FYI, This Sneaky Scent Note Is the #1 Reason Perfumes Smell Good
There are certain notes that help give perfume a certain je ne sais quoi. Notes like these are almost never the main event but serve as background characters that make an overall fragrance just work. One of those background characters that works overtime in making a perfume smell good? Ylang-ylang.
You've probably heard of ylang-ylang before, particularly if you're a frag head like I am. Ylang-ylang is a spindly, yellow, star-shaped flower that comes from the Cananga tree. These are tropical trees that are native to the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and Queensland, Australia. These flowers have an extremely unique scent, making them the perfect addition to any floral-forward fragrance. Ylang-ylang is a rich, sweet-smelling floral with notes of banana, woods, and sourness. It's unique, and it absolutely comes alive on the skin. Ylang-ylang pairs well with most classic scents, like vanilla, rose, and jasmine.
Keep reading to find out some of our favorite perfumes that contain ylang-ylang. You might even be surprised that some of these perfumes even contain ylang-ylang, and that just proves how versatile this note is in scents.
Key Notes: Ylang-ylang, blackcurrant leaf, pink peppercorn
This perfume was designed to be like a piece of art by a naturalist painter who set out to capture the ylang-ylang flower in its purest form. That's exactly what this fragrance does—it's ylang-ylang, through and through.
Key Notes: Bergamot, pink pepper, lemon, ylang-ylang, transluzone, heliotrope, coconut milk, musk, cedar wood, benzoin
Salty skin, an island breeze, and blinding sun are all encapsulated in this bottle. Cedar helps ground everything while coconut gives this solar scent island vibes.
Key Notes: Citrus accord, gardenia, ylang-ylang, patchouli, sandalwood, vetiver oakmoss, benzoin
If you like amped-up, white floral scents, this one is for you. Ylang-ylang and gardenia are the stars, while notes like citrus, patchouli, vetiver, and sandalwood give the scent some character.
Key Notes: Rosoxydes, aldehydes, orange blossom, Rose of May, Bulgarian rose, ylang-ylang, patchouli, white musks
Forget everything you know about floral fragrances. This perfume combines metallic notes with classic florals to give you an edgier, more captivating scent.
Next: Think You Already Have a Favorite Perfume? I Found 9 That Will Change Your Mind
Prior to her time atBest Knockoff Luxury Clothing , Katie Berohn worked as the beauty assistant for Good Housekeeping, Woman's Day, and Prevention magazines, all part of the Hearst Lifestyle Group. She graduated from the University of Colorado, Boulder, with a major in journalism and minor in technology, arts, and media, and earned her master's degree at NYU's graduate program for magazine journalism. In addition, Katie has held editorial internships at Denver Life magazine, Yoga Journal, and Cosmopolitan; a digital editorial internship at New York magazine's The Cut; a social good fellowship at Mashable; and a freelance role at HelloGiggles.