The Perfume Glossary: Every Term Explained Plainly

Fragrance has an unusually large private vocabulary, and most glossaries define the words using other words from the same glossary. This one does not. Every term here is explained in plain language first, with the technical detail second.

Use this perfume glossary as a reference rather than a read. It is organised by what you are trying to do: understand a composition, judge performance, buy sensibly, look after a collection, or work out what a reviewer means.

Key Takeaways

• Composition terms describe what is in it. Notes, accords, families, materials.
• Performance terms describe what it does. Longevity, sillage, projection, and they are not the same thing.
• Buying terms describe the product. Concentrations, flankers, batch codes, testers.
• Community slang is its own language. Beast mode, scrubber, blind buy, SOTD.
• Most confusion comes from three words. Cologne, parfum and strong all mean several things.

Table of Contents

1. Composition and structure
2. Fragrance families and styles
3. Materials and ingredients
4. Performance and wear
5. Concentrations and product types
6. Buying, selling and collecting
7. Industry and production
8. Community slang
9. Frequently Asked Questions
10. Conclusion

Composition and structure

Note. A single smell element within a fragrance, named for what it evokes. Note lists are descriptive and often partly marketing, so a listed note does not guarantee that material is present. See the complete guide to fragrance notes and how to read note lists critically.

Top notes. What you smell in the first minutes. Light, volatile materials such as citrus and some herbs, gone within roughly fifteen to thirty minutes.

Heart notes, or middle notes. The main body of the fragrance, arriving once the top notes fade and lasting a few hours. Usually where the real character lives.

Base notes. The heaviest materials, which appear last and stay longest. Woods, resins, musks, vanilla. Often what you are still smelling at bedtime.

Pyramid. The visual convention of listing top, heart and base. Useful as a rough guide, misleading if taken literally, since the layers overlap continuously. See how to read a fragrance pyramid.

Accord. A blend of materials that produces a single recognisable smell none of them has alone, like a chord in music. Amber, leather and marine accords are all constructions rather than single ingredients. See what an accord is.

Drydown. The final stage, several hours in, when only the base remains. Often the most honest part of a fragrance.

Opening. The first impression, and the least representative part of any perfume.

Linear. A fragrance that smells much the same from start to finish. Not a criticism.

Composition. The formula as a whole, and the thing a perfumer actually creates.

Fixative. A material that slows evaporation of everything around it, extending wear. Resins, musks and certain woods do this. See fixatives in perfumery.

Fragrance families and styles

Family. The broad category a fragrance belongs to. See the complete guide to fragrance families.

Citrus. Bright and zesty, built on bergamot, lemon, grapefruit and mandarin. See the citrus family.

Floral. Built around flowers, from crisp and dewy to heavy and narcotic. See the floral family.

Woody. Cedar, sandalwood, vetiver, oud and modern woody ambers. See the woody family.

Amber. Warm, resinous and sweet-balsamic, built on labdanum, benzoin, vanilla and tonka. Formerly called oriental. See the amber family.

Gourmand. Edible smells: caramel, chocolate, coffee, praline, milk. See the gourmand family.

Chypre. A structure rather than an ingredient list: bright citrus over a mossy, earthy base. See the chypre accord.

Fougère. Lavender over coumarin and moss, the template behind most classic masculines. See the fougère accord.

Aquatic or marine. Air, water and ozone effects, built on synthetic materials rather than actual sea water. See the marine accord.

Green. Cut stems, leaves and sap. See the green family.

Leather. Constructed hide smells ranging from smoky to soft suede. See the leather family.

Aromatic. Herbal and barbershop territory: lavender, rosemary, sage, mint. See the aromatic family.

Subfamily. A finer division, such as woody spicy or fruity gourmand, and usually more useful than the family alone. See subfamilies in perfumery.

Materials and ingredients

Natural. Material derived from a plant or animal source, obtained by distillation, extraction or pressing.

Synthetic, or aroma chemical. A material made in a laboratory. Some imitate nature, many do not exist in nature at all. Neither category is inherently better. See naturals versus synthetics.

Essential oil. The volatile aromatic fraction of a plant obtained by distillation.

Absolute. A highly concentrated aromatic extract obtained using solvents, used for delicate florals that cannot survive distillation.

Concrete. The waxy intermediate produced by solvent extraction, later processed into an absolute.

Tincture. Aromatic material soaked in alcohol to draw out its smell.

Enfleurage. A historic method of capturing floral scent in fat. See enfleurage explained.

Captive. An aroma molecule exclusive to the fragrance house that developed it, unavailable to competitors for a period.

Reconstruction. A synthetic recreation of a natural material's smell, often used when the natural is restricted, unaffordable or unavailable.

Indolic. Smelling of indole, the compound in white flowers such as jasmine that reads as slightly dirty or animal underneath the sweetness. See what indole is.

Animalic. Smelling of skin, fur or musk. Once from animal sources, now almost entirely synthetic. See what animalic notes are.

Aldehydes. A family of materials giving a soapy, waxy, sparkling lift, famously used in perfumery from the 1920s. See the aldehyde note.

Ambroxan. A modern woody amber material, warm and mineral, extremely widespread in contemporary fragrance. See the ambroxan note.

Iso E Super. A transparent woody material that adds smoothness and radiance and is nearly everywhere. See the Iso E Super note.

Oud. Resinous heartwood from Aquilaria trees, one of the most expensive natural materials in perfumery. See the oud note.

Ambergris. A rare marine material with a salty, mineral warmth, now usually replaced by synthetic equivalents. See the ambergris note.

Oakmoss. A lichen extract central to classic chypres, now restricted in use. See the oakmoss note.

Performance and wear

Longevity. How long a fragrance remains detectable on skin. Varies enormously by person and conditions. See what affects longevity.

Projection. How far the scent travels from your body at a given moment. A strong projector announces you.

Sillage. The trail you leave behind as you move through a space. Related to projection but not identical. See sillage versus projection.

Skin scent. A fragrance that sits very close, detectable only within arm's reach. Often deliberate. See why skin scents are so popular.

Nose blindness, or olfactory adaptation. The rapid suppression of a constant smell, which is why you cannot smell your own perfume. See perception, adaptation and nose blindness.

Skin chemistry. The combination of moisture, oil, temperature and pH that makes the same fragrance behave differently on different people. See skin chemistry and scent.

Maceration. The resting period after blending during which a fragrance integrates and settles. See maceration in perfumery.

Oxidation. Degradation from exposure to air, light and heat, which changes and eventually spoils a fragrance. See oxidation and shelf life.

Concentrations and product types

Parfum, or extrait de parfum. The most concentrated tier. Dense, long-lasting, often close to the skin rather than loud.

Eau de parfum, EDP. The current default for most launches. Rounded and long-wearing.

Eau de toilette, EDT. Lighter and more transparent, with a stronger opening and shorter wear.

Eau de cologne. Both a low concentration and a classical citrus and herb style. See the history of eau de cologne and the full concentration comparison.

Elixir, Intense, Extreme, Absolu. Marketing names, not regulated concentrations, usually signalling a richer and deeper version. See what Elixir means.

Flanker. A new fragrance released under an existing name. See what a flanker is.

Body mist or fragrance mist. A very light, usually inexpensive format. See body mist versus perfume.

Attar. A concentrated alcohol-free perfume oil, traditionally distilled into a sandalwood base. See what an attar is.

Hair mist. A light fragrance formulated for hair, usually with lower alcohol content.

Solid perfume. Fragrance in a wax or balm base, applied by finger.

Buying, selling and collecting

Blind buy. Buying a fragrance without smelling it first. See blind buying risks.

Decant. A smaller quantity transferred from a full bottle into a travel atomiser. See why buy decants.

Split. A group purchase where several people share one bottle by decanting it.

Discovery set. A curated collection of small samples, usually from one house. See sampling culture, sets and decants.

Tester. A bottle intended for retail counters, usually the same liquid in plainer packaging. See tester versus retail bottles.

Batch code. A production code on the bottle and box that identifies when it was made. See batch codes explained.

Grey market. Genuine product sold outside a brand's authorised distribution. See outlet and grey market myths.

Dupe or clone. A fragrance made to smell like a more expensive one. See what a dupe means.

Reformulation. A change to an existing fragrance's formula, usually driven by regulation, supply or cost. See reformulations explained.

Vintage. An older production of a fragrance, often predating a reformulation. See vintage perfume hunting.

Scent wardrobe. A deliberate collection covering different seasons, occasions and moods. See building a year-round rotation.

Signature scent. One fragrance worn consistently enough to be associated with you. See how to choose a signature scent.

Industry and production

Brief. The document a brand sends to fragrance houses describing the perfume it wants. See how a perfume is made.

Mod, or modification. A revised version of a submission during development. Major launches go through hundreds.

Fragrance house. A business-to-business company that composes fragrance for brands. See who actually makes perfume.

Nose. Informal term for a perfumer.

IFRA. The International Fragrance Association, which issues the safety standards that restrict how materials may be used. See IFRA standards explained.

Phototoxicity. The potential for certain materials, notably some citrus oils, to react with sunlight on skin. See phototoxicity and citrus oils.

Licensing. The arrangement under which a fashion house's fragrances are made and sold by a separate company. See where perfume brands come from.

Community slang

SOTD. Scent of the day, the fragrance you are wearing today.

Beast mode. Extremely strong projection and long wear.

Scrubber. A fragrance so unpleasant on you that you wash it off.

Cloying. Sweet to the point of being suffocating.

Screechy. Harsh and high-pitched, usually from aggressive synthetics.

Compliment getter. A fragrance that reliably prompts comments from other people. See the editor-tested ranking.

Reach for. What you actually wear, as distinct from what you own.

Full bottle worthy, FBW. Good enough to buy in full size after sampling.

Skin scent for hours, then nothing. The usual polite way of saying the longevity is poor.

For the full decoding of how reviewers use these words, and which ones are hiding a real criticism, see fragrance review slang explained.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: What is the difference between sillage and projection?

A: Projection is how far the fragrance reaches from your body at a given moment. Sillage is the trail left behind as you move through a space. A fragrance can project modestly and still leave a noticeable trail, or fill a room while you stand still and leave little behind you.

Q2: What does EDP mean on a perfume bottle?

A: Eau de parfum, a concentration tier that sits above eau de toilette and below extrait de parfum. It is the most common concentration for new launches and generally offers longer wear and a rounder character than an eau de toilette of the same name.

Q3: What is a note in perfume?

A: A single smell element within a composition, named for what it evokes rather than for a specific chemical. Notes are grouped into top, heart and base according to how quickly they evaporate, and published note lists are partly descriptive marketing rather than an ingredient declaration.

Q4: What does indolic mean?

A: Smelling of indole, a compound present in white flowers such as jasmine and orange blossom that reads as slightly dirty, animal or overripe underneath the floral sweetness. It is what gives natural white florals their depth and their divisiveness.

Q5: What does scrubber mean in fragrance?

A: Community slang for a fragrance that smells so wrong on your skin that you wash it off rather than wear it out. It is a comment on personal chemistry and taste rather than on quality, and the same fragrance is frequently someone else's favourite.

Conclusion

Vocabulary is not decoration in fragrance, it is the tool that lets you find what you want. Once you can name a family, a texture and a performance profile, the entire category stops being a wall of bottles and becomes something you can search.

Download WhatScent on iPhone or Android and put the words to work. Tap any note or accord and see every perfume built around it, which is considerably more useful than a definition.