Benzoin is a resin tapped from the bark of Styrax trees. It is dissolved in solvent to give a thick, syrupy material. The smell is warm, sweet and balsamic, close to vanilla with a touch of cinnamon and a soft, powdery depth. Perfumers use it as a base note and as a fixing resin that rounds off sharper materials. It sits comfortably next to vanilla, amber, labdanum and sandalwood, and it adds a smooth, comforting warmth to oriental and gourmand fragrances.
Benzoin mostly sits in the base in this range, where it adds a sweet, balsamic warmth and softens the edges of the notes above.