What does it take for a fragrance be truly captivating? For my friend, who I affectionately call “The Green Man,” the answer lies in untamed world of green perfumes. Unlike many mass-appealing scents, green fragrances don’t necessarily try to be crowd pleasers. Instead, what they offer is a journey of discovery.
It’s a journey that keeps The Green Man enthralled.
In this Fragrances With Friends Q&A, I chat with The Green Man (who goes by LittleDinkums on Basenotes and Fragrantica) and together we step off the beaten path and into the wild. We explore what sparked his passion for green notes in perfume, the complexity they offer, and his personal favorites.
This article promises an insightful exploration into the world of green fragrances, guided by a true aficionado. So, if you’re curious about venturing beyond the mainstream and into the captivating realm of green perfumes, this is the perfect place to begin your olfactory adventure.
Can you describe what draws you to perfumes with green notes?
I’m drawn to green perfumes in ways that are hard to explain. They’re often not your typical crowd-pleasing fragrances, but I love the idea of exploring something off the beaten path. There’s a real thrill of the hunt and of discovery.
Dryad by Papillon Perfumery is the perfume that really kick-started my interest in green notes. At that point, in 2022, I had been into perfume for six years and was already familiar with classic chypres like Mitsouko by Guerlain. But Dryad was new territory for me. It was a challenge at first, and I wasn’t sure I liked it. Dryad is bitter, complex, and almost brutal in the beginning, with a lot of galbanum. It required a bit of work from me to appreciate it. Now I love it and it’s one of my favorites.
What Dryad taught me, and what I’ve learned more about since then, is that green notes offer surprising depth in fragrances. Green scents can appear as top notes, but they can also show up in the heart or the base of a fragrance, depending on the materials used. This creates a fantastic variety to discover within the world of green scents. From the sharpness of galbanum, to the prickly green of oakmoss, to the earthy depth of vetiver, there’s so much to explore. That depth is probably what’s kept me interested for so long.
Green notes are something that reward multiple visits. They don’t reveal themselves all at once, at least not for me. And that mystery is part of the draw. Any good perfume should keep you coming back, wanting to understand its layers and appreciate its complexity. But there’s a balance – peel back the curtain too far, and the magic can disappear. Dryad, for some reason, seems to hold up incredibly well under that kind of scrutiny. It’s a testament to the skillful blending of the perfumer.
What specific aspects of “green” do you find most appealing in fragrances?
When it comes to green notes, it’s the bold and bracing aspects that grab my attention. These notes have a refreshing bitterness.
I’m drawn to green resinous notes, particularly galbanum. Galbanum might be my favorite green note. Galbanum itself is a fascinating ingredient. I was so curious about it, that I even purchased a galbanum extract to experience it in its pure form. Let’s just say it’s incredibly potent! Interestingly, galbanum also comes in a resin form that can be burned on an incense burner. The way it smells when burned is quite different from the extract – it takes on a warmer, almost balsamic quality.
Oakmoss is another favorite green note. It has surprising complexity, ranging from slightly sharp to quite pungent. It can even have a hint of what some might call a “rotten” smell that comes across as stewed greens that have been on the burner too long. Oakmoss can be challenging, but an odor that might seem unpleasant on its own can add depth and intrigue to a perfume composition when it’s handled the right way.
In a very short time, you’ve become a self-described chypre perfume junkie. What about this style of perfume ‘works’ for you?
When I love something, like I love green perfumes and chypres, I tend to get a little bit obsessed.
What I enjoy most about chypre perfumes is their depth and complexity. They offer a rewarding experience that unfolds over time, revealing new facets with each wear. For someone unfamiliar with chypres, they might seem overwhelming at first. There’s a lot going on. But that’s precisely what I find intriguing. These fragrances invite exploration and contemplation. They’re not for passive wear; they reward close attention.
A great example of a modern chypre is Maai by Bogue Profumo. This perfume perfectly embodies the idea of contrasting elements. The perfumer seems to have deliberately chosen notes that play off each other, creating a sense of tension and intrigue. In the opening, for instance, I get a strong mentholated note that feels almost out of place. Yet, somehow, it works. The sweetness of the ylang-ylang and tuberose balances it out, along with the rich base of musk and resins. It’s a balancing act – cramming in opposing ideas without creating a confusing mess. Maai is definitely not an everyday fragrance. It’s certainly not something I would spray 100 times and then go grocery shopping. It’s a perfume to savor in quiet moments, perfect for introspection and working from home.
What are your top-four green perfumes?
My all-time favorite green perfume is Dryad, which we talked about earlier. It completely changed my perception of perfume.
Beyond my all-time favorite, my top picks are constantly evolving to reflect my current fragrance explorations. One of these is Caji by Chris Rusak. While not strictly green in the classic sense, it has an intriguing and unconventional waxy green cucumber note in the opening. Caji captures the texture of cucumber’s skin as you run your fingernail over it, not the flesh itself. It offsets this fatty waxiness with powdery orris, which creates a distinctive contrast that I am drawn to. It’s a fascinating fragrance.
It’s summer now, and for hot weather, I seek out lighter green fragrances that perform well in heat and humidity. Two favorites are Vettiveru 2 by Comme des Garcons and Hikaru Daichi by Di Ser.
- Vettiveru 2 is a light and refreshing eau de cologne built around vetiver. It captures the green and earthy character of this note without the muddiness sometimes associated with strong vetiver. They’ve also cleverly used synthetics to create a light and airy feel.
- Hikaru Daichi is the only all-natural perfume in my collection and it’s quite unique. Di Ser fragrances often have a distinctive PineSol vibe, which sounds odd but is actually very captivating. This particular scent is very oakmossy.
Are there any particular perfumers who consistently create green fragrances that resonate with your preferences?
No, I wish there was. I think the perfumer whose green accords I admire the most is Dawn Spencer Hurwitz of DSH. Her catalog is huge, but a couple nice green perfumes that come to mind are Giverny in Bloom and Emerald Hyrax. While both are structured like old school green chypres, they also bring something new to the table.
I’m waiting for Antonio Gardoni from Bogue to do a great green-green perfume. He made Bogue 10, which has some pretty strong green facets. I see the potential.
Are there any perfumes that surprise you with their unique expressions of green?
- Synthetic Jungle by Frederic Malle is the first one that comes to mind. It is an unexpected kind of green that feels like it’s doing for green notes what Serge Lutens Iris Silver Mist tried to do for iris. It’s greener than green, almost shockingly so. Everything in it has a green facet to it. I like it a lot but it’s not really “me.”
- Nuit de Bakelite by Naomi Goodsir is another one that stands out to me. It’s really weird. It’s supposed to be a tuberose perfume, but to me it smells of a burnt celery stick shoved into an ashtray. There’s a faint note of tuberose in there somewhere. Crazy, and yet somehow it works. This is a perfume that actually makes me feel a little uncomfortable when I smell it. I don’t think it will ever be on my “to buy” list, but I also don’t think I will ever get rid of my sample. It’s one of those tings I like to revisit. It’s a well-made perfume.
- Fathom V by Beaufort London is a fantastic, hyper-realistic lily fragrance. It captures not just the flower itself, but the texture of the flower petals. And you can smell the stem and the earth it grows in. It’s like having a real lily right in front of you. I have no idea how the perfumer achieved that, but it’s amazing.
- Want to smell like a green pepper? Try Eau de Gentiane Blanche by Hermes. I don’t actually think it smells like a bell pepper, but that’s what my wife said last time I wore it. It definitely has a green and bitter edge to it, which I enjoy.
For someone new to green perfumes, where should they start and what should they try?
First of all, be patient. These fragrances are often complex and reveal themselves in layers over time. Second, don’t limit yourself to things you already like. Green perfumes have led me far away from things that I thought I would enjoy when I started out.
That said, I can make some general recommendations. If you love vintage style fragrances, seek out perfumes like Dryad or Chanel No. 19. If you gravitate toward fresh and light fragrances, try Vettiveru 2, Fougere L’Aube by Rogue, or basically anything by Di Ser. And if you enjoy bracing or bitter notes, try Synthetic Jungle or Corsica Furiosa by Parfum d’Empire.
I often encourage people in the online fragrance community to reach out to me for recommendations. I love helping others discover the world of green fragrances. I think there’s a green out there for everyone.
Images courtesy of the interviewee, LittleDinkums.
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Thanks for joining me for this second installment of Fragrances With Friends.
See ya later!
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