Glossaire
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ALDEHYDE
aldehydes can be found naturally in the pith of citruses. Aldehydes, natural or synthetic, typically promote a clean nuance in a formulation.
AMBERGRIS
an abolished animalic-note sourced from the spew of sperm whales.
BERGAMOT
a highly fragrant citrus resembling an orange, often as regarded as a hybrid of orange and lemon. Bergamot offers a notably sweet, citric floralcy.
CASTOREUM
both natural and synthetic versions constitute sensual, gouache, animalic, and leather-like appeals. Natural castoreum secretion utilized in decades past was extracted from the castor sacs of beavers.
CEDARWOOD
depending on the origination, this ingredient can offer sweet and camphoraceous aromas in addition to its woody nature. Cedarwood is often sourced from Morrocco as well as Texas and Virginia in the United States. Cedarwood is a result from the distillation of wood, producing an oil.
CINNAMON
One of the eldest spices globally, this ingredient provides a hot, woody, spiced, pronounced scent. A great example of an aroma triggering different associations for different people. For example, this scent may remind Americans of the autumnal seasons, (think apple-cinnamon flavored coffees, candles, even baked goods at Christmas time) while others from around the world may resonate differently with what cinnamon means to them.
CIVET
this once used animalic note was sourced from the secretion produced by the anal glands of this cat species. This note smells of fecal matter, providing an exotic twist to a fragrance.
CLOVE
sourced from dried buds, the aroma of the oil is spicy, rich, and sweet.
EUGENOL
a synthetic spice ingredient offering notes of pungent, warm spice. Commonly found in the middle of a fragrance's hierarchy.
EVERNYL
a synthetic woody note offering a creamy, salty, smokey, and mossy-like flair. This ingredient is often selected as a synthetic replacement to natural oakmoss. However, evernyl lacks the oceanic, salty, aquatic air offering that natural oakmoss possesses.
HERBS
typically, aromatic materials including but are not limited to thyme, rosemary, sage, mint, lemongrass, tarragon, angelica, and so forth. Herbs can provide many different nuances to a scent, from the soapy effervescence of coriander to the cooling nature of peppermint. Some herbs, for example, peppermint and spearmint, are reflective of one another yet have clear distinctions, while other herbs are completely polar opposites of each other, alike mint and cumin.
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INDOL
this animalic-esque note reminiscent of the scent of mothballs exists naturally in florals such as lilac. Indol is commonly utilized to enhance watery florals and to produce notes of suede.
ISO E SUPER
a synthetic woody note with a soapy, cedar-reminiscent, green floralcy.
JASMINE
one of the most popularly known materials, this white floral is known for its solar, indolic, animalic, and exotic nuances.
LAVENDAR
this well-known herbaceous note belongs to the aromatic fragrance family and is defined by its camphoric and soapy nature. Lavendar oil is commonly utilized in not only the fine fragrance industry, but in the wellness space for its therapeutic properties as seen in aromatherapy.
MINT
these aromatic materials are bountiful in the perfumery industry. Spearmint and peppermint are two of the most elementary mint materials to discover when beginning to learn about the world of fragrance creation. For me, I associate spearmint to be sweet, like Wrigley's gum, while peppermint always brings me to the nuances of an icy, York Peppermint Pattie.
MUSK
musk notes belong to their own olfactive family — the musk family. This olfactive class refers to notes that lean soft, round, almost alike baby skin. These notes provide a comforting and sensual aspect to a formulation. Modern musk today is used to round out (diffuse) or heighten particular overtones in a formulation. Musk notes are known to be the densest of all notes. Musk notes once came from animals, and since the banning of these animalic notes, presumably all musk notes in the industry are synthetic.
NEROLI
this ingredient is frequently sourced from blossoms of the bitter orange tree, in the form of an essential oil. Native to China, Neroli is commonly sourced from Brazil, Italy, and Morocco for cosmetic purposes.
OSMANTHUS
Belonging to the fruity fragrance family, this flower offers a suede-like, waxy, berry aroma that is often sweet.
PATCHOULI
Sourced from leaves, this aroma can be created from a vast array of natural sources. However, this aroma can consistently be described as earthy or damp.
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ROSE DE MAI
this rose species blooms once a year during May in France. Also referred to as the "May Rose", this rose is known to be more potent than of other rose species.
ROSE OTTO
a particular rose species noted for its green floralcy. Bulgaria and Turkey are two of the most common sources for this rose.
SANDALWOOD
offering a warm, spicy, milky, and rich aroma, this ingredient is commonly used as a base note in many of today's fragrances. Australia and India are common sandalwood suppliers for fragrance creation. Sandalwood is produced through the distillation of wood, resulting in an oil.
SEAWEED EXTRACT
this highly expensive ingredient is prized for its textured, earthy, salty, hay-like and fishy allure.
TONKA BEAN
native to the tropical rainforests of Central and South America, tonka beans are often compared to vanilla. However, the tonka bean posesses its own flair, often recognized for its creamy and almond-like aroma.
VANILLA
a commonly selected note derived from orchid plants and/or fruits that smells sweet, creamy, slightly nutty, and is very rich. Madagascar is a massive supplier for vanilla in addition to Tahiti, Mexico, and Indonesia.
VANILLINE
a constituent of vanilla, this ingredient differs as it offers a highly sugary, sweet, cake-like aroma.
VETIVER
derived from the rootlets of grass, this ingredient is classified as a wood note, offering an earthy, sweet, and sometimes medicinal aroma.
VIOLET
this flower species belongs to the powder olfactory category, due to its powdery, strong, candy-like nuances — a result produced by the ionones in the flowers chemical makeup.
YLANG-YLANG
A sunny, tropical, jasmine-like heady floral. This species is commonly found in Mayotte and Madagascar.
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ABSOLUTE
the concentrated, pure essence that is extracted from nature.
ACCORD
blend of 2+ ingredients or formulations. Typically, accords are formulated to develop a scent that cannot be naturally drawn-out. For example, the scent of peach cannot be naturally extracted and thus, to create a peach scent, multiple ingredients must be combined to replicate the scent, birthing a peach accord. Accords often act as a foundation of a fragrance.
AMBER FAMILY
an olfactive family that typically refers to notes providing a soft or balmy property. However, subcategories for the amber family consist of contradictory grey amber, (think Ambergris) and yellow amber, (think resin) categories. Ingredient examples home to this category include myrrh resinoid, labdanum absolute, and vanilla. Despite resinous inclusions, note that the Amber family and the Wood family are two distinct categories.
ANIMALIC
notes belonging in this classification are typically selected to offer intrigue plus a prolonging effect in a fragrance. In modern perfuming, raw ingredients falling under this category have been banned from manufacturing, since utilizing and obtaining these ingredients concern the welfare of animals. Popular animalic notes used throughout history include Civet, from civet cat, Castoreum, from beaver castor sacs, Ambergris, from the vomitus of sperm whales, and Musk, from deer.
ANOSMIA
no ability or sense to smell.
AROMATIC
refers to fragrance containing herbaceous notes, mainly (but not limited) to energize sweet and citrus scents. If an ingredient smells cooling or medicinal, it is an aromatic note.
BASE
fragrance oil and/or alcohol in which the fragrance formulation becomes one with.
CAPTIVES
exclusive, proprietary notes created by a fragrance house. These notes are only used by the fragrance house in which it is developed in.
CHEMORECEPTOR
commonly referred to as a "chemosensor", the sensory receptor cell creates a chemical substance concluding in a biological prompt. In humans, chemoreceptors work to help detect different scents or chemicals that may be in a room.
CHYPRE
(shee-prah) an accord centered around notes of patchouli, musk, florals alike rose and jasmine with damp, mossy attributes. "Aventus" by Creed is a popular fragrance categorized as a chypre.
CITRUS FAMILY
this olfactive family refers to notes such as orange, bergamot, lemon, lime, mandarin, yuzu, etc. These ingredients are respectfully regarded as the citrus notes and are not to be described or categorized as fruity. These notes provide fresh, exuberant properties.
COLOGNE
an accord featuring the notes of citrus and moss. The most popular ingredients selected to compose a cologne include neroli, bergamot, and wood notes.
CONSTRUCTIVE FRAGRANCE
a monotone fragrance with a formulation featuring balanced top, middle, and bottom notes that blend seamlessly throughout the experience of a single spritz.
DISTILLATION
the process of utilizing steam and condensation in order to divide water from oil with heat sustaining materials. The process to produce essential oils.
EAU DE TOILETTE
a concentration of fragrance comprised of roughly 85-95% alcohol and up to 15% of a fragrance formula.
ENFLEURAGE
an extraction method by means of fat lying on top of glass panels absorbing oils from petals, resulting in a pomade. This method worked optimal with heat sensitive flowers. This method was popular centuries ago and would be a rarity to find utilized today as it is a highly expensive method.
ESSENCE
a highly concentrated product birthed from one or more ingredients.
ESSENTIAL OIL
a product created by the means of steam distillation or cold expression. Essential oils offer the natural aromas of an ingredient. Many essential oils are marketed to add a therapeutic flair in a product and can be utilized for therapeutic uses on their own. For example, Lavendar and Rose essential oils have been used in spa treatments and as bedding sprays to soothe the mind and soul.
EXPRESSION
primarily chosen for extracting citrus ingredients, this process includes cold pressing the selected fruit in order to extract aromatic composites from the peel of the fruit. The whole fruit or the peel of a fruit can be cold pressed in order to obtain an essential oil.
EXTRACTION
There are two types of methods. Supercritical CO₂ extraction is a process utilizing pressure and temperature parameters and carbon dioxide amidst the liquid and gaseous stages as a solvent, to draw out the desired material. The result is an extract and CO₂, which can be later removed from the extract. Fun Fact: This is the same method to decaffeinate coffee beans! Extraction by means of a volatile solvent produces an absolute from fresh ingredients, and a resinoid from dried ingredients.
FLORALCY
a slang term relating to a floral entity or offering in a fragrance. Perhaps a fragrance you own contains a sweet floralcy, fruity floralcy, or fresh, green floralcy.
FOUGÈRE
(foo-jair) an accord dubbed by the composition of citrus, spice, green and wood notes. Commonly found notes include mandarin, grapefruit, coumarin, lavender, geranium, moss, and vetiver. A popular fougère on the market includes "Fougère D'Argent" by Tom Ford. Fougères are mainly produced as men's offerings. Fun Fact: "fougère" translates to "fern" in French.
FRAGRANCE HOUSE
a supplier dedicated to creating and crafting fragrance and/or flavor. The biggest players in the industry are Firmenich, Givaudan, IFF (International Flavors and Fragrances), Symrise, and Takasago.
FRESH FLORAL
an olfactive category within the floral family for florals that reminisce of morning dew, are delicate and soft. Rose, peony, and freesia are fresh floral examples.
FRUIT FAMILY
an olfactive category that refers to notes belonging to the following subcategories: Crunchy Fruits (apple, pear, etc.), Exotic Fruits (pineapple, mango, etc.), Green Fruits (blackcurrant, fig, etc.), Red Fruits (strawberry, blackberry, etc.), Water Fruits (cantaloupe, watermelon, etc.), and Yellow Fruits (apricot, peach, etc.). Aside from blackcurrant bud, Davana, and osmanthus, all other fruit notes cannot be extracted naturally. Thus, practically all fruit notes are synthetic.
GOURMAND FAMILY
an olfactive category that refers to notes such as caramel, coffee, cocoa, hazelnut, vanilla, nougatine, warm milk, etc. Gourmand notes and inspired accords typically showcase sugary sweet, candy-like appeals. Think of food when you think of this category. Fun Fact: "Angel" by Thierry Mugler was the first fragrance that utilized gourmand notes, becoming the 1st gourmand fragrance to disrupt the market.
GREEN FAMILY
an olfactive category that refers to notes such as tripal, galbanum, and mastic absolute. Green notes are often described as vegetal and crisp.
HEAD SPACE
a scientific analysis technique utilizing an ingredient, such as a flower, secured under glass housing. The ingredient is then exposed to a specific cell that absorbs the eruptive fragrance constituents from the ingredient, which are analyzed once they are diffused from the cell absorption.
HERBACEOUS
an aroma offering the scent of herbs. Herbaceous ingredient examples include basil, clove, lavender, rosemary, etc.
HYPOSMIA
decreased ability to sense smell.
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IONONE
an aroma compound that resonates with the scent of violets. Think of cosmetic powders or lipsticks. This exuberant note is found in many notes across the powdery family, and contributes to many natural florals, such as rose.
NATURAL(S)
Natural, raw ingredients are those that come from a plant or animal. Sources include roots, peels, flowers, woods, leaves, resins, and grains. Natural notes are known to offer more complexity to a fragrance than synthetic notes.
OLFACTION
sense of smell.
ORIENTAL
a type of accord that came to fruition early in the 21st century. Traditional ingredients include patchouli, warm spices, and amber notes. Modern oriental formulations can include patchouli, gourmand notes, and fresh spices. Guerlain's "Shalimar" is the most notable oriental classified fragrance, due to its impact and unwavering relevancy in the industry.
PARFUM
a concentration of fragrance comprised of roughly 80% alcohol and 40% of a fragrance formula.
POWDER FAMILY
an olfactive family comprised of notes that are rich in ionones and offer a thick, full-bodied aroma. These notes are often paired with scent associations such as powder, almonds, cosmetics, and violet candy.
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RECONSTITUTION
a method of combining natural and synthetic materials to produce the odors of ingredients that cannot be extracted naturally, or, utilizing different materials to create a desired note. For example, utilizing the pod instead of the bean of vanilla, to create a vanilla material.
REPRODUCTION
birthing ingredients post head space analysis in order to recreate aromas of natural ingredients.
SILLAGE
commonly recognized as the "trail", the lingering power and notability of a scent. Think of when someone leaves a room, and you can still smell their parfum in the air — their perfume possesses strong sillage power.
SOLAR
when referring to a note that is solar, it typically refers to a floral that is heavy, such as heady jasmine, ylang-ylang, neroli, mimosa, etc. Citrus notes can also be solar. Marine notes paired with these florals and citrus can boost the brightness and sunny offering in a solar accord.
SPICE FAMILY
an olfactive family that refers to ingredients such as cinnamon, black pepper, nutmeg, pink peppercorn, cardamom and so forth. Spices offer different degrees of freshness and warmth. For example, ginger oil is classified as a fresh spice and cinnamon oil is considered a warm spice. Spices can be strident and powerful.
STRIDENT
Regarding an ingredient to be apparent or bold. Spice notes, which are fresh and warm, are the notes often regarded as "strident".
SWEET FLORAL
an olfactive category within the floral family regarding florals that are rich and heady. Tuberose, jasmine, and ylang-ylang are sweet florals. Sweet florals differ than fresh florals as they can be described as sensual and bodied compared to the gentleness of fresh florals.
SYNTHETIC MATERIAL
a note that can be created artificially, isolated from the natural ingredient in which the synthetic is trying to replicate, or be molecularly synthesized to become identical to the natural inspired material. Certain natural ingredients cannot be extracted from nature, so synthetic notes are made through either of these various methods to create the desired note.
TENACITY
referring to how long a scent will last on the skin or linger in the air.
WOOD FAMILY
an olfactive family that refers to wood notes. Examples include sandalwood, cedarwood, vetiver, oakmoss, guaiacwood, and incense to name a few. The wood family can be divided into subcategories, such as smoky, resinous, dry, and moss.