Excuse my French!

A list of unfamiliar candle fragrances and how to say them 

                                                               By Chandler Cat

The candle smells great but what the heck are these fragrance notes? As always, your Candlefish chandlers are here to help. Check out our list of common but unfamiliar fragrance notes you don’t want to miss, and some of our favorite candles that feature them:

Neroli:

[ner-oh-lee]

A fancy name for orange flower, extracted from the blossom of the bitter orange tree. Possibly a secret ingredient in Coca-Cola! Shhh.

Notes of honey, orange, and florals with subtle spice and green notes.

Found in Library No. 44, and O'Douds Heritage cologne

Armoise:

[arm-waaz]

“Armoise” is French for the herb “mugwort” or “wormwood”... we agree,  armoise sounds much more appealing! The oil is distilled from the leaves of a shrub called Artemisia and has a fresh, cool scent with green undertones.

Library No. 67 combines armoise with bergamot, lemon, and tarragon for an excellent spring citrus. 

Frankincense or Olibanum

[frank-in-sense] [oh-lib-uh-nuh m]

The dried sap (resin) of the ancient Boswellia tree. It’s often burned as incense, and has many medicinal properties as an essential oil (such as relieving pain, inflammation, chronic stress, and anxiety). In a fragrance it’s notes are sweet, warm, balsamic, and spicy.

We love Library No. 1 for a frankincense fix,  and the Sage candle by Produce has hints of olibanum.

Labdanum:

[lab-duh-nuhm]

A sticky brown resin obtained from a western Mediterranean shrub called cistus. Labdanum is the main oil used when creating notes of “amber” by perfumers. It’s fragrance is rich and complex, also described as sweet, woody, ambergris, musky, leather, and animalistic.

Check out Candlefish No. 13, Boy Smells Cedar Stack Candle, and the ROAM by 42 Pressed London candle.

Muguet:

[mew-gey]

Does not rhyme with nugget.

French for “Lily of the Valley”, a floral with sweet floral notes of lily and ozone.

Try the Paris Candle, or Candlefish No. 15 for this lovely floral.

Tonka Bean:

[tong-kuh]

Often used in place of vanilla, tonka bean grows in South America and has a delicious, warm, spicy vanilla, and cherry aroma with powdery, fruity undertones.

You simply must try top seller No. 70 in the library. 

Patchouli:

[puh-choo-lee]

You either love it or hate it! Patchouli is an evergreen perennial plant and is closely related to sage, mint, and lavender. It’s most recognizable in deep perfumes and musky incense, and it’s fragrance is musty, sweet, spicy & earthy.

For you patchouli lovers out there, try the Tobacco and Patchouli candle by Paddywax or Patchouli Jasmine from the Great Bear Wax collection.

Vetiver:

[vet-uh-ver]

A perennial grass native to India, vetiver offers a musty, woodsy, bitter fragrance with undertones of smoke and pepper.

Vetiver fans will fall in love with Candlefish No. 68, Woodlot’s Cinder Candle, and the Soil Candle by The Soil and The Sea.

Ylang:

[ee-lahng]

An essential oil extracted from the star-shaped tropical ylang ylang flower. It’s known for it’s rich, luxurious floral notes and is sweet and slightly fruity.

You can find subtle hints of ylang in Rewined’s Vinho Verde and No. 16 in the Library.

Aldehydes:

[al-duh-hahyd]

Aldehydes are a group of aromatic compounds that can have various fragrances, typically they are strong notes and can be fresh, clean, lemony, green, herbaceous or floral. The infamous Chanel No. 5 boasts three aldehydes with notes of green, orange peel, and lilac.

Aldeydes are found in Library Fragrances No. 21 and No. 45.