Magnolia Leaf

Note Profile

Botanical 5 perfumes

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About

Magnolia leaf is the green, fresh smell of the leaf oil, not the creamy flower. The oil sold under this name is distilled from the leaves of white champaca, Michelia alba. It is green first, then floral and lightly fruity, with a soft tea side. It stands to magnolia flower as petitgrain stands to neroli.

Scent Profile

Magnolia Leaf smells crisp and green, with a watery freshness. Fresh fruit shows in the opening, close to apple. A light floral heart follows, closer to freesia and rose than to the creamy magnolia flower. Under it sit soft tea, an aromatic herbal tone like mild lavender, and a faint rosewood dryness. A hint of mint and pepper is sometimes reported. Behind the green sits a soft white-flower note.

ScentWheel

Breadthmedium

EnvelopeHeart · ~5h lasting

Family Green & Aromatic, Fruity

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Materials That Can Make This Note

Perfumers can make Magnolia Leaf from this natural extract.

Natural extract Magnolia leaf oil, rectified

Smell words come from published sources.

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

Origin

Magnolia leaf oil is hydro-distilled from the leaves of Michelia alba (white champaca) in China. It is sold as magnolia leaf oil and as Michelia alba leaf oil (CAS 8006-76-6). Its main listed components are linalool, beta-caryophyllene and beta-ocimene. About 500 kg of leaves give 1 kg of oil. One perfumery glossary names Magnolia grandiflora, the southern magnolia, instead. No supplier of a Magnolia grandiflora leaf oil was found. The flower oil of the same tree is traded separately and smells different.

Usage in Perfumery

A heart note and a green modifier, used at low levels. It adds a green lift to white florals and keeps them from turning cloying. It goes into freesia accords for a more lifelike flower, and it bridges a citrus opening to a floral heart. It suits green, transparent magnolia and modern white-floral compositions.