What does honey smell like? Sweet, golden and a little wild

Honey sounds like the simplest note in perfume. It is sweet and golden, and everyone knows it from the breakfast table. But in a bottle, honey is a tricky, two-faced note. Used gently, it glows. Overdosed, it can turn sour and animal. That double nature is what makes it so interesting.

What does it smell like?

Sweet, warm and waxy, with floral and animal sides. In one breath you might notice:

• Sweetness: thick, golden and syrupy
• Wax: the soft, slightly fatty smell of a beeswax candle
• Flowers: a light pollen-like floral note, like a field in summer
• Hay and tobacco: a dry, golden warmth
• Animal: a warm, slightly sweaty or even urine-like edge, especially in large doses

That last facet surprises people. But it is part of what makes honey feel sensual rather than just sugary.

Where it comes from

You might expect honey notes to come from honey itself. Mostly, they don't. Honey is mostly sugar and water, and sugar has almost no smell. Its aroma comes from tiny amounts of flower compounds and other molecules, which are hard to capture.

Perfumers create honey notes in three main ways:

1. Beeswax absolute. This is the main natural material. Beeswax from the honeycomb is washed and extracted with alcohol to capture its fragrant parts. The result smells sweet, waxy, hay-like and slightly animal. It is costly and used in small amounts.
2. Honey absolute. A natural extract made from honey itself exists, but it is rare and seldom used.
3. Synthetic molecules. Most honey notes today are built from lab-made materials. The key one is phenylacetic acid and its relatives, such as ethyl phenylacetate and methyl phenylacetate. These are also important smell molecules in real honey and beeswax. At low doses they smell sweet and honeyed. At high doses they turn sharp, sour and animal.

Perfumers often add other materials to steer the honey: florals like mimosa or orange blossom, hay-like coumarin, or warm resins.

How it's made

For beeswax absolute:

1. Beeswax is collected from honeycombs, usually as a by-product of honey farming.
2. It is melted and treated with solvents to make a waxy extract called a concrete.
3. The concrete is washed with alcohol, which pulls out the fragrant parts and leaves most of the wax behind.
4. The alcohol is removed, leaving a thick, golden absolute.

Synthetic honey molecules are made in factories and are far cheaper and more consistent.

A short history of honey in perfume

• Ancient times: Humans have collected honey for thousands of years, and it has long been used in rituals, medicine and scented preparations. Ancient Egyptian incense recipes such as kyphi are often said to have included honey along with resins, wine and spices.
• Classic perfumery: Honey notes, often from beeswax and phenylacetic materials, added warmth and an animal glow to many classic floral, chypre and amber perfumes.
• Modern perfumery: Honey has had a revival in two directions. Niche brands use it for rich, dark, slightly dirty perfumes. Mainstream brands use it in sweet, gourmand scents that smell almost edible.

Honey in modern perfume

You will find honey in:

• Floral perfumes: it gives jasmine, rose and orange blossom a sunny, nectar-like warmth.
• Gourmands: with vanilla, caramel and praline for a dessert-like effect.
• Tobacco and amber perfumes: where honey adds a sweet, golden glow.
• Animalic perfumes: where perfumers push honey's darker side for a sensual, skin-like effect.

The type of honey matters, too. Just as real honeys from different flowers taste different, perfume honeys vary. Some smell light and floral, like orange blossom honey. Others are dark and woody, closer to buckwheat or forest honey. Brands sometimes name a specific style, such as manuka or acacia honey, to hint at which direction they are going.

Real vs synthetic honey

Most honey notes are synthetic, and that is not a bad thing. Synthetic honey is affordable, consistent and vegan, because it involves no bees or hive products. Beeswax absolute adds a richer, more natural texture, but it is an animal-derived material, which matters to some people. If you avoid animal products, look for perfumes labelled vegan or check with the brand.

What honey pairs well with

• Tobacco: a classic duo. Sweet, dry and warm.
• Orange blossom and mimosa: for a sunny, nectar-like floral
• Rose: for a rich, jammy, golden feel
• Vanilla and tonka bean: for a gourmand, dessert-like warmth
• Amber and labdanum: for depth and resin
• Leather and oud: to bring out honey's darker, animal side

Perfumes to try

• Miel de Bois by Serge Lutens: a famously intense, divisive honey. Sweet, woody and very animal. For the brave.
• Nectarine Blossom & Honey by Jo Malone London: light, fruity and fresh. A gentle introduction.
• Back to Black by Kilian Paris: honey and tobacco, rich and boozy.
• Scandal by Jean Paul Gaultier: a sweet, playful honey with gardenia and patchouli.

How to wear honey

• Start light. Honey can become cloying or sour if over-applied.
• Rich honey and tobacco blends suit autumn and winter evenings.
• Light, fruity honey florals can work in spring and summer.
• Test on skin, not paper. Honey reacts strongly with skin chemistry and can change a lot from person to person.

Who will love it

People who love warm, sweet scents with a bit of personality. If you enjoy gourmands but want something less sugary, or florals with more warmth, try a honey perfume. And if you are drawn to slightly "dirty", animal scents, a dark honey may become a favourite.