Spice notes in perfume come in a wide range of aromas, temperatures, and moods. From piquant, nose-wrinkling sea salt and pink or black pepper, to the cuddly warmth of patchouli and nutmeg - spices in perfume are fantastic in any composition. A dash of pink pepper alone can make sweet citrus scents crackle with exotic liveliness, or create sensual drama in a demure white floral perfume. Spices are also great extenders for the length and power of a fragrance - their natural fiery personalities keep things interesting far longer than simple citrus or airy floral notes can manage on their own. Spicy perfumes can be worn any time you like, and pair especially well with passing seasons. Think warm, cozy notes like nutmeg, basil, and patchouli for fall, and save the heavier spices like black pepper, gunpowder, and coriander for the winter months. Summer is THE season to break out your gourmand collection with extra spice added - chocolate and sea salt are an ideal beach perfume idea.

Bergamot’s sheer, dry, citrusy feel is one of the most popular perfume notes, especially in mens’ cologne. It’s a Mediterranean fruit grown mainly in Calabria, Italy, and its aroma and taste is slightly between grapefruit and orange. Bergamot is a year-round pleasure to wear, and will blend well with any other note, making bergamot fragrances versatile and a sophisticated option for citrus fragrance fans.

An intoxicatingly sweet scent of many facets: velvety, smoky, balsamic and whisperingly reminiscent of tobacco. Tonka bean is an excellent fixative, extending its milky-smooth facets to mix and meld notes in complex accords. A powerful, sensual scent that is often likened to vanilla. Tonka beans are tiny, shriveled, black seeds from the Tonka tree found in Central and South America. Their slightly sweet, vanillic, and smoky hay scent adds a spicy, gourmand edge to a fragrance. Tonka beans work best in spicy and sweet scents featuring similar notes: clove, vanilla, heliotrope, bitter almonds, labdanum, cinnamon, etc. Their vanilla and hay-like scent is ideal for fall or winter, but usually blends well enough to wear any time you need a little sweet, warm spice to liven up the citrus or wood notes in a fragrance.

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.