Elemi smells fresh, citrusy and slightly resinous, with a piney lift and a soft peppery lemon top. It is one of the brightest resins in perfumery and a useful bridge between citrus and incense.
The resin is tapped from Canarium luzonicum, a tree native to the Philippines and one of the country's main aromatic exports. Fresh pale oleoresin is steam-distilled to produce an essential oil dominated by limonene, elemicin and elemol. The result is an oil that reads both citrusy (on the top) and resinous (in the dry-down), giving it a distinctive bifocal character. Elemi has been used in perfumery since the Renaissance.
Elemi is a top note with heart-level reach. Perfumers use it to bridge citrus and incense (Diptyque Eau Duelle, Armani Prive Cuir Amethyste), to freshen oriental compositions, and to add a spicy-green lift to masculine fougeres and colognes. It pairs beautifully with frankincense, bergamot, rose and iso e super.
Elemi performs best in spring, autumn and cooler daywear, and gives fragrance a distinctly uplifting incense character.
