Ylang-Ylang

Ylang-ylang smells creamy, solar, and narcotic, with banana peel, warm petals, clove-like spice, and a lush tropical fullness that can feel almost oily on the air. It moves between floral sweetness and exotic heat, making perfumes glow with yellow, velvety richness. The note appears in white florals, orientals, solar florals, vintage bouquets, and some chypres, where it thickens texture and adds a languid sensuality. Ylang-ylang can make jasmine more buttery and woods more voluptuous. It is central to Guerlain Samsara, where sandalwood and flowers melt into one another, and to Chanel No. 5, where it enriches the abstract floral heart with warmth and radiance.