Woody, citrus, fig. Those three words are my entire taste in perfume. I love the smell of grass, the smell of forests, and the scents of nature carried on a cool breeze. After years of wearing perfume, I went around and around and ended up right here. This post is a guide for people with taste like mine, to refer to when choosing their next perfume.
These are the scents I love
To put it in one line, I love "scents you can find in nature." Here's what that means in detail.
The scent of grass and forest. The fresh, green smell that rises when you walk through a meadow after the rain, the scent of wood and moss drifting on the wind along a forest trail. When I meet scents like these, I feel myself unwind. In perfume, these come through as woody and green notes like vetiver, moss, cedarwood, and sandalwood.
Refreshing citrus. When citrus like bergamot, lemon, or mandarin sits at the top, it feels like the start of a new day. But citrus alone fades fast, so my favorite composition is citrus layered over a woody or herbal base.
The freshness of fig leaves. Fig isn't just the sweetness of the fruit. It's a complex scent that includes the green notes of the leaves and the dry scent of the branches. The first time I smelled a fig fragrance, I was genuinely surprised: "This scent existed all along?"
If these three have something in common, it's that they all come from nature. Not something artificial or chemical, but a scent that seems to brush past the tip of your nose when you step outside.
Scents I can't wear
On the other hand, heavy or sweet scents just don't agree with me. Oriental fragrances heavy on amber, or gourmand fragrances dominated by vanilla and caramel, give me a headache and make me feel queasy when I smell them for a while.
It's not that the scents themselves are bad; they just don't seem to suit my body. So I've developed a habit of checking the base notes first when I choose a perfume. No matter how fresh the top notes are, if there are heavy ingredients in the base, it becomes too much as time goes on.
If you've had a similar experience, avoiding the following keywords when choosing a perfume will lower your chances of a miss.
- When amber, vanilla, caramel, or tonka bean is in the base
- When it's classified as "oriental," "gourmand," or "spicy amber"
- When there are many reviews saying it's "powdery" or "the sweet drydown lasts a long time"
How can you find a perfume that suits your taste?
Filtering by note keywords is the fastest and most accurate way. The scents that draw you in change with your mood and situation, and if you choose perfume by dividing it into three broad moods, you'll miss less often.
When you miss the forest and the trees
Look for perfumes centered on vetiver, moss, cedarwood, and sandalwood. Woody scents don't get old over time, and while they suit fall and winter especially well, many are easy to wear all year round. In this mood, I reach for LOEWE ESENCIA EDP or Acqua di Parma Quercia.
When you need some fresh air
Perfumes with bergamot, mint, and herbal notes at the top are lovely. They suit spring and summer, and they help when you need a change of mood or need to focus. Acqua di Parma Mirto di Panarea, LOEWE Aire Sutileza, and Diptyque Eau de Minthé belong in this category.
When you want to lie down in a meadow
Look for perfumes with fig leaf and green notes. The key is to choose ones that lean into the fresh side of leaves and stems rather than the sweetness of the fruit. Diptyque Philosykos and Acqua di Parma Fico di Amalfi are the classics.
If your taste is similar, try choosing like this
If you looked at the list above and thought, "I love scents like these too," these criteria should help when you choose a perfume.
Filter by note keywords. Search fragrance information sites for keywords like vetiver, cedarwood, moss, fig leaf, and bergamot, and you'll quickly find perfumes that suit your taste. On the other hand, be careful when amber, vanilla, or tonka bean is in the base, since it may be heavy.
Ignore the "gender" frame. I've been told at a store, "This one's a men's fragrance," but if you smell it and love it, it's your perfume. There's no reason to put a gender on a beautiful scent.
Wait 30 minutes after testing. Woody and green scents in particular reveal their real charm after the citrus in the top notes fades. Spray it on your skin, not a test strip, and decide only after you've experienced the middle notes.
Start with one brand and branch out. If one brand's scent suits you, there's a good chance other lines from the same brand will too. When you find a perfume you love in a store, try the brand's other lines as well.
Frequently asked questions
What is a woody perfume?
A woody perfume is built around wood- and forest-related ingredients such as cedarwood, sandalwood, vetiver, and moss. It's known for a calm, deep scent that evokes a natural forest, and many are genderless, easy for anyone to wear.
What should I keep in mind when testing perfume?
It's important to spray it directly on your skin rather than a test strip, wait at least 30 minutes, and experience the middle and base notes too. If you judge by the top notes alone, it may feel very different when you actually wear it. Woody scents in particular often reveal their charm over time, so give them enough time.
Is fig perfume a sweet scent?
Fig perfume doesn't just express the sweetness of the fruit. It's a complex scent that includes the fresh green notes of fig leaves and the dry woody notes of the branches. If you choose a green-leaning fig perfume, natural freshness comes through more than sweetness.
If your taste is similar, you might also enjoy my LOEWE ESENCIA EDP review. I'd love for you to browse Na's Bag's other posts too.