31/03/2021
COMMONLY USED TERMS IN WORLD OF PERFUMERY
Absolute - Strongest aromatic material extracted from flowers & plants. They are concentrated highly aromatic oily mixtures extracted from plants. Absolutes require the use of solvent extraction techniques or more traditionally enfleuraged.
Accord - Blend of two or more notes that form a distinct fragrance.
Acqua Profumata - Scented water.
Alcohol - Known as perfumer alcohol, is a special formulation which can be used to make perfumes. It allows simple addition and blending of essential oils and fragrances to produce crystal clear solutions. Ethanol (denatured), which is the main carrier for the fragrance oils, ev***rates quickly as it is warmed by skin temperature releasing the fragrances evenly over the surface.
Aldehydes - Organic compound present in many natural materials can be synthesized artificially.
Amber - Sweet resinous, cosy and warm, often rather powdery note recreated from a mix of balsams. Usually labdanum, benzoin, vanilla, styrax and fir or a combination of these. The default oriental note. (Definition from Fragrantica odor profile)
Ambergris - Oxidized fatty compounds secreted by S***m Whales.
Ambroxan/Ambroxied - Ambroxide widely known by the brand name Ambroxan is a naturally occurring terpernoid and one of the key constituents responsible for the odor of Ambergis.
Animalic - Aromas mostly associated with musk civet & castorsum. Now usually reproduced synthetically.
Anosmia - Medical term for loss of sense of smell.
Aoud - Arabic word for wood in perfume, usually refers to wood from Agar trees Oud or agar is the resin extracted from agarwood which is the infected heartwood of aquilaria trees.
Aphrodisiac scents - Scents reputed to make a person sexually attractive to another person.
Aquatics - A scent reminiscent of water but not overtly or heavily marine/oceanic. Example rainwater. Aquatics are often Ozonic & typically feature notes of water lily, water hyacinths, lotus, melon, cucumber & water.
Aroma - A sensation which is between smell & taste.
Aroma Chemical - Molecules obtained from natural products or made synthetically that have an aroma. Most synthetic aroma chemicals are identical to those found in nature.
Aromatic - Scents that have a freshness to them, aromatic notes are usually a combination of sage, rosemary, cumin, lavender & other plants that have intensive grassy spiciness, often combined with citrus & spicy notes (as per Fragrantica olfactory groups definition).
Attar - Essential oil obtained by distillation from botanical sources, e.g roses.
Balsam/balsamic - Warm ambery soft like benzoin, tolu balsam.
Base Notes - Most enduring notes, heaviest notes longest lasting.
Batch Codes - Quantity of in this case perfumes produced in a single run. Some perfumes scent may vary depending on the batch code.
Beast Mode - A perfume that's powerful, forceful.
Blind buy - Purchase a perfume without ever having smelled it before.
Blend - Harmonious mix of perfume ingredients.
Boozy - A description for perfume that may smell of various alcoholic drinks like rum, whiskey, vodka, wine etc.
Bulb Atomizer - Device attached to some perfume bottles you squeeze & it dispenses a mist of perfume. Can be responsible for ev***ration of perfume if left attached to the bottle when not in use.
Castoreum - Oily secretion from beaverâs abdominal sac, usually synthetic now.
Chemistry - Why some perfumes work better on some people & not on others, how perfume can react different on skin may affect how it smells, good or bad.
Chypre - Fragrance type citrus top note with mossy base (Oakmoss).
Cistus - From Greek Kistos is a genus of flowering plants in the rockrose family.
Civet - Harvested from Civet's a**l gland, no longer practiced now, usually synthetic.
Citrus - Odour from oranges, lemons, limes bergamot usually the top notes.
Cloying - Odor that's overwhelmingly rich, potent or invasive, can be an excess of sweetness, nauseating.
Complex fragrance - Scent that changes over time, from top notes to basenotes, nonlinear.
Compound - Completed perfume formula ready to be used in a product.
Concrete - In perfume is a semi-solid mass obtained by solvent extraction of fresh plant material.
Decant - To siphon, discharge, transfer perfume from the original bottle to a decant vial generally 3/5/10/30 ml size. Useful cheaper option to try an expensive fragrance.
Designer - Perfumes made by houses who sell designer goods / clothes.
Development - Progress of a fragrance as it changes after initial application revealing different notes.
Diffusion - How a fragrance radiates around a person and their surrounding space.
Discontinued - Perfume no longer in production, may be hard to find & as such may be expensive if found.
D'or - Golden
Dry - Dry notes in perfume are usually provided by woods or grasses (Vertiver) & mosses (Oakmoss, tree moss) rhizomes (orris/iris) also leather. It's the opposite of watery, dewey style perfumes.
Dry Down - Final phase of fragrance.
Dupe - Copy or knockoff version of an original fragrance or original fragrance that bears an uncanny resemblance to another.
Duration - The length of time a fragrance lasts from application until it fades completely.
Earthy perfumes - Perfumes with woody, mossy, leather notes, warm, dry smelling.
EDC Eau de Cologne - 2-5% perfume oil least concentrated.
EDT Eau de Toilette - 3-15% perfume compound.
EDP Eau de Parfum - 10-15% perfume oil heaviest of Eaus.
Enfleurage - A process that uses odorless fats that are solid at room temperature to capture the fragrant compounds exuded by plants the process can be cold or hot enfleurage.
Esprit de Parfum (ESdP) - 15-30% aromatic compounds, a seldom used strength concentration in between EdP and perfume.
Ev***ration - Process of changing from liquid to v***r.
Exclusives / Exclusifs - Refers to special lines from particular houses for example Chanel Les Exclusifs.
Extrait - Extract of perfume that has 15-45% compound in an alcohol base.
Extraction - Refers to extraction of aromatic compounds from raw materials using methods of distillation, solvent extraction expression or enfleurage the results of extracts are either essential oils, absolutes, concretes or butters, depending on the amount of waxes in the extracted compound.
Factice - Oversize or normal sized display bottle usually filled with coloured liquid.
F***l - âPure indole the one which is indeed present in f***s and also in small part present in white flowers (such as predominantly jasmine, gardenia, tuberose, & Orange blossom to a lesser degree; but also know in honeysuckle and lilac, technically not white flowers at all) doesnât really smell of p**p in isolationâ, Quoted from article by Elena Vosanaki. Some ouds can also smell barnyard or f***l.
Fixative - The ingredient in a perfume which prolongs the life of the odor improving & fortifying it.
Floral - Fragrance type, characteristic of specific flower or blend of several.
Flacon - Non spray version of perfume bottle.
Flanker - Sequel perfumes released over time usually a variation on the original.
Fougere - Fern-like, one of the main families into which modern perfumes are classified. They centre on herbaceous accords, notes like Oakmoss lavender, coumarin & woods.
Fraghead -Person with an intense interest in perfume & all things related, may be very knowledgeable on the subject.
Fragrance Family - Fragrances constructed in a similar manner with key ingredient combinations.
Fresh - Invigorating nature inspired fragrance usually green or citrus notes.
Full bottle worthy - Perfume that's been tested & considered good enough to purchase a bottle.
Generic - General, common, in relation to perfume usually mean the same or similar to lots of other perfumes.
Gourmand - Fragrances which smell food related.
Green Notes - Green notes are fresh & lively, often used to make a fragrance feel crisp & sharp. Grasses, herbs, green leaves, tea leaves even some marine plants. Mostly found in summer & sporty fragrances.
Guerlainaide - Refers to the base of most Guerlain fragrances which is unique to them.
Hairspray - Perfume term used to describe a fragrance that is overwhelmingly suggestive of aerosol & alcoholic chemical smells.
Headspace - Technology developed in the 1980's to extract an aroma from the air for a perfumer to recreate.
Head Notes - See Top Notes
Heady perfumes - A heady perfume could be described as something that makes your senses spin, intoxicating, strong, most likely associated with florals but not limited to dictionary meaning. Tend to upset the mind or the balance of the senses seems right.
Heart Notes - Notes are separated by the perfumer into Top/Head notes Middle/Heart notes & base As a way to explain the perfumes evolvement to lay people. Heart notes are the middle notes in the perfume.
Herbal - Aromatic scent of herbs or even cut grass.
Hesperide - The citrus fruit group as family. In perfumery this includes notes of citrus blossoms (e.g lemon, orange, neroli etc, but not linden AKA 'lime', which is not closely related to the lime citrus fruit) and petitgrain (the essence of citrus tree leaves, twigs, and buds), as well as the notes provided by oils extracted from the citrus fruit peels.
Homme - French word for man.
IFRA - International Fragrance Association. Regulatory body founded in 1973. Its main purpose is to ensure the safety of fragrance materials The IFRA publishes a list of usage standards for fragrance materials, limiting or prohibiting the use of materials based on the findings of The Research Institute of Fragrance Materials, which gathers data regarding safety of fragrance materials.
Indie - Independent usually small perfumers who create market & distribute their own perfumes.
Indolic - Over-ripe, animalic characteristics to perfumes due to chemicals called indoles.
Ionone - A series of closely related chemical substances that are part of a group of compounds known as Rose ketones, which also include damascones & damascenones Ionones are aroma compounds found in a variety of essential oils including rose oil B -Ionone is a significant contributor to the aroma of roses, despite its relatively low concentration is an important fragrance chemical in perfumery. Combination of Ionones is characteristic of the scent of violets, used with other components in perfumery to recreate their scent.
Iso E Super - Aroma chemical added to fragrances to impart smoothness, fullness & strength.
Jammy - When referenced in perfume usually refers to Rose or fruity scents which smell like jam.
Juice - Term used sometimes for perfume.
Labdanum - Sticky brown resin obtained from shrubs Cistus ladanifer & Cistus creticus & species of rock Rose has a long history of use in herbal medicine & perfume.
Lactonic - Creamy milky notes, sometimes fruity nuances.
L'eau - French for water, in perfumery may refer to edt.
Legere/Leger - Means light in French, so lighter version of their original fragrance.
Linear - Perfume that doesn't develop much from top note to base notes.
Longevity - How long the perfumes lasts from top notes till base notes fade .
Lokum - Is a sweet confection, Turkish Delight. Itâs made with sugar and starch coated in powdered sugar. Usually, flavoured with rosewater but also bergamot, mastic or lemon. Some varieties can have pistachios, hazelnuts and walnuts.
Marine Accord - A scent that is evocative of the smell of the ocean /sea may or may not feature Calone or its related notes.
Middle Notes - Body of perfume can take 10-30 minutes to develop, see also Heart notes.
Monotheme - Sometimes used in relation to perfume when referring to single note fragrances like Sandalwood, Patchouli, Tonka etc.
Musk - Secretion from musk deer, collected during rutting season, very potent & was used in perfume bases to add warmth & eroticism. Nowadays synthetic musks known as nitromusks are used, also vegetal musks from plants.
Narcotic - Indoles are often referred to as having a narcotic effect, strong, heady, intoxicating, mesmerizing, addictive. Generally used in reference to white florals.
Niche - Perfumes made by perfumes houses possibly with one perfumer in charge. Selective approach to distribution, seldom advertised but relying on reputation.
Nose - Creators of perfumes.
Note - Perfume term for ingredients that make up a perfume.
Novelty Fragrance - Perfume purchased for reasons other than its smell, maybe bottle design or unusual scent.
Oakmoss - Resinous substance exuded from lichen, generally found around oak trees.
Olfactory - Relating to sense of smell.
Olfactory fatigue - Temporary but normal inability to pick up a particular smell after being exposed to it for a long time. Removing exposure for a time will usually result in being able to smell it again.
Oriental perfume - Category of perfumes using warm sweet notes like Vanilla Tonka Benzoin & Amber.
Oud/Aoud - Arabic word for wood in perfume, usually refers to wood from Agar tree Oud or agar is the resin extracted from agarwood which is the infected heartwood of aquilaria trees.
Ozonic - Derives from several notes most typically cucumber and/or melon which themselves derive from aroma chemical called Calone which is synthesized from pheromones of a type of algae. Calone can give off a fishy or oceanic aroma. Overall though it's Ozonic accord is more of an effect than a scent --- it's airy fresh & bright. Other notes that lend an ozonic accord, violet leaf, tea, grass, freesia & lotus.
Panty Dropper - Controversial term sometimes used to ascertain a scents aphrodisiac performance.
Parfum de Toilette (PdT) - 10-20% (typical 15%) aromatic compounds, sometimes listed as "Eau de perfume" Parfum de Toilette is a less common term.
Perfumista - A person who makes (and sells) perfumes. Also means a perfume enthusiast.
Polarizing - In relation to Perfume means a scent can unite or divide.
Pour Femme - For Women.
Pour Homme - For Men
Powdery - Can mean a perfume is dry or smells of baby powder or has a makeup dusting powder vibe. Notes such as iris can make a perfume powdery.
Powerhouse - Perfume that is incredibly strong from the start, longevity & projection. Examples YSL's O***m, Kenzo Jungle L'Elephant, Creed Aventus.
Projection - What people around you can perceive of your scent (measured in distance from wearer).
Pure Parfum - Highest concentration of oils in a perfume.
Reformulation - Under new regulations some perfumes may have ingredients considered to be allergenic removed & therefore the perfume is reformulated. There could be other reasons for reformulation such as cost of ingredients or limited supply, extinction or cruelty to animals.
Residual (in reference to perfume) - Remaining after the greater part or quantity has gone . Scents that can last for days or weeks on clothing
Romantic - A group of perfumes that more often than not have a rose or deeply floral heart.
Run of mill perfume - Ordinary perfume.
Santal - French word for sandalwood.
Sample - In relation to perfume is a small amount of perfume, sometimes made available by manufacturers so customers can trial the perfume before buying a full Bottle. Not all samples are provided free of charge. There are online outlets who specialized in selling samples of varying sizes.
Scent bubble - When a scent projects in a way that surrounds you, makes a bubble around you, unlike a scent trail.
Sexy perfumes - Perfumes whose notes may be considered Aphrodisiac.
Signature scent - Fragrance a person wears regularly & becomes associated with them. People may have their own personal Idea of what Signature scent means to them.
Sillage - Trail of scent left behind by a perfume (measured in distance from wearer).
Skank - Usually refers to a hint or more of body odour in a fragrance, a dirty quality to a fragrance. Anamalics are often refered to as sk**ky, Jasmine, Indolic scents also.
Skin Scent - Fragrance that's soft & sits close to skin with little projection Could also mean fragrance resembling the natural scent of skin (my skin but better) amplifies your own skin scent reflecting it back, musks might fit this category.
Smoky - Smoke in scents is related to incense, birch Oud, vetiver & to***co notes & possibly other wood & resin notes. Leather perfumes can also have a smoky quality, some Animalics like castoreum can have smoky nuances.
Soapy - If a fragrance smells of soap, shampoo, deodorant it can be considered soapy. Fragrances that smell just showered, bathed or clean generally may be considered soapy.
Solar Notes - Notes in perfumes that make us think of sun / summer / heat.
Solid Perfume - Usually a cream or wax base with scent added.
Soliflore - Single flower.
Sour - In relation to perfume could mean bitter, tart, sharp, acidic, pungent.
Spicy - Fragrance notes that have a warm or hot character. Describes in general distinctive fragrance of essential oils obtained from spices. Typical spicy notes, cinnamon, marjoram, coriander, pepper.
Splash bottle - Perfume bottle with no atomizer, apply by splashing into your hands.
Split - The process whereby a person (splitter) buys a bottle of perfume & offers to sell decants at no profit to other members.
Synthetic - Substance that's man made to duplicate natural scents.
Tola - Traditional unit used for mass in South Asian countries 1Tola=10g.
Top Notes/ Head notes - First notes of a perfume, most volatile & first to ev***rate.
Under the radar - Perfumes that don't get much notice.
Urinous - Pertaining to, resembling or having the odor or qualities of urine. The word is often used discussing perfumes that contains notes which may smell Urinous in certain combinations.
Vintage - The term borrowed from the wine world originally refers to an older perfume which has been discontinued by the manufacturer. People will have their own opinions on what merits the term vintage. It may be discontinued but it may also be the original fragrance name that has been reformulated. Further clarification can be added.
Vintager - One who is passionate about vintage perfume.
Vivaldi - A perfume / cologne suited to all seasons.
Wet - When used in relation to perfume can mean perfumes with an aquatic smell or watery fruit like melons or rain.
Wrist Bender - A perfume that smells so good your wrist is bent back from sniffing it.
Wrist crack - Perfume so good it's addictive.
Source: Fragrantica forum
Photo by: Farith Mornias, a talented local perfume reviewer. Check his youtube channel at https://youtube.com/c/FarithMorniasFragrance
