Yesterday I read about the upcoming release of a new scent for men by Tom Ford, and apparently the press was that it used cypriol for the first time in a scent. Cypriol is a natural ingredient also known as nagarmotha or Cyperus and has been used for ages. I’ve tried it from several sources and it seems to vary a lot. The nicer stuff has a dry, smoky, resinous, earthy, woodsy smell so I’ve used it in my new Fireside Intense (announced several posts ago).
The essential oil of nagarmotha comes from India and its botanical name is Cyperus scariosus. The oil is steam distilled from the roots of the Cyperus plant, which is a sedge grass. The oil is very unusual smelling but quite nice when blended with other woods. I’m sure lots of other perfumes contain it. Ford bills it as musky/dirty but it’s more resinous/incense/woods to me.
Here’s a discussion of the new Ford release on Now Smell This blog: