Fragrance Note Glossary
Deepen your understanding of scent with our fragrance note glossary. Discover the origins, nuances, and profiles of the notes that describe fragrances. Get ready to elevate your candle scent game and impress your friends (maybe?) with your newfound knowledge!
A B C D E F G H I J K L M
N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
L
lavender
Description:
aromatic, floral, herbaceous, fruity, woody, balsamic
Olfactive Profile:
Lavender has a fresh, slightly fruity, herbaceous floral quality with woody camphorous accents. Its soft balsamic and hay-like coumarin notes create an intense roundness.
Facts:
Bees and butterflies love lavender as much as we do! Lavender's nectar-rich flowers provide an important food source for pollinators. This fragrance flower is such a draw for pollinators that it's used to help increase crop yields in nearby gardens!
leather
Description:
woody, earthy, aromatic, natural, smoky, velvety
Olfactive Profile:
Leather has a smoky, velvety, and woody scent that adds a warm "second skin" effect to fragrances.
Facts:
We can actually attribute many qualities of leather's scent to the perfumery materials used during the tanning process. Woods like cedar and birch, smoky resins like styrax and labdanum, and patchouli and vetiver were often used to turn the unpleasant scent of freshly tanned natural leather into a more agreeable aroma.
lemon
Description:
citrus, bright, clean, sharp, fresh, acidic
Olfactive Profile:
Fresh and fruity, lemon notes add a juicy, sharp citrus quality that brightens and uplifts.
Facts:
Lemon oil became one of the most popular ways to mask unpleasant odors during the Victorian era, when cleanliness and hygiene were highly valued. People grew so fond of lemon's fresh, clean scent that some even carried a vial of lemon oil to freshen up throughout the day, and it was widely used in cleaning products and air fresheners.
lemon peel
Description:
citrus, zesty, bitter, bright
Olfactive Profile:
Lemon peel is slightly bitter and tangy. In comparison to lemon notes, lemon peel is less sharp and more reflective of the flavor of lemon without its acidic bite.
Facts:
Lemon peel is used in a variety of culinary dishes, from sweet to savory, often in the form of lemon zest. Its citrusy quality helps balance and add brightness to more decadent flavors like cream-based pasta dishes or desserts.
lemon verbena
Description:
aromatic, citrus, fruity, green, leafy
Olfactive Profile:
A fresh aromatic note boosted by citrus tones, lemon verbena's uplifting green character is reminiscent of lemongrass and punctuated by fruity and spicy ginger-like facets.
Facts:
Lemon verbena was a favorite herb of Julia Child, the famous French chef. She often used it in her cooking and featured it in various recipes.
lemongrass
Description:
citrus, smoked, spicy, herbaceous, green, camphorated
Olfactive Profile:
Lemongrass has a citrusy quality similar to lemon, but its undertone is herbaceous and camphorous.
Facts:
Lemongrass is a perennial plant belonging to the Poaceae family, one of the world's most economically significant plant families. You may be familiar with Poaceae species like wheat, rice, corn, and oats, used for their edible seeds. However, lemongrass is one of the few plants in this family used for its flavorful, fragrance stalks.
light musk
Description:
animalic, clean, comfortable, long-lasting, powdery, round, sexy, soft
Olfactive Profile:
While still animalic and sensual, light musk notes feature a more clean and powdery profile than dark musk. (see musk)
Facts:
Light musk is often called a "skin scent" because it mimics the soft scent of clean skin. Slightly sweet and powdery, light musk is often subtle, romantic, and sensual.
lilac
Description:
floral, powdery, green, heliotrope, sweet, strong, fresh
Olfactive Profile:
A rich floral with powdery and green notes.
Facts:
The common lilac (Syringa vulgaris) originated in Eastern Europe. This species and its hybrids were so frequently grown and selected by French nurseries that France became synonymous with fine lilacs, now known as French hybrids.
lily
Description:
floral, fresh, green, sweet, bright
Olfactive Profile:
A spicy white floral note with sweet undertones.
Facts:
In ancient Greek mythology, lilies were associated with purity and innocence and are said to have sprung from the milk of the goddess Hera.
lily of the valley
Description:
fresh, light, watery, floral, jasmine, crisp, green
Olfactive Profile:
Lily of the Valley is a delicate white floral note with watery and green qualities.
Facts:
Lily of the Valley is often associated with the month of May and is sometimes called the "May Lily" or the "May Bells." It typically blooms in late spring and has been used to symbolize the renewal and new beginnings associated with the season.
lime
Description:
citrus, green, acid, bitter
Olfactive Profile:
Sparkling and uplifting, lime is a green citrus note with an acidic and bitter citrus profile and deep earthy undertones.
Facts:
Limes were originally grown in Southeast Asia and brought to Mexico by Spanish explorers in the 16th century. They quickly became a staple of Mexican cuisine and are now widely grown and consumed throughout the country.
linen
Description:
aromatic, clean, crisp, fresh, laundry, warm, soft
Olfactive Profile:
Fresh linen is a clean, fresh scent reminiscent of crisp sheets and the smell of laundry drying in the sun.
Facts:
The classic linen scent is an ode to when people washed their clothes by hand and then hung them outside to dry. The scent of clean, sun-dried laundry became synonymous with freshness and cleanliness. The first linen fragrances were developed to capture and recreate this scent in the home, even if the laundry wasn't hung outside to dry.