I’m Enamored With Fragrances That Have This Wildly Underrated Note—a Perfumer Just Told Me Why

Let’s set the scene—You’ve walked outside in the minutes after a rainstorm and are greeted by leaves speckled with sparkling water droplets that are set alight as the sun reappears from behind gray storm clouds. Underfoot, there are puddles (some of mud, and others of rain water) nestled in wet grass. Then a scent hits you, that smells faintly of damp earth, rain, and something one could only describe as being slightly metallic to create petrichor. First coined by mineralogist Isabel Joy Bear and biochemist Richard Grenfell Thomas, it comes from from the Ancient Greek words for ‘rock’ and ‘stone,’ as well as ichor, the ethereal fluid that is the blood of the gods in Greek mythology.

I have known the scent for as long as I’ve lived (I was born and raised in one of the most wet corners of the world), but haven’t always been able to put a name to the smell. In fact, it was only after beginning my career in beauty that I began wearing them. Since then, I’ve noticed a gradual rise in fragrances proudly using the note. To celebrate it’s recent popularity, I’m taking a closer look at the perfume note with the help of a perfumer and sharing a number of my favorite fragrances that give all the petrichor vibes.