An entrancing note of suave, floral facets. Ylang-ylang blends beautifully in floral bouquets—adding an ethereal nuance that is both spicy and quintessentially modern. A generous dose of salicylates gives ylang-ylang its exotic solar scent, and its molecular structure is intriguingly similar to both jasmine and tuberose.

Best paired with violet or intoxicating mimosa, iris is a somewhat subtle, soft and sensual note. A high-brow note reserved for only the finest accords perfumery has to offer, iris is renowned for its steep price tag. In fact, iris could well be the priciest ingredient in a perfumer’s arsenal. And for good reason: its floral, powdery facets lend an unmatched elegance and air to fragrances. Iris imbues a scent with gorgeous melancholy- its “wet sidewalk in the rain” scent imparts a sense of nostalgia and depth to a floral perfume. The aroma of iris is similar to violets, only not as sweet - it’s full-bodied, powdery, and plush with a slightly mineral/metallic accent. Iris is at its best in demure, thoughtful florals where its mesmerizing intimacy is featured alongside violet, peony, rose, jasmine, and soft spicy notes.

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. It’s a woody and ambery note with a pervasive warmth that is both velvety-smooth and decadently creamy. Sandalwood’s mystical scent is found everywhere in perfumery. It’s luxurious, milky, tangy, and caramel-sweet aroma infuses a fragrance with deep, exotic accents. Sandalwood can also appear bright and bone-dry, and display its arid, woody side in a gorgeous and austere perfume. Sandalwood’s depth of tone and smooth, polished texture adds elegance, refinement, and mystery to any perfume - it can mimic vanilla’s deliciously sweet, butter-fat heaviness, or fade into cedar’s sharp and bitter feel. It’s also a fantastic and evocative scent on it’s own as well as in a blended fragrance. Sandalwood’s tastefully exotic lusciousness is wearable year-round by either sex, and you could spend a lifetime sampling all the different ways it can be used in perfumery.

Jasmine is the ultimate aphrodisiac in perfume. It is the most intimate, sexy, gorgeous, and sensually appetizing of all the major white floral notes. Jasmine’s buttery, silky, vanilla-and-heated skin aroma is found everywhere in perfume, in both men’s and women’s scents. It’s incredible versatility is hard to match: it can soar on its own, or be artfully blended into the background, to provide a dangerous growl to an simple, demure floral bouquet. It’s also one of the most popular notes, especially in women’s perfume, so if you enjoy jasmine’s torrid sensuality, you can build a devastating fragrance collection in no time.