, cinnamon, and clove.

Heady and suave, orange blossom is an utterly bewitching scent. Flittering floral facets recall notes of jasmine—honeyed and sweet. Its citrus twist melts seamlessly in floral accords and adds a sparkle to fruity notes like apricot. The oil distilled from orange blossoms is considered an aphrodisiac, and the blossom itself has been a bridal symbol for many years. Orange blossoms are native to Southeast Asia, and grown all over the world - as well as being the state flower of Florida in the U.S. Orange blossom has a powdery, orange-citrusy, and very plush scent, like powdery orange suede. It is often used in fruity floral perfumes along with jasmine, rose, and other heavier floral notes. It’s part citrus, part floral scent is ideal in hotter weather, but tends to dissipate quickly in colder months.

Lily is one of the softest, and most feminine notes in perfume. Its dewy, transparent, and pale green tones add an ethereal, yet earthy touch to floral fragrances. Lily’s feathery, airy texture is best blended with other softer notes like linden blossom, peony, osmanthus, and violet. Scents featuring lily as a major note are tailor-made for the spring season. Its bouncy, emerald softness can add a lilting serenity to a youthful bouquet of white flowers. Light, crisp and green—lily of the valley is the epitome of spring. Its scent is delicate and endearing with facets of abundantly fresh, natural dimensions.