Description and usage notes:
Also called Woody Ionone – it has a light but recognisable violet floral note with woody and ambery aspects. This material is widely used in modern fine fragrance for it’s combination of woody, ambery and fruity notes and it’s ability to enhance diffusion.
A key ingredient in most orris recreations, many ambergris accords and excellent in many combinations this is an exceptionally versatile product.
Produced by Givaudan who describe as: “a less well-known member of the ionone family that is being used more and more, it has an original, woody, slightly ambery character. Dihydro Ionone Beta brings a rich, sophisticated volume to perfumes in combination with floral elements. Good stability and substantivity.”
Arcadi Boix Camps, writing in 1999, says it “has an odor somewhat mild, woody, floral and slightly fruity, possessing great beauty. It is a relatively old product that has only recently found a wider audience when introduced in the creative accord of Issey Miyaki for ladies. Afterwards it was used in many fragrances, among them Dolce Vita and Bulgari for ladies. However it is found in traces in many fragrances because it is an important part of the reconstruction of osmanthus absolute, along with dihydro-beta-ionol, gamma-decalactone and theaspirane. I believe it will be used increasingly in perfumery, with many accords being created with its complex and ambiguous, floral, woody and fruity notes.”
Ten years later he goes on to add that this material was also used in fragrances such as Aquaman, Lolita Lempicka, Essenza di Zegna and “Nu by Yves Saint Laurent (in which dihydro ionone beta is mixed with a beautiful cedarwood accord)”
He also recommends blends with the following materials among others: Helvetolide, Tabanone, oxophorone, patchouli coeur, pink pepper oil, alpha-damascone, irone and allyl ionone.
Sharon (verified owner) –
The woody aspect is noticeable at 1% in a blend. Makes a different and interesting ionone statement. Blends well with alpha ionone.