Fragrance note guide

What Does Clary Sage Smell Like in Perfume?

Clary sage in perfume usually smells herbal, aromatic and floral, with lavender-like, hay, tea, amber and softly tobacco-like sides. It is smoother and warmer than ordinary culinary sage. Some clary sage materials feel fresh and green, while others are deeper, sweeter and more ambery. It is normally used in the top or heart to add aromatic freshness and warmth.

Fresh clary sage with textured green leaves and pale lilac flowers on a warm grey-blue background

What Does Clary Sage Smell Like?

Clary sage combines the freshness of herbs with a soft floral quality similar to lavender. As it dries down, it may reveal cut hay, tea, tobacco and amber-like sides. IFF describes clary sage oil as warm and aromatic with lavender, tea, hay and ambergris qualities. Its absolute is deeper, with amber, floral and long-lasting tobacco facets.

Where Does Clary Sage Come From?

Clary sage comes from Salvia sclarea, a plant native from the Mediterranean through Central Asia and the western Himalayas. Its essential oil can be made by distilling the stems and flowers or flowering tops. Givaudan and IFF both describe steam or hydro-distillation as the process used for clary sage oil.

How Clary Sage Is Usually Described

  • Herbal
  • Aromatic
  • Floral
  • Hay-like
  • Ambery
  • Tobacco-like

How Is Clary Sage Used in Perfume?

Clary sage is normally used in the top or heart of aromatic, fougère, woody, leather and amber fragrances. It blends well with bergamot, lavender, geranium, jasmine, cedarwood, sandalwood, tobacco, leather and amber. It can make lavender feel warmer, connect herbs with woods and add a soft tobacco-like texture without creating a smoky effect.

Notes Commonly Paired With Clary Sage

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...

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Golden labdanum and benzoin resins used in amber perfume accords
Fragrance note

Amber

Amber in perfume usually smells warm, sweet and resinous, with soft vanilla, balsamic, powdery or slightly smoky sides. It is not normally taken from fossilised amber. In perfumery,...

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Fresh bergamot oranges with glossy green leaves
Fragrance note

Bergamot

Bergamot in perfume smells fresh, bright and citrusy, with a soft floral character and a slightly bitter green edge. It is less sharp than lemon and often feels...

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Cedarwood pieces with wood shavings and fresh cedar foliage
Fragrance note

Cedarwood

Cedarwood in perfume usually smells dry, warm and woody, with resinous, slightly smoky or pencil like sides. Some cedarwood notes feel smooth and creamy, while others are sharper...

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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...

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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,...

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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...

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Cured tobacco leaves with one fresh green tobacco leaf
Fragrance note

Tobacco

Tobacco in perfume usually smells warm, dry and slightly sweet, with honeyed, hay like, earthy, woody or smoky sides. It normally represents cured tobacco leaves rather than the...

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Angelica fragrance note at Luxaro Perfumes shown with green leaves, pale flower clusters and cut angelica root pieces
Fragrance note

Angelica

Angelica smells green, herbaceous and earthy, with peppery, spicy, musky and woody qualities. The root material can feel fresh and aromatic at first, but it also has surprising...

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Buchu fragrance note at Luxaro Perfumes shown with glossy green leaves, tiny pale flowers and slender reddish stems
Fragrance note

Buchu

Buchu smells green, minty and strongly aromatic, with camphoraceous, herbaceous and distinctive blackcurrant-like fruity qualities. It can also have a slightly sulphurous or medicinal edge. In perfume, Buchu...

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Luxaro Perfumes With Clary Sage as a Top Note

These fragrances introduce Clary Sage near the opening of the scent.

Luxaro Perfumes With Clary Sage as a Heart Note

These fragrances reveal Clary Sage through the central body of the scent.

Related Fragrance Notes

Silvery wormwood leaves, star anise and fennel seeds representing an absinthe perfume accord
Fragrance note

Absinthe

Absinthe in perfume usually smells bitter, green and herbal, with anise-like, liquorice, camphoraceous and slightly medicinal sides. It can feel sharp and cool rather than sweet. The note...

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Fresh bay laurel leaves and dark berries on a dusty pink-grey background
Fragrance note

Bay Leaf

Bay leaf in perfume usually smells green, herbal and spicy, with eucalyptus-like, woody and slightly medicinal sides. It is drier and more aromatic than many soft leafy notes....

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Rose geranium with textured green leaves and small pale pink flowers on an apricot-grey background
Fragrance note

Geranium

Geranium in perfume usually smells rosy, green and aromatic, with minty, leafy, herbal and lightly fruity sides. It resembles rose but generally feels sharper, fresher and more strongly...

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Crushed leaves, snapped green stems, cut grass and a violet leaf representing green notes in perfumery
Fragrance note

Green Notes

Green notes in perfume usually smell like crushed leaves, cut grass, snapped stems and fresh plant sap. They can be crisp, watery, bitter, herbal or slightly metallic. Green...

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Sun-dried hay stems with green grass and small wildflowers on a powder-blue background
Fragrance note

Hay

Hay in perfume usually smells dry, warm and softly sweet, with grassy, tobacco-like, honeyed and dried-fruit sides. It suggests sun-dried grass rather than freshly cut green lawn. Some...

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Fresh lavender flower spikes and grey-green leaves on a light warm stone background
Fragrance note

Lavender

Lavender in perfume usually smells fresh, aromatic and softly floral, with herbal, clean, slightly sweet and sometimes powdery sides. Some lavender notes feel light, airy and calming, while...

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Common sage with textured grey-green leaves and purple flowers on a pale blue-grey background
Fragrance note

Sage

Sage in perfume usually smells dry, herbal and aromatic, with camphoraceous, eucalyptus-like, earthy and lightly woody sides. It is generally sharper and more medicinal than clary sage, which...

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Angelica fragrance note at Luxaro Perfumes shown with green leaves, pale flower clusters and cut angelica root pieces
Fragrance note

Angelica

Angelica smells green, herbaceous and earthy, with peppery, spicy, musky and woody qualities. The root material can feel fresh and aromatic at first, but it also has surprising...

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Buchu fragrance note at Luxaro Perfumes shown with glossy green leaves, tiny pale flowers and slender reddish stems
Fragrance note

Buchu

Buchu smells green, minty and strongly aromatic, with camphoraceous, herbaceous and distinctive blackcurrant-like fruity qualities. It can also have a slightly sulphurous or medicinal edge. In perfume, Buchu...

Explore Buchu