Cashmeran in perfume: what it smells like and which FAAN bottles use it

We are an independent retailer, and the placements below come from the note pyramids on the product pages. Cashmeran is listed on just those two.

What cashmeran smells like (and what it does not)

Cashmeran is a modern aroma material, made in a laboratory, not taken from a plant or an animal. The name hints at cashmere wool because of its soft, enveloping feel. It smells woody and musky, a bit spicy, a touch sweet, and somewhat like a warm resin. Perfumers use it to make a scent feel smooth and round.

It does not smell like sheep, wool or a fabric softener. It is not a clean laundry musk either. It is warmer and drier, closer to a dry wood than a soap.

One point of confusion: Qasida Purity lists "cashmere musk" in its base. That is a different note, a soft, clean, skin-like musk. Cashmeran and cashmere musk are not the same thing and are not found together in a FAAN bottle.

How perfumers use cashmeran: top, heart or base

Cashmeran is usually a base note, where it works like a soft wooden floor under sweeter notes. It can also work in the heart, where it smooths the transition from bright top notes to a heavy base. Perfumers like it because a little goes a long way and it pairs with almost everything: vanilla, flowers, amber, spice.

Cashmeran in the FAAN range

In Signature the full pyramid is bergamot, cinnamon, almond and cardamom on top, orange blossom, coconut and guaiacwood in the heart, and praline, vanilla, dry amber and cashmeran in the base. In Queen it is cherry, clove, orange blossom and pink pepper on top, orange blossom, jasmine and cashmeran in the heart, and vanilla, amber, patchouli and coffee in the base. Both come from the Qasida line.

What it is paired with in these pyramids

In Signature, cashmeran sits with sweet praline and vanilla and dry amber. It is the wood that keeps the sugar from sticking. The result is a gourmand that dries down warm, not sticky. In Queen, cashmeran holds the white flowers, orange blossom and jasmine, and makes the move from cherry to coffee smoother. Same material, different job.

Compare the two bottles in Qasida Signature vs Qasida Queen. For the amber side, see amber in perfume and in FAAN bottles.

Wearing advice

Signature is rated 3 out of 5 for strength and 4 for longevity, and Queen 4 and 4. Both are listed for autumn and winter. With cashmeran in the mix, both feel soft in the cold. Use two sprays of either, and one on a scarf if you want the soft woody trace to follow you. In heat, the sweet notes around the cashmeran get heavy. People who tend to like cashmeran: lovers of warm, cosy, gourmand and woody-musky scents. People who may not: those who like crisp, citrus-fresh perfumes.

If you like cashmeran, start with Qasida Signature

Signature is unisex, a little dearer than Queen, and a gentler first step. Choose Queen if you want cashmeran in a sweeter, darker, cherry-coffee setting. Read the Signature review for more, then browse all fourteen bottles or use which FAAN perfume to choose. If a bottle shows as sold out, ask to be notified on the product page.

FAQ

Which FAAN perfumes have cashmeran?

Qasida Signature, in the base, and Qasida Queen, in the heart.

Is cashmeran a cashmere musk?

No. Cashmeran is a woody-musky aroma material. Cashmere musk, listed in Qasida Purity, is a soft, clean musk.

Does cashmeran smell sweet?

A little. Mostly it smells soft, woody and warm. The sweetness in these bottles comes from the vanilla, praline and cherry around it.

Related reading

• Notes map of the FAAN range
• FAAN Qasida Signature review: praline, almond and amber
• The perfume notes pyramid explained