Green

Mastic Or Lentisque

Note Profile

Natural

About

Mastic or Lentisque is the perfumery name for materials derived from the Mediterranean shrub Pistacia lentiscus, including its resin and leaf oil. It has a fresh, green-balsamic and slightly turpentine-like aroma that bridges aromatic herbs and dry woods. Perfumers use it to add resinous brightness and a subtly piney, incense-like dimension to compositions.

Scent Profile

In perfumery, mastic or lentisque is characterized by a resinous, pine-like and balsamic odor profile with a distinct green, slightly herbaceous edge. It can recall facets of galbanum and conifer woods, with terpenic and mildly camphoraceous nuances that feel both fresh and subtly smoky or incense-like. As it dries down, it tends to become more woody and softly sweet-balsamic, contributing a gentle warmth without becoming heavy.

Citrus 0%

Floral 0%

Fruity 0%

Green 70%

Sweet 20%

Warm 25%

Woody 35%

Earthy 15%

Animalic 0%

Fresh 35%

Origin

Mastic or lentisque comes from Pistacia lentiscus, an evergreen shrub native to the Mediterranean basin, especially around Greece, Turkey, North Africa, and coastal Italy. The classic material is the resin (“Chios tears”) obtained by scoring the bark, while essential oils are produced by steam distilling the leaves or sometimes the resin. It has a long history of use in food flavoring, traditional medicine, and incense, and in modern perfumery it is standardized as a natural ingredient with specified botanical and geographic origin.

Usage in Perfumery

Perfumers use mastic or lentisque primarily as a fresh green-balsamic modifier in heart and base notes, where it lends a piney yet transparent resinous character and can act as a mild fixative. It is common in Mediterranean, aromatic-woody, and incense-style compositions, pairing well with cypress, pine, frankincense, citrus, and aromatic herbs like rosemary or sage. Its ability to sit between green, herbal and woody facets makes it useful for adding naturalistic outdoorsy freshness or for brightening darker woods and resins without resorting to overt citrus.