Best paired with violet or intoxicating mimosa, iris is a somewhat subtle, soft and sensual note. A high-brow note reserved for only the finest accords perfumery has to offer, iris is renowned for its steep price tag. In fact, iris could well be the priciest ingredient in a perfumer’s arsenal. And for good reason: its floral, powdery facets lend an unmatched elegance and air to fragrances. Iris imbues a scent with gorgeous melancholy- its “wet sidewalk in the rain” scent imparts a sense of nostalgia and depth to a floral perfume. The aroma of iris is similar to violets, only not as sweet - it’s full-bodied, powdery, and plush with a slightly mineral/metallic accent. Iris is at its best in demure, thoughtful florals where its mesmerizing intimacy is featured alongside violet, peony, rose, jasmine, and soft spicy notes.

Reminiscent of the smoky embers of a wood fire, birch offers a blanket of warmth with distinctively leather-like notes. The tar-like, burnt leather facets of birch bark blend delectably in many masculine fragrances of woody notes, ferns and Chypres. Birch tar oil is commonly used in suede and leather tanning.

An entrancing note of suave, floral facets. Ylang-ylang blends beautifully in floral bouquets—adding an ethereal nuance that is both spicy and quintessentially modern. A generous dose of salicylates gives ylang-ylang its exotic solar scent, and its molecular structure is intriguingly similar to both jasmine and tuberose.

Jasmine is the ultimate aphrodisiac in perfume. It is the most intimate, sexy, gorgeous, and sensually appetizing of all the major white floral notes. Jasmine’s buttery, silky, vanilla-and-heated skin aroma is found everywhere in perfume, in both men’s and women’s scents. It’s incredible versatility is hard to match: it can soar on its own, or be artfully blended into the background, to provide a dangerous growl to an simple, demure floral bouquet. It’s also one of the most popular notes, especially in women’s perfume, so if you enjoy jasmine’s torrid sensuality, you can build a devastating fragrance collection in no time.