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Nirvanolide

MUSKS AND AMBERS  /  musky · amber · long-lasting
Nirvanolide
CategoryMUSKS AND AMBERS
Subcategorymusky · amber · long-lasting
Origin
VolatilityBase Note
BotanicalN/A — synthetic macrocyclic musk
AppearanceColorless to pale yellow liquid to waxy solid
Odor Strengthmedium ,recommend smelling in a 10.00 % solution or less
Producing CountriesChina, Europe
PyramidBase

Clean, musky-creamy with a soft, almost milky quality. Nirvanolide is a macrocyclic musk with a particularly smooth, skin-like character — quiet, intimate, modern.

  1. Scent
  2. The Full Story
  3. Fun Fact
  4. Extraction & Chemistry
  5. In Perfumery

Scent

Soft, creamy, clean musk. Milky-sweet quality with skin-like warmth. Smoother than Galaxolide, less animalic than muscone, more intimate than Helvetolide. The character is tactile — you almost feel it rather than smell it. Excellent substantivity on skin.

Evolution over time

Immediately

Immediately

Soft, creamy musk. Skin-like, intimate, warm.
After a few hours

After a few hours

Milky-musky heart. Smooth and stable.
After a few days

After a few days

Persistent skin-close musk. Imperceptible fade. Excellent tenacity.

The Full Story

A macrocyclic musk lactone designed for clean, intimate musk character. Nirvanolide provides a smooth, slightly creamy musk that reads as 'clean skin' rather than 'laundry clean.' It belongs to the newer generation of macrocyclic musks valued for both olfactory quality and environmental biodegradability.

The scent is soft, musky-creamy, with a milky-sweet quality that is warmer and more intimate than Galaxolide. There is no metallic or aggressive edge. The molecule is designed for skin-scent compositions where the musk should feel like a natural extension of the wearer's own scent.

This note in Première Peau. Doppel Dänçers · Albâtre Sépia. Sample all seven extraits in the Discovery Set.

Related: Celestolide · Cheese · Phantolide · Sclareol · Sublimolide · Tires · Tolu Balsam · Traseolide

Did You Know?

Did you know?
The name 'nirvanolide' references nirvana — the molecule was designed to be olfactorily 'transparent,' a musk so smooth it approaches the smell of nothing, or everything. This philosophical naming is a trend in modern aroma chemistry, where molecules are marketed as much for concepts as for chemistry.

Extraction & Chemistry

Extraction method: Fully synthetic. Macrocyclic lactone synthesis. Production is more complex and expensive than polycyclic musks, but the molecule's biodegradability and superior olfactory quality justify the premium.

Molecular FormulaC17H28O2
CAS Number154171-77-4
Botanical NameN/A — synthetic macrocyclic musk
IFRA StatusNo known restrictions
SynonymsNIRVANOLIDE · AMBER SPIROLENE
Physical Properties
Odor Strengthmedium ,recommend smelling in a 10.00 % solution or less
Lasting Power> 392 hour(s) at 100.00 %
AppearanceColorless to pale yellow liquid to waxy solid
Flash Point> 200.00 °F. TCC ( > 93.33 °C. )
Specific Gravity1.04400 to 1.05400 @ 25.00 °C.
Refractive Index1.49900 to 1.50900 @ 20.00 °C.

In Perfumery

Base note in skin-scent, clean, and intimate compositions. Nirvanolide provides modern, biodegradable musk character with a creamy-milky quality. It works in intimate compositions, clean-musky bases, and minimalist perfumery. works with sandalwood replacers (Javanol, Firsantol) and transparent florals.

From the raw to the worn

This is what it becomes.