Amber

Benzoin

Note Profile

Botanical 3,242 perfumes

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Also Known As

Benzoin Siam, Siam Benzoin

About

Sweet, warm, balsamic resin with a vanilla-like character and an almond facet.

Scent Profile

Benzoin smells sweet, warm and balsamic, with a clear vanilla-like character. A note of almond sits underneath. The Siam grade is soft and only slightly cinnamic. The Sumatra grade is spicier and more cinnamic, with a styrax-like edge. The drydown is powdery and resinous and lasts for days.

ScentWheel

Breadthfocused

EnvelopeBase · ~36h lasting

Family Amber · Musk · Leather, Sweet & Gourmand

Read off the wheel, not a label applied to the note.

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Materials That Can Make This Note

Perfumers can make Benzoin from this natural extract.

Natural extract Benzoin resinoid, Siam balsamic · spicy · sweet

Smell words come from published sources.

A given perfume with this note may use this material, or something else.

Origin

Benzoin is a natural resin from the bark of Styrax trees in Southeast Asia. Siam benzoin comes from Styrax tonkinensis. Sumatra benzoin comes from Styrax benzoin. Cuts in the bark let the sap leak out and harden before it is collected. The resin is then purified. For perfumery it is also made into a resinoid or an absolute.

Usage in Perfumery

Perfumers use benzoin as a base note and fixative. It blends with vanilla, labdanum, sandalwood, spices and florals. It adds warmth and sweetness to amber and oriental accords. Arctander notes that it also damps down the perfume it sits in, and this goes with its fixative effect.