Do you know your accords from your absolute? How about what a dry down is when compared to the viscosity? Whether you are a frag-head (a fragrance lover to those uninitiated) or a perfume newbie, we are here to help you out with the latest fragrance terminology, perfume vocabulary and scent phrases with our all encompassing fragrance thesaurus! Read on for a full glossary of perfume terminology, with explanations and examples included.
The importance of a fragrance thesaurus
As with any interest (and subsequent industry) that relies on personal taste and subjective properties, the fragrance world is full of perfume vocabulary - some helpful, some definitely not.
Then there is the fact that we are talking about smell - something that cannot, for better or worse, be experienced online or via video. This means that we need quantifiable, concrete terms in order to describe the smell. While perfumes tend to have evocative names, something that smells ‘of the night’ is far too abstract -people will have different ideas about what that actually means- whereas ‘citrus scented; will give you a more solid idea about what the perfume will smell like. So, let’s dive into some of the most often used perfume terminology!
The most commonly-used fragrance terms
Absolute/Absolut: An absolute is a highly concentrated, solvent-extracted aromatic material from plants, particularly those too delicate for steam distillation (such as jasmine or tuberose). It captures the full, rich scent profile of the already potent raw material.
Accord: Similar to the chord found in music, an accord is the technical name for a blend of two or more fragrance notes that harmonise well to create a new, distinct scent.
Agarwood (Oud): Hugely popular, oud is a rare and precious resinous wood used in perfumery, known for its rich, deep, and sometimes smoky or scent.
Animalic: A category of fragrance notes that evoke particular animal scents, such as musk, civet, castoreum, and ambergris. These notes are often used in synthetic forms today for ethical reasons, and are mostly used to add depth, warmth, or a feeling of sensuality to a blend.
Ambergris: This rare substance is extremely valuable, if a little gross. It is made from a waxy solid mass originating from sperm whales, and is often found floating in the ocean or washed ashore. Known for its musky, sweet scent and is much prized for its ability to enhance longevity and depth in fragrances. Thankfully, in modern perfumery, synthetic alternatives like Ambroxan are more likely to be used.
Aromachology: The name for the study into the psychological effects of fragrance on mood, emotions, and well-being. Among other things, it focuses on how certain scents can influence our feelings and behaviours.
Attar: Traditionally, an attar is a concentrated (and often) precious form of fragrance: a natural perfume oil obtained through the hydro-distillation of flowers, herbs, spices, or other botanical materials, often into a base of sandalwood or another carrier oil.
Base Notes: These notes are the foundation of a fragrance that are the deepest and most enduring. They tend to be heavier, warmer and longer-lasting, emerging after the top and the heart notes have begun to fade.
Benzoin: A resin obtained from the bark of trees in the Styrax genus and which is known for adding a warm, sweet, vanilla-like aroma to perfumes. It is also sometimes used as a fixative.
Botanical: This is the name for any ingredient that is derived from plants, including flowers, leaves, stems, roots, fruits, seeds, and resins.They can be extracted in a variety of ways, such as distillation, expression, and solvent extraction.
Bouquet: Much like its floral namesake, a bouquet is the name used to describe an overall blend of different fragrance notes found within a perfume, especially when referring to floral combinations.
Carrier Oil: A neutral scentless oil that is used to dilute essential oils and absolutes for safe application to the skin. Usually jojoba, almond, argan or fractionated coconut oil.
Chypre: A lesser-known fragrance family that is characterised by a warm, mossy-woody base (typically oakmoss, patchouli, and labdanum) contrasted with a fresh, citrusy top (usually bergamot). Chypre is the French word for 'Cyprus’ - the home of such scents.
Diffusion: The ability of a fragrance to spread when sprayed and how it fills the surrounding air. It is generally related to the volatility of the perfume ingredients rather than the power of the bottle’s expulsion method.
Drydown: An important part of deciding on a scent’s characteristics, a drydown is the name for the final stage of a fragrance's development on your skin. It is the scent you're left with hours after application, once all the other notes have evaporated.
Eau de Cologne (EDC): A light fragrance concentration with the lowest percentage of perfume oil (2-5%). They tend to be refreshing but don’t last particularly long.
Eau de Toilette (EDT): A medium fragrance concentration with a moderate percentage of perfume oil (5-15%). These are the most popular choice for everyday wear.
Eau de Parfum (EDP): A medium fragrance concentration with a higher percentage of perfume oil than EDT ( 15-20%). It offers a more pronounced scent and longer wear time and makes great luxury presents or for wearing at special occasions.
Extrait/Parfum: The highest fragrance concentration with the most perfume oil (20-30%). It's the most intense and longest-lasting option - but also the most expensive.
Fixatives: These are the Ingredients found in perfume that help to slow down the evaporation of the more volatile components, essential for making the fragrance last longer, as well as providing a stable scent profile over time. Examples include resins, balsams, and some synthetic molecules.
Fragrance families: These are generalised classifications used in the perfume industry to group fragrances based on their dominant scent characteristics. Common families include floral, woody, citrus, oriental (or amber), and fougère, although these vary widely from culture to culture and even within different sectors of the perfumery world.
Gourmand: A "gourmand" fragrance in the world of perfumery refers to a scent that prominently features notes that evoke the aroma (and sometimes the taste) of edible delights, particularly sweet treats such as caramel or sweetened coffee drinks.Think of them as "olfactory desserts.”
Heart Notes: Also known as middle notes, these are the core of a fragrance. They emerge after the top notes fade and make up the main characteristics of the scent blend.
Incense: Used for centuries for religious or relaxation, incense is a natural material that releases fragrant smoke when burned. In perfumery, incense notes often refer to the smoky, resinous aroma of burning frankincense, myrrh, or other aromatic gums and woods.
Maturation: This is the fragrance term for the ageing process of a perfume , when the scent develops and refines or changes over time through oxidation. A similar term is maceration. Sometimes these words are used interchangeably, although this is incorrect: maceration happens before the blend has even been created - it sets the foundation of the fragrance, while maturation enhances the complexity. Too much oxidation can also spoil certain fragrances, so caution is required.
Niche Perfume: This is the name given to limited edition fragrances created by independent perfumers or smaller houses, often with a focus on unique and artistic compositions. They are usually highly collectable and sell out quickly.
Notes: At the most basic level of perfume creation, a note is an individual scent component used to make up a fragrance. They are often described as top, heart (or middle), and base notes.
Olfactory: Relating to the sense of smell - both in the fragrance world and in general. The olfactory system is responsible for our perception of fragrances.
Oriental: This is a historical term for the fragrance family characterised by warm, spicy, resinous, and often sweet notes like vanilla, cinnamon, cloves, frankincense, and myrrh. It is now often referred to as amber or simply Middle Eastern Inspired Fragrance.
Resinoids: These are the extracts obtained from natural resins, gums, and balsams using solvent extraction. They are often thick, viscous materials with rich, deep aromas and can be used as both fixatives and base notes in perfumes.
Rose Otto: An ancient material, the rose otto is the pure essential oil of rose, typically steam-distilled from the petals of Rosa damascena or Rosa centifolia. It is highly prized and a rather expensive ingredient with a complex, floral, and slightly spicy aroma.
Sillage: The trail or aura of a fragrance left behind by the wearer. It's how much the scent projects and lingers in the air. Similar to the term ‘diffusion’ except sillage is used to describe the result rather than the process itself.
Skin scent: A fragrance with low projection that sits very close to the skin, often subtle and intimate. A skin scent is specifically designed to blend in and enhance the wearer's natural scent rather than overpower it.
Soluble: In perfumery, the solubility (capability of being dissolved in a particular solvent.) of fragrance ingredients in alcohol or oil is an important consideration during blend formulation.
Solvents: These are the liquids used to extract aromatic compounds from raw materials (e.g. hexane for absolutes) or to dilute fragrance concentrates (e.g. ethanol in perfumes). The name is sometimes used to scare people, but they are actually a necessary part of the perfume making process, and many have natural origins.
Stability: This refers to a fragrance’s ability to maintain its intended scent profile and physical properties (color, clarity) over a period of time and under various storage conditions (temperature, light). The more natural a scent, the lower stability it generally has.
Substantivity: The ability of a fragrance to last on an intended surface (such as skin or fabric - we all know that perfume lingers on a wool scarf much longer than it does on our skin). Ingredients with high substantivity are typically base notes with lower volatility.
Synthetic: A fragrance ingredient that has been created in a lab, as opposed to being derived directly from natural sources. Sometimes given a bad name, synthetics actually play a crucial role in modern perfumery, offering a wider range of scents, stability, and cost-effectiveness without having to impact the environment on a global scale.
Top Notes: The initial impression of a fragrance, when you first spray it into the air or onto a surface such as your skin. These are the lighter, more volatile molecules that you smell first, but they fade quickly. You should always carry the scent on your skin for a while before judging it.
Viscosity: The thickness of a liquid and its s or resistance to flowing easily. Perfume concentrates and some natural extracts (like resinoids) can have high viscosity, making them harder to pour or disperse via traditional methods, such as atomisers.
Volatile: Scents or liquids that evaporate easily at normal temperatures. Top notes in perfume are typically highly volatile, allowing them to be the first scents perceived without impacting later notes substantially.
Trends & the changing world of fragrance terminology
As with any industry that involves new products, new trends and new consumers, the world of fragrance terminology is constantly evolving, especially with the relatively recent boom in social media, and the associated fragrance influencers, being used to discuss and sell fragrances, creating a whole new generation of scent obsessives, and with them come new ways of describing both older ideas and entirely new concepts within the world of fragrance.
Perfume vocabulary is constantly evolving, changing with the introduction of new products, technological advancements, evolving trends, shifting consumer preferences and cultural conversations. We are seeing a move towards more inclusive language, with brands increasingly opting for gender-neutral descriptions rather than traditional masculine or feminine categories. Sustainability is also shaping the lexicon, with terms such as "eco-conscious," "ethically sourced," and "refillable" gaining prominence, even if reused perfume bottles is actually how the industry started life and is not a new idea at all.
As we seek to have a scent that is uniquely us, the rise of personalised and niche fragrances have introduced a more sophisticated vocabulary, encompassing terms like "molecular perfumery," "scent layering," and descriptions of specific, often lab-created, aroma molecules. As technology integrates with scent, we might even encounter terms related to "smart fragrances" or AI-driven scent creation, reflecting a dynamic and increasingly nuanced way we talk about and experience perfume.
Here at Fragrance Hub, we are passionate about all things fragrance, the clue is in our name! We would love to help you find the perfect scent for you, from our wide range of niche perfumes. Need some help? Feel free to drop us a line.