Cypress
Michael Payne Michael Payne

Cypress

Born in the Permian period millions of years ago, Cypress can grow over 65 feet tall and live for over 500 years. A dual symbol of both immortality for their own longevity, and that of mourning and the afterlife. It’s said that Cyparissus was turned into a cypress tree by Apollo after begging that his grief for his pet stag might last forever. Perfumers reach for the Oil or absolute to give an ozonic, woody freshness to blends.

Read More
Pink Pepper
Michael Payne Michael Payne

Pink Pepper

Pink pepper comes from Schinus molle and Schinus terebinthifolius, South American trees whose berries carry a bright, terpene-rich volatility which makes their scent profile closer to citrus than to true pepper (Piper nigrum).

Read More
Agarwood/Oud
Michael Payne Michael Payne

Agarwood/Oud

Agarwood or Oud is one of the rarest and most expensive raw materials on the planet. But how much do you really know about the tree beyond the fluff marketing that’s just selling FOMO? Let’s dive into some of the lesser-known points and what actually makes it smell the way it does.

Read More
Mimosa Blueprint
Michael Payne Michael Payne

Mimosa Blueprint

Cabris, France, is world-renowned for hillsides awash with Acacia, producing what we know and love, Mimosa, the puffball flowers from the tree.

While many would assume they were native to the region, it was actually English navigator James Cook, who brought branches back from Australia for propagation.

The Blueprint for Mimosa here breaks down what gives it that soft, powdery sweet scent and how it's produced for perfumery.

Read More
Galbanum Blueprint
Michael Payne Michael Payne

Galbanum Blueprint

While galbanum comes in resinoid and absolute forms, the rarer, highly coveted essential oil is most prized in high-end perfumery.

Only growing naturally on the slopes of the Alborz and Zagros mountain ranges in Iran, where the resin is collected from cuts in the stalk just below the surface of the ground.

What molecules contribute to its sharp green scent? Let's check the blueprint.

Read More