Labdanum Scent: Resinous Leather and Amber Glow
Labdanum is a rich, tenacious, and complex resin sourced from the rock rose plant, which is used extensively in perfumery for its warm, balsamic, and amber-like aroma. It functions as a key, long-lasting base note that features hints of leather, sweet honey, musk, and fruity plum. This resin is essential for creating authentic amber accords as well as classic chypre fragrances. Labdanum is the note that makes many perfumes feel like a warm embrace, with a resinous glow that lingers on skin and in the air. It smells of sun on dry earth, leather touched by smoke, and a soft amber sweetness that seems to hum quietly in the background. When people talk about a fragrance feeling cosy, sensual or “skin-like”, they are often responding to labdanum, even if they do not yet know its name. This substance is a sticky, dark brown oleoresin whose olfactory properties undoubtedly place it among the most sought-after natural ingredients in the world of perfumery. At our perfume house, we think of la...
