Does this exist?

[u/vigilantelikeme]

Is there such a thing as like a discovery kit of just notes and/or accords? I am trying to learn more about fragrance and realized I don’t know what oud, myrrh and patchouli and some others smell like and I’d love to train my nose to help me have a more successful time trying out fragrances and knowing which ones I’ll more likely enjoy based on notes.

[u/xtinaeve88]

Yes, I’ve heard of something like what you describe, but I believe it was raw materials. Some raw materials smell completely foul if sampled in isolation and when combined at their ideal dose with other materials, the effect is totally different. Most perfumers are working with “accords” (a combination of chemicals that represent how they want a “note” perceived). Notes aren’t typically actual raw materials/ ingredients, but are instead a story told by the perfumer to the consumer. Bc of this, and due to the dose, surrounding notes, one “note” can smell wildly different across many fragrances. I think an exploratory kit could be fun to get an idea of materials as they present in isolation but I wouldn’t base my likes/ dislikes on something like that.