Glossary of Perfumery

Accord: A combination of several fragrance notes blended together to create a unified scent impression, often used as a building block in a perfume.
Aldehydes: Synthetic aromatic compounds that give a fresh, sparkling effect to fragrances, famously used in Chanel No. 5.
Amber: A warm, resinous scent derived from a blend of labdanum, benzoin, and other resins, often used in oriental fragrances.
Anosmia: The loss or impairment of the sense of smell, which can be specific to certain scents or general.
Animalic: Notes that replicate the scent of animals, such as musk, civet, or castoreum, often used in very small amounts to add depth and warmth.

Base Notes: The final notes that develop and linger after the top and middle notes have evaporated, providing the lasting impression of the fragrance.
Balsamic: A sweet, warm, and slightly resinous scent profile, often associated with materials like vanilla, benzoin, or Peru balsam.
Blending: The process of combining different fragrance oils and ingredients to create a balanced and harmonious perfume.
Body: The depth and richness of a fragrance, often attributed to the base notes.

Chypre: A fragrance family characterized by a contrast between citrus top notes and a mossy, woody base, named after the island of Cyprus where such scents were originally produced.
Citrus: A fragrance family that features fresh, tangy notes from fruits like lemon, lime, orange, and bergamot.
Cloying: A term used to describe a fragrance that is overly sweet or heavy, causing it to be overwhelming.
Coumarin: A naturally occurring chemical compound with a sweet, hay-like odor, often found in tonka beans and used in the fougere fragrance family.
Crisp: A descriptor for a fragrance that is fresh, clean, and invigorating, often associated with citrus or green notes.

Diffusion: The ability of a fragrance to project and spread through the air, also known as sillage.
Distillation: A method of extracting essential oils from plants by steaming and condensing the vapor to capture the oil.
Dry Down: The final phase of a fragrance’s life on the skin, where the base notes become fully apparent.

Eau de Cologne (EDC): A light fragrance with a low concentration of fragrance oils, typically 2-4%, and a fresh, citrusy scent.
Eau de Parfum (EDP): A fragrance with a medium-to-high concentration of fragrance oils, typically 15-20%, offering a long-lasting scent.
Eau de Toilette (EDT): A fragrance with a moderate concentration of fragrance oils, typically 5-15%, lighter than EDP but longer-lasting than EDC.
Essential Oils: Concentrated aromatic oils extracted from plants, used as the primary ingredients in natural perfumes.
Extrait de Parfum: Also known as Parfum, it is the most concentrated and longest-lasting form of fragrance, with 20-30% fragrance oils.

Flacon: A small bottle or container used to hold perfume, often decorative and collectible.
Floral: A fragrance family that features the scent of flowers, ranging from single-note soliflores to complex bouquets.
Fougere: A fragrance family characterized by a blend of lavender, oakmoss, and coumarin, often associated with masculine scents.
Fragrance Wheel: A visual representation of the relationship between different fragrance families, used to classify and compare scents.

Gourmand: A fragrance family featuring sweet, edible notes like vanilla, chocolate, caramel, and coffee, often reminiscent of desserts.
Green: A fragrance family that includes fresh, leafy, and grassy notes, often evoking the smell of a forest or freshly cut grass.

Heart Notes (Middle Notes): The central part of a fragrance that emerges after the top notes dissipate, often lasting for several hours. These notes are the “heart” of the perfume, providing body and character.
Herbaceous: A descriptor for fragrances with green, leafy, and aromatic qualities, often derived from herbs like basil, rosemary, or sage.

Indolic: A scent characteristic of certain flowers, particularly jasmine and tuberose, which can smell slightly animalic or musky at high concentrations.

Juicy: A descriptor for fragrances with a fresh, vibrant, and often fruity character, evoking the sensation of ripe, succulent fruits.

Layering: The practice of applying different fragrance products (such as lotion, perfume, and body mist) to build and extend the scent experience.
Leather: A fragrance family that features rich, smoky, and slightly animalic notes, reminiscent of tanned leather.

Maceration: The process of allowing a perfume to rest and mature after blending, which helps the ingredients to harmonize and develop a more rounded scent.
Musk: A warm, sensual scent originally derived from the gland of the musk deer but now mostly replicated with synthetic compounds. It is often used as a base note in perfumery.

Niche Perfume: A fragrance created by independent or smaller perfume houses, often characterized by unique, artisanal, or avant-garde compositions.
Notes: The individual components of a fragrance, divided into top, middle (heart), and base notes, which are released in stages as the perfume evaporates.

Olfactory: Related to the sense of smell. In perfumery, it refers to anything connected to the scent and how it is perceived.
Oriental: A fragrance family characterized by warm, spicy, and exotic notes, often including ingredients like amber, vanilla, and resins.

Perfume (Parfum): The most concentrated form of fragrance, containing 20-30% fragrance oils, resulting in a rich and long-lasting scent.
Powdery: A scent profile that evokes the soft, dry aroma of talcum powder, often associated with notes like iris, violet, and musk.

Resinous: A warm, sticky, and slightly sweet scent derived from tree resins, often used in oriental and woody fragrances.
Retro-nasal: The sensation of scent that occurs when aroma compounds travel from the mouth to the nasal cavity while eating or drinking.

Sillage: The trail or wake of scent that a perfume leaves behind as it evaporates, contributing to its presence and projection.
Soliflore: A perfume focused on a single floral note, designed to capture the essence of one particular flower.
Spicy: A fragrance profile featuring warm, aromatic notes like cinnamon, clove, pepper, and cardamom, often found in oriental and gourmand scents.
Synthetic: Man-made aromatic compounds used in perfumery, which can replicate natural scents or create entirely new olfactory experiences.

Tincture: An extraction method where raw materials (like flowers or resins) are soaked in alcohol to draw out their scent.
Top Notes: The initial, fleeting scents that are perceived immediately after applying a perfume, usually lasting for the first 5-15 minutes.

Vanillic: A descriptor for scents that have a warm, sweet, and creamy vanilla-like character, often used in gourmand and oriental fragrances.
Vintage: Refers to perfumes that were produced or popularized in a previous era, often characterized by classic, time-honored compositions.

Woody: A fragrance family that includes notes derived from trees and woods, such as cedarwood, sandalwood, and patchouli, providing a warm, earthy, and often masculine scent.
Warm: A descriptor for fragrances that evoke a sense of heat or coziness, often associated with spices, amber, and musk.

Zesty: A term used to describe lively, energetic, and citrusy notes, often associated with fresh and invigorating fragrances.