What's That Smell? OSMANTHUS

In the "What's That Smell?" series,  I'll explain some of the less obvious perfume notes that crop up in many indie perfumes. Keep in mind my descriptions and comparisons are based on my own experiences and your impressions may not be the same. Perfume notes are NOT ingredients. They can be natural essences, artificial isolated compounds that imitate the natural substance, blended accords, or a combination. Therefore, the note you like in one perfume may be unrecognizable in another. As with all sensory, subjective things, your mileage may vary.

Like heliotrope, osmanthus is a flower that doesn't have a traditional floral smell. In fact, osmanthus (sometimes referred to as tea olive) has a distinctive fruity aroma. It smells a lot like peach and apricot. Often, osmanthus is used to blend fruity and floral notes together in a sweet, natural way. Because it straddles the fruity/floral line, it can be used as a mixer to harmonize disparate notes, but it's characteristic and lush on its own when it takes on a starring role.

The scent profile of osmanthus has some very distinctive components, that when blended together, yield a really pleasant and easy-to-like aroma. It contains some of the white floral nuances of jasmine (accounting for its lushness), some creamy apricotty notes that give it a fruity feel, and a touch of a powdery violet-like scent which makes for an inoffensive floral twist. Imagine sliced apricots and peaches, swaddled in light whipped cream and a dusting of powdered sugar, and you have the essence of osmanthus.

Perfumes featuring osmanthus:

• Cocoa Pink Paper Butterfly: This spring-y fragrance is entirely dedicated to showcasing the distinctive osmanthus scent. Its light, white amber notes underscore the powdery nuances, and the musk and cream complement the silky sweetness. This is a truly enchanting, innocent scent that gives you a great idea of what perfumers love about the osmanthus flower. Please note this is a seasonal fragrance, and is only available in Spring/Summer.
• Solstice Scents Attic: Here, osmanthus attar is used very sparingly to give a hint of sweetness and coziness to a primarily-wood blend. The main components of this scent are cedar and sandalwood, so it's a powerful, hearty scent, but the vanilla and osmanthus add a touch of natural sweetness that pulls it back from being a true lumberjack scent. Unisex.
• Cocoa Pink Faded Memories: In this scent, osmanthus is heady and syrupy, like candied apricot. It mingles with the deep honeyed resin notes of copal and amber and dances with the sweet lush vanilla. It's not tamed or restrained, in fact it's pushed over the top into sweet and vibrant. This can be overpowering in large doses, but applied sparingly it has a wonderfully juicy and complex sweetness.