Description of Wood accords

Wood accords are some of the most important accords in perfumery since the woody notes are typically heart or base notes and add strong personality to the perfume. Despite their masculine character, they are found in many so-called 'feminine' compositions. The most popular wood notes include sandalwood, cedarwood, patchouli, guaiac and vetiver. Woody perfumes are divided into the following categories:

• Woody: The blend of mostly wood notes usually balanced with spices or flowers in the heart makes those compositions typically masculine.
• Woody citrus: The wood notes are refreshed by the presence of citrus and sometimes pine.
• Woody spicy: The base notes are sweet or soft wood such as vanilla and balanced with spicy notes like cinnamon, clove, nutmeg or pepper.
• Woody spicy Leather: The woody spicy base is reinforced by notes such as birch tar to give a leather feel.
• Woody Oriental: Traditional oriental ingredients are enriched with woody accords of warm sandalwood or with drier notes of cedar or vetiver.
• Woody Amber: This type of perfume is composed of sweet and warm amber base notes including vanilla, coumarin, hay, patchouli, labdanum and sandalwood. Typical of the Arabian perfumes.
• Woody Aromatic: With the woody base, notes such as lavender or green notes are added with top notes usually composed of aromatic notes like clary sage, thyme, rosemary, myrtle or davana.
• Woody Floral: The woody base is balanced with sweet or powdery notes such as vanilla or iris as well as typically floral notes such as jasmine or rose, giving the composition a greener outlook.