Lavender is one of the oldest, and most common perfume ingredients in the world. It’s gentlemanly, scrubbed, soapy/powdery feel is a staple of men’s colognes. Lavender has a slightly spicy edge as well, which makes it a universally blendable note in perfume. It can add a clean edge to aromatic or animalic scents, and deepen zesty citrus notes with its subtle, herbal facets. But most of all, lavender is associated with fresh, clean, pure, old-school elegance. It’s well-heeled sophistication is appropriate for any time of year, and it makes an excellent choice for either sex to wear casually or formally.

Vetiver is a profoundly earthy note with dry, woody facets that recall a soft, smoky warmth. It is an intense, grounding scent with surprising undertones of mildew and even grapefruit. For the perfume fan that loves the earthy smell of the woods, nothing beats vetiver. Vetiver is grass whose roots create a smoky, mossy, mineral scent when distilled. It is one of the most complex ingredients found in fragrance, with over 150 separate aromatic compounds, and it also acts as one of the best fixatives available to perfumers, which accounts for its frequent presence in fragrance. There’s also nothing quite like the scent of vetiver. It’s both immediate and ancient, with a similar smell to the soft earth of virgin forests.

Lemon’s zingy, zesty, sunshine-bright enthusiasm brings a happy, energetic feel to a fragrance. It’s an ideal note for summer wear, especially in the most humid weather. It’s also one of the freshest and most invigorating opening notes in a scent, and it pairs well with light floral and softly spiced fragrances. Lemon makes a fantastic office or workout scent, with it’s brisk acidity and puckery power. It is wearable day or night, but makes its best impression in fresh, light, effervescent perfumes meant for refreshing your senses.

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.