Cedar leaf

Yet cedar does not only produce essence; thanks to its leaves it can also become a pleasant, delicate and woody essential oil that is fresher and more sparkling than its classic counterpart. The cedar leaf note is therefore admittedly less well known than the cedar note, but just as interesting to use as a raw material in perfumery.

Cedar and its many raw materials in perfumery

Everyone is very familiar with the scent of cedar, having smelled it at least once in men’s fragrances or scented products. This essence is created from different types of cedar: Atlas cedar (mainly native to North Africa), Texas cedar, or Virginia cedar.

Virginia cedar, which reaches heights of 20 meters, grows in North America, including Canada, and allows not only the creation of an essence from its bark but also the production of an essential oil from its leaves: cedar leaf essential oil. It takes 15 years, however, before this oil can be produced, which is why the cedar leaf note in perfumery — invigorating and delicately woody at once — remains rather rare.

Cedar leaf essential oil in men’s woody fragrances

The cedar leaf note lends itself to creating tonic, woody accords, whereas the cedar note itself is more powerful, woodier but less fresh. As a result, fragrances that use the cedar leaf note tend to be woody-aromatic or woody-citrus, employing it in the top notes or heart notes. In any case, cedar leaf pairs with fresh, lively fragrances while remaining original.

Thus, in 2000, L’Anarchiste by Caron offered the cedar leaf note in a woody heart invigorated by citrus in the top notes and balanced by white musks in the base. The fragrance aims to be both elegant and contrasted, delivering an explosive cocktail.

In the years that followed, aromatic woody fragrances took up the cedar leaf note to embellish the aromatic or spicy heart notes of their compositions. In Versace Man Eau Fraîche, cedar leaf frames sage and tarragon; in Euphoria Men by Calvin Klein, cedar leaf is paired in the heart with sage and basil; and finally, in the striking Saltus by Liquides Imaginaires, the heart notes are made up of cedar leaf, black pepper and elemi.

Although very well suited to woody notes seeking to be innovative and fresh, cedar leaf also knows how to shine in new fragrances and in less obvious olfactory families. For example, Graphite by Montana, an oriental, uses the cedar leaf note paired with pepper, bergamot and violet in the top notes, while the surprising aromatic citrus Succus by Liquides Imaginaires enriches its heart with spices, fruits, marine notes and cedar leaves. Cedar leaf therefore allows for every kind of daring.