How to choose the right perfume according to your favourite ingredients?

We explore some of the most common raw materials in perfumery to open up a world of possibilities for you to discover captivating perfumes.

Citrus notes give rise to the citrus olfactory family, but they are very frequent in the first notes of many fragrances, regardless of their classification, as they help to present the composition with a fresh and sparkling touch before giving way to other less volatile ingredients. When they star in a perfume, we are dealing with a citrus or hesperidic fragrance.


Lemon, orange, bergamot, grapefruit… are common citrus notes and bring different nuances, more acidic, sour or sweet, depending on the characteristics of the fruit itself and how the perfumer works with them. Today we focus on mandarin, a citrus fruit with a sweet touch whose essential oil has relaxing properties.


Mandarin essential oil is obtained from the skin and brings a soft, sunny and optimistic dimension to fragrances. In the top notes of the perfume it often feels sparkling and effervescent, while in the heart (middle notes of the perfume) it often adds a juicy, luminous nuance.

Warm, sweet and sensual, the amber family gives rise to enveloping fragrances with a strong trail. For this reason, ambered perfumes are very popular in winter, when the cold temperatures invite you to wrap yourself in warm, multi-faceted fragrances. However, it should be noted that ambered (oriental) perfumes are becoming increasingly fashionable, due to the sophistication of Western perfumery habits that have incorporated the Middle Eastern taste for highly fragrant raw materials such as incense, patchouli, benzoin and oud, among others.


The advance of molecular perfumery has resulted in richer and more complex olfactory scores that take on new facets. For example, thanks to coumarin - a molecule that reproduces the scent of tonka bean - we can enjoy vanilla, almond and caramelised accords in ambery fragrances. It also acts as an excellent fixative.

Perfumery's fascination with the rose dates back to ancient times. Already in ancient Persia and Rome it was highly valued for its beauty and fragrance and even for its medicinal properties.


Today, perfumers work with the Rosa Damascena (native to Bulgaria and today also found in Turkey, Morocco and India) and the Rosa Centifolia (found mainly in France and Tunisia). There is one more rose with perfumistic value, although it is still being studied and its fragrance is not yet used in perfumes. This is the Narcea Rose, an ancient rose, recovered in Asturias (Spain) and which we hope will be a revolution in perfumery.

Lavender is an aromatic plant with a fresh, herbaceous fragrance that has relaxing properties. It is another very versatile ingredient for fragrances and is therefore widely used in perfumery.


There is a variety of lavender, lavandin, which is also common in perfumery and can lead to confusion. Lavender and lavandin share a common family, but they are two different plants. Lavandin comes from the combination of two plants, one native to Spain, the common lavender, and the other to France, the lavender.


Differences between lavender and lavandin: the lavender plant only grows to a height of 60 cm, while lavandin grows to a height of 90 cm, lavandin has branches and not individual spikes like lavender, and lavender flowers are harvested earlier than lavandin because lavender flowers faster than lavandin.


Lavandin is noted for its hardiness and its yield of essential oils compared to lavender, which make it suitable for cultivation from sea level and more affordable. It has a rustic, herbaceous and fresh aroma, with hints of eucalyptus, while lavender is fruitier and more noble and is reserved for high perfumery because of its higher price.

The woody family introduces us to thick forests where we can recognise the scent of cedar, vetiver, patchouli and other noble woods that create a unique sensory experience.


Today we meet cedar, a tree that can live for more than 5000 years. Its longevity and endurance have led some cultures to consider it the home of the thunder god and the most sacred tree of all. Originally from the United States (Virginia Cedar) and Morocco (Atlas Cedar), in perfumery, cedar is a note that brings depth and warmth in connection with nature.


Since his first trip to Morocco in 1968, Serge Lutens has had the desire to dedicate a perfume to cedar. He materialised his idea some time later in the fragrance Feminité du Bois (in 1992 it appeared under the Shiseido brand and he later transferred it to the private collection of his own brand), one of his most revolutionary works, 60% wood!


The richness in nuances of woody fragrances is largely due to the use of two synthetic ingredients, Ambrox or Iso E Super, which give rise to deep and complex scents, capable of bringing warmth and texture to the fragrances. While Ambrox - a substitute for ambergris - provides a woody, slightly musky note and intensifies the warmth of the fragrances, giving them a timeless elegance, Iso E Super reproduces a soft woody note that adds depth to the fragrance.