Coniferous notes in perfumery
Coralie Frébourg
A walk in the forest after the rain, a Christmas tree, pine needles crackling underfoot: coniferous notes, also called terpenic, smell of resin, freshness and the great outdoors. Popular in niche perfumery, they deserve a closer look.
What is a coniferous note?
Coniferous notes evoke needle trees: pine, fir, cypress, juniper… They are also called “terpenic”, after terpenes, the molecules responsible for their resinous smell.
Often associated with woody notes, they are not one of the six original olfactory families defined by the French Society of Perfumers (SFP): floral, citrus, woody, oriental, fougère and chypre.
What do coniferous notes smell like?
Facets of forest, pine, resin, sometimes aromatic, mossy or smoky, and above all very woody. Very fresh and invigorating, they wake up woody base notes and bring a natural feel and bite.
They are usually top and heart notes.
A bit of history
Conifer resins are among the oldest fragrant materials used by humans, notably for fumigation. In modern perfumery, they first appeared in “fresh” products and in the fougère accord, before becoming the stars of niche perfumes that tell stories of forests, wood fires and mountains.
Key raw materials
Natural materials are marked with an asterisk.
- Siberian pine essence*: resinous, eucalyptus, fresh
- Turpentine essence*: resinous, waxy, peppery
- Cypress essence*: resinous, spicy, green
- Fir balsam absolute*: balsamic, woody, wood fire
- Juniper berries*: gin, peppery, fresh
- Isobornyl acetate: fir, eucalyptus, blackcurrant
- Alpha-pinene: turpentine, peppery, dusty
- Terpineol: lilac, zesty, floral
- Borneol: camphor, ginger, fresh
A few perfumes
- L'Eau Trois, Diptyque (1975), Serge Kalouguine: spicy woody
- Cèdre Olympe, Armani Privé: aromatic woody
- Fille en Aiguilles, Serge Lutens (2009), Christopher Sheldrake: woody oriental
- Bottega Veneta pour Homme, Bottega Veneta (2013), Daniela Andrier and Antoine Maisondieu: leather
- Juniper, D.S. & Durga, David Seth Moltz: aromatic woody
This list is not exhaustive: there are many beautiful launches, some iconic, others more commercial.
Where to find these notes at Versatile?
No “coniferous” family at our place, but a fir tree hidden in a cup of chai: Oh My Chaï. Spicy, chai, milky, cinnamon, smoky, fir, creamy, warm, cardamom. The Christmas spirit, comfort version. And for the resinous, incense side, head to Gueule de Bois.
FAQ
What does “terpenic” mean?
Terpenes are molecules very present in conifer resins and citrus fruits, which give that fresh, resinous smell.
Is juniper a conifer?
Yes! Its berries, which flavor gin, bring a fresh, peppery facet much loved in perfumery.
Are coniferous notes masculine?
Another cliché! Everyone loves a walk in the forest.
