In your dream, you’re behind the wheel of a bright green car, the hot pink leather interior speckled with black dots. With a shock, you realise you’re driving a giant watermelon. A zesty orange air freshener dangles off the rear view mirror, and the interior fills with the hallucinatory aromas of watermelon, citrus and leather. This is sweetness with shadows, technicolour fruit leather.
Best Oh Canada by The 7 Virtues Alternatives & Similar Perfumes
Oh Canada by The 7 Virtues blends rich maple syrup and smoky bacon with warm leather and creamy vanilla, anchored by the woody depth of gaiac. This combination creates a gourmand yet leathery scent with a distinctive sweet-smoky contrast. Those drawn to this fragrance will want to focus on the interplay of syrupy sweetness, leathery warmth, and the subtle smoky wood notes that define its character.
Flight Mode by MINT £170.00
- Key notes:
- gaiac / guaiac wood
- lavender
- leather
- lime
- rum
- vanilla
- Aromagroups:
- leather
- woody
Perfumer: Kévin Mathys
In this perfume story, the smoky gaiac aroma is gliding across a fresh and boundless ozonic void.
The story is open to interpretation: you can smell the waterproof canvas of the parachute gear in the abstract clean woodiness of the formula; or the air from under the tarpaulin you pull off a glider in its hangar; or think of any scenario involving flying machinery and an unlimited supply of fresh air.
The perfumer wanted to achieve a hazy floating shadow of an aroma, evoking a sensation of endless dark blue space, the calm humming of an engine, and hints of gasoline or machine oil. A worthy heir to the grandpa of all hazy smoky formulas inspired by airplane wings: Guerlain’s Vol de Nuit.
Kamel Oud by Sora Dora £170.00
- Key notes:
- animalic notes
- cade
- cardamom
- cumin
- elemi
- gaiac / guaiac wood
- leather
- oud
- saffron
- Aromagroups:
- leather
- spicy
- woody
Kamel was the friend who entrusted Sora Dora founder Antoine with the secrets of the oriental olfactory universe, embodied in this namesake perfume. Built around the clean woodiness of Laotian oud, this extrait contrasts the dirty spice of cumin with sweet raspberry and syrupy rose. Smoky and spicy, Kamel Oud will enhance your next 1001 days and 1001 nights.
Moonlight Ceremony by Mystikum £190.00
- Key notes:
- birch tar
- black tea
- gaiac / guaiac wood
- incense
- leather
- saffron
- smoke
- Aromagroups:
- leather
- woody
Under the luminous moon, smouldering embers glow with the mystery of ancient night rituals. This is a ceremony of smoke upon smoke upon smoke: birch tar, black tea, leather, frankincense. The austerity is softened by notes of amber and labdanum, deepening the mystery of the enveloping darkness.
Perfumer: Alexandre Illan
Orange Patina by Insenf £125.00
- Key notes:
- gaiac / guaiac wood
- leather
- orange
- osmanthus
- Aromagroups:
- citrusy
- fruity
- leather
Silver Musk by Nasomatto £130.00
- Key notes:
- gaiac / guaiac wood
- leather
- thyme
- white musk
- Aromagroups:
- aromatic
- transparent
- woody
Sheer but stubborn, Silver Musk is a paradox: a “big” skin scent. The white musk in this extrait is booming, built around gaiac wood and leather, with radiant neroli glinting around the edges. Cosmic.
Fallen Leaves by Anna Zworykina £95.00
- Key notes:
- gaiac / guaiac wood
- labdanum
- myrrh
- tonka beans
- vanilla
- Aromagroups:
- leather
- woody
Some perfume magic, a perfume that captured the soul of autumn, complete with foggy cold mornings (orris), dry leaves (the effect of various balsams and resins), sleepy sun (played by vanilla absolute and Indian oud) and fireplaces (gaiac).
(these fragrant materials reanacted the Fallen Leaves story):
Immortelle abs
Cistus e.o.
Cedarwood, Himalayan e.o.
Hop CO2 extract
Cedarwood, Atlas e.o.
Lavender abs
Guayak wood e.o
Fleur d'Orange abs
Jasmine sambac abs
Sweet myrrh e.o.
Castoreum tincture
Vetiver e.o.
Patchouli e.o.
Cardamom abs
Vanilla CO2 extract
Sandalwood CO2 extract
Orris abs
Tonka bean abs
Important notice:
Anna Zworykina’s blends are olfactive smellscapes (but neither aromatherapy, nor ‘spray-and-go’ perfumes). Her blends are sensory experiences, closer to works of art created in the scented plane (rather than, say, visual or audio).
Certain essential oils and absolutes that are used in her 100% natural perfumes may potentially cause allergies in some people. Please spray Anna Zworykina’s blends on fabric (on sleeves, scarves, etc.). This said, Anna Zworykina has acquired a huge fan base over many years and people interacted with her blends for quite a while now. We are not aware of any reports of any skin reactions so far.
However, Anna advises that those who are prone to allergic reactions, pregnant and nursing women, as well as people with chronic illnesses to be extra careful. Before trying natural blends, study the list of ingredients and consult with a doctor if you are not sure or a had a history of allergies. If you do decide to put these blends on your skin (unable to resist the temptation) always test the blend on the inside part of your elbow first and wait.
Do not spray these blends liberally as a cloud in the way you would spray a conventional perfume. Anna’s smellscapes need to be… carefully applied and experienced. Be mindful that some oils can also make your skin hyper-sensitive to UV.
Lignum Vitae by Beaufort £125.00
- Key notes:
- amber
- caramel
- gaiac / guaiac wood
- ginger
- lemon
- oud
- sea salt
- vanilla
- Aromagroups:
- edible
- woody
Inspired by the innovative use of materials that allowed 18th century clockmakers to construct the first truly accurate marine chronometers, Lignum Vitae combines elements of wood, metal and salt to produce a truly unique, transportive fragrance. Lignum vitae itself is an incredibly dense wood - the only wood which is guaranteed to sink in water - which is indigenous to the Caribbean and the north coast of South America. The brand’s nautical theme is enhanced wonderfully by caramel, a madeleine cake accord and a cool winter lemon note which provide a truly unique gourmand experience akin to smelling warm shortbread, muffins or cupcakes.
In combining unexpected and exotic raw materials, Beaufort London celebrates the innovative spirit which brought to an end the search for lost time, and permitted the safe passage of ships across the world.
***
The Sniff on Lignum Vitae:
"An innovative gourmand fragrance with a masculine slant, Lignum Vitae by Beaufort London is something rather unexpected. And who doesn’t love a plot twist?"
Lü Bu by Sora Dora £170.00
- Key notes:
- benzoin
- cedarwood
- gaiac / guaiac wood
- gun powder
- incense
- metallic notes
- orris (iris root)
- smoke
- vanilla
- Aromagroups:
- edible
- spicy
- woody
Lü Bu is a formidable Chinese warlord, tiger-fierce but volatile. At the end of his last battle he is a folded shadow. The once most-feared man of the Empire, son of iron and fire, is devoured by his own legend. This olfactory scar of a perfume opens with vivid, tannic clove, like the acridity of blood on a still-warm blade. On a forgotten altar smoulders the benzoin beauty of papier d'Arménie, while iris, noble and powdery, whispers the hero's solitude. More than glory and power, Lü Bu speaks of sacrifice and memory. Loyal to all those who wear their shadows with pride.
NUTS (formerly known as HAPPY NUTS) by BORNTOSTANDOUT £160.00
- Key notes:
- caramel
- gaiac / guaiac wood
- pistachio
- sesame
- tonka beans
- vanilla
- Aromagroups:
- edible
- woody
Perfumer: Margaux le Paih-Guérin
Technically tonka are nuts as they come from a tree (whereas a bean is a seed of a legume). ‘Tonka beans’ is a misnomer but also phrase used to refer to them in perfumery, cooking, etc. In Happy Nuts tonka is key note contributing to the delicious nuts roasted in caramel fragrant idea. The name could be a suggestive euphemism or just a reference to tonka being promoted to their accurate botanical rank – nuts.
The Architects Club by Arquiste £195.00
- Key notes:
- bigarade
- gaiac / guaiac wood
- juniper
- oak
- orris (iris root)
- vanilla
- Aromagroups:
- edible
- woody
March 1930, London
A group of architects gather for cocktails at Mayfair's smartest Art Deco smoking room. As they settle in the warm interior of dark woods, leather and velvet, London's bright young things burst in, frosted martinis in hand, surrounded by a cloud of laughter - white smoke and fine vanilla.
About Oh Canada by The 7 Virtues
- How does Oh Canada differ from these other fragrances?
- Oh Canada uniquely combines the sweet, syrupy maple and smoky bacon facets with leathery and woody notes. Most fragrances here share the leather and gaiac wood but lack the distinctive maple syrup and bacon elements, resulting in different overall scent profiles.
- Which fragrances here are the best for someone who likes smoky scents?
- Moonlight Ceremony, Obsessive Leather, and Lü Bu all emphasise smoky notes with varying degrees of incense and resinous depth, making them suitable choices for fans of smoky fragrances.
- Are any of these fragrances particularly sweet like Oh Canada?
- Yes, Fallen Leaves, Lignum Vitae, Lü Bu, and Happy Nuts incorporate vanilla along with sweeter notes like caramel, tonka beans, or resin, offering sweeter interpretations compared to the syrupy sweetness of Oh Canada.









