Ice

Ice is one of perfumery's purely abstract notes: there is no extractable scent of frozen water, so the accord is constructed from cooling molecules (menthol, frescolat) combined with crystalline aldehydes that mimic the airy, slightly metallic sensation of cold breath. The note became a niche-fragrance category in the 2010s as gourmand and aquatic perfumery sought new textural angles. Initio Can't Get Enough at Parfum Central uses ice as a textural counterpoint to its warm cognac-and-vanilla base, creating contrast between the cold opening sensation and the gourmand heart.