What Does Patchouli Smell Like? It Depends on Its Company

What does patchouli smell like? Earthy first, and after that it depends on its company: more than most notes, patchouli takes on the character of whatever sits next to it. This guide describes the note on its own, shows what it does beside citrus, sweet notes and rose, and then goes through six Mykonos perfumes that use it. We are an authorized Mykonos retailer for Europe; the notes and ratings come from the brand's product data and handbook, and the rest is general perfumery knowledge.

What does patchouli smell like on its own?

Patchouli comes from a leafy plant, and the smell fits: earthy, a little damp, somewhere between dark soil, dried leaves and old wood. Underneath runs a slow sweetness. Depending on how the note is balanced, you may also catch something chocolatey, or a cool, camphor-like edge.

It is neither a floral nor a fruity note, which is why perfumers use it for weight rather than for a theme. Used heavily, patchouli can feel thick and dark, and that is where its reputation as a "heavy" note comes from. In the Mykonos range it is usually a supporting act: in all but one of the perfumes that list it, it sits in the base. Our guide to top, heart and base notes explains why that matters for how long you smell it.

Why does patchouli smell different in different perfumes?

The same note reads very differently depending on its company. Three pairings cover most of what you will meet.

With fresh citrus: a dry, clean floor

Under grapefruit, lime or bergamot, patchouli loses most of its darkness. What is left is a dry, woody ground that gives the citrus something to land on once it has faded, so the scent ends clean rather than thin.

With sweet notes: dark and a little chocolatey

Next to vanilla, caramel, coffee or dark fruit, patchouli leans towards its chocolatey side. Its earthy bitterness stops the sweetness from turning syrupy, which is why it turns up under so many warm, cosy scents. Amber is its usual partner there, and our guide to what amber smells like covers that side.

With roses and smoky woods: depth and shadow

Under rose, jasmine or red fruit, patchouli makes the flowers feel deeper and less bright. Add a smoky wood such as guaiac wood and the whole thing turns darker and more resinous. For more of that character, see our smoky perfume guide.

Patchouli in the Mykonos range

These six show the three pairings, and patchouli is a base note in five of them.

Patchouli under citrus

Mykonos Empire opens with lime, bergamot, mandarin orange and tropical fruit, moves through Sicilian orange, ginger, jasmine and coconut water, and ends on patchouli, white musk and tonka bean. Mykonos Reflection puts grapefruit, ginger and bergamot over marine notes, cardamom and lily of the valley, then musk, patchouli, amber and ambroxan. Mykonos Glitch brings apple and charred pineapple to its bergamot and grapefruit, has lavender, artemisia and vanilla in the heart, and lands on patchouli, vanilla and musk. Mykonos lists their accords as citrus, tropical and woody (Empire), citrus, fresh spicy and floral (Reflection) and fruity, fresh spicy and woody (Glitch).

Patchouli with sweetness

Mykonos Senja is the exception, with patchouli in the heart beside chocolate and milk, under coffee and almond; sandalwood, more chocolate, vetiver and cistus close it out. It is the clearest example of the chocolatey side, and our coffee perfume guide places it with the other coffee scents. Mykonos Stilettos starts with blackberry, sour cherry and mandarin orange, has violet and jasmine in the heart and rests on cashmere wood, amber, patchouli, musk and vanilla.

Patchouli with rose

Mykonos Sparkling Rosé uses damask rose, orange and geranium on top, May rose, sparkling red berries, plum and sandalwood in the heart, and patchouli, amber, guaiac wood and musk in the base. Mykonos lists its accord as rose, fruity and woody.

The ratings are the brand's own handbook figures; how long a scent lasts on you depends on skin and climate.

How to choose a patchouli perfume

Choose by what sits above the patchouli. If you want it clean and easy for daytime, start with the citrus ones: Empire is listed for all four seasons, Reflection for autumn, spring and summer, Glitch for summer. If you want something darker and cosier, Senja and Stilettos are both listed for autumn and winter, and Sparkling Rosé suits anyone who likes a rose with some shadow in it. If you are not sure you like the note at all, a citrus scent is the gentlest start, because there it is a quiet floor rather than the theme.

Patchouli is a note people tend to have strong feelings about, so try it on skin before you decide. Every perfume that lists it is in our patchouli perfumes collection.

Frequently asked questions

Does patchouli smell musty or dirty?

Used heavily and on its own, patchouli can read damp and earthy, and some people hear that as musty. In a balanced perfume it comes across as dry and woody instead, especially under citrus. A note list cannot tell you which one you will get, so test the scent on skin.

Is patchouli sweet or earthy?

Earthy first, with a slow sweetness underneath. Next to chocolate, vanilla or caramel the sweet side comes forward; next to grapefruit or bergamot the dry, woody side does.

Is patchouli a masculine or feminine scent?

Neither, because the note has no gender. Of the six perfumes above, Empire and Glitch are listed for him, Stilettos and Sparkling Rosé for her, and Reflection and Senja as unisex.

Is patchouli a base note?

Usually, yes. It is a slow note that stays long after the top notes have gone, and in the Mykonos range it sits in the base in all but one of the perfumes that list it. Senja is the exception, with patchouli in the heart.

Keep reading

• Woody and musky fragrances compared: four scents that ground a look
• Best autumn perfumes: spice, dark fruit and warm woods
• What does musk smell like? White musk explained