Fragrance Glossary

Abelmosk - Also known as musk mallow. Cultivated for its seeds which are referred to as ambrette.

Absinthe - A strong herbal liqueur distilled with herbs like anise, licorice, hyssop, veronica, fennel, lemon balm, angelica and wormwood.

Absolute - Also known as an essence. An absolute is the most potent aromatic product made from a base product. It differs from an essential oil in that it’s produced through an extraction process that uses volatile solvents. The extracted solid material is then combined with alcohol to produce the absolute. Absolutes are also darker in color than essential oils.

Accord - An accord is a blend of two or three fragrances to produce a third unique fragrance, with none of the original fragrances being detectable. When you smell an accord, you only smell one distinct fragrance, not the original fragrances that were combined.

Agar wood - From the Aquilaria tree, also called oud or aloes wood. When attacked by a fungus, the tree produces an aromatic resin that has long been used in the Middle East as a source of incense and perfume.

Alcohol - Alcohol is used in the process of making perfume. It carries the perfume extracts and releases them when the perfume is dispensed.

Aldehyde - A highly-reactive chemical compound made by oxidizing different alcohols to make resins and organic acids.

Aldehydic - In perfumery, it refers to a certain fatty fragrance and can be found in perfumes such as Chanel No. 5.

Amber - Fir tree resin, used in perfumery to provide a sweet, warm, and deep scent that serves as a base for other ingredients.

Ambergris - A sperm whale secretion. Ambergris was traditionally used as a fixative, but now synthetic alternatives are commonly used due to cost.

Ambrette - The oil obtained from these seeds has a musk-like odor and is frequently used as a substitute for true musk.

Baies de Genièvre - French for juniper berry.

Balsam - A sticky resin that leaks out of trees when they’re cut, used to create a woody scent in perfumes.

Balsamic - Balsamic notes have a warm, sweet scent, and are popular in Oriental fragrances like Shalimar and Obsession.

Benzoin - A balsamic resin from the styrax tree, often used to impart a sweet, balsamic note to perfumes.

Bergamot - The tangy oil expressed from nearly ripe bergamot oranges, grown mostly in Italy.

Bigarade - A variety of bitter orange, also known as the Seville orange. The zest is used to make the bigarade note used in perfumery.

Body - Refers to the main theme or heart of a perfume. It can also refer to a perfume that’s well-rounded or full.

Bouquet - A term used to describe a mixture of floral notes.

Cannelle - French for cinnamon.

Cashmeran - An aroma chemical with a spicy, musky, floral odor, meant to add a powdery, velvet nuance that evokes the feel of cashmere.

Cassie - Flower from the sweet acacia, a member of the mimosa family.

Cassis - Black currant, or a liqueur made from black currant.

Castoreum - A secretion from the Castor beaver, or a synthetic substitute. It imparts a leathery aroma to a fragrance.

Cedrat - French term for citron.

Champaca - A flowering tree of the magnolia family, originally found in India. Traditionally used in Indian incense.

Chypre - An ancient perfume combining fresh citrus notes with oakmoss and animalic notes, with ingredients like bergamot, rose, patchouli, and labdanum.

Citrus - Fresh, tangy scents from fruits like oranges, lemons, grapefruit, bergamot, and pomello.

Citron - A citrus fruit related to both lemons and limes, whose peel is used to make the note citron in perfumery.

Civet - A glandular secretion from the African civet cat, used for a musky, animalic note. Mostly replaced by synthetic substitutes in modern perfumery.

Clary Sage - A herb with a bittersweet fragrance, with nuances of amber, hay, and tobacco.

Classic - Fragrances that have survived the years and remain popular, with depth and usually stronger floral absolutes.

Clou de girofle - French for clove.

Cologne - A light perfume solution with a 3% concentration of fragrance. Originated in the city of Cologne, Germany.

Copahu (balm) - A sweet, balsamic, peppery aroma from trees in South America.

Coumarin - A compound that smells like vanilla, usually derived from tonka beans, lavender, or sweetgrass.

Dry down - The final phase of a fragrance, also called the bottom note. The character of the fragrance that remains after hours.

Eau de Cologne (EDC) - A perfume solution with about a 3% fragrance compound in an oil and water base. The lightest form of perfume.

Eau de Parfum (EDP) - A perfume solution with a 10-15% fragrance compound.

Eau de Toilette (EDT) - A perfume solution with a 3-8% fragrance compound in an oil and water base.

Earthy - Notes that resemble earth, dirt, moss, and other natural elements.

Extract (or Extrait) - A perfume with 15-45% fragrance compound in an alcohol base.

Floral - A fragrance scent resembling flowers, usually smooth or natural.

Flowery - A fragrance with flower or flower petal notes.

Forest blends - Fragrances that have earthy, woodsy, natural notes.

Fougere - A fragrance category that often uses herbs like rosemary, mint, and sage, with woodland smells. (Pronounced: foozh-air)

Frangipani - A tropical flower, also known as plumeria, used for making leis.

Frankincense - A gum resin from a tree found in Arabia and Eastern Africa, also called olibanum.

Galbanum - A gum resin that imparts a "green" smell.

Gourmand - Fragrances that evoke food smells, like chocolate, honey, or fruits.

Guaiac (or Gaiac) Wood - A dense, hard South American tree known for its aromatic wood.

Green - A fragrance note that resembles freshly cut grass or leaves, giving the perfume a vibrant scent.

Heady - Fragrances that make you feel light-headed, exhilarated, or stimulated.

Heart - The main theme or middle of the perfume, where the true essence of the fragrance appears.

Heliotrope - Flowers of the family heliotropium with a sweet, vanilla-like fragrance and undertones of almond.

Herbaceous - Fragrances that are natural and hay-like, evoking therapeutic properties, like chamomile, lavender, and rosemary.

Hesperidia - A general term for citrus oils.

I Coloniali - A fragrant collection of products that celebrate the Italian tradition of perfumery.

Imaginary Authors - A fragrance house known for their evocative and narrative-driven perfumes.

Initio Parfums Prives - A fragrance line creating intense, luxurious scents with high-quality materials.

Jasmine - Jasmine is an absolute used in perfume. There are two kinds – European and South Asian.

Jasmine Pikaki - A form of jasmine grown in Hawaii, often used for making leis.

Karo Karounde - A flowering shrub from Africa. Its scent has been described as somewhat similar to jasmine, but woodier, spicier, and more herbal.

Labdanum - An aromatic gum that originates from the rockrose bush. The sweet woody odor is said to mimic ambergris and can also be used to impart a leather note.

Linden - The flower of the linden tree; the French name is tilleul.

Middle notes - These are the fragrances that make up the main theme or heart of a perfume. They usually appear about 10-20 minutes after the perfume is applied.

Modern - A modern perfume uses new aroma chemicals rather than natural materials and typically has a lighter fragrance.

Monoi - The word means "scented oil". In modern perfumery, this most often refers to tiare (gardenia) petals macerated in coconut oil.

Mossy - Fragrances that have earthy notes, like the forest floor, often used as a base note.

Muguet - The French word for lily of the valley, one of the most popular florals used in perfumery.

Musk - Derived from the glandular secretion of the male Tibetan musk deer. Synthetic musks have since replaced this due to ethical concerns.

Myrrh - A gum resin produced from a bush found in Arabia and Eastern Africa.

Nag Champa - A perfume oil originally made in the Hindu and Buddhist monasteries of India and Nepal, used to perfume incense.

Neroli - An oil prepared from the blossoms of either the sweet or bitter orange tree.

Nose - A "nose", or nez in French, is a person who mixes fragrance components to create perfume.

Note - A single scent in a perfume or one of the three stages of evaporation: top note, middle note, and bottom note.

Oakmoss - A lichen that grows on oak trees, used to create a woody, earthy scent.

Opoponax - Also known as sweet myrrh. It has a balsamic, lavender-like fragrance.

Oriental - Fragrances heavy and full-bodied with balsamic, vanilla, oakmoss, and animalic notes.

Orris - Derived from the rhizome of the Iris plant, used in perfumes for its powdery, floral scent.

Osmanthus - A flowering tree from China, valued for its delicate fruity, apricot-like aroma.

Oud - Also known as agarwood, oud comes from the Aquilaria tree and has a deep, woody, and aromatic fragrance.

Ozonic - Describes aroma chemicals that mimic the fresh air smell, often associated with the smell after a thunderstorm.

Pamplemousse - French for grapefruit, often used to describe fresh, citrusy notes in perfumes.

Parfum - The highest concentration of perfume with 20-50% fragrance compound, making it last longer.

Patchouli - A bushy shrub from Malaysia and India with a musty-sweet, spicy aroma.

Perfume - The concentrated aromatic compound used in the highest form of fragrance.

Petitgrain - Oil distilled from the leaves and twigs of the bitter orange tree.

Quince - A fruit with a sweet, tart fragrance often used in fruity and floral fragrances.

Rose - One of the most popular and used flowers in perfumery, known for its sweet and floral fragrance.

Rose de Mai - Rose absolute made from the centifolia rose, known for its rich, deep fragrance.

Sandalwood - A fragrant oil extracted from the heartwood of the sandal tree, with a sweet, woody aroma.

Sillage - The trail of fragrance left behind by the wearer, often describing how a perfume lingers in the air.

Soliflore - A fragrance that focuses on a single flower note, often giving a pure and simple floral profile.

Spicy - A fragrance profile characterized by warm, hot, or pungent notes, like cinnamon, clove, or pepper.

Sweet - A fragrance profile that is sugary, syrupy, or candy-like, often associated with vanilla or fruits.

Synthetic - Man-made compounds designed to duplicate natural fragrance notes or create new ones.

Tiare - A variety of gardenia known for its sweet and tropical floral scent.

Tolu - A tree resin from South America with a strong vanilla-cinnamon aroma.

Tonka Bean - A thumb-sized pod from a plant in Brazil, smelling like vanilla with cinnamon, cloves, and almonds.

Top note - The initial fragrance you smell when applying perfume, often light and fresh like citrus.

Yuzu - A citrus fruit from Japan, with a fragrance described as a mix of grapefruit and mandarin orange.

Vanilla - Derived from the vanilla orchid, this sweet and warm scent is a common base note in fragrances.

Velvety - A smooth, mellow fragrance without harsh or sharp notes.

Vetiver - A grass with fibrous roots used to distill an oil that has moist earth and woody undertones.

Woody - Fragrances that evoke the smells of freshly cut wood, such as sandalwood or cedarwood.

Xerjoff - A luxury perfume house known for its opulent fragrances and artistic compositions.

Ylang Ylang - A flower from an evergreen tree, known as the "flower of flowers" in Malayan culture.

Zara - A global brand known for offering trendy, affordable perfumes.

Zoologist Perfumes - A fragrance house specializing in animal-inspired perfumes with unique, complex compositions.