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.

Rum

A wintry scent of warmth and wonder. A unique combination of warm, fresh, spicy facets intermingle in a charming scent that is mostly used to add hints of spiciness to complex accords. Its soft, aromatic facets add an air of charm to Eaux de Cologne and Eaux de toilettes for men, as well as a myriad of ambery fragrances. Nutmeg is one of the warmest, coziest spices in perfume. It has all the presence of coriander, saffron, and cardamom, with none of their waxy heat. Instead, nutmeg has a round, dry, welcoming warmth that plays well with other spices and adds depth to bright citrus scents. It’s approachable texture makes it an easy note to identify and enjoy if you’re just now getting into aromatic fragrances. Nutmeg’s crisp yet casual appeal is a fantastic springboard into spicier scents, and it will display its charms best in the fall months, and on into winter.

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.