While I consider myself a true lover of fragrance, there are a few notes that really intimidate me. Patchouli is one of them. Not only does it get a bad rep (I’ve seen some folks liken the note to body odor), but it also feels like it falls a little more on the masculine side of the fragrance spectrum. It’s a note that has felt like a complete toss-up in the past and for good reason.
“Patchouli originates from the mint family,” Andrea Maack, perfumer and founder of the eponymous fragrance line, tells me. “It’s usually used as a 'fixative' in perfume, which means it holds the notes together.” Fixatives slow the evaporation of more powerful notes (like citrus or light florals), helping a fragrance last longer.
