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spicy · in 60 fragrances

cumin

Earthy, warm, slightly sweaty: the smell of an Indian kitchen and, at high concentration, of human skin. Polarizing in perfumery: people either find cumin grounded and animal-warm or genuinely off-putting. Used sparingly to add a real human-skin quality to compositions that would otherwise feel too clean.

Also known as: cumin seed, ground cumin

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