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Perfume Glossary
You can find more information about specific notes at Bo Jensen's "Small
Guide to Nature's Fragrances" and at Botanical.com.
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For a list of perfumista slang, including some of the abbreviations you'll
see in the comments on this blog, see A Perfumista Lexicon.
Abelmosk: also known as Musk Mallow, and cultivated for its seeds,
which are usually referred to as ambrette (see). Browse by…
Topic Date Author Tag
Absinthe: a strong herbal liqueur distilled with herbs like anise, licorice,
hyssop, veronica, fennel, lemon balm, angelica and wormwood. Perfume talk New fragrances
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Absolute: also known as an essence, this is the material extracted from a
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plant or flower using one of various solvents. products fragrance
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Accord: a perfume accord is a balanced blend of notes which lose their
individual identity to create a completely new, unified odor impression.
Agar wood: from the Aquilaria tree, and also called Oud or Aloes wood.
From NST at Twitter
The tree, when attacked by a common fungus, produces an aromatic
resin that has long been used in the Middle East as a source of incense "Dior loses ‘Pretty Savage’ trademark
and perfume. Now considered endangered in the wild due to battle in attempt to protect ‘Sauvage’"
(cosmeticsbusiness)
overharvesting, and modern oud fragrances frequently use synthetic
https://t.co/xgWTftzE8d,
substitutes.
Updated info on Acqua di Parma
Amber: in perfumery, this refers to accords developed using plant Colonia Futura
compounds (such as labdanum) or synthetics, and referred to as amber https://t.co/z2OjK9zImo
https://t.co/TIwozHyhij,
because they were originally meant to mimic the smell of ambergris
(see below). For a more detailed explanation of the relationship
between amber and ambergris, click here.
Recent reviews
Ambergris: a sperm whale secretion. Sperm whales produce it to protect Atelier Cologne Love Osmanthus
their stomachs from the beaks of the cuttlefish they swallow. Ambergris Moschino Toy Boy
was traditionally used as a fixative, but in modern perfumery, ambergris Arquiste Misfit
is usually of synthetic origin (including the synthetic compounds Diptyque Eau Capitale
ambrox, ambroxan (see), amberlyn). Ambergris is described as having a Zoologist Bee
sweet, woody odor. Parfum d’Empire Immortelle Corse
Comme des Garcons Series 10 Clash
Today, the term "ambergris" is used nearly interchangeably with "amber" Frédéric Malle Rose & Cuir
(see above) in lists of fragrance notes. L’A rtisan Parfumeur Le Chant de Camargue
Yves Saint Laurent Grain de Poudre
Régime des Fleurs Chloë Sevigny Little
Ambrette: the oil obtained from these seeds has a musk-like odor and is Flower
frequently used as a substitute for true musk. Chanel 1957
Gallivant Los Angeles
Ambrox / Ambroxan: a synthetic compound created as a replacement for Amouage Portrayal Woman
natural Ambergris (see); it has a musky-ambery odor. There is a long
description of the scent of ambroxan in the review for Escentric
Molecules Molecule 02 (scroll down).
Blogroll
Bois de Jasmin
Animalic: refers to animal-derived ingredients such as civet, ambergris,
Grain de Musc
musk, and castoreum. These are usually replaced by synthetics in
Perfume Posse
modern perfumery. In large amounts, many of these notes are
The Non-Blonde
unpleasant, but in smaller amounts they provide depth and a sensual feel
More blogs...
to a fragrance.
Anise: an annual herb of the parsley family, grown for its fruits (aniseed),
which have a strong, licorice-like flavor. Perfumista lists
100 fragrances every perfumista should try
Anosmia: the inability to smell odors. Many people have selective And 25 more fragrances every perfumista
anosmias, for instance, the inability to smell certain synthethic musks. should smell
50 masculine fragrances every perfumista
should try
Artemisia: see Wormwood. 26 vintage fragrances every perfumista
should try
25 rose fragrances every perfumista should
Attar: Attar is the English form of itr, the Arabic word for fragrance or try
perfume. A traditional attar is made from the distilled essence of floral 11 Cheap Perfumes Beauty Outsiders Love
or other fragrance materials in a base of oil, often sandalwood.
Traditional attars are made from natural materials, and do not contain
added alcohol.
Favorite posts
Baies de Genièvre: French for juniper berry. The Great Perfume Reduction Plan
Why I Love Old School Chypres
Baies Rose: pink peppercorns, from the tree schinus molle, also known as New to perfume and want to learn more?
the Peruvian or California pepper tree. These are actually dried berries How to make fragrance last through the day
and not "true" peppercorns, and you will sometimes see them listed as Fragrance concentrations: sorting it all out
Benzoin: a balsamic resin from the Styrax tree. It has a sweet odor that TBA September ~ freebiemeet &
is sometimes described as smelling like root beer. swapmeet
Bergamot: the tangy oil expressed from the nearly ripe, nonedible TBA October ~ damage poll &
bergamot orange (a variety of bitter orange). The oranges are grown splitmeet & fall reading poll
mostly in Italy and are also used to flavor Earl Grey tea.
Calone: an aroma chemical that adds a "sea breeze" or marine note, and
is also used to impart a "fresh melon" aroma. First used in large
quantities in Aramis New West (1988).
Carambole: starfruit.
Cassie: floral note from acacia farnesiana (sweet acacia), a member of the
mimosa family.
Civet: the African civet cat looks like a fox, and is related to the
mongoose. Civet musk is produced by a gland at the base of the cat's
tail. Pure civet is said to have a strong, disagreeable odor, but in small
quantities to add depth and warmth to a fragrance. In addition, civet acts
as an excellent fixative. Most modern fragrances use synthetic
substitutes.
Clary sage: an herb of the salvia family; the essential oil is described as
smelling sweet to bittersweet, with nuances of amber, hay and tobacco.
Copahu (balm): also called Copaiba balsam; an oil obtained from trees of
family Copaifera, which grow wild in South America. Described as having
a mild, sweet, balsamic peppery smell.
Coumarin: a compound that smells like vanilla. Usually derived from the
tonka bean (see Tonka bean), but also found in lavender, sweetgrass and
other plants. Coumarin is banned as a food additive in the United States
due to toxicity issues, but is used to produce anti-coagulant medicines,
rat poison, and as a valuable component of incense and perfumes.
Cypriol: an essential oil derived from the roots of Cyperus scariosus, aka
Indian papyrus, aka nagarmotha grass. The term cypriol is sometimes
used interchangeably with papyrus (Cyperus papyrus) in lists of perfume
notes.
Galbanum: a gum resin (from genus Ferula) that imparts a "green" smell.
Guaiac (or Gaiac) Wood: the oil is steam distilled from a South American
tree that produces the hardest, densest wood known. Also known as
ironwood, lignum vitae.
Khus: also khus khus. An Indian term for vetiver, or the oil derived from
vetiver roots (see).
Licorice: a shrub native to Europe and Asia. The roots are used for candy
and flavoring, and are said to be 50 times sweeter than sugar. Almost all
licorice candy sold in the United States, however, is flavored with
anethole, which is derived from anise (see).
Linden: also called lime-blossom, but this is from the flower of the
Linden (Tilia) tree, not the citrus tree that produces limes. French name
is Tilleul.
Mastic: aka lentisc, a plant resin from a small shrubby tree (Pistacia
lentiscus), theraw resin crystals are called "mastic tears" or "chios tears".
Mastic is used as a seasoning in Turkey and Egypt and is known for its
medicinal properties. It is used in perfume, varnish, and as a liqueur
flavoring.
Monoi: the word means "scented oil"; in modern perfumery, this most
always refers to tiare (gardenia) petals macerated in coconut oil.
Sometimes called Monoi de Tahiti.
Muguet: French for Lily of the Valley. The Italian term is "Mughetto".
Nag Champa: the name of a perfume oil originally made in the Hindu
and Buddhist monasteries of India and Nepal and used to perfume
incense. Traditionally made from a sandalwood base, to which are added
a variety of flower oils, including that from the flower of the Champaca
tree.
Neroli: an oil from the blossoms of either the sweet or bitter orange
tree. True neroli is created using steam distillation, wheareas "orange
blossom" is usually extracted with solvents. The Italian term for neroli
is zagara.
Osmanthus: a flowering tree native to China, valued for its delicate fruity
apricot aroma. Known as the Tea Olive in the southern United States.
Oud: Sometimes spelled oudh. The Arabic word for wood, in perfumery
usually refers to wood from the Agar tree (see).
Ozonic: used to describe aroma chemicals that are meant to mimic the
smell of fresh air. Frequently described as the smell of air right after a
thunderstorm.
Petitgrain: oil distilled from leaves and twigs of a citrus tree, usually the
bitter orange tree.
Tagetes: Marigold.
Tolu: also known as Balsam of Tolu. A tree resin from South America,
which when dried is said to have a strong aroma with elements of
vanilla & cinnamon. Also used in cough syrups. Balsam of Peru is from a
closely related species of tree.
Tonka Bean: a thumb-size pod from a plant native to Brazil, said to smell
of vanilla with strong hints of cinnamon, cloves and almonds. Cheaper
than vanilla pods, and sometimes used as a vanilla substitute outside of
the United States (see Coumarin).
Vanilla: vanilla is derived from the seed pod of the vanilla orchid, a
flowering vine which is native to Mexico (although most of the vanilla
available today comes from Madagascar). The vanilla orchid flower itself
is scentless. True vanilla requires extensive hand-processing, and is
therefore expensive.
Vetiver: a grass with heavy, fibrous roots, which are used to distill an oil
with the scent of moist earth with woody undertones. The grass is also
grown in many countries as a means of erosion control. There is a
picture of the root system being harvested in the review of Hermès
Vetiver Tonka.
Yuzu: a citrus fruit grown in Japan. It looks like a small grapefruit; the
flavor has been described as a cross between grapefruit and mandarin
orange.
Ylang Ylang: the Malayan term for Cananga odorata, an Asian evergreen
tree. Translates to "flower of flowers".
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