What Does Amyris Smell Like? Perfume Ingredient Guide

What does amyris smell like in perfume? Amyris smells soft, balsamic and gently woody, with a light sweetness. It is often called West Indian sandalwood, though it is not related to true sandalwood.

Botanical name	Amyris balsamifera
Plant part	Wood
Origin	Haiti and Jamaica
Extraction	Steam distillation
Note	Base
Scent family	Woods & Resins
Odour	Soft, balsamic wood, gentle and slightly sweet
Perfume uses	Woody blends; a soft fixative
Key molecules	Valerianol, elemol, β-eudesmol
Odour impact	Low
Odour life on a strip	Very long: lasts for days
Found in	Carissis, Lissom Linden, Rose Rondeaux

Used within IFRA limits. Impact and odour life are our own studio guide, judged on a smelling strip.

What Is Amyris?

Amyris oil is distilled from the wood of Amyris balsamifera, a small tree from Haiti and Jamaica.

What Does Amyris Smell Like?

Here is how strongly each facet of amyris comes through, from our own smelling-strip notes.

How Perfumers Use Amyris

Perfumers use amyris as a soft fixative and woody base, supporting florals and other woods. It pairs well with sandalwood, rose and resins.

West Indian sandalwood

Amyris is sometimes sold as West Indian sandalwood, but it is a different plant. It shares a soft, woody warmth, but is lighter and less creamy.

Smell Amyris in Prosody London Perfumes

For amyris at its most expressive, try Carissis. Amyris forms a soft, woody base with ambrette seed, styrax and sandalwood in this gentle skin scent. You will also find amyris in Lissom Linden and Rose Rondeaux.