Floral

Night Blooming Cereus

Note Profile

Botanical 25 perfumes

About

Night Blooming Cereus has a delicate, ethereal floral aroma that is often described as creamy, sweet, and slightly spicy, with hints of vanilla and green nuances. Its scent is reminiscent of a fresh, dewy garden at night, with a soft exotic floralcy that is both mysterious and inviting. It is prized in perfumery for its romantic, fleeting character.

Scent Profile

Night Blooming Cereus is a heady white floral, sweet and waxy rather than green and fresh. A vanilla-cocoa sweetness runs right through it as the backbone of the note, not just a top accent. A waxy, faintly fatty quality coats the petals, verging on a green, succulent edge. Underneath sits a creamy, powdery warmth, closer to cocoa and warm milk than to jasmine's heaviness.

ScentWheel

Breadthmedium

EnvelopeHeart · ~8h lasting

Family Floral, Sweet & Gourmand, Waxy & Fatty

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

What this is made of

Night Blooming Cereus names no single substance

Reconstructed

A cactus flower that opens for one night. Not extracted.

How the layers join

Origin

The note is inspired by the flowers of several cactus species, notably Selenicereus grandiflorus, which bloom only at night. Because the natural scent is difficult to extract, perfumers recreate it using accords of jasmine, vanilla, green notes, and soft musks. This reconstruction aims to capture the elusive fragrance of the living flower.

Usage in Perfumery

Perfumers use Night Blooming Cereus primarily as a heart note to impart a romantic, mysterious floral character. It blends well with white florals, soft woods, musks, and gentle spices. Its role is often to add an airy, nocturnal quality to floral or oriental compositions.