The patchouli you think you know
Know what you smell before you say you don't like it
Patchouli divides people. Before you decide it isn't for you, find out what you actually smell: wood, earth, a material that changes with the way it is worked.
What does patchouli smell like?
Patchouli smells of wood and earth. The scent is sometimes dry, sometimes damp, and occasionally carries smoky edges.
The IFF LMR Patchouli Heart N.3 description notes, for its own material, a powerful woody note, a clean camphor-like opening with a fruity twist, and slightly earthy, humid tones. The house of Rose et Marius describes a woody, earthy, dry scent with smoky accents. The words vary from one description to the next, which shows that a material is hard to sum up in a single sentence.
No description replaces your own nose. The same patchouli reads differently depending on what accompanies it.
It is not patchouli that aged badly. It is the idea people have of it.
Why it divides opinion
Many people link it to the hippie image of the 1960s and 70s. It is so present that it is easy to feel you know patchouli without ever having paid it real attention.
The fresh plant has almost no scent: it reveals itself once dried, and the oil is then steam-distilled. IFF, for instance, describes a Patchouli Heart, made by fractionating a matured oil. The same patchouli can come in several forms.
If one patchouli put you off once, it says nothing about another, in a different composition.
What we do with it in ENCENS
ENCENS is our 9 PM fragrance (21H), and patchouli is its signature material: a dark, earthy, lasting depth. It is what anchors the smoke.
The light goes, the warmth stays. At 9 PM, the evening is only beginning.
Trying it
Apply ENCENS to your wrist or the inside of your elbow, let the first contact pass, then come back to it later. Take your time to smell before you judge.
If you are torn between ALBA (7 AM), SOMARI (2 PM) and ENCENS (9 PM), the Discovery Set lets you try them side by side before you choose a bottle.
Your questions
What does patchouli smell like in perfumery?
Wood and earth, sometimes with smoky accents. The IFF Patchouli Heart N.3 description adds a camphor-like opening and a fruity twist for its own material. To know whether you like it, try the whole fragrance.
Is patchouli for women or for men?
There is no rule for the material. In the 1960s and 70s it was worn by women and men alike, according to the house of Phlur. Today what decides is the composition and how it feels when you wear it.
Does patchouli always smell like the 1970s?
No. That image belongs to an era and its habits. Depending on how it is prepared and what surrounds it, patchouli changes character.
Does patchouli define ENCENS on its own?
No. It is the signature material of ENCENS, not its complete formula. You experience the whole composition on your skin.