I have always loved that dark, powdery, mossy heart that is so ubiquitous in the fragrances from the 80’s. One to note is “Zino” by Davidoff. This base is inspired by the heart and base of Zino and, to my nose, captures that punch that makes these fragrances so powerful, bold, masculine, and beautiful. Another fragrance to note would be “Pour Lui” by Oscar de la Renta, it is a bit brighter herbal than Davidoff’s Zino but has that stanky oakmossy kick.
The patchouli, ambrettolide, and beta ionone add a tenacious warm powdery character that rests beautifully on the mossy undertones of the oakmoss and veramoss. This is complemented by the civet absolute, which in my opinion is the defining character, and vetiver to give it that punchy, punctual presence. To round things off the habanolide, vertofix and ambroxan come in to make things smooth as silk. Lastly, the bergamot and linalyl acetate give it that nice sparkle that rests on top.
This base can be used to build your own monstrous powerhouse that has that punch and audacity as the decade it comes from.
Many thanks to Jamie for allowing me to share this with you guys! I hope it leads to new creations and understanding for all of you and I am sure I will grow myself from the feedback I receive!
-Frank
[Note From Jamie: Frank Saunders, one of our regular readers and patrons, has offered this base formula along with a few fragrance formulas to the site for publication so we can all learn from his work and grow our formula workbooks. Thanks Frank!]
The Formula
| Quantity | Ingredient | Comments |
| 325 | Iso E Super | |
| 145 | Hedione | |
| 70 | Patchouli | -Clearwood can be used as well. |
| 65 | Ambrettolide | -Musk Ambrette could absolutely be used here! |
| 50 | Habanolide | |
| 30 | Beta Ionone | |
| 30 | Linalyl Acetate | |
| 25 | Bergamot 104 (Givaudan) | |
| 25 | Vertofix Coeur | |
| 20 | Evernyl | |
| 15 | Vetiverol | Sub: Vetacetex or some other vetiver base will work. |
| 115 | Oakmoss Absolute 10% | |
| 10 | Cinnamon Leaf EO | |
| 10 | Coumarin | |
| 10 | Dihydromyrcenol | |
| 10 | Ambroxan | |
| 10 | Geraniol | |
| 10 | Musk Ketone 50% | |
| 5 | Vetiver | -Indonesian vetiver is best. |
| 5 | Civet Absolute | |
| 5 | Miel Oliffac | Honey base by IFF |
| 3 | Citronellol | |
| 2 | Citral | |
| 5 | Vanillin 10% | |
| 1000 |
Thanks for this Frank! I have already got half of it mixed and I’ll finish it tomorrow once I pick up a couple of things from my storage unit. I am a HUGE fan of Pour Lui (it’s one of the fragrances I always buy in vintage form from eBay) so I’m sure I’ll like this. I haven’t tried Zino but I’ll get some now that you have published this formula so I can see what it’s like.
Zino is one of my favorites, and it is very inexpensive so it should be easy to obtain. This accord definitely fits the Zino profile more than Pour Lui but does share many similarities. You’re the best!
Just bought an unopened vintage bottle! I looked it up on Fragrantica and I can’t believe I’ve never tried it – it lists patchouli as its dominant note and patchouli oakmoss bombs are my absolute favorite fragrances. And it was made by Michael Almairac who made Joop for Men which is one I love. Thanks Frank – I’m off down a rabbit hole it appears! ♥️
That was fast! I’m sure you will enjoy it 😊. Maybe you will be inspired to recreate it too! 😜
Salute Frank. I can say that it makes totally sense now that I’ve read the formula and got my vintage ‘Zino’ on my wrist. That moss base will be a great foundation towards my Givenchy Gentleman ’74. Brutal patch light austere moss.
Thanks Joye! Surprisingly Zino does not mention oak moss as one of its notes which is always strange to me. The majority of this accord lines up with Zinos profile though. The oak moss is just an added bonus and more fitting in general with the overall theme of perfumes from that decade.
Truly, the civet is what really gives Zino it’s bite, and I’d be shocked if there isn’t some oakmoss/mossy chems in there as well!