Gourmand

Sesame

Note Profile

Botanical 81 perfumes

About

Sesame in perfumery imparts a rich, nutty, and roasted aroma, sometimes with subtle hints of sweetness and earthiness. It can evoke the scent of toasted sesame seeds or sesame oil, lending a comforting, gourmand quality to fragrances. This note is often used to add warmth and an edible nuance to both oriental and modern scent compositions.

Scent Profile

Sesame presents a warm, dry roasted nuttiness carried on a plainly fatty base - the smell of freshly pressed sesame oil on warm skin, ending after days in a clean lipid residue. A faintly caramelised edge and a toasted-grain, popcorn-like tone sit alongside it, with a subtle earthiness underneath. It is a textural material: it anchors sweeter notes without adding much sweetness of its own.

ScentWheel

Breadthfocused

EnvelopeBase · ~48h lasting

Family Sweet & Gourmand, Waxy & Fatty

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

What this is made of

Sesame names no single substance

Reconstructed

A sesame absolute exists but the note is usually a toasted-nutty pyrazine accord.

How the layers join

Origin

Sesame is derived from the seeds of the Sesamum indicum plant, primarily cultivated in Asia and Africa. The aromatic profile is typically obtained through extraction of the seeds or by using sesame oil, which retains the characteristic toasted scent.

Usage in Perfumery

Perfumers use sesame mainly as a heart or base note to impart warmth and a gourmand facet to fragrances. It blends well with vanilla, tonka bean, spices, and woody notes, and is often found in oriental and modern gourmand compositions to add depth and an inviting, edible quality.