Spices were discovered long ago as an aid in food preservation and flavor. Naturally, people began to think that the aromas of spices could be used to provide scents for the air and their persons. Spices began to be used for perfumes in Egypt and the Middle and Far East first, as Europe had no source for them with few exceptions, before the era of the Crusades opened up routes for trading.

Cardamom, often called “The Queen of Spices”, is grown for the most part in southern India, a fruit of the ginger family. Its cool fragrance is slightly sweet and reminiscent of oranges with a touch of ginger. It compliments other scents very well, toning down the more aggressive ones while accentuating aromas that aren’t so strong. Omnia by Bulgari uses cardamom along with saffron, black pepper (“The King of Spices”), Indian wood, mandarin and white chocolate to create a rich, light perfume with Oriental overtones that women love to wear, much to the delight of the men around them. 

Thyme is another popular spice used in perfume, usually as a top note that creates a first impression or a middle note that evolves as the perfume mellows from the warmth of the skin. Thyme’s light, fresh aroma perfectly compliments the orange blossom, vanilla and citrus in Gucci by Gucci. If you wonder how essence of thyme smells, you can reach for your spice rack to get an idea; it’s probably there with others you use in everyday cooking. 

Spices are also widely used in men’s perfume products. For example, Lapidus by Ted Lapidus perfumers uses a blend of spices combined with woods, lavender and amber to convey a sense of strong sophistication and individuality backed by warm and earthy power undertones. 

Nutmeg, the seed of evergreen tree that grow in Southeast Asia and other tropical climates, is processed by steam distillation after it is ground up. It is said that in England a few centuries ago, it was such a valuable spice that being able to obtain and sell a few nutmeg nuts would assure lifetime financial independence! Nutmeg is a perfect compliment to perfume formulas that contain wood tones or florals and provides freshness to the blend as well as a faint rich sweetness. 

Spices each have such varied fragrances that they are used to convey emotions as well as mental landscapes. The aromas of the most frequently used spices are those that many of us have smelled all our lives in our everyday food or in sachets used to freshen our closet and even the household cleaners our mothers used! It’s no wonder that perfumes containing spices are invariably pleasant and makes us feel sentimental as well as intrigued.

Tim Walt

Patchouli, originally native to Asia, is now cultivated in tropical areas throughout the world. 
A bushy herb of the mint family and distantly related to lavender and
rosemary, it is reluctant to flower and is propagated by cuttings. 
Patchouli rocketed to popularity during the hippie movement of the 60’s
when people began challenging traditional ideas. 
Trying different scents that weren’t widely accepted or even known
about was par for the course in that particular era. 
Once Patchouli caught on, however, it eventually became a common
ingredient in perfumes, soaps and incense.  Its
rich exotic scent reminds one of earth and wood, making it a popular ingredient
in perfume. 

 BOGART
POUR HOMME BY JACQUES BOGART(MEN) – Price : $21.02

Patchouli is also very useful to
perfumers as a fixative that blends well with other ingredients, substantially
slowing their evaporation and allowing the scent to last longer. 
It is usually harvested by steam distillation and has very good yields,
the leaves producing 3.5% of their weight in oil. 
Patchouli leaves are said to be best if processed as quickly as possible
after harvesting but some producers prefer to bale dried leaves and allow them
to ferment a bit to encourage their earthy scent. 
Aging is an important part of processing the leaves, as they have a
rather harsh aroma when first picked.  The
oil mellows with time, becoming sweeter and richer-much as fine wine does as it
ages. 

 

Both men’s and women’s perfumes use
patchouli for its rich, warm fragrance redolent of nature and sunshine. 
High quality oil is demanded by the best perfumers; patchouli that has
been altered by additives to stretch its quantity has a cedar wood or clove-like
scent and its fixative powers are severely impeded. 
The best patchouli oil is fruity, sophisticated and has a wine-like
richness. 

 CRISTALLE
BY CHANEL – Price : $44.95

Patchouli is ideal for men and women who
like to wear fresh scents inspired by nature. 
Bogart Pour Homme by Jacques Bogart, a men’s cologne first marketed in
2004, uses patchouli as a base to preserve and compliment its other notes of
vanilla, bergamot and water lily tempered by tonka bean. 
Cristalle, a women’s fragrance by Chanel, combines patchouli with rose
and amber with an aldehyde fixative for a fresh scent of summer days full of
sunshine and cool, breezy evenings with a hint of dew. 
As you can see, patchouli is very versatile and allows other components
to shine while subtly lending its own unique and earthy bouquet to the formula.  

 

Tim Walt