Fragrance note guide

What Does Apricot Smell Like in Perfume?

Apricot in perfume usually smells soft, fruity and velvety, with sweet, tart, creamy and sometimes lightly leathery sides. It is generally less juicy than peach and can feel drier or more jam-like. Some apricot accords suggest fresh golden fruit, while others resemble dried apricot or smooth fruit nectar. Apricot is normally used in the heart.

Ripe golden apricots, one sliced fruit and green leaves on a pale pistachio background

What Does Apricot Smell Like?

A fresh apricot accord combines gentle sweetness with soft acidity and a smooth, almost fuzzy texture. Lactonic materials can make it creamy, while floral or leathery materials create the impression of dried fruit. Givaudan’s Nectaryl has peach, apricot and lactonic qualities, while osmanthus absolute is known for floral, leathery and dried-apricot facets.

Where Does Apricot Come From?

The apricot tree is Prunus armeniaca, native from Central Asia to northern and central China. In perfume, apricot is usually constructed from fruity esters, lactonic materials and supporting floral or green notes. Iso amyl butyrate is one example of a fruity fragrance material with apricot, banana and green qualities.

How Apricot Is Usually Described

  • Fruity
  • Soft
  • Velvety
  • Sweet
  • Tart
  • Creamy

How Is Apricot Used in Perfume?

Apricot is used in fruity, floral, gourmand, leather and amber fragrances. It blends well with peach, plum, osmanthus, iris, rose, jasmine, vanilla, leather, sandalwood and musk. It can make floral notes feel softer, add a velvety fruit effect or create a dried-fruit contrast beside leather and woods.

Notes Commonly Paired With Apricot

White jasmine flowers and green leaves against a soft blue green background
Fragrance note

Jasmine

Jasmine in perfume usually smells rich, sweet and floral. It can also seem creamy, green, fruity or slightly spicy, depending on the type of jasmine and the other...

Explore Jasmine
Purple iris flowers, green leaves and iris rhizomes on a light warm grey background
Fragrance note

Iris

Iris in perfume usually smells powdery, soft and floral, with woody, earthy, violet-like and sometimes buttery sides. The perfume material does not normally come from the fresh iris...

Explore Iris
Natural smooth leather, grained leather and suede textures on a light cool-stone background
Fragrance note

Leather

Leather in perfume usually smells dry, warm and slightly smoky, with woody, animalic, tarry or soft suede like sides. It does not normally come from untreated animal hide...

Explore Leather
Ambrette seed pods and white flowers representing soft musk notes
Fragrance note

Musk

Musk in perfume can smell soft, warm, clean and slightly powdery, often with a smooth quality that is compared with fresh skin or clean fabric. Some musk notes...

Explore Musk
Ripe purple plums, one sliced in half, with green leaves on a pale mint-grey background
Fragrance note

Plum

Plum in perfume usually smells rich, juicy and darkly fruity, with sweet, jammy, wine-like or slightly spicy sides. Some plum notes feel fresh and tart, while others are...

Explore Plum
Fresh pink and cream roses with green leaves
Fragrance note

Rose

Rose in perfume usually smells floral, fresh and softly sweet, but it can also have green, fruity, honeyed or spicy sides. Some rose notes feel light and dewy,...

Explore Rose
Pale sandalwood pieces with smooth wood shavings and green leaves
Fragrance note

Sandalwood

Sandalwood in perfume usually smells warm, creamy and softly woody. It can also have milky, balsamic, powdery or lightly spicy sides. Unlike sharper woods, sandalwood often feels smooth...

Explore Sandalwood
Natural vanilla pods with a vanilla orchid flower and green leaves
Fragrance note

Vanilla

Vanilla in perfume usually smells sweet, warm and creamy. It can also have soft woody, powdery or spicy sides, depending on the material used and the notes around...

Explore Vanilla

Luxaro Perfumes With Apricot as a Heart Note

These fragrances reveal Apricot through the central body of the scent.

Related Fragrance Notes

Whole almonds, cracked shells and white almond blossoms on a light pale blue background
Fragrance note

Almond

Almond in perfume usually smells sweet, nutty and slightly creamy, with a marzipan-like character. It can also have bitter, powdery or cherry-like sides, especially when the accord is...

Explore Almond
Dried figs, apricots, dates, raisins and prunes on a pale sage-grey background
Fragrance note

Dried Fruit

Dried fruit in perfume usually smells rich, sweet and concentrated, with raisin, prune, date, apricot and honeyed sides. It is darker and less juicy than a fresh-fruit note....

Explore Dried Fruit
Pear, peach, berries, plum and pineapple representing fruity notes in perfume
Fragrance note

Fruity Notes

Fruity notes in perfume can smell juicy, sweet, tart, green, creamy or syrupy depending on the fruits being represented. The term is a broad category rather than one...

Explore Fruity Notes
Ripe pink lychees, one peeled open, with green leaves on a pale mint-grey background
Fragrance note

Lychee

Lychee in perfume usually smells juicy, floral and tropical, with rosy, watery, sweet and slightly tart sides. It can suggest translucent white fruit, rosewater and fresh tropical juice....

Explore Lychee
Ripe golden nectarines with green leaves and a pale blossom on a dusty blue background
Fragrance note

Nectarine

Nectarine in perfume usually smells juicy, sweet and fruity, with peach-like, floral, fresh and lightly tart sides. It resembles peach but often feels brighter, smoother-skinned and less powdery....

Explore Nectarine
Ripe peaches, one sliced in half, with green leaves on a light pale lavender background
Fragrance note

Peach

Peach in perfume usually smells juicy, sweet and fruity, with a soft velvety or creamy texture. Some peach notes feel fresh and slightly green, while others are richer,...

Explore Peach