The fragrance of ginger is distinctly fresh and spicy, offering a sparkling top note to complex accords. Used across both men’s and women’s scents, ginger is an unmistakably zesty note that evokes a sort of olfactory duality: bitingly light and lemony, yet deeply pungent and peppery.

Bergamot’s sheer, dry, citrusy feel is one of the most popular perfume notes, especially in mens’ cologne. It’s a Mediterranean fruit grown mainly in Calabria, Italy, and its aroma and taste is slightly between grapefruit and orange. Bergamot is a year-round pleasure to wear, and will blend well with any other note, making bergamot fragrances versatile and a sophisticated option for citrus fragrance fans.

This spicy top note adds a layered vibrancy to complex accords. As a first impression, cardamom feels fresh and airy, but soon shifts to reveal a warmth that is both sweet and woody. Often likened to the aromatic effects of citrus notes, cardamom can be revitalizing with its zestful kick. Cardamom is particularly well suited to woody, chypre and ambery fragrance families.

Benzoin’s sensual, enveloping, vanilla-like sweetness is a popular feature in perfumery, especially in gourmand compositions. It’s a resin secreted by the Styrax plant, a type of shrub native to Southeastern Asia and South America. The Ancient Egyptians and Greeks used it for its disinfectant properties, and oftentimes in religious ceremonies. It is a base note that’s used to bind other notes together, thus creating a fragrance that oozes warmth and sultriness. Benzoin offers distinctly rich scents of woody, sweet vanilla. Its layered composition unfolds in warm, honeyed facets not dissimilar to caramel, almond or freshly roasted coffee. Subtle floral notes awaken slight nuances of carnations in soft, wispy or even powdery tones. Benzoin is renowned for its qualities as a perfume fixative, providing a fullness and warmth to compositions with its round, buttery-smooth tones. Benzoin can most commonly be found in ambery or gourmand accords.