Frequently asked questions
What are the different types of woody notes?
Woods can be creamy, dry, smoky, warm, polished, or almost damp and earthy, so there’s an incredible amount you can do with them,” Saint-Ford shares. “They also have this quiet confidence; they don’t necessarily need sweetness or huge projection to have presence.” If you’re curious about the genre, Saint-Ford recommends starting with sandalwood scents. “It has this beautiful creamy, almost velvety quality, so it doesn’t immediately read as a traditional heavy woody fragrance,” the perfumer explains. “It works beautifully with vanilla, florals, musks, and even fruits, which makes it a really easy doorway into the woody family.”
Do woody scents last longer?
Woody fragrances do have a more robust longevity than some other fragrances, namely lighter scents like citrus. This is due to their “heavier, less volatile molecules,” explains Saint-Ford; these molecules evaporate more slowly than citrus. This is also why woods are often used at the base of a fragrance, he says. “They anchor everything and can remain on the skin long after the top notes disappear.”
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