Floral

Damask rose absolute smells like the most intensely fragrant rose you've ever encountered—imagine burying your face in a bouquet of the deepest, most perfumed garden roses, then concentrating that scent fifty-fold. It's honeyed and slightly spicy, with a subtle fruitiness reminiscent of dried apricots or plum jam. There's an almost indolic, slightly animalic quality beneath—vaguely reminiscent of skin musk or old velvet—that makes it feel luxurious and slightly dark rather than purely innocent and floral.

Woody

Mastic absolute smells like walking through a Mediterranean pine forest after rain—resinous and slightly bitter, with an almost medicinal quality. Imagine the sticky sap on your fingers after touching tree bark, mingled with hints of incense, dry spice, and a whisper of anise. There's a clean, slightly peppery undertone that feels both ancient and oddly modern. It's woody but not in the deep, dark way of oud; rather, it's bright, crystalline, and subtly astringent—like chewing on a piece of aromatic bark.