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ABSOLUTE: A highly concentrated fragrance oil extracted from plants using solvents. Unlike essential oils, absolutes are refined with alcohol to capture the purest scent and are often used in luxury perfumes.
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ACCORD: A unique fragrance created by blending multiple perfume notes. These blended notes form a new, distinct scent that mimics a specific olfactory impression, like “leather” or “ocean breeze.
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ANIMALIC: Historically sourced from animals (like musk or ambergris), animalic notes in modern perfumery are typically created using safe, sustainable synthetics to provide warm, sensual, or musky undertones. |
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BASE NOTES: The foundation of a fragrance. These deep, long-lasting notes emerge after the top and heart notes fade and form the “dry down” scent that lingers on the skin for hours. |
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CORE NOTES / HEART NOTES: The heart of the fragrance composition. These notes define the perfume’s character, often floral, fruity, or spicy, and blend into the base as the top notes fade. |
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CHYPRE: A sophisticated fragrance family with a contrast of citrus top notes and earthy base notes like oakmoss and patchouli. Inspired by the scents of Cyprus. |
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DISTILLATION: A traditional method of extracting essential oils from plants using steam. Widely used for flowers, herbs, and citrus peels in natural fragrance production. |
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EAU DE COLOGNE (EDC): A light fragrance format with 2–5% perfume oil content. Known for its refreshing and fleeting scent, often used as a daytime splash. |
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EAU DE TOILETTE (EDT): A popular fragrance format with 5–10% perfume oil. Eau de toilette offers moderate longevity and is ideal for everyday wear. |
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EAU DE PARFUM (EDP): One of the most common perfume types, with 10–20% fragrance oil. Eau de parfum offers a stronger, longer-lasting scent than EDT. |
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ESSENTIAL OILS: Natural aromatic oils extracted from plants, typically by steam distillation. These oils serve as the building blocks of natural perfumes. |
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EXTRACT / EXTRAIT DE PARFUM: The most concentrated form of perfume, often referred to as “perfume extract.” These contain a high percentage of fragrance oil (usually 20–45%) for maximum longevity. |
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FOUGÈRE: A classic masculine fragrance family. Fougère (meaning “fern” in French) features a blend of lavender, oakmoss, citrus, and woody notes. |
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HEADSPACE TECHNOLOGY: A modern technique that captures scent molecules directly from flowers, fruits, or objects. Used to replicate scents that are difficult to extract naturally. |
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HESPERIDIC NOTES: A term for citrus-based essential oils used in perfumery. Derived from the rind of fruits like orange, bergamot, and lemon, adding freshness to compositions. |
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MOLECULAR DISTILLATION: A method used in perfumery to purify raw materials, removing color and unwanted compounds from essential oils while preserving their scent profile. |
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MACERATION: A traditional extraction technique where flowers are soaked in fats to release aromatic oils. The resulting mixture is washed with alcohol to create a fragrance extract. |
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MATURATION: The aging process of a perfume concentrate. Perfume blends are aged for weeks or months to allow the notes to harmonize before final bottling. |
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NATURAL INGREDIENTS: Perfume materials derived directly from nature, such as plant oils, resins, or floral extracts. No synthetic compounds are used. |
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OLFACTORY: Relating to the sense of smell. Used to describe anything involving scent, such as olfactory memory, olfactory nerves, or olfactory families. |
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OLFACTIVE FAMILIES: Perfume classification system that categorizes scents by their dominant note profile — including floral, woody, citrus, oriental, fougère, chypre, aromatic, and leather. |
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PARFUM / PERFUME: The most intense fragrance type, with 20–45% fragrance oil. Parfum offers rich scent depth and long-lasting wear, ideal for evening use. |
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RESINOID: A sticky, aromatic substance extracted from plant resins using solvents. Resinoids add depth, warmth, and richness to the base of a fragrance. |
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SILLAGE: A French term meaning “trail.” In perfumery, it refers to the scent trail a fragrance leaves behind when a person passes by or exits a space. |
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SYNTHETIC INGREDIENTS: Fragrance components created through chemical synthesis. Often used to replicate rare or animal-derived scents, synthetics ensure consistency and sustainability. |
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TOP NOTES: The first impression of a fragrance — light, fresh, and quick to evaporate. These notes are immediately noticeable upon application. |
