Pepper is a fleeting ingredient that adds a lively warmth to fragrances that melts into the top and middle notes. It is typically spicy and fresh, with deep, woody facets. It is both fresh and warm, engaging notes with an evocative undertone. A note of dry, spicy-warm intensity. Once known as black gold, black pepper was so valued in the Middle Ages, it was actually used as currency. Renowned for its hot, tongue-pinching taste and warm, spicy aroma, black pepper gives an interesting kick to fragrances, creating an offbeat vibe while grounding the composition.

Intense, piquant, and oh-so-fresh, pink pepper adds an unmatchable spiciness to accords, and is often used in fine perfumery. The nose-tingling crispness of pink peppercorns is only matched by its unique fruity facets—sometimes described as being citrus-like.

A must-have in any perfumer’s arsenal, sandalwood forms the base note of countless fragrance compositions. Its milky, suave facets make for a deliciously blendable fixative that has inspired perfumers for millennia. Australian sandalwood offers a woody and ambery note with a pervasive warmth with a rich spiciness and fresh milkiness. Rich and lingering, the coveted note of sandalwood has its origins as an evergreen tree with richly fragrant heartwood. While there are many varieties of the sandalwood tree, only a select few make it into the world of perfumery: Santalum album, Santalum spicatum, and Santalum australedonicum. Its essential oil is obtained through a process of distillation after the wood and roots are dried and reduced to chips or powder.