Floraïku
Sand and Skin
The Story
Every Floraïku scent is named for a haiku, and Sand and Skin is the sun-warmed one, built on Madagascan vanilla absolute and benzoin with a fraction of ylang-ylang. The composition is deliberately short, in keeping with the form it is named after.
Woody
Dry grain of cut timber
The smell of cedar shavings, sandalwood, and dry vetiver roots, a sanded, resinous warmth with a faint pencil-box rasp. It feels grounded and composed, the quiet backbone that makes a scent read as serious and lasting.
Vanilla
Creamy bean steeped in warmth
The soft, custardy sweetness of cured vanilla pods, rich and balsamic with a faint boozy, smoky depth beneath the cream. It feels comforting and skin-warm, a tender glow that smooths and rounds everything it touches.
Amber
Golden resin glowing warm
A soft, resinous glow built from labdanum, benzoin, and vanilla, sweet but dusky, like sun-warmed tree sap with a hint of incense smoke. It radiates a cozy, golden heat that wraps close to the skin and lingers.
Powdery
Soft hush of dressed skin
A velvety, slightly dry softness of iris root, violet, and fine talc, like face powder or clean linen warmed by skin. It feels intimate, refined, and nostalgic, blurring a fragrance into a gentle, cushioned haze.
Yellow Floral
Sunlit petals, honeyed and heady
The warm, slightly indolic glow of golden blossoms, narcotic and creamy with a buttery, almost overripe richness. It carries the impression of a garden at full midday bloom, opulent and sensual without sharpness, radiant rather than cool.
Balsamic
Warm resin and sweet amber
A warm, syrupy richness of tree resins and golden amber, soft and slightly sweet with a vanillic, almost honeyed glow. It feels enveloping and slow, settling into the skin like candlelight, comforting and faintly sacred.
Lysylang
Solar ylang turned tropical, coconut-creamy and floral
What it is
Lysylang is a specialty ingredient from the house of Robertet, derived from ylang-ylang (Cananga odorata) rather than fully synthetic. It is made by fractionating Ylang III oil from the Indian Ocean, then selecting and recombining specific fractions to isolate a particular fruity-floral character.
How it smells
A soft, radiant fruity-floral built on ylang-ylang, with frangipani and jasmine nuances and a creamy tropical coconut and monoi undertone. Delicate spicy, lily-like facets thread through it. Against raw ylang it is smoother, sweeter and more solar, with less of the sharp banana-like medicinal top.
In perfumery
A heart-note material adding suave, sunlit tropical volume to white-floral and solar compositions. It rounds and naturalises ylang accords and partners well with jasmine, tuberose, coconut, salicylates and soft musks, lending the warm beach-flower glow found in many modern solar and exotic-floral fragrances.
Good to know
Ylang-ylang is distilled in successive fractions graded Extra, then First, Second and Third as distillation continues, each with a different odour. Lysylang shows how perfumers harvest value from a lower third fraction, refining and recombining it into a distinctive raw material rather than discarding it.
Mahonial
A clean creamy muguet captured in one molecule
What it is
Mahonial is a synthetic lily-of-the-valley aldehyde and a captive material of Givaudan, named after the yellow blooms of Mahonia japonica. Made entirely in the laboratory, it was developed as a stable, persistent replacement for Lyral, the muguet aldehyde restricted over skin-sensitization concerns.
How it smells
A bright transparent lily-of-the-valley with a creamy floral body and a green, slightly watery edge. It reads clean and diffusive rather than heady, with a faint magnolia density. The effect stays luminous and radiant, lacking the sweetness of richer white florals.
In perfumery
A heart-note material, Mahonial supplies modern muguet radiance and floral lift that brightens bouquets and freshens green or aquatic accords. Perfumers blend it with rose, jasmine and musks; it appears in contemporary muguet-driven masculines, feminines and floral hearts.
Good to know
True lily-of-the-valley cannot be distilled, so every muguet note in perfumery is reconstructed from molecules like Mahonial. It competes within a family of captive muguet aldehydes, including Givaudan's later Nympheal, several engineered as safer, more stable successors to restricted predecessors like Lyral and Lilial.
Ylang Ylang
Sun-warmed tropical bloom, banana-cream and jasmine
What it is
The drooping yellow star-shaped flower of Cananga odorata, a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia and now grown mainly in the Comoros, Madagascar and Mayotte. Hand-picked blossoms are steam-distilled for fifteen to twenty hours, the run siphoned off in stages into grades from Extra to Third.
How it smells
Creamy, heady and warm: jasmine-like florals over a soft banana-custard sweetness, threaded with rubber, clove and narcissus. The Extra fraction is bright, fruity and spicy on top; later grades turn deeper, fattier and more medicinal, drying down to a rounded, slightly waxy floral.
In perfumery
A heart-note workhorse adding tropical richness and lift to floral and oriental compositions, bridging jasmine, rose and tuberose while softening citrus tops. It forms part of the floral bouquet of the great aldehydic classics, drives many a legendary floral, and underpins countless solar tiare blends.
Good to know
The name traces to the Tagalog ilang-ilang, commonly glossed as flower of flowers, reaching European perfumery via Spanish. In Indonesia the blossoms are traditionally scattered over the beds of newlyweds. A single tree fruits for decades, with the most fragrant flowers picked at dawn while still cool.
Sandalwood
Creamy meditative woods that breathe in slowly
What it is
Sandalwood oil is steam-distilled from the heartwood and roots of slow-growing Santalum trees, classically Santalum album of Mysore, India. As the wild Indian source neared collapse, plantations of the same species in tropical Western Australia now supply much of the world's perfumery-grade oil.
How it smells
Soft, creamy and milky, with a smooth woody warmth and a faintly sweet, rosy, almost buttery edge. It carries no sharpness, only a rounded balsamic depth. It stays remarkably steady on skin, glowing quietly for hours rather than opening and drying in distinct stages.
In perfumery
A base note valued as both scent and fixative, sandalwood lends creaminess, warmth and a meditative softness that binds compositions together. It pairs beautifully with rose, jasmine, vetiver and spice. Many meditative woody and incense fragrances celebrate it at their heart.
Good to know
Genuine Mysore sandalwood was so overharvested that India tightened export controls and the wild tree became vulnerable, with oil prices reported around two thousand dollars per kilogram. Plantations of Santalum album grown near Kununurra in Western Australia now sustainably recreate the original creamy profile.
Amyris
Caribbean wood that whispers like soft sandalwood
What it is
Amyris is the essential oil steam-distilled from the heartwood of Amyris balsamifera, a small tropical tree of the citrus family native to Haiti and the Caribbean. Called West Indian sandalwood, it is botanically unrelated to true sandalwood. Aged, fallen wood, dense with oil, is slowly distilled.
How it smells
Soft, dry and woody with a faint balsamic, resinous warmth and a light peppery smokiness. It is quieter and less creamy than true sandalwood, a touch oily and slightly sweet, with a clean cedar-like dryness that settles into a muted, grounding woody base.
In perfumery
A base note used mainly as an affordable fixative and woody extender, prolonging and grounding lighter materials. It pairs with citrus, lavender, cedar and sandalwood. It rounds out countless colognes and soliflores and props up the woody base of many mass-market and natural fragrances.
Good to know
Its nickname West Indian sandalwood is purely commercial; chemically it shares little with Santalum sandalwood, which sells for many times the price. The wood is so oil-rich that dried branches were once lit as natural torches, earning the tree the names candlewood and torchwood.
Patchouli
Damp earth and dark wood after rain
What it is
Patchouli comes from Pogostemon cablin, a leafy bush in the mint family native to tropical Asia and grown overwhelmingly in Indonesia, with smaller crops in India and elsewhere in tropical Asia. The harvested leaves are dried and lightly cured or fermented, then steam-distilled or hydrodistilled into a thick, dark essential oil.
How it smells
Deeply earthy and woody, like damp forest floor, wet soil and old cellars, threaded with a winey, slightly sweet darkness. Fresh oil can read sharp, almost camphorous and green; with age it rounds into chocolate, leather and dried-fruit warmth that clings for hours.
In perfumery
A base note and powerful fixative, patchouli anchors a composition and lengthens its wear. It forms the backbone of chypres and orientals, pairing with rose, vetiver, labdanum and vanilla. It defines many gourmand-oriental blends and carries the woody-balsamic heart of plush chypre accords.
Good to know
In the 19th century, real Kashmiri shawls were packed with dried patchouli leaves to repel moths in transit, so Europeans learned to recognise genuine imports by smell. Unlike most essential oils, patchouli improves with age, deepening and mellowing over years much like wine.
Cedarwood
Dry pencil shavings and sun-warmed timber
What it is
An essential oil steam-distilled from the wood, shavings and sawdust of several conifers. Main sources are Virginia cedar and Texas cedar, both junipers, plus the true Atlas and Himalayan cedars of the Cedrus genus. The fragrant oil concentrates in the heartwood and sawmill byproduct.
How it smells
Dry, woody and warm, the archetype of freshly sharpened pencils and a cedar closet. Virginia cedar is pencil-like and balsamic; Atlas cedar is softer, sweeter, almost honeyed-resinous. Across types runs a clean, slightly smoky, faintly camphoraceous tone that dries to a smooth, sappy warmth.
In perfumery
A versatile heart-to-base note giving dry woody structure, lift and a backbone for other materials. It pairs with vetiver, sandalwood, rose, citrus and incense. Cedar shapes the smoky drydown of woody-floral builds and countless modern woody-amber bases.
Good to know
The cedar of pencils and storage chests is usually botanically a juniper, not a true Cedrus. Cedar-derived molecules like Cedramber and cedryl acetate run through a great many contemporary woody fragrances, alongside wholly synthetic woody-ambers such as Iso E Super, making cedarwood one of perfumery's most quietly ubiquitous building blocks.
Madagascar Vanilla
Cured black pods breathing deep boozy sweetness
What it is
The cured seed pods of the orchid Vanilla planifolia, grown on Madagascar's northeast coast, the largest single source of the world's vanilla. Hand-pollinated flowers ripen into green pods that are blanched, sweated, sun-dried and conditioned for months, then extracted as absolute or tincture.
How it smells
Warm, sweet and rounded: creamy custard and dried fruit over a boozy, rum-like depth, with smoky, woody and faintly tobacco facets that cheaper synthetic vanillin lacks. It opens rich and balsamic, then dries to a soft, powdery, almost leathery sweetness.
In perfumery
A base note delivering rounded sweetness, warmth and fixative staying power. It pairs with amber, tonka, sandalwood and spice in oriental and gourmand blends. The natural material lends depth to classic smoky orientals and lavish vanilla soliflores.
Good to know
Outside its native Mexico the orchid lacks its natural bee pollinator, so every flower is pollinated by hand within hours of opening, a technique twelve-year-old enslaved boy Edmond Albius devised on Reunion in 1841. This labor keeps vanilla among the costliest spices.
Benzoin
Warm vanilla balsam wept from a tapped tree
What it is
Benzoin is a balsamic resin from Styrax trees of Southeast Asia. Siam benzoin comes from Styrax tonkinensis (Laos, Vietnam), Sumatra benzoin from Styrax benzoin (Indonesia). Incisions in the bark make the tree exude a gum that hardens over months into reddish tears, processed into resinoid and absolute.
How it smells
Sweet, warm and balsamic with a pronounced vanilla character and powdery, ambery, faintly cinnamic facets. Siam is rounder and more vanillic; Sumatra is smokier with a cinnamon-styrax edge. It opens soft and creamy, then dries into a cozy, resinous, almost caramelized sweetness.
In perfumery
A warm base note and gentle fixative lending sweetness, body and a vanillic glow to amber accords. It blends with labdanum, vanilla, tonka and incense, smoothing orientals and gourmands. Benzoin is a defining warmth in golden-age oriental classics and countless amber compositions.
Good to know
Benzoin gave its name to benzoic acid and, through it, to the chemical term benzene. The word itself traces to the Arabic luban jawi, "frankincense of Java." The resin never flows on its own; every tear is the tree healing an incision deliberately cut into its bark.
Labdanum
Sticky amber resin scraped from sun-baked rockrose
What it is
Labdanum is a dark, sticky resin from the rockrose shrub Cistus ladanifer, native to the western Mediterranean. The plant exudes a fragrant gum on its leaves and twigs in summer heat; branches are boiled or scraped to recover the crude resin, which is then solvent-extracted into absolute and resinoid.
How it smells
Deep, warm and balsamic with leathery, animalic and faintly sweet facets that read as soft amber. Dried-fruit, honey, smoke and pine undertones run through it. It opens resinous and almost ambergris-like, then dries into a brown tobacco-and-leather warmth that lingers for hours.
In perfumery
A foundational base note and the natural backbone of most amber accords, usually built with vanilla and benzoin. A strong fixative, it deepens chypres, orientals and leathers and pairs with rose, oakmoss and incense. It underpins many golden-age oriental classics and countless amber compositions.
Good to know
In antiquity labdanum was combed from the matted beards and thighs of goats and sheep that had browsed through cistus thickets, then raked off with a thong-fringed tool called a ladanisterion. It is one of the oldest aromatic materials, predating distillation by millennia.
Fragrance Character
Lysylang and mahonial open with a waxy, almost lactonic softness, the ylang never shrill but rounded immediately by amyris and cedarwood into pale wood. The heart settles into sandalwood and patchouli moving in the same direction, earthy without darkness. On the drydown, Madagascar vanilla and benzoin pull everything inward, the labdanum lending a faint resinous grip that keeps the fragrance close to the skin for hours.
Longevity
how long it stays on skin
This gauge reads the expected wear time, how many hours the fragrance keeps speaking on skin before it fades. A marker near the low end means a few fleeting hours, while a marker pushed to the far end promises a scent still present from morning into night.
Sillage
the size of its scent trail
This reads how far the fragrance reaches beyond you and the trail it leaves behind. Low sits soft against the skin, an intimate whisper noticed only up close; high climbs through moderate and strong toward enormous, filling a room and lingering in the air after you have left it.
Experimental
For the bold and curious
Unconventional, boundary-pushing scents for someone who wants to provoke a reaction and stand apart. Suited to artistic, challenging compositions: inky tar, rubber, fermented fruit, metallic or animalic facets that defy easy liking. On this wheel a glowing coin means it rewards the adventurous nose, a dim one means it plays things safe.
Office
Polished but never overpowering
Close-quarters professional settings where a scent should be noticed only by those near you. Suited to restrained, clean compositions with modest projection: tidy citrus, soft musk, pale woods that read competent and considerate. On this wheel a glowing coin means it works in shared workspaces, a dim one means it carries too far.
Evening
After dark, turned up
Dinners, drinks, and nights out when a fragrance can deepen and project with confidence. Suited to richer, warmer compositions: ambers, resins, smoky woods, or plush florals that bloom under low light. On this wheel a glowing coin means the scent comes alive after sundown, a dim one means it stays better suited to daytime.
Romantic
Close enough to be felt
Intimate moments and date nights meant to draw someone nearer. Suited to warm, sensual compositions that hum against skin: creamy florals, vanilla, soft musk, a touch of spice or amber that invites closeness. On this wheel a glowing coin means it sets an alluring mood, a dim one means it leans more practical than seductive.
Formal
Refined for the occasion that matters
Weddings, ceremonies, galas, and dressed-up affairs that call for composure and elegance. Suited to polished, structured scents with quiet authority: smooth woods, refined florals, soft leather, nothing loud or playful. On this wheel a glowing coin means it carries the right gravitas, a dim one means it feels too casual for the room.
Casual
Easy comfort for unhurried days
Everyday wear with no agenda: errands, coffee, friends, a slow weekend. Suited to soft, approachable scents that feel clean and natural, like fresh citrus, light woods, or a gentle skin warmth. On this wheel a glowing coin means the fragrance fits these laid-back moments, a dim one means it asks for more.
Day to Night
where its mood naturally falls
This slider reads the hour the fragrance was made for. A marker to the left leans luminous and bright, easy in daylight and open air; slide it right and the character turns deeper and warmer, the kind of presence that belongs to evening and candlelit rooms.
Winter
Warmth that carries through cold air
Cold air mutes and slows a fragrance, so winter rewards the dense and the warm: resins, smoke, vanilla, leather, and ambered spice that radiate heat against the chill. The bar shows how strongly this particular scent holds up and glows in cold weather.
Spring
Fresh blooms in mild, rising warmth
Mild, humid air lifts lighter compositions beautifully, so spring favors dewy florals, green stems, soft powder, and transparent citrus that feel alive rather than heavy. The bar shows how well this particular scent matches that fresh, gently warming season.
Summer
Bright and airy in real heat
Heat amplifies and projects scent hard, so summer calls for cool, crisp, breathable things: sharp citrus, salty marine air, aromatic herbs, and watery freshness that refresh instead of cloy. The bar shows how comfortably this particular scent wears in real warmth.
Fall
Spiced warmth for cooling days
As temperatures drop, richer materials read clearly without smothering, so autumn suits dry woods, warm spice, tobacco, amber, and golden fruit that feel cozy and contemplative. The bar shows how naturally this particular scent settles into crisp, cooling days.
Best Worn
An easy, unhurried fragrance for cooler autumn days that carry from desk to evening, equally at home worn close on a quiet night in, its pale woods and creamy sandalwood speaking softly in the still summer air.
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The Vibe
The Nose
Nadège Le Garlantezec
Perfumer
Nadège Le Garlantezec is a senior perfumer in Givaudan's Paris fine fragrance team, after chemistry and perfumery studies. She worked on Lancôme Idôle with Adriana Medina and Shyamala Maisondieu, and on L'Occitane Terre de Lumière with Shyamala Maisondieu and Calice Becker.
The Maison
Floraïku
A haiku in a bottle, French perfumery read through a Japanese lens.
Floraïku builds quiet, precise compositions around tea, rice, ink and wood, and gives each one a line of poetry instead of a marketing story. The scents sit close and unfold slowly, which is exactly the kind of behaviour a blotter cannot show you.
- Origin
- Paris, France
- Founded
- 2017
- Known for
- Tea and rice accords, poetry inspired names
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