Scent Atlas

Mostly estragole, with some linalool. Estragole is a fairly light, quick-evaporating molecule, so basil spreads through a room then clears at a moderate pace. It smells sharp, a green aniseed note that reads bright in the air rather than mild.

Mostly benzyl benzoate, with benzyl alcohol alongside. The benzyl benzoate is a large, slow-evaporating molecule that keeps benzoin close to where it sits, releasing slowly so it lingers long after lighter scents have left. The smell is a soft, sweet balsam, gentle more than sharp, staying low in the room.

Limonene with linalyl acetate and a little linalool. The limonene is light and quick to evaporate, so bergamot lifts and spreads through a room, while the heavier esters give it a slightly longer tail than a plain citrus. It reads bright at first, then settles to something softer in the air than the other citrus oils.

A mix of light monoterpenes over heavier caryophyllene. The light part evaporates fast and spreads through the room, then the caryophyllene takes over, releasing slowly so a trace holds long after the brightness has gone. Across both, the pepper smell sits moderate, more warmth than sharpness.

Led by 1,8-cineole, a light molecule, quick to evaporate. It fills a room fast, then clears before long with little heavier material to hold it. Cineole smells sharp, almost medicinal, so even a little reads strong in the air.

Mostly carotol, a large, heavy molecule that evaporates slowly. Carrot seed stays close to where it sits and keeps releasing for a long stretch. Its smell is earthy, a quiet rooty note, so it reads soft, never filling a room the way a citrus does.

Mostly himachalenes, with some atlantone, all heavy, slow-evaporating molecules. Cedarwood stays near its source and holds for a long time. The smell is a dry, warm wood, soft in the air more than loud, settling low in a room.

Led by β-farnesene and bisabolol oxide, both heavy molecules; the blue chamazulene is only a small part. It stays close and holds for a long time, slow to leave the air. The smell is deep, with a faint sweetness, soft rather than sharp, a low note that sits in a room more than it travels.

Mostly angelate esters, mid-weight molecules. Roman chamomile moves gently through a room and holds for a moderate stretch, neither rushing nor lingering. Its smell is soft, a mild sweet-herbal note that reads gentle in the air.

Mostly eugenol, a warm, fairly heavy molecule. Cinnamon leaf carries well through a room and holds for a good while. Eugenol is potent, so even a small amount reads strong, a warm spice that fills the air more than it sits quietly.

Citronellal with geraniol and citronellol, light to mid-weight molecules, quick to evaporate. Citronella lifts and spreads through a room, then thins gradually rather than holding like a base. Citronellal is a bright, lemony molecule, fairly assertive, so it reads clear in the air more than soft.

Mostly linalyl acetate, with linalool and a little germacrene. The esters are mid-weight, so clary sage moves at a moderate pace and holds a while, and the heavier germacrene stretches the tail a little longer. The smell is winey, with a musky weight, soft rather than bright, settling into a room.

Mostly eugenol, with caryophyllene, fairly heavy molecules. Clove carries through a room and holds for a long time, slow to leave the air. Eugenol is potent, so a little reads strong, a warm deep spice that lingers low and close.

α-pinene with carene, light molecules, quick to evaporate. Cypress spreads through a room then clears before long, with little heavy material to hold it. The smell is fresh, a clean coniferous note, more crisp than soft in the air.

Mostly 1,8-cineole, with α-terpineol, light molecules. Eucalyptus fills a room fast then clears before long. Cineole is sharp, so it reads strong, a clean, cool note that opens out across the air more than it settles.

Mostly anethole, a mid-weight molecule. Fennel moves through a room at a moderate pace and holds a while. The smell is a sweet aniseed, fairly potent, so it fills the air more than it sits quietly.

α-thujene with α-pinene, light monoterpenes, quick to evaporate. This serrata frankincense lifts and spreads through a room, then clears before long, carrying more light monoterpene and less of the heavier resinous material than some frankincense oils. The smell is fresh, a bright, resinous note, more keen than warm in the air.

Citronellol with geraniol, mid-weight molecules. Geranium moves through a room at a moderate pace and holds a while, neither quick nor slow. The smell is rosy, with a green edge, even in strength, sitting steady in the air more than rising or fading fast.

Mostly zingiberene and other sesquiterpenes, heavier molecules. Ginger does not rush out: it stays moderate in reach and holds for a good while. The smell is a warm, peppery heat, more glow than bite, settling into a room more than filling it fast.

Mostly limonene, with some myrcene, light molecules, quick to evaporate. Grapefruit lifts and spreads through a room then fades before long, with little heavier material to hold it. Its smell is bright, with a clean edge of bitterness, brisker in the air than the sweeter citrus oils.

α-pinene on top, over heavier curcumene, neryl acetate and the italidiones underneath. The light α-pinene evaporates fast and spreads, while the heavier part holds a moderate tail after it. The smell is a dry, honeyed note with a curry edge, moderate in the air, more distinctive than loud.

Benzyl acetate over heavier benzyl benzoate and phytol. The lighter benzyl acetate carries the floral out into a room, while the heavier parts keep it close and hold it long, so it reads more as a pool around its source than a wash through the house. The smell is rich, a heady floral, more deep than bright.

α-pinene with myrcene and sabinene, light molecules, quick to evaporate. Juniper spreads through a room then clears before long. The smell is fresh, a dry resinous note, more sharp than sweet in the air.

Mostly linalyl acetate, with linalool, mid-weight molecules. Lavender moves through a room at an easy pace and holds for a moderate stretch. The smell is soft, a sweet herbal note, gentle in the air, settling more than rising or fading fast.

Mostly limonene, with β-pinene and γ-terpinene, light molecules, quick to evaporate. Lemon lifts and spreads through a room then fades before long. Its smell is sharp, a clean bright note, keener in the air than the sweeter citrus oils.

Mostly citral, a light molecule with a powerful smell. Citral is intense, so even a little reads strong; being light, lemongrass also spreads fast and fades before long. The smell is a keen, grassy lemon, filling the air fast more than sitting quietly.

Mostly limonene, with β-pinene, light molecules, quick to evaporate. Lime spreads through a room then fades before long. Its smell is sharp, with a green snap, crisper in the air than lemon.

Mostly limonene, a small, light molecule, quick to evaporate. That quick evaporation lifts mandarin and spreads it through a room, then thins it out before long, with little heavier material to hold it. Limonene's own smell is mild, which is why it stays soft in the air rather than loud.

Mostly terpinen-4-ol, with sabinene hydrate, mid-weight molecules. Marjoram moves through a room at a moderate pace and holds a while. The smell is a warm, soft herb, more rounded than sharp in the air.

Citral with citronellal and some caryophyllene. Citral is intense, so melissa reads strong even in a small amount; the light citral spreads well, and the heavier caryophyllene holds the tail a little longer. The smell is lemony with a green softness, bright in the air without turning sharp.

Mostly furanoeudesma-diene and related sesquiterpenes, heavy molecules. Myrrh stays close to its source and holds for a long time, slow to leave the air. The smell is resinous with a smoky bitterness, soft more than loud, a low note that sits in a room.

Linalool with limonene and a little linalyl acetate, light to mid-weight molecules. The limonene gives neroli a quick lift, while the linalool holds a moderate stretch before fading. The smell is a delicate white floral, soft in the air, more fine than full.

Led by heavy viridiflorol, with a lighter cineole top. The cineole evaporates fast and travels across the room, while the heavier viridiflorol underneath holds longer than cineole alone would. The cineole is sharp, so niaouli reads strong on first meeting, then settles to a greener, quieter note underneath.

Sabinene with α-pinene and β-pinene on top, over a softer, warmer base. The light top spreads through a room then clears, while the base holds a little longer underneath. The smell is warm, with a woody spice, fuller than a fresh pine, soft rather than sharp in the air.

Mostly limonene, a light molecule, quick to evaporate. Orange lifts and spreads through a room then fades before long, with little heavier material to hold it. Its smell is a bright, sunny sweetness, fuller in the air than the sharper citrus oils.

Mostly geraniol, with geranyl acetate, mid-weight molecules. Palmarosa moves through a room at a moderate pace and holds a while. The smell is rosy, with a grassy edge, soft in the air, even more than loud.

Mostly patchoulol, with α-guaiene, large, heavy molecules that evaporate slowly. Patchouli stays very close to its source and holds for a very long time. The smell is dark, a deep earthy note, soft rather than sharp, that pools low in a room.

Menthol with menthone, light to mid-weight molecules. Menthol has a powerful cooling smell, so peppermint reads strong even in a small amount, and being light it spreads well and holds a moderate stretch. The smell is a sharp, cooling mint, filling the air fast with a clean edge.

Linalyl acetate with linalool, mid-weight molecules. Petitgrain moves through a room at a moderate pace and holds a while. The smell is a green, leafy citrus, soft in the air, lighter than the neroli from the same tree.

α-pinene with β-pinene and carene, light molecules, quick to evaporate. Pine spreads through a room then clears before long. The smell is fresh, a resinous cut-wood note, crisp in the air, strong on first meeting.

Limonene with sabinene, light molecules, quick to evaporate. Ravensara spreads through a room then clears before long. The smell is fresh, with a soft camphor edge, gentler in the air than a sharp eucalyptus.

Citronellol with geraniol, and a little waxy material that holds longer. Rose otto moves at a moderate pace, and that waxy fraction lets it linger a touch longer than other florals. The smell is a deep, true rose, soft in the air, rich more than sharp.

1,8-cineole with camphor and α-pinene, light molecules, quick to evaporate. Rosemary fills a room fast then clears before long. The smell is sharp, a cool camphor-herb note, strong in the air on first meeting.

Mostly the santalols, large, heavy molecules. Because they evaporate slowly, sandalwood stays close to where it is set down and keeps releasing for a long stretch. Only a little reaches the air at a time, which is why it never turns loud and reads soft.

Mostly carvone, with limonene, mid-weight molecules. Spearmint moves through a room at a moderate pace and holds a while. The smell is a sweet, soft mint, gentler than peppermint, more rounded in the air than sharp.

Terpinen-4-ol with γ-terpinene and α-terpinene, mid-weight molecules. Tea tree moves through a room at a moderate pace and holds a while. The smell is fresh, a clean medicinal note, noticeable in the air even at a moderate level.

Mostly linalool, a mid-weight molecule. This is the gentle linalool chemotype, so thyme moves through a room at a moderate pace and holds a while, without the heat of the thymol thymes. The smell is soft, a sweet, herbal note, even in the air more than sharp.

A crowd of heavy sesquiterpenols, none dominant, with khusimol the largest. All of them are large, slow-evaporating molecules, so vetiver stays very close to its source and holds for a very long time. The smell is a rooty, smoky earth, soft more than loud, a deep note that settles into the floor of a room.

Led by linalool, with benzyl acetate and p-cresyl methyl ether, light aromatic molecules over a heavier sesquiterpene base. The aromatic top fills a room with a sweet, heady floral, while the base holds it for a moderate while underneath. It reads strong in the air, a heady floral more than a fresh one.