Fragrance Note
Amyris
Used in 22+ fragrances on FragranVerse
What it smells like
Amyris balsamifera is a small tree in the Rutaceae (citrus) family. Botanically unrelated to true sandalwood (Santalum, Santalaceae). The common name 'West Indian sandalwood' is a trade misnomer. The genus name Amyris derives from the Greek amyron, meaning 'intensely scented.' The essential oil, steam-distilled from heartwood and branches, is dominated by oxygenated sesquiterpenes. The principal molecule is valerianol, followed by three eudesmol isomers and elemol. The scent is drier and more angular than Mysore sandalwood, with a faint peppery-citrus opening, a pure woody heart, and a soft vanilla-sweet drydown.
How it's used in perfumery
Base-note fixative and woody extender. Amyris functions primarily as a cost-effective anchor in compositions requiring persistent woody character without the price of true sandalwood. Valerianol and the eudesmol isomers provide the fixative backbone. Amyris bridges well into amber, amber, and chypre frameworks. In woody-amber bases, it serves as a neutral woody substrate beneath richer materials like labdanum or benzoin. In fougère structures, it provides dry wood without competing with the coumarin-lavender axis.
Fun fact
The resin content of Amyris balsamifera wood is so high that freshly cut green branches ignite and burn with a steady, bright flame.
Perfumes with Amyris(22)
Designer
(5)Niche
(17)
