Perfumes with Carnation

Carnation smells spicy, sweet and slightly peppery, a lively floral that combines the softness of rose with a warm, sharp tone strongly reminiscent of clove. It comes from the flowers of Dianthus caryophyllus, whose natural absolute is rare and expensive.

The note is therefore usually rebuilt with spicy molecules such as eugenol, combined with rosy tones; that shared molecule explains its likeness to clove. Carnation sits almost always in the heart of a fragrance. It pairs well with rose, ylang-ylang, cinnamon, iris, vanilla, musk and sandalwood, and it was a staple of classic spicy floral perfumes.

Carnation appears in 2,366 perfumes in the Fisfis catalogue and is used mostly as a heart note.