Acidic skin is one of the main causes of perfumes not lasting on the skin. Dry skin can also reduce the potency of a perfume. Using too much lotion can also dilute perfumes and essentially limit their lasting power.
Perfumery
What Does Verbena Smell Like?
Verbena smells herbal with citrus undertones. Its similarity to lemon smell has given its lemon verbena nickname. Verbena harvested in the spring smells more citrusy while verbena harvested in autumn is sweeter.
What Does Hibiscus Smell Like?
Hibiscus generally has no scent. Only a small percentage of hibiscus flowers are fragrant. Their scent is very mellow, associated with sweetness and tropical nature.
Hibiscus fragrans are one of the few (from hundreds) types of hibiscus flowers that have a scent. It has a floral tropical scent, but only in its seeds.
Have you ever wondered what does hibiscus smell like? We see this rare note in all types of perfumes from Guerlain to Beyonce perfumes. But what is hibiscus and does it have a smell?
What is Hibiscus?
Hibiscus is a type of flower comprising hundreds of species that grow in warm climates. Tropical and subtropical climates are preferred by this plant in almost all of its varieties.
Hibiscus flowers can be red, white, yellow, and all other possible color combinations. It’s mainly used as a decorative plant and a pollination plant as it attracts plenty of bees, butterflies, and pollinating wasps.
Hibiscus is a unique species with both annual and perennial flowering. It grows as a woody shrub or even as a small tree.
What does Hibiscus Smell Like?
Most types of hibiscus flowers have no scent at all, they smell like pure air. Rare types of hibiscus smell mildly sweet, tropical, floral, and tart-like, similar to the scent of hibiscus tea.
Almost all hibiscus flowers don’t have a smell of their own. These flowers are not fragrant and they can’t be distilled into a fragrant essential oil.
Hibiscus fragrans, Rose mallow, and Hibiscus Sabdariffa L are types of hibiscus flowers that are fragrant. While only mildly fragrant, they smell floral, tropical, tart-like, and a bit sweet.
Hibiscus fragrans – this type of flower is named after the Latin word ‘smell’. It has a very low fragrance, sometimes undetectable.
Rose mallow (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis) – this hibiscus has a candled rose scent which is also sometimes undetectable. The smell of Rose mallow hibiscus intensifies as it turned into an essential oil.
Hibiscus tea scent – various dried hibiscus flowers are used in the popular hibiscus tea. It has a red color and it tastes and smells like a tart.
Roselle (Hibiscus Sabdariffa L) – sweet and sour smell.
Hibiscus smells floral
From these few examples above we can conclude that the (many) hibiscus flowers of the world aren’t fragrant. Those (few) that generally smell floral. This smell is so delicate that it rarely has any persistence or it even goes completely unnoticed.
Hibiscus smells tropical
The tropical nature of hibiscus is only an aroma in these fragrant types of hibiscus. But even here, this tropical accord is mellow. It’s believed the smell of hibiscus in perfumes is synthetically amplified to make for something tangible by comparison with the real scent.
Hibiscus smells tart-like
The tart-like taste and smell of hibiscus are often reported by those who’ve smelt tens of types of hibiscus flowers. These people agree that only a handful of them smell of something. This is most likely a tart aroma specific to blooming flowers than a potent aromatic fragrance.
Hibiscus smells sweet
The sweet smell of hibiscus hasn’t been confirmed in multiple species. Rose Mallow and Roselle are probably the only types of hibiscus that smell sweet.
Hibiscus has a very mild scent
Everybody agrees even fragrant hibiscus doesn’t smell like much. These flowers are generally not fragrant and most types of hibiscus flowers (over 180) smell like pure air. They rarely have any type of aroma even if they grow in tropical and subtropical climates.
Hibiscus benefits
Hibiscus and synthetic hibiscus have their benefits when it comes to health, aromatherapy, and smell.
- It relaxes you when served as tea
Hibiscus tea has a relaxing effect on people. This type of red tea is sometimes imaged as rose tea or something along these lines. This isn’t the case as even hibiscus tea barely has an intense aroma and an intense smell. However, people who drink it say they feel relaxed.
- It (can) make the house smell good when used as essential oil
Hibiscus essential oil makes the house smell good. It’s generally seen as a tropical essential oil which a certain pleasant tart-like smell but without any intensity.
Disclaimer – some people who use hibiscus essential oil say it has no smell and no other perceivable benefits. So all of these hibiscus benefits should be taken with a grain of salt.
- It makes you smell floral when worn in perfumes
Hibiscus tries to be floral in perfumes. It’s unclear if this is the case with natural hibiscus or if fragrance brands simply make a synthetic imagined hibiscus which makes people believe they are smelling hibiscus without actually smelling it. All types of hibiscus notes in perfumes seem different from one another, which can confirm this theory. A counter-argument would be that hibiscus is rarely used on its own as it’s mostly combined with other florals such as orchid (check out our rank of orchid perfumes worth having) and carnation.
Final words
The smell of hibiscus is elusive. Most of the time it’s not even there. From the hundreds of hibiscus flowers in the world, only a few are fragrant. Even these fragrant types of hibiscus are hard to differentiate from simple air smell as they can be slightly floral, slightly tropical, and a bit tart-like or candle-like with a certain waxiness to them.
Still, hibiscus is a note in perfumes. It’s a very interesting note to follow. For some, it’s the type of note that adds a level of sophistication when used in perfumes. For others, hibiscus is nothing more than a fictional note where perfumers make it up to be what they want it to be. What we know for sure is that we can smell many hibiscus flowers and get nothing.
What Does Quince Smell Like
Quince has a fruity smell that is citrusy and powdery. Its scent is mostly compared to a hybrid between a pair and an apple. Ripe quince is also a bit more sweet-smelling than an apple.
Have you ever wondered how does quince smells like? This unusual fruit is sometimes associated with no smell at all, mainly because it’s picked when not fully ripe. It finds its way to the stores when it’s not ripe and its scent is not fully developed.
However, quince is a special note in perfumes for a good reason. It smells like no other fruit. Better said, it smells like a combination of fruits but extra powerlines due to its dry nature,
What is Quince?
Quince is the fruit of the Cydonia quince tree. The tree is part of the Rosaceae family which includes apples and pears. It grows on the outer edges of Eastern Europe, particularly in Turkey, Serbia, Romania, Georgia as well as in Morocco, Iran, and Azerbaijan.
The fruit is known for growing in areas where apples don’t grow. However, it has been acclimatized to areas known for their high apple production. Turkey is the main producer of quince today. This is also why the roots of this fruit go deep into the history of the Ottoman Empire.
What Does Quince Smell Like?
Only ripe quince has a smell. This is a powdery fruity smell resembling pears, apples, and lemon. It has sweet honey undertones with a bit of sourness. Its smell is piercing and persistent.
Quince smells fruity
The first impression of quince’s smell is fruitiness. This fruitiness is somewhat similar to most people smelling it. In part, it’s a pear smell. As it develops it starts to smell more like apples. The combination of pear and apple is often mentioned when describing how quince smells. However, this is a fruity scent first which means it goes well with other fruity notes such as pear and oranges.
Quince smells a bit citrusy
Quince aroma active compounds include citrusy undertones. This makes it an ideal headnote in perfumes and one of the ideal fruits to combine with other essential oils when making perfume or in aromatherapy. Quince is used in fall and wintertime foods and drinks exactly due to this citrusy nature.
Quince smells of honey
Ripe quince always smells of honey. Only 2 ripe pieces of quince are sufficient to fill a room with a sweet aroma that resembles honey. Quince fruits can be fragrant for weeks and even months at a time, especially when kept indoors.
Quince has a sour smell
The sour taste of quince translates to its smell as well. This is interpreted as a powdery scent instead of the zesty scent of pear. The sourness of quince is typically turned into extra sweetness by cooking. Quince is one of those fruits that can’t be eaten raw.
Quince has is powdery due to its astringent profile
The powdery taste of quince is astringent. This can be interpreted as piercing in the aroma. As with myrrh, quince smell has an astringent nature to it which makes it highly memorable.
The sour smell of quince is sometimes hard to digest to some people. Its nature is ideal in perfumes that are made for the winter or cold fall days. Quince is a fruit that still has some degree of sourness to it even after being cooked since it’s not eaten raw.
Quince benefits
Like any sour fruit, quince is associated with positive gut health benefits as well as good immune system support. Eating quince also offers a boost of antioxidants.
- Quince has anti-viral properties
Quince has proven anti-viral properties. Its traditionally used in drinks to treat colds and to prevent colds. It can be one of those fruits that are mostly consumed in the fall and the winter.
- Quince aids weight loss
Quince is high in antioxidants which recommend it for those looking to lose weight. Its astringent nature also shrinks tissues of the gut.
- Quince makes you smell fruity, but not overly sweet
The smell of quince is what interests us the most. In perfumes, quince makes you smell fruity but not too sweet. Those who don’t like sweet perfumes now have an alternative with quince fragrances such as the ones made by Demeter Fragrance.
FAQ
What does quince taste like?
The taste of quince resembles pears, apples, lemon, and honey. The dry powdery taste of quince is characteristic even after being cooked as the fruit can’t be eaten raw. Its cooking method widely affects its final taste.
Do quince perfumes last long?
Quince tends to last very long in perfumes compared to other scents. Quince essential oil is mostly used in fall perfumes and winter perfumes which last long by definition as they need to pierce through the cold air.
Are quince perfumes still in?
Quince was never a mainstream note in perfumes. It’s not a mainstream note today. Its scent is actual as of the scent of most fruits. Quince is used to adding depth to perfumes that often combine multiple fruity notes.
What perfume smells like quince?
Popular quince perfumes include Demeter Fragrance Quince, Chanel Chance Eau Tendre (see the best Chanel perfumes ranking for a better idea on the scent), John Varvatos Vintage, Xerjoff Ipnotica, etc.
Some of the best pear perfumes also smell of quince. The smell of quince is often taken for the smell of pear in perfumes. This is why a wide number of people looking for perfumes that smell like pear end up wearing perfumes that smell like quince.
What does quince go best within perfumes?
Quince smells similar to pears, apples, exotic guava, lime, and honey. All of these notes mix well with quince. The fruity note can also be mixed with specific cold weather notes such as frankincense, mint, and sandalwood.
What Does Lemongrass Smell Like?
Lemongrass smells green, citrusy, and fresh. It shares geraniol with lemons for a citrusy odor. It has an overall crisp scent. Lightness also characterizes this green scent.
