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

What ginger smells like, and what it does not

Think of grated fresh root, not of biscuits. Perfume ginger is bright, a little lemony, with a clean heat that tingles rather than burns. It is not the baked, sweet, sticky ginger of gingerbread, and it does not smell of tea.

There is one trap. Because ginger is both warm and sharp, it can read as spicy to some noses and as fresh to others. In the two FAAN bottles below it behaves as a freshener, not as a heavy spice.

How perfumers use ginger: top, heart or base

Ginger is most often a top note, where its citrus-like side helps. It also appears in hearts, where it adds a dry spice, but not in these two bottles. Both FAAN bottles that use it place it in the top and surround it with bright fruit and citrus. The job is lift. Ginger opens a scent and gives it a sparkling, slightly dry first impression, then fades into the heart. To see how that top-to-heart handover works in practice, read top, heart and base notes explained.

Ginger in the FAAN range

What it is paired with in these pyramids

In Coral, ginger sits with pear, bergamot and mandarin. The result is a clean, juicy opening where the ginger adds a light snap, like a squeeze of lemon on a fruit plate. It then leads into orange blossom and woods.

In Sahm, ginger sits among mango, lemon, raspberry, pink berries and green mandarin. Without it, that top would be very sweet. With it, you get a dry edge that carries into the cardamom of the heart and, much later, the oud and leather.

Wearing advice: season, sprays, who tends to like it

Ginger works in warm and in cool weather, which is why Coral is listed for spring and summer while Sahm covers autumn and spring. Ginger lovers are often people who dislike sweetness. Two sprays are enough, and because ginger fades early, expect the ginger itself to be gone after about thirty minutes while its effect stays in the shape of the scent. Coral is unisex, Sahm is listed for him. If you want a quiet, clean day scent, choose Coral. If you want fruit and then wood, choose Sahm. Our guide to Sahm walks through its notes in more detail.

If you like ginger, start with Amjad Coral

Coral is the easier bottle. The pyramid is short, the pear is soft, and the ginger is clearly there. It is an Extrait de Parfum at €44.99 and one of our best sellers. Browse the Amjad line, the Qasida line or the full range for the rest.

FAQ

Does ginger make a perfume spicy?

A little. In Coral and Sahm it reads more as zest than as a spice, and it is balanced by fruit and citrus.

Which FAAN perfume smells most of ginger?

Coral, because its pyramid is shorter, with only four top notes and few other loud materials. In Sahm, ginger is one of seven top notes.

What if the bottle is sold out?

Use the notify option on the product page. Delivery takes 3 to 6 working days in the Netherlands and 5 to 8 in the rest of the EU.

Related reading

• A notes map of the FAAN range
• FAAN Amjad Coral described note by note
• Top, heart and base notes explained