Perfume glossary: the words perfumers use

AbsoluteMaterials

A highly concentrated extract of delicate flowers (jasmine, rose, tuberose), made with solvents and then washed with alcohol. Rich, true to the flower and expensive.

AccordNotes & structure

Two or more materials blended so they smell like one new thing, such as a rose accord or amber accord. The building block of a perfume.

AgarwoodMaterials

The resin-filled heartwood of Aquilaria trees, the source of oud. Formed when the tree reacts to infection; rare and costly.

Alcohol (perfumer’s)Materials

Ethanol of about 95–96% strength, denatured so it can’t be drunk, used to dilute fragrance concentrate into sprays.

AldehydesMaterials

Aroma chemicals with a sparkling, waxy, soapy or citrus smell. Made famous by aldehydic perfumes of the 1920s.

AldehydicFamilies

A fragrance style with a fizzy, soapy-clean, ‘champagne’ opening from aldehydes.

AllergenSafety & rules

A material that may cause skin reactions in some people. The EU requires listed fragrance allergens to be named on labels above set thresholds.

Amber (accord)Families

A warm, sweet, resinous accord built from labdanum, benzoin, vanilla and similar materials. Not the same as fossil amber or ambergris.

AmbergrisMaterials

A rare substance formed in sperm whales, aged at sea, with a mineral, salty, warm smell. Today perfumers use molecules such as Ambroxan instead.

AmbroxanMaterials

An aroma chemical that recreates ambergris: warm, mineral, woody, radiant and very long-lasting.

AnosmiaPerformance

The inability to smell a particular molecule (or anything at all). Many people can’t smell some musks or Iso E Super well.

AquaticFamilies

Fresh, watery, marine fragrances built around notes like Calone and ozonic accords.

Aroma chemicalMaterials

A single, defined molecule used for its smell, either nature-identical or created in the lab.

AromaticFamilies

Fragrances with herbs such as lavender, rosemary, sage and mint. Common in men’s fresh scents.

Attar (ittar)Products

A traditional perfume oil, originally distilled into sandalwood oil; today often any alcohol-free concentrated perfume oil.

BalsamicNotes & structure

Warm, sweet, slightly resinous smell like benzoin, Peru balsam or tolu.

Base (perfumery base)Materials

A ready-made blend sold by suppliers to give a complex effect with one material, such as an oud base or amber base.

Base notesNotes & structure

The slowest-evaporating materials: woods, musks, resins, amber, vanilla. They give longevity and are what you smell hours later.

BatchTechnique

One production run of a perfume. Labels carry a batch number so any batch can be traced.

BenzoinMaterials

A resin from Styrax trees with a sweet, vanilla-balsamic smell. A classic fixative.

BergamotMaterials

A citrus from southern Italy whose peel oil is fresh, floral and slightly bitter. Use bergapten-free (FCF) grades on skin.

BergaptenSafety & rules

A natural compound in some citrus oils that makes skin sensitive to sunlight (phototoxic).

Blotter (smelling strip)Technique

A strip of absorbent paper dipped into a material or perfume to smell it over time.

Body mistProducts

A light, refreshing fragrance spray with about 2–5% fragrance, usually in water and/or alcohol.

BouquetNotes & structure

A blend of several flowers that smells like a mixed floral rather than one flower.

BriefTechnique

The written request for a fragrance: target customer, mood, family, price and product.

CaloneMaterials

A very powerful aroma chemical with a marine, watermelon, ozonic smell. Defined the 1990s ‘fresh’ trend.

Carrier oilMaterials

A light, neutral oil used to dilute perfume oils, such as fractionated coconut oil or jojoba.

ChypreFamilies

A family built on citrus top notes, a floral heart and a mossy, patchouli and labdanum base. Named after Cyprus.

CitrusFamilies

Fresh notes from bergamot, lemon, orange, mandarin, grapefruit and lime. Bright but short-lived.

CleanNotes & structure

A popular description for musky, soapy, laundry-like or aldehydic fresh scents.

Cold throwPerformance

How strongly a candle smells when it is not burning.

Cologne (eau de cologne)Products

A light, fresh fragrance with about 2–5% concentrate, traditionally citrus and herbal.

Concentrate (perfume oil)Products

The undiluted fragrance formula before alcohol is added. Also sold as perfume oil or attar.

ConcentrationTechnique

The percentage of fragrance concentrate in a finished product, such as 18% in an EDP.

CoumarinMaterials

A material with a sweet hay, tonka and almond smell, found in tonka beans. Key to fougères and gourmands. An EU allergen.

CO₂ extractMaterials

A natural extract made with supercritical carbon dioxide. Very true to the original plant.

CrimpProducts

Sealing a spray pump onto a perfume bottle neck permanently with a crimping tool.

Cure (candles)Technique

Resting poured candles so the wax and fragrance bind: about 1–2 weeks for soy wax.

DilutionTechnique

A material mixed into a solvent at a known strength (10%, 1%) to make it easier to smell and weigh.

DPG (dipropylene glycol)Materials

A nearly odourless solvent used to dilute materials and in reed diffuser bases.

Dry downNotes & structure

How a perfume smells after the top notes have gone: the heart and base, usually after 30 minutes or more.

Eau de parfum (EDP)Products

A perfume with about 15–20% concentrate. The most popular strength.

Eau de toilette (EDT)Products

A lighter perfume with about 5–15% concentrate.

Essential oilMaterials

A natural aromatic oil obtained by steam distillation or cold pressing of plants.

Extrait de parfumProducts

The strongest spray form, about 20–30% concentrate. Also called parfum.

FacetsNotes & structure

The different sides of a smell. Rose, for example, has fresh, honeyed, green, fruity and spicy facets.

FixativeMaterials

A slow-evaporating material that helps a perfume last and evolve smoothly, such as resins, musks and woody-amber molecules.

FlankerProducts

A variation of an existing perfume released under the same name (an ‘intense’ or ‘summer’ edition).

Flash pointSafety & rules

The lowest temperature at which a liquid’s vapour can ignite. Important for candles, shipping and storage.

FloralFamilies

The largest family, built around flowers such as rose, jasmine, tuberose, orange blossom and iris.

FormulaTechnique

The exact recipe of a perfume, written in parts (usually per 1,000) or percentages.

FougèreFamilies

A family of lavender, coumarin, oakmoss and woods: the classic barbershop structure.

Fractionated coconut oilMaterials

A light, clear, nearly odourless carrier oil (caprylic/capric triglyceride) for roll-ons and attars.

Fragrance loadTechnique

The amount of fragrance oil in a candle, usually given as a percentage of the wax weight (often 6–10%).

FreshNotes & structure

A broad description for citrus, green, aquatic and aromatic scents.

FruityFamilies

Notes of fruits such as pear, apple, peach, berries and pineapple, mostly created with aroma chemicals.

GalbanumMaterials

A resin with an intensely green, bitter, leafy smell.

GourmandFamilies

Edible-smelling fragrances: vanilla, caramel, chocolate, coffee, praline, tonka.

GreenNotes & structure

The smell of cut grass, leaves, stems and galbanum.

HeadspaceTechnique

A technique that captures the smell molecules in the air around a flower or object so they can be analysed and recreated.

Heart notes (middle notes)Notes & structure

The core of a perfume, noticed after 15–30 minutes: florals, spices, green and fruity notes.

HedioneMaterials

A famous aroma chemical with an airy, transparent jasmine smell. Adds radiance and freshness.

Hot throwPerformance

How strongly a candle smells while it is burning.

IFRASafety & rules

The International Fragrance Association. Its Standards restrict or ban materials and set maximum levels for each product category.

IFRA certificateSafety & rules

A supplier’s document stating the maximum percentage of a fragrance allowed in each product category.

IncenseNotes & structure

Smoky, resinous notes of frankincense (olibanum), myrrh and burning woods.

IndoleMaterials

A powerful material found in jasmine and orange blossom; animalic and heady. Gives white flowers their depth.

Iris (orris)Materials

One of the most expensive materials, from aged iris roots. Powdery, buttery, violet-like.

Iso E SuperMaterials

An aroma chemical with a velvety woody-amber smell that adds softness and volume. Some people barely smell it.

IsolateMaterials

A single molecule separated from a natural oil, such as linalool from rosewood.

JasmineMaterials

One of the two great perfume flowers: rich, sweet, fruity and slightly animalic.

LabdanumMaterials

A resin from the rockrose shrub with a warm, leathery, ambery smell. A base of amber and chypre accords.

LayeringPerformance

Wearing two fragrances together to create a personal combination.

LeatherFamilies

Smoky, dry, animalic notes reminiscent of leather goods, made with birch tar, isobutyl quinoline and similar materials.

LinaloolMaterials

A common fresh floral-woody molecule found in lavender, coriander and many flowers. An EU allergen.

LongevityPerformance

How long a perfume stays noticeable on skin or fabric.

MacerationTechnique

Resting a newly mixed perfume for weeks so its materials blend and the alcohol edge softens.

Melt poolTechnique

The liquid wax around a burning wick. A full melt pool to the edge prevents tunnelling.

Modification (mod)Technique

A new version of a formula with one or more changes, used to improve it step by step.

MuskMaterials

Soft, skin-like, clean or sweet base notes. Originally from the musk deer, now made entirely from synthetic molecules.

NeroliMaterials

The distilled oil of bitter orange blossoms: fresh, green, honeyed.

Niche perfumeProducts

Perfume from smaller houses focused on distinctive scents rather than mass appeal.

NoseTechnique

An informal name for a perfumer.

NotesNotes & structure

The individual smells you can recognise in a perfume, such as bergamot, rose or vanilla.

OakmossMaterials

A lichen extract with an inky, earthy, forest-floor smell. Heavily restricted by IFRA because of allergens; often replaced by Evernyl.

Olfactive fatiguePerformance

The nose stops noticing a smell after a few minutes of exposure. Rest between smelling sessions.

Olfactory pyramidNotes & structure

The model of top, heart and base notes used to describe how a perfume changes over time.

Olibanum (frankincense)Materials

A resin with a fresh, lemony, smoky incense smell.

OrientalFamilies

The older name for the amber family: warm, sweet, spicy and resinous.

OudFamilies

The rich, woody, animalic smell of agarwood, and the family of Arabian-style perfumes built around it.

OverdoseTechnique

Using a single material at a very high level on purpose to make it the signature of a perfume.

OzonicNotes & structure

Airy, fresh, ‘after the rain’ notes.

Parts per thousandTechnique

The usual way of writing a formula: all parts add up to 1,000, which scales easily to any batch.

Patch testSafety & rules

Applying a product to a small skin area (inside elbow) for 48 hours to check for reactions.

PatchouliMaterials

An earthy, dark, slightly sweet essential oil from Indonesian patchouli leaves. A key base note.

PhototoxicitySafety & rules

A skin reaction caused by some materials (like bergapten in citrus oils) when skin is exposed to sunlight.

Polysorbate 20Materials

A solubiliser that lets fragrance oil mix clearly into water for mists and room sprays.

PowderyNotes & structure

Soft, dry, cosmetic-like smell from iris, heliotropin, musks and violet notes.

ProjectionPerformance

How far a perfume radiates from the skin in the first hours.

Reed diffuserProducts

A bottle of fragrance in a base liquid with porous reeds that draw it up and release it into the room.

ResinoidMaterials

A natural extract of resins and balsams such as benzoin, labdanum and olibanum. Thick and warm.

RoseMaterials

One of the two great perfume flowers; mainly from Turkey, Bulgaria and Morocco. Fresh, honeyed and spicy.

Safety data sheet (SDS)Safety & rules

A document for each material describing hazards, handling, storage, flash point and first aid.

SandalwoodMaterials

A creamy, milky, soft wood. Indian sandalwood is rare; perfumers use Australian sandalwood and synthetic molecules like Javanol and Ebanol.

SensitiserSafety & rules

A material that can cause an allergic skin reaction after repeated contact.

SillagePerformance

The scent trail a perfume leaves in a room or behind the wearer (French for ‘wake’).

Skin scentNotes & structure

A soft, close-to-skin perfume, often built on musks, Iso E Super and Ambroxan.

Smelling stripTechnique

Another name for a blotter: paper strips for smelling materials and perfumes.

SolifloreFamilies

A perfume focused on a single flower, such as a pure rose or jasmine.

SolubiliserMaterials

An ingredient that helps oil dissolve in water, such as polysorbate 20 or PEG-40 hydrogenated castor oil.

SpicyNotes & structure

Notes of pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, clove, saffron and nutmeg.

Stability testTechnique

Storing samples in heat, cold and light for weeks to see whether colour, clarity or smell changes.

SyntheticMaterials

A material made by chemistry. Many are nature-identical; others are new molecules.

TenacityPerformance

How long a material or perfume lasts on a smelling strip or skin.

ThresholdPerformance

The lowest concentration of a material the nose can detect. Low threshold means very powerful.

ThrowPerformance

How strongly a candle, diffuser or room product fills a space with scent.

TinctureMaterials

A natural material soaked in alcohol for weeks or months to extract its smell.

Tonka beanMaterials

A seed rich in coumarin, smelling of vanilla, almond and hay.

Top notesNotes & structure

The first notes you smell, lasting about 5–15 minutes: citrus, light herbs, aldehydes.

TrailPerformance

See sillage.

TunnellingTechnique

When a candle burns a hole down the middle and leaves wax on the sides, usually from a wick that is too small or short first burns.

VanillinMaterials

The main smelling molecule of vanilla. Sweet and creamy; it discolours perfumes over time.

VetiverMaterials

An earthy, smoky, rooty essential oil from the roots of a tropical grass. Called ‘khus’ in South Asia.

VolatilityPerformance

How quickly a material evaporates. High volatility = top note.

WickProducts

The braided cotton or wooden core of a candle. Its size must match the vessel diameter and wax.

WoodyFamilies

Fragrances built on cedar, sandalwood, vetiver, patchouli, oud and woody-amber molecules.

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