Let’s set the scene—You’ve walked outside in the minutes after a rainstorm and are greeted by leaves speckled with sparkling water droplets that are set alight as the sun reappears from behind gray storm clouds. Underfoot, there are puddles (some of mud, and others of rain water) nestled in wet grass. Then a scent hits you, that smells faintly of damp earth, rain, and something one could only describe as being slightly metallic to create petrichor. First coined by mineralogist Isabel Joy Bear and biochemist Richard Grenfell Thomas, it comes from from the Ancient Greek words for ‘rock’ and ‘stone,’ as well as ichor, the ethereal fluid that is the blood of the gods in Greek mythology.
I have known the scent for as long as I’ve lived (I was born and raised in one of the most wet corners of the world), but haven’t always been able to put a name to the smell. In fact, it was only after beginning my career in beauty that I began wearing them. Since then, I’ve noticed a gradual rise in fragrances proudly using the note. To celebrate it’s recent popularity, I’m taking a closer look at the perfume note with the help of a perfumer and sharing a number of my favorite fragrances that give all the petrichor vibes.
What Is a Petrichor Fragrance?
Waiting for the perfect time of year to wear them? Don’t let them sit on the shelf and collect dust. Lekach believes fragrance can be a deeply personal experience, so there’s no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ time to wear petrichor fragrances. However, if you find the pleasure in matching a fragrance to a season or specific mood like I do, Lekach says they can feel comforting and introspective, “like watching rain fall outside a window.” I can’t speak for all petrichor perfumes, but I can say that the majority of the scents I’ve had the opportunity to road test have accomplished that.
What Notes are in Petrichor Fragrances?
Now, for my favorite part: getting into the nitty-gritty of petrichor perfumes can bring sentimental feelings and memories to the front of the mind with a brilliant blend of notes from the garden, the sea, and beyond. “Common notes can include vetiver, patchouli, oakmoss, violet leaf, galbanum, and airy aquatics—all of which conjure that meditative “after-the-storm” atmosphere.” Other enchanting notes to be on the lookout for in petrichor fragrances are ozone aromas (a.k.a. light, fresh, and airy aromas that can be reminiscent of everything from the fresh mountain air to ocean breezes).
As someone who grew up in the lush, green, and rainy Pacific Northwest, this is especially appealing, but I’d imagine it’s even more so for those who’ve never experienced either. For those who enjoy layering fragrances, Lekach recommends opting for what he refers to as ‘fragrance enhancers’ to amplify the scent. “These blends often feature woody musks (e.g. ISO E Super and ambroxan), which are likely already present in your rain-inspired perfume,” he says. “These will add some depth without clashing.”
If you’re ready level up your fragrance game with petrichor scents, you’re in luck. I’ve studied by personal perfume collection and scoured the farthest corners of the internet for the most addictive rain-on-soil fragrances from brands like Heretic Parfum, Le Labo, D.S. & Durga, and more.
Shop the Best Petrichor Fragrances
Demeter
Petrichor Cologne Spray
Scent Type: Aromatic earth
Notes: Rainwater, earth, ozone, musk
If it’s a pure petrichor scent you’re after, you can’t go wrong with this cult classic fragrance. Demeter’s Petrichor Cologne Spray combines notes of damp earth and fresh rainwater with soft musk, and ozone for a versatile, unisex scent that couldn’t be more nostalgic. To me, the hero notes of this addictive perfume reads more as damp concrete than mineralized earth, however, making it an ideal day-to-night option that smells like a refreshed city street in the moments after a rain shower.
Customer Review: “If you’re looking for a rain scent this is the one! Simple, clean and subtle. Smells like rain on hot pavement or spring showers. Compared to their Thunderstorm, Petrichor is far less floral and there for more suitable for unisex and mens wear, in that respect it’s just what i was looking for. I enjoy pairing it with ambergris and paperback for a subtle, spicy and refined scent. I will certainly be buying this scent again!”
Stora Skuggan
Mistpouffer Eau de Parfum
Scent Type: Aromatic woods
Notes: Imortelle, bergamot, fig leaf, pine, ozone, smoke, vetiver, malt sugar, cypriol
When it comes to selecting fragrances that evoke a time and place, I have a soft spot for the ones that can successfully blend “simple” scent notes with those that are generally less identifiable. Stora Skuggan’s Mistpouffer, for example, presents a version of petrichor entwined with an enchanting, botanical blend of bergamot, fig leaf and pine set against a smooth base of smoke, malt sugar, and cypriol (which has a woody, almost leather-like smell). Is it an unexpected take on petrichor? Yes, but it’s done ridiculously well.
Customer Review: “This scent is so unique. I usually don’t gravitate towards anything that is sweet or has gourmand notes, but I love this perfume. Its base notes of malt sugar and smoke makes Mistpouffer like eating cotton candy at the water after a bonfire. It’s unique, it’s nostalgic, and it wears beautifully.”
Heretic Parfum
Nosferatu Eau de Macabre
Scent Type: Aromatic earth
Notes: Lilac, ambrette, petrichor, violet absolute, orris concentrate, cypriol, vegan ambergris, oud, labdanum
POV: You’re in a Victorian-era graveyard surrounded by cemetery angels, damp, newly-churned earth, and fresh bouquets placed carefully against the gravestones. It’s a peaceful scene, but there’s definitely something darker there… a mysterious presence that could only belong to Nosferatu. While I can’t say for sure that the very same creatures of the night who’ve haunted the pages of my favorite gothic novels aren’t lurking in the shadows, but this tragically beautiful scent keeps me coming back.
Customer Review: “This is beautiful. It smells like grass underneath a foggy dusk. I’m not getting much of any floral, it just smells wet and green. It’s definitely an intimate skin scent and it’s exactly what I look for in a fragrance. It’s light and green, but so interesting. I feel like they actually knocked this out of the park, and I’m glad it isn’t as on the nose as it could have been. Well done!”
Chasing Scents
Rain Tea Eau de Parfum
Scent Type: Aromatic florals
Notes: Chrysanthemum, wattle, chamomile, white tea, rain, barley, honey, longan
I’ll always make space in my fragrance collection for tea perfumes, and this one has just earned itself a spot in my current lineup. Chasing Scent’s Rain Tea Eau de Parfum combines a soft chrysanthemum and chamomile with white tea and rain. The dry down reveals even more to fall in love with: a layer of cozy barley and honey. This is the perfume I could imagine my fictional childhood icon, Matilda’s Miss Honey, wearing while reading in her blooming garden. It’s youthful, calm, and sweet.
Customer Review: “A honeyed tea scent with some earthy and herbal accords. Opens with a freshly herbal floral blend and hints of spice that quickly becomes that very handed honeyed tea. The rain notes add a damp musky air to the background of the scent that feels reminiscent of a rainy day. The tea is a gorgeous aromatic note like a freshly brewed cup, in your hand as you outlook a window in a reading nook and it rains outside. The dry down is a bit drier with that barley, has a hint of tartness from the longan berries, and is overall a cozy honey forward tea scent with some earthiness to it.”
Le Labo
Baie 19 Eau de Parfum
Scent Type: Fresh woods
Notes: Dry juniper berry, patchouli, green leaves
When I think of juniper berry, the first thing my mind goes to is memories of lazy fall afternoons spent picking similar succulent fruits with my mom. Le Labo’s Baie 19 combines the nostalgic note with enchanting patchouli and dewy, green leaves. While upon first spritz, this one may present itself as more green and woody, the dry down reveals something more aligned with what we’d recognize as petrichor-leaning. Trust me when I say that it’s thee cottagecore scent of the decade.
Customer Review: “This one is a winner for me. We have an old lakeside cottage in Northern Minnesota. This instantly transports me there. It reminds me of the smell after a good thunderstorm goes through and the forest floor and leaves are ‘breathing’. You can smell the lake. It’s lovely. This is pretty close on my skin but I get good longevity.”
Fischersund x 66° Norður
Útilykt Spray
Scent Type: Aromatic earth
Notes: Ozone, bergamot, grass, seaweed, Siberian fir, moss, vetiver, ambergris
Wondering which atmospheric fragrance Lekach loves? It’s Fischersund’s and 66° Norður’s collaborative fragrance Útilykt. Fischersund is an Icelandic, family-run fragrance house co-founded by Jón Þór “Jónsi” Birgisson of the band, Sigur Rós. “Útilykt (outdoor smell) is a gorgeous exploration of this category,” says Lekach. “It captures the transportive quality of scent—taking you not just outdoors, but somewhere entirely different, like the misty woods of Iceland where folklore says the Huldufólk (hidden people/gnomes) dwell.”
Customer Review: “Wearing Útilykt gives me the same feeling I get at the apex of a hike. On top of the mountain, on top of the world, the air is a little thinner. You’ve been smelling the forest and the trees all along, but this is the first breath you take that isn’t desperate, and it’s like you’re smelling it all for the first time. A perfect forest bath”
Marissa Zappas
Petrichor Eau de Parfum
Scent Type: Earthy woods
Notes: Cold earth, lemon, imortelle, orris, vetiver, ambergris, sandalwood, moss, musk
If you were wondering which elegant perfume jump-started my obsession with orris fragrances, you’ve just hit gold. Marissa Zappas’ Petrichor Eau de Parfum is everything you love about petrichor perfumes amplified with a splash of citrus and a whisper of moss-encrusted sandalwood. It’s the best elevated take on a petrichor scent I’ve come across, and I still haven’t found anything that can compete. Blame it on the touch of sheer musk or velvety vetiver, but I simply can’t stop spritzing it.
Customer Review: “This reminds me of unzipping my yurt in the Oregon coastal range after a night of deep sleep and taking in the fresh misty air and earth around me. There’s the smell of fresh rainwater running through the fine filter of mineral rich soil, and the more ethereal coastal mist mixed with incense. There’s no incense listed in the notes, but this is reminding me of Lush’s Breath of God, but much more light and airy and wearable. The citrus gives this a bright, slightly metallic edge.”
D.S. & Durga
Steamed Rainbow Eau de Parfum
Scent Type: Fresh woods
Notes: Red mandarin, orange, yellow elemi resin, green cedar, blue almond flower, indigo grass, violet, vetiver, vapors
D.S. & Durga’s nostalgia-steeped Steamed Rainbow is all the proof we need that petrichor fragrances don’t have to start and end with rain. Inspired by the delicate and enchanting nature of rainbows, it opens with juicy notes of red mandarin and orange before unfurling itself, revealing yellow elemi resin, green cedar, and blue almond flower lingering just below the surface. The fragrance is finished off with indigo grass, a whisper of violet, and water vapors for a petrichor element.
Customer Review: “This fragrance is magical and addicting for me. It’s one of my favorite names because it smells exactly like a steamed rainbow, whatever that means. Violet and vetiver and hose water. I usually lean towards spicy leathery scents, but there’s something about the green, floral humidity here that turns me into a backyard nymph. Such an easy breezy summer spray.”
Scout Dixon West
El Dorado Eau de Parfum
Scent Type: Aromatic woods
Notes: Juniper, lemon balm, petrichor, rosemary, cypress, labdanum flower, vetiver, guaiac, fir
I’ve spent the majority of my life on the outskirts of Seattle but that never stopped me from dreaming of what a good rainstorm could be like in the desert. Until I can explore them, however, I’ll gladly settle for wearing this Scout Dixon West scent. Featuring an enchanting composition of juniper, lemon balm, rosemary, labdanum flower, and more, this fragrance is exactly what I’d imagine the desert smells like after a rainstorm. Its stunning, vintage-inspired bottle also helps set the scene.
Customer Review: “I never thought I would relate to the nostalgic feeling people talk about with this but I genuinely do. The coniferous notes being introduced with petrichor immediately reminded me of my grandpa’s old house in the mountains of Northern California, and it also reminds me of the park I used to frequent as a young child in a Utah. It’s a cool and serene scent that makes me remember the head clarity from walking in a park surrounded by trees. I can definitely see this being someone’s signature scent for the cooler seasons!”
Demeter
Thunderstorm Cologne Spray
Scent Type: Aquatic earth
Notes: Ozonic accord, fresh air, wet leaves, herbal accents, earth, petrichor
With all this talk about rainstorms, it’s easy to forget that sometimes rain comes with a few thunder claps and flashes of lightening every now and then. Demeter’s Thunderstorm Cologne Spray captures the energy after one of these memorable storms by combining an ozonic accord with hints of fresh air, wet leaves, earth, and aromatic herbs. The finished result? A stunning petrichor scent that’s fresh, bold, and slightly metallic that works year-round.
Customer Review: “The green when the sky darkens and the rain begins, right before the thunder rumbles and the lightening strikes. That’s the definition of this scent. Let it dry down, close your eyes and smell. Green leaves, wet earth, warm rain and magic. This scent is intoxicating.”
MetaScent
Snow Gum Eau de Parfum
Scent Type: Floral musk
Notes: Anise myrtle, white gardenia, petrichor, black agarwood, patchouli, cedarwood
As a Gemini and perfume enthusiast, I love a good multi-faceted fragrance like MetaScent’s Snow Gum Eau de Parfum. Like the majority of the scents on this list, petrichor is the hero note, but what separates it from the others is the presence of white gardenia, anise myrtle, and black agarwood. That’s right—It’s a floral musk perfume thats fresh and effortlessly chic with the added edge of petrichor. I’ve yet to go a day wearing this without receiving a compliment from a complete stranger.
Customer Review: N/A
d’Annam
Monsoon Tea Eau de Parfum
Scent Type: Citrus earth
Notes: Green tea, bergamot, petitgrain, lily-of-the-valley, musk
Is it any surprise that another watery tea fragrance has found its way into this edit? d’Annam is a treasure trove of light and airy perfumes that can transport its wears to a place of quiet solitude with every spray, and their Monsoon Tea is no different. I fell in love with it the second I picked up on the presence of petitgrain and lily-of-the-valley at its heart, but the blend of green tea and musk can really be credited for its petrichor-esque finish.
Customer Review: “Just absolutely wonderful. Very photorealistic ‘tea time after a rainstorm’ scent. [d’Annam’s Monsoon Tea] brought me back to the Turkish Black Sea summers. It just finished raining, you’re at the village house, having tea with your family on the porch while residual raindrops fall from the roof.”
Heretic Parfum
Black Salt Eau de Parfum
Scent Type: Marine woods
Notes: Black pepper, lime, tangerine, eucalyptus, jasmine sambac, water lily, Turkish rose, smoked sea salt, seaweed, labdanum, petrichor
I don’t know if I’ll ever be over how beautiful Heretic Parfum’s Black Salt Eau de Parfum is. This fragrance enchants the senses with a long-lasting composition of notes that recall images of a churning sea, rugged cliffs, and myths of the deadly mystical, half-fish, half-human beings lurking beneath the waves. It combines everything from black pepper and smoked sea salt to seaweed and labdanum for a scent that’s nothing short of a siren song.
Customer Review: “This scent is awesome! It reminds me of walking along the beach on a foggy day. There’s a spot by the ocean near Olympic National Park where there is a dense forest just off the sandy beach and this is where it takes me when I wear it. Wonderful fragrance.”
Etat Libre d’Orange
Hermann Eau de Parfum
Scent Type: Aromatic woods
Notes: Blackcurrant buds, black pepper, galbanum, calypsone, geosmin, frankincense, pepperwood, petalia, rose absolute, patchouli, ambroxan
If it’s a romantic rose garden in the moments after a rain shower that you want, then that’s what you’ll get with Etat Libre d’Orange’s Hermann Eau de Parfum. Opening with a blend of blackcurrant buds, black pepper, and galbanum, the fragrance offers a fresh and bright first impression before evolving into a green heart with the addition of galbanum. The fragrance is finished with spicy, warm pepperwood backed by a touch of rose absolute and patchouli.
Customer Review: “Fresh and oceanic, the galbanum is actually green here in a way I frequently don’t feel it is. I don’t detect much pepper or blackcurrant initially. The rose comes out in the drydown, a curiously dry and cool, almost freeze-dried rose. The resins and the rest combine for something that I find strangely aquatic. Over time, it becomes a clean, powdery, masculine scent that regrettably is a bit generic.”
D.S. & Durga
Jazmin Yucatan Eau de Parfum
Scent Type: Aquatic floral
Notes: Water, passion flower, bergamot, jazmín yucateo, sambac, clove, snake plant, vetiver, copal
As much as I’m drawn to petrichor scents that are reminiscent of a misty forest, I’m just as obsessed with fragrances that smells like warm earth that’s been touched by a tropical rain like D.S. & Durga’s Jazmin Yucatan Eau de Parfum. The refreshing water note in this perfume is paired with bright passion flower and energizing bergamot before transitioning into layers of soft jazmín yucateo, aromatic clove, and snake plant.
Customer Review: “A watery, almost humid jasmine with an underripe fruitiness lingering in background, and freshly green snake plant accord running through. There’s an odd maíz accord here that smells adjacent to tortillas and in a weird way it really makes this scent captivating. It adds a richly earthy grain and makes the scent one I find myself constantly wanting to smell on myself. Aquatic jasmine, fresh snake plant, home made tortillas, and a warm glow of subtle resins coming from the copal note.”
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