They can be described as sweet, soft and warm. Basically, balsamic notes result from the use of balsams and resins in perfume compositions. The Oriental perfumes in particular are characterized by balsamic ingredients. The oud trend and the fascination with the East is nothing new in perfumery. The oriental style of fragrances, compositions that rely on rich, opulent notes of Vanilla, Tonka bean, resins and ambers was inspired by the traditional elements of Middle Eastern and Indian perfumes. Balsam is a term used to describe the gummy resin from various trees and shrubs. In perfumery, there are several classes of balsamic notes, but balsams like Siam Benzoin, Sumatran Benzoin/Styrax, Myrrh, Sweet Myrrh and Frankincense are distinctive because they are often used in oriental fragrances to give a rich and pleasantly spicy quality to the warm oriental accords.