Floral

Night-blooming jasmine smells like intoxicating sweetness with an almost indolic richness—imagine honeyed gardenia crossed with something more animalic and sensual. There's a creamy, almost fleshy quality to it, with whispers of coconut and ripe stone fruit. It's heavier and more voluptuous than day jasmine, with an unmistakable warmth that borders on powdery. If you've walked past a night garden in summer, that headily fragrant air clinging to your clothes captures it perfectly: deeply floral but with an underlying earthiness and a hint of something intriguingly bodily and human.

Woody

Imagine walking through damp earth after rain, then crushing dried autumn leaves in your hands. That's patchouli's essence: earthy, almost animalic, with a subtle sweetness lurking underneath. It smells vaguely like rich soil mixed with dried tobacco and a whisper of chocolate. There's a dark, slightly musty quality—think opening an antique wooden chest. It's grounding and intensely aromatic, never delicate. Fresh patchouli has peppery brightness; aged patchouli becomes deeper, warmer, almost leather-like.