What does Myrtle smell like?
Crush a sprig of myrtle in the scrubland on a June afternoon. A camphor freshness rises first, close to eucalyptus. Then comes a softer, almost floral note with hints of orange and pepper. It is less medicinal than rosemary and less rough than cypress. In a perfume, myrtle suggests dry air and sun on leaves. On skin it fades within an hour and hands over to the woods.
Origin and production
Myrtle (Myrtus communis) grows all around the Mediterranean, especially in Corsica, Sardinia, North Africa and southern Spain. The Greeks and Romans dedicated it to Aphrodite and Venus. In Corsica and Sardinia its berries still go into a liqueur. The oil is steam-distilled from the leaves and young twigs. It is rich in cineole, the molecule behind its eucalyptus side.
How perfumers use it
Myrtle gets along with cypress, juniper, lavender and resins. Diptyque put it at the top of Tam Dao (2003) with cypress, before a dry sandalwood. At Serge Lutens, Ambre Sultan (1993) tucks it into the heart with angelica, which lightens a very dense amber. Tom Ford Costa Azzurra (2014) pairs it with juniper and lavender to evoke the Italian coast. Valentino Uomo (2014) opens on it with bergamot before a leather and hazelnut heart.
How to wear it
Myrtle suits spring and late summer. Tam Dao works every day. Ambre Sultan is powerful and prefers winter, so one spray is enough.