Raw Materials - Elemi · Brotherhood Of Scent

Sep '24 (edited) • New Releases & Reviews 📝

Raw Materials - Elemi

Elemi is a natural resin harvested from the bark of the Canarium Luzonicum tree, native to the Philippines. The process starts with careful incisions made in the tree's bark, prompting the tree to release a sticky, fragrant resin as a natural defense mechanism. This resin is then collected by hand as it flows, and the tree continues to produce more resin with each new cut, allowing for repeated harvests. After collection, the resin is usually purified and sometimes distilled to create an essential oil, which is widely used in perfumery and other applications. The traditional practice of collecting Elemi has been passed down through generations and is often done sustainably, ensuring the health and longevity of the trees.

Elemi brings a fresh, spicy, and subtly citrusy aroma that adds both brightness and depth to a composition. Its complex scent profile—featuring notes of lemon, pepper, and pine, underpinned by a gentle resinous warmth—makes it an exceptional choice for enhancing the vitality and complexity of a fragrance. Often used as a top or middle note, Elemi seamlessly blends with other elements like citrus, woods, and spices, offering a balance of invigorating freshness and earthy warmth. This ability to harmonize contrasting qualities makes Elemi a favored ingredient in creating sophisticated and dynamic men’s fragrances.

When I smell Elemi: Immediately hits me with a sharp, resinous freshness that feels like a burst of dirty citrus, like peeling a lemon sitting under a lemon grove tree. There's a spicy, peppery kick that follows, adding a bit of edge, but it’s softened by an underlying warmth that’s almost reminiscent of frankincense. This concentrated sample is potent, but I can see where it, when diluted, could give off an invigorating citrus smell. It’s like the scent of the outdoors after a rain, where the earth, wood, and citrusy air mingle together.

https://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Dior/Eau-Sauvage-Parfum-2017-43977.html

https://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Xerjoff/XJ-1861-Zefiro-30530.html

What say you Gents? Any experience with Elemi forward fragrances? What ones do you like or dislike? What ones out there would you like to try? And for you seasoned fragheads, what fragrances would you recommend to beginners? Love to hear from 'ya!

Continue the #Journey

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