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Design a Wood Fragrance

Hey all--I've been trying amateur perfumery for a while now but need a break from the thing I've been working on. So I figured I'd ask what you'd like in a woods-based scent. Go crazy. The only caveats are:

  1. Please keep in mind that several popular notes are misleading in that the actual plant doesn't produce any EO (oak wood, lilac, etc.)
  2. No Agarswood/Oud or Santalum Album (other sandalwoods okay.)

I wish #2 wasn't a reality, but someday, someday....

I'll add any isolates or synthetics I think will help the naturals without dominating them. If we come up with something nice, maybe I can send samples around to those interested.
 
I would love something that smells just like Cade splash but a bit in a stronger concentration with a bit more cardamom.
 
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Spanish Cedar (The Cedrela genus), and tobacco (if you're extracting your own EO, use a strong "maduro" cigar such as a Camacho Triple Maduro). A cologne that smells like my humidor would be amazing.
 
What about...

Top: Black pepper, sweet orange
Middle: A dark, non-powdery rose(this might be off-limits due to cost... maybe a geranium/rose blend?), tobacco, perhaps a tiny dash of cloves?
Base: One of the leathery, pungent Australian sandalwoods on the market, white cedar, labdanum, and a slightly dirty musk.

That might be really neat...

EDIT: Though in fairness it's not a 'wood fragrance' per se. Still. Seems like it'd smell neat.
 
Walking through a Redwood Forest is an amazing sensory experience. If you could capture that smell in a aftershave or Shaving Soap it would be remarkable.
 
Spanish Cedar (The Cedrela genus), and tobacco (if you're extracting your own EO, use a strong "maduro" cigar such as a Camacho Triple Maduro). A cologne that smells like my humidor would be amazing.

Try Odori Tabacco (more of a pipe tobacco) or SMN Acqua di Cuba (cigar tobacco). They definitely give that humidor feeling when layered over Castle Forbes cedar/sandalwood asb which smells identical to fresh cedar carvings. A divine experience!
 
I would love something that smells just like Cade splash but a bit in a stronger concentration with a bit more cardamom.

I knew X. would be ready with this one. I hear you brother.

Spanish Cedar (The Cedrela genus), and tobacco (if you're extracting your own EO, use a strong "maduro" cigar such as a Camacho Triple Maduro). A cologne that smells like my humidor would be amazing.

This sounds great, but I don't know a source for Spanish Cedar EO (Cedrela odorata.) If anyone does know a source I'd love to check them out. I've wanted to try this one a while now.

Hmmm...it might be possible to get a decent scent from a tincture though.

FYI I do have an absolute from the regular blonde tobacco.

What about...

Top: Black pepper, sweet orange
Middle: A dark, non-powdery rose(this might be off-limits due to cost... maybe a geranium/rose blend?), tobacco, perhaps a tiny dash of cloves?
Base: One of the leathery, pungent Australian sandalwoods on the market, white cedar, labdanum, and a slightly dirty musk.

White cedar meaning Eastern Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis) or Japanese Hinoki?

Thanks for the suggestions fellas. Feel free to keep them coming.
 
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I've always wanted something that really captures the scent of autumn in Connecticut, in the woods. If I could do it, I think it would go something like this -

Top: Lemon, Red Clover
Middle: White Birch, Geranium, Rose, Violet
Base: Incense, Oakmoss


...
 
Hey all--I've been trying amateur perfumery for a while now but need a break from the thing I've been working on. So I figured I'd ask what you'd like in a woods-based scent. Go crazy. The only caveats are:

  1. Please keep in mind that several popular notes are misleading in that the actual plant doesn't produce any EO (oak wood, lilac, etc.)
  2. No Agarswood/Oud or Santalum Album (other sandalwoods okay.)

I wish #2 wasn't a reality, but someday, someday....

I'll add any isolates or synthetics I think will help the naturals without dominating them. If we come up with something nice, maybe I can send samples around to those interested.

Cedar, Hinoki, A hint of Patchouli, Shiso, Cardamom, Yuzu, Ginger

Or for more woods and less oriental:

Cedar, Patchouli, Juniper, Black Pepper, Lemon, Sage
 
I knew X. would be ready with this one. I hear you brother.



This sounds great, but I don't know a source for Spanish Cedar EO (Cedrela odorata.) If anyone does know a source I'd love to check them out. I've wanted to try this one a while now.

Hmmm...it might be possible to get a decent scent from a tincture though.

FYI I do have an absolute from the regular blonde tobacco.



White cedar meaning Eastern Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis) or Japanese Hinoki?

Thanks for the suggestions fellas. Feel free to keep them coming.

Hm! I wasn't aware of a difference. Let's say Eastern Arborvitae; I'm guessing that's the more common in perfumery/what I think of when I think white cedar.
 
From Sweden with love!

I love walnut (maybe not the trunk, but surely the nut).

Then, for a fragrant trunk, juniper (Juniperus communis) has a very, very nice, warm tone that would suit as a base or perhaps, daringly, as the only smell. I'm not so sure it would feel funky with walnut, but it we don't try it, we won't know.

Good luck to you!

:eek:)
Perkus
 
Maybe an oakmoss base tone with some white cedar (Eastern Arborvitae), purple clover and sage. I'd like to mix a scent in there from a more traditional hardwood, but don't know what.

What I'm shooting for with this is the smell of a walk in the woods after a rain.

I'd try it and I'd probably love it!
 
I'm definitely with the forest group:

Top: Juniper berry, Lemon leaves
Middle: Oleander, Violet, Fig leaves, Iris
Bottom: Ambergris, Cedarwood (or Cypress wood), Haitian Vetiver

:lol:
 
Maybe an oakmoss base tone with some white cedar (Eastern Arborvitae), purple clover and sage. I'd like to mix a scent in there from a more traditional hardwood, but don't know what.

What I'm shooting for with this is the smell of a walk in the woods after a rain.

I'd try it and I'd probably love it!

You could even add patchoulli.
 
I was thinking this morning about a Soutwestern U.S. wood/incense fragrance. I have very fond memories of time spent in Arizona, and used to get some wonderful incense made from piñon (or pinyon pine), sage and sweetgrass. Perhaps some variety of southwestern juniper would mix well. Maybe a touch of pure tobacco.
 
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Much appreciated. I think I can take all the suggestions + come up with something.

Just FYI, some of the big fragrance houses are bad for listing notes that are, in real life, unsafe. This doesn't mean they're actually using dangerous ingredients, more likely they're using a combination of synthetics to "recreate" oleander, cade, white cedarleaf, etc. I'm not a total purist about naturals so I think I can work around some of this, depending on what's available.
 
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