Ingredient Guide
Hazelnuts resemble acorns in appearance, although the plants are quite different, and have been regarded as symbols of wisdom and ability since ancient times. Hazelnuts from Oregon are particularly well known.
In the perfume industry, the notes used include smoky roasted hazelnut (warm and especially well suited to vanilla and chocolate scents), regular hazelnut (sweet, mild, and creamy, with a nutty scent), and hazelnut leaf (fresh and green, with a slight nuttiness).
What Does It Smell Like in Perfume?
One material used to create hazelnut notes in perfume is the synthetic fragrance ingredient Filbertone®. Its highly diffusive scent recalls hazelnuts and fruit, adding a nutty character and roundness to citrus, rose, sandalwood, and gourmand compositions. The actual aroma of hazelnuts consists of many components, and differs between raw and roasted nuts. Filbertone® is one material used to portray that character; it is not the same as the natural seed oil or the nut’s complete aroma.
Choosing Hazelnut Fragrances
Hazelnut fragrances are not limited to confectionery sweetness. Some evoke green nuts and woodland instead.
- Fresh green nuts: Green hazelnut notes suit those who prefer greenness to the toasted scent of nuts.
- Creamy nuts: Milky nuts and soft woods offer a rounded scent.
- Forest depth: Oak, vetiver, and resins suit those who prefer woods and earth to sweet treats.
Fragrances Featuring Hazelnut
English Oak & Hazelnut Cologne (Jo Malone London)
Green hazelnut is paired with earthy vetiver and roasted oak absolute. Nuts and woods combine in a fresh woodland scent.
Chipmunk (Zoologist)
Hazelnut is layered with quince, cardamom, nutmeg, fir, oak, and earthy notes. Green, milky nuts evoke an autumn forest, with fruit and spices alongside the woods.
From Hazelnut to Your Next Fragrance
Once you have a sense of the scents you enjoy, open our Fragrance Finder. Choose “Favorite fragrances & notes” on the home screen, search in the “Favorite notes” field, and select an option from the suggestions shown. Choose “Next” to continue. You can start with notes even if you do not yet have a favorite perfume.
