Amberwood

What it is

A synthetic, built to sit between amber and wood. Like Ambroxan it is stable, strong and cheap, which is why it spread so quickly.

What it smells like

Warm, dry and faintly sweet, with a persistence that outlasts most of the formula around it. It is one of the materials responsible for the shared character of many fragrances released in the last fifteen years.

Where it sits

Which layer of the pyramid it is listed in, across every fragrance here that carries it. A base note is one you smell for hours; a top note is usually gone within the first.

What it turns up with

How much more often than the catalogue average. 1.0x would be chance, so these are the things that genuinely travel with it rather than the things that are simply common.

When it is worn

Against the average fragrance here. The line marks that average, so a bar past it means this is worn in that season or setting more than most.

Houses that use it most

Counted across the fragrances here, which reflects what we cover as much as what a house makes.

Armaf (4), Giorgio Armani (4), Azzaro (3), Dolce & Gabbana (3), Lattafa (3), Yves Saint Laurent (3).