Somewhere between a blackberry, a strawberry, and a blackcurrant: the raspberry note has a decidedly berry-like nuance. It’s sweet as candy, and yet has a rather soft effect. This fruity note is most often found in feminine fragrances. Raspberry’s bright red, sugary smile is best in feminine scents, where it’s vivid juiciness can play off against heavy, full florals or warm spices like pink pepper, basil, etc. Raspberry is also a fantastic note in gourmand perfumes, as it naturally heightens anything with chocolate, caramel, vanilla, or coffee notes. Raspberry blends in best with other berry fruits like blackberry, strawberry, etc, but it can also shine as a contrast to green, dewy notes and earthier vetiver and oakmoss. Raspberry fragrances are just the ticket for spring and summer, and if they’re blended with aromatic spices, a lovely fall option as well.

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.

Sweet and strong, gourmand and bitter, soft, spicy and warm, with some animalic facets. Vanilla is one of the most popular and sought-after notes in perfume. It’s simple, spicy, sweetness is a powerful aphrodisiac, and it blends wonderfully with any other note. The range of vanilla accents is deep, ranging from light, filigreed frosting to plush, heavy, smoky syrup. It’s natural spiciness allows vanilla to pair well with not only other sweet, dessert notes but also exotic additions like suede, patchouli, yuzu, or litchee fruit, gardenia and tuberose. What’s best about vanilla perfumes is that they are always appropriate no matter the season, and transition instantly from light day wear to ultra-sensual late-night looks. Vanilla perfumes are a must in any collection, and the variety available will allow years of happy sampling. For those seeking the finest, spiciest style in vanilla scent - start by trying Madagascar vanilla first.

Blackcurrant