Osmanthus

You may well have smelled osmanthus in a fragrance without realising:  this creamy white blossom gives a surprisingly mouthwatering, succulent, hints-of-peach-and-plum-and-apricot nuance to perfumes.  Fresh – but sophisticated, too.  Succulent – but somehow creamy and milky.  You may also get hints of violet.  And what is it…?  A Far Eastern flower, a member of the lilac and olive family:  known as Kwei Hwa or Mo Hsi, it’s been used there to fragrance tea and other drinks, as well as jam.  But in the perfumer’s repertoire, it’s a pricy ($4,000+ a kilo), refined ingredient worth its weight in gold – sometimes blended with synthetics that bring out its peachiness, however.  Osmanthus also works beautifully in leathery, suede-like scents, as well as florals.

Smell osmanthus in:

Calvin Klein Escape
Givenchy L’Interdit
Gucci Flora
Hermès Osmanthe Yunnan
Jean Patou 1000
Michael Kors Michael Kors
Ormonde Jayne Osmanthus
Serge Lutens Datura Noir
The Different Company Osmanthus

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