Tea

Tea in perfume is a note that evokes the leaves of Camellia sinensis and the smell of brewed tea, usually built as an accord rather than extracted directly. It is generally classed as aromatic or green and smells fresh, slightly bitter and gently floral, with a clean, calm quality that has made it a mainstay of modern fresh fragrances.

What does Tea smell like?

A tea note depends on the style being evoked. Green tea is fresh, grassy and slightly bitter; black tea is darker, malty and smoky; oolong sits between the two with floral and fruity facets; and white tea is soft, airy and almost powdery. Common threads include a transparent floral lift, a hay-like dryness and a faint astringency. Many tea accords also draw on the jasmine and bergamot associations of scented teas such as jasmine tea and Earl Grey.

How perfumers create Tea

A natural tea absolute exists but is rare and expensive, so tea notes are mostly accords. Perfumers typically use Hedione (methyl dihydrojasmonate) for a transparent jasmine-tea radiance, linalool and bergamot for freshness, cis-jasmone and green notes for leafiness, ionones and damascones for dried-leaf warmth, and small amounts of mate, hay or tobacco for depth.

Also known as: Thé
Fragrance family: Aromatic, Green
Type: Natural and synthetic (usually an accord)
How it's obtained: Blended as an accord; tea absolute from solvent extraction of leaves is also available
Key aroma molecules: Linalool, geraniol, cis-jasmone, beta-damascenone, methyl dihydrojasmonate

Tea in perfume history

Tea arrived in Europe in the seventeenth century and quickly became part of domestic life, but as a perfume note it is recent. Bvlgari's Eau Parfumée au Thé Vert, created in the early 1990s by Jean-Claude Ellena, is widely credited with launching tea as a fine fragrance theme, and it inspired a wave of tea-based scents.

Tea in modern perfumery

Tea notes are now common in fresh unisex scents, colognes and home fragrance, and in niche perfumes that explore specific tea styles such as matcha, Earl Grey and smoky Lapsang souchong. Perfumers value tea for its calm, clean quality and for bridging citrus and musk without sweetness.

How Tea wears and what it pairs with

Tea is usually a heart note with light-to-moderate longevity. Classic pairings include bergamot, lemon, jasmine, mint, fig, ginger, cedar and white musk.