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Comparing Geraniums

First Whiff
1. Himalayan geranium: initial smell is sweet, light and floral.
2. Atlantic bourbon geranium (certified organic): initial smell is dry, floral and slightly bitter.
3, Anatolian bourbon geranium: initial smell, rounder and also dry. More floral than the Atlantic.

After 2 minutes
1. Light and sweet but drying out slightly, not at all bitter. A sweet floral note.
2. Much dryer, becoming more leafy now and a green tinge coming through.
3. Also much dryer but becoming more fruity than leafy, more of a soft fruity floral.

After 5 minutes
1. Is still light and now fruity floral, still more sweet than dry.
2. A distinct bitterness which is not present in the Himalayan geranium, a dry floral note.
3. No bitterness, the more fruity of the three.

After 10 minutes
1. A definite citrus note coming in from nowhere, lifting this one up again, mmmmh I'm really enjoying the Himalayan geranium.
2. A softer herbal tea type note, less bitter and a little cloying compared to the Himalayan type.
3. Even more tea like now, a bergamot note mixed with a light leafy note.

After 30 minutes
1. Mellowing to a very nice soft floral, no bitterness and really only now could it be described as dry.
2. Starting to fade to a dry tea fruit note, uninteresting at this point apart from a slight bitterness still left, a hint of citrus note present now which comes as a surprise, might be hard at this point to tell this one apart from the dry out of some citruses.
3. A bitter tea note is the first impression after 30 minutes, there is a soft citrus note present at this point in the Anatolian bourbon geranium.

Summary
What is surprising me with all three of the geraniums is the tendency to shift to a citrus note on the dry out. Out of the 3 I have a clear favorite and that is the Himalayan geranium. I have the impression that the Himalayan type would blend much more harmoniously in a perfume as it lacked the bitter note that was present in the other two. It has maintained it's light sweetness all the way through and had a much more distinct citrus note at the 30 minute mark than has either of the other two.

Thanks to Eden botanicals, Anatolian treasures and Atlantic aromatics for supplying the Geranium oils (Pelargonium graveolens) for comparison.
If you would like me to do a particular comparison here on White Witch Perfumers Journal.
Just email me at ruth@whitewitch.ie

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