Fresh · Natural material · Top notes, Heart notes, Base notes
Clary sage
Clary sage is the herbal scent of Salvia sclarea, a relative of kitchen sage from the northern Mediterranean. It smells warm, slightly sweet and herbal, with hints of tea, hay and wine. In perfume, clary sage usually sits in the heart and base notes, adding a soft herbal and slightly ambery side.
· Written by the FRAG team
What does clary sage smell like?
Clary sage smells herbal and fresh, but warmer and sweeter than common sage. There are hints of tea, dry hay and a little muscat wine. Its herbal side recalls lavender, since both are rich in linalyl acetate.
On skin, the herbal side of clary sage is clearest at first, then a soft ambery, musky side slowly comes through. The finish is like warm tea and hay, staying close to the skin.
Where clary sage comes from
Salvia sclarea is native to the northern Mediterranean and parts of North Africa and Central Asia. Its oil is steam-distilled from the flowering tops and upper leaves. Producers include France, Bulgaria, Russia, Hungary and the United States.
Clary sage is also a raw material for another molecule. Sclareol from the plant is the starting material for ambroxide (ambroxan), an ambery molecule used in many modern perfumes. Clary sage and kitchen sage (Salvia officinalis) are two different species in the same genus.
Clary sage in a perfume
Clary sage usually sits in the heart and base notes. It adds a warm herbal side and helps blend the materials around it. Clary sage absolute is also used to add depth to amber and tobacco accords.
Classic partners are lavender and bergamot in fougère perfumes, plus sage and rosemary as fellow herbs. In the base, clary sage suits labdanum, tonka and ambroxan, since they share a warm, ambery character.
When to wear clary sage
Clary sage feels clean and not too sweet, so it is comfortable at the office, even on a hot day. With amber, tobacco or woods, clary sage feels warmer and fits the evening. It suits people who like a soft, warm herbal scent, like a cup of tea.
