The fragrance is at once sweet, intensely floral and herbaceous. It features some quite unusual components which may make it subject to regulatory control. Benzyl nitrile, for instance, acts as a pheromonal anaphrodisiac but also triggers a number of other biological functions.

Many luxurious perfumes utilize Karo Karounde for its remarkably intoxicating depth. Pleasures Summer Fun from Estée Lauder incorporates it unabashedly. Other perfumes which include Karo Karounde are Marron Chic from Nez a Nez and Sequoia from Comme des Garçons. Karo Karounde is also thought to be a component of Shaal Nur by Etro and Timbuktu by L’Artisan Parfumeur.

Myristo nitrile is among the many uncommon metabolites found in Karo Karounde. This material had been developed in Grasse decades ago as a synthetic, only to be recently discovered in nature. For more about the strangely captivating fragrance of Karo Karounde and the stories about its origin, explore A. Reisfield’s Trilogy The Perfume of Life.