What does Tuberose Smell Like? All about It's Ancient Alluring Effects
Titillating news, folks. The Big Mama of white florals has bloomed at last.
I say “titillating” because the scent of this flower has a risqué reputation. The website Fragantica.com describes it as “the harlot of perfumery . . . carnal, creamy and contradictory.”
Tuberose itself, is like the femme fatale of the flower world: so heavenly and alluring it’s dangerous.
The website also leaked that the Victorians (so priggish, they put skirts on their piano legs) forbade young girls from inhaling the odor of tuberose for fear they might have “spontaneous orgasms.”
Whew. We can’t, alas, confirm such an occurrence ourselves (this being a family article) but the online scribblers of such saucy information do make a good point about the scent.
It will truly bend you backwards. It’s certainly on the sexy side: as charismatic as orange blossom or jasmine, yet mixed with something spicier, like menthol. The natural flowers are so omnipotent they can fill a room and continue to exude their scent for days after picking. More on the aroma of this beauty in a moment.
The name is pronounced in two separate syllables, as in “tuber” then “rose,” and it’s a tropical plant, which oddly enough has no connection to roses at all. Designers love them for wedding bouquets and the white, waxy-looking cut flowers are sometimes even available at local florist shops.
The scent is bold and distinctive. In large portions, it can really overthrow the other notes of a perfume, but in small amounts it can lend a nice depth to the perfume without killing the vibe.
I can only describe it as waxy, fatty, and lactonic (creamy, milk-like.) Envision crushing the petals in your hands, but instead of getting a sweet, fresh aroma, you'd get a rich and creamy type of scent. And actually, tuberose smells almost salty in large amounts.
It's pretty much the flower version of creme brulee. It's dense, rich, and not sweet exactly, but very powerful. It smells distinctively tropical and summery. If I had to break it down into non-hand-wavy adjectives, I would say tuberose smells like a mix of salt, creme brulee, honeyed, like beeswax, a tiny pinch of coconut milk, and gardenia.
I must note, as with all white florals, tuberose does contain mysterious narcotic qualites, which causes tuberose to have an over-ripe quality that smells slightly "off" and animolic.
But if you've ever smelled a sexy, dirty human who smelled natural and good, you know that lush dirty notes shouldn't be feared. In tiny amounts, they can add a lustfully magnetic scent component, giving you great balance and interest in what could otherwise be a bland scent.
I think one of the big mistakes people make with tuberose is they expect it to smell like gardenia, which is tuberose's more well-behaved, sweet, prim cousin.
If you go into a tuberose fragrance expecting something unusual and bold, you won't be disappointed. It's one of the most unique and characteristic floral notes around.
Recommended Tuberose Perfumes: Seductive Tuberose, Dolled Up, Love Potion
28 comments
My favorite part is “hand-wavy adjectives”, haha. No, but seriously this was written so well and the art of describing smells and how they are experienced is so interesting to me. I received a sample of a new fragrance and it reminded me so much of tuberose. So- here I am!
Love how in depth this article goes into! Super helpful for people unfamiliar with single notes 😊
The flowers in the picture are beautiful. Skip and go naked just smell good doing it…I love that motto. Makes me want to be out in the garden and trip into the tuber rose bed, face first, than roll over and just stare into the sky. Intoxicating, deeply heady. I’m debating on simply laying in bed drifting off smelling the perfume of it all. Tuber rose, dirt, sweat, a touch of amber in between my toes and a great merlot I drank a glass of…oh the joys of nature and summer…
I beleive that Tuberose is for adults only and who wouldnt want to smell "like a mix of salt, creme brulee, honeyed, like beeswax, a tiny pinch of coconut milk, and gardenia? It has so many faucets and all are just heavenly.
You had me at “Creme Brulee”. The photography was amazing as well.
Wonderful article! I have them blooming RIGHT NOW; a vase full literally in front of me – I grow them every year in memory of my Grandmother, who grew them and loved them so! One whiff transports me to her living room on sultry summer nights….(there are aspects of the article that I’m sure would make Grandma blush…spontaneous orgasms, oh, my! LOL) – Love everything about this Queen of the Night!
Sounds heavenly. How can you resist creme brulee?
You had me at Creme Brûlée ❤️
I like anything “so heavenly and alluring it’s dangerous,” and then you went on to call it ‘narcotic’! I like descriptions that are vivid and specific—not typical or generic. I have liked tuberose accords a lot in the past too!
I also really enjoyed the imagery. Fun!
“Tuberose itself, is like the femme fatale of the flower world: so heavenly and alluring it’s dangerous.” How captivating cannot wait to inhale the beauty of it all.
Elegant, decadent, seductive and sensuous…good heavens! Sign me up!
I love the imagery of crushing the tuberose in my hands and imagining the billowing scent molecules pouring out😉
Love the vivid description and interesting history lesson! “Tuberose itself, is like the femme fatale of the flower world: so heavenly and alluring it’s dangerous.” Heavenly and alluring is hard to beat!
If you go
This explains why I love (when home alone) to walk around in a ‘stinky’ cloud of tuberose! I am kind enough to others to only purposefully-over-apply my favorite sent when I’m solo😊
Loved the reference to tuberose having a menthol facet – I get this too, especially in perfume!
To have my favorite note described as “the harlot of perfumery” is true! It’s got such a seductive, skin altering quality. You can’t help but feel sexy wearing Tuberose.
“The scent is bold and distinctive. " Wow! That must be my favourite line because a lady is supposed to feel bold and that perfume captures everything .
The floral version of creme brûlée, uhhh yes please!! I want to smell that yummy! = )
Great article, history notes, always learning detailed and to the point of a great flower in time
love how in depth you go in the article. really captures how unique the flower is
“It’s pretty much the flower version of creme brûlée” and who doesn’t love creme brûlée?. Favorite part!
I want to experience a spontaneous orgasm