- Absolute
- A highly concentrated aromatic material extracted from flowers or other plants with solvents, then purified with alcohol. Jasmine and rose absolutes are prized for their depth and realism.
- Accord
- Several materials blended so they read as one new smell, the way notes form a chord in music. Perfumers build accords like leather, amber or 'sea air' that no single ingredient can give. Learn more
- Aldehydes
- Synthetic molecules that add a bright, soapy, sparkling lift to a fragrance. They are famous for the fizzy opening of classic floral perfumes.
- Ambergris
- A rare marine material formed in sperm whales and aged by sea and sun, with a salty, sweet, skin-like warmth. Modern perfumes almost always use synthetic substitutes such as ambroxan.
- Amber
- Not fossilized resin but a warm fragrance accord, usually built from labdanum, vanilla and benzoin. It gives a golden, resinous, slightly sweet glow. Learn more
- Ambroxan
- A synthetic molecule inspired by ambergris, with a clean, mineral, woody-amber radiance. It is a signature of many modern fresh and 'skin scent' fragrances. Learn more
- Anosmia
- The inability to smell a specific molecule (or anything at all). Many people cannot smell certain musks or ambroxan, which is why the same perfume can seem loud to one person and faint to another.
- Aromatic
- A fragrance family built on herbs such as lavender, rosemary, sage and mint. Aromatic scents feel fresh, green and a little barbershop-like.
- Attar
- A traditional perfume oil, often distilled into sandalwood oil, from the Middle East and South Asia. Attars are alcohol-free, applied in small amounts and last a long time on skin.
- Base notes
- The final stage of a fragrance, felt most strongly from about an hour in and lasting for hours. Woods, resins, vanilla, musk and amber are typical base notes. Learn more
- Beast mode
- Community slang for a fragrance with very strong projection and very long longevity, noticeable across a room and still present the next day.
- Blind buy
- Buying a full bottle without smelling it first. Sampling or a decant first is the safer route; see our guide to fragrances people regret buying. Learn more
- Chypre
- A classic fragrance family built on a contrast of bright citrus (bergamot) over a mossy, woody base (traditionally oakmoss and labdanum). Chypres feel elegant and slightly bitter.
- Clone
- A fragrance deliberately made to smell like a well-known original, usually at a far lower price. 'Clone' and 'dupe' are used almost interchangeably. Learn more
- Cologne
- Originally eau de cologne, a light citrus-herbal splash with about 2–5% perfume oil. In everyday American English, 'cologne' simply means any fragrance marketed to men.
- Concentration
- How much perfume oil a fragrance contains. From lightest to strongest: eau de cologne, eau de toilette, eau de parfum, parfum or extrait.
- Decant
- A small amount of fragrance transferred from a full bottle into a travel atomizer or vial, so you can try a scent properly before committing to a bottle.
- Dry-down
- How a fragrance smells once the top notes have faded and the heart and base take over, usually 30 minutes to a few hours after spraying. It is the part you wear longest.
- Dupe
- An affordable fragrance that smells close to a more expensive one. SCNTMIX lists reviewed dupes with the notes they share and where they differ. Learn more
- Eau de cologne (EDC)
- The lightest common concentration, roughly 2–5% perfume oil. Fresh and short-lived, typically one to two hours.
- Eau de parfum (EDP)
- A concentration of roughly 15–20% perfume oil. It usually lasts longer and feels richer than the eau de toilette version of the same fragrance. Learn more
- Eau de toilette (EDT)
- A concentration of roughly 5–15% perfume oil. Often brighter and fresher than the EDP of the same line, with shorter longevity. Learn more
- Elixir
- A marketing name for an intensified version of a fragrance, usually richer, sweeter or spicier and longer-lasting than the original, such as Sauvage Elixir.
- Flanker
- A new fragrance released under the name of an existing one, like an 'Intense', 'Elixir' or 'Absolu' version. Flankers can smell very different from the original.
- Fougère
- French for 'fern': a family built on lavender, coumarin (hay-like, sweet) and oakmoss. It is the backbone of many classic men's colognes.
- Fragrance family
- A way of grouping scents by their main character: floral, woody, oriental (amber), fresh, citrus, aromatic, gourmand, chypre and fougère. Learn more
- Fragrance pyramid
- The top, heart and base notes of a fragrance, listed in the order you tend to notice them over time. Learn more
- Fresh
- A family of clean, airy fragrances: citrus, aquatic, green and light musky scents that feel crisp rather than warm.
- Gourmand
- A fragrance family built on edible notes such as vanilla, caramel, coffee, chocolate, praline and honey. Gourmands smell sweet and dessert-like. Learn more
- Heart notes
- Also called middle notes: the core character of a fragrance, noticeable after the opening fades and lasting a few hours. Florals and spices often sit here. Learn more
- Iso E Super
- A synthetic woody molecule with a smooth, velvety, cedar-like feel. It adds diffusion and a 'your skin but better' effect, and some people barely smell it.
- Layering
- Wearing two or more fragrances together to create a new combination. The richer scent usually goes on first and the lighter one on top. Learn more
- Longevity
- How long a fragrance stays noticeable on skin or clothes. It depends on concentration, the materials used, your skin and the weather. Learn more
- Maceration
- The resting period that lets a new fragrance's materials blend and settle. Some fans also say a bottle 'matures' after it has been opened for a few weeks.
- Musk
- A soft, warm, skin-like note. Modern musks are synthetic ('white musks') and give a clean, cozy or powdery softness to most fragrances. Learn more
- Niche fragrance
- A fragrance from a smaller, specialist house rather than a fashion or designer brand, often with more unusual ideas and higher prices. Learn more
- Nose
- A professional perfumer who composes fragrances. Also used for your own sense of smell, as in 'on my nose it smells sweet'.
- Notes
- The individual scents you can pick out in a fragrance, such as bergamot, rose or vanilla. Notes describe the smell, not necessarily the actual ingredients. Learn more
- Oakmoss
- A lichen extract with a damp, earthy, forest-floor smell, central to chypre and fougère fragrances. Its use is now restricted, so modern versions are reformulated.
- Olfactory fatigue
- When your nose stops noticing a smell after continuous exposure, which is why you often cannot smell your own fragrance after a while even though others can.
- Oriental
- A traditional family name for warm, spicy, resinous fragrances with amber, vanilla, incense and spices. Many brands now call it 'amber'.
- Oud
- Also agarwood: a dark, resinous, woody material formed in infected aquilaria trees. It can smell smoky, leathery, animalic or sweet and is prized in Middle Eastern perfumery. Learn more
- Parfum
- The richest concentration of many fragrance lines (also 'extrait'), usually 20–30% perfume oil or more, worn in small amounts.
- Powdery
- A soft, dry, cosmetic smell reminiscent of face powder, usually from iris, violet, heliotrope or certain musks.
- Projection
- How far a fragrance radiates from your skin in the first hours. Strong projection means people notice it around you. Learn more
- Reformulation
- A change to a fragrance's formula after release, often due to ingredient regulations or cost. Longtime fans may notice a different smell or performance.
- Resin
- Sticky tree exudates such as frankincense, myrrh, benzoin and labdanum. They give warm, balsamic, incense-like depth to the base of a fragrance.
- Sample
- A small vial of a fragrance, often 1–2 ml, for trying a scent over a day or two before buying a full bottle.
- Scent profile
- A plain-language description of how a fragrance smells overall: its family, main accords and mood.
- Signature scent
- A fragrance you wear regularly enough that people associate it with you. Learn more
- Sillage
- French for 'wake': the trail of scent a fragrance leaves behind in the air as you move. Often used almost interchangeably with projection. Learn more
- Skin scent
- A fragrance that sits very close to the skin, like a warmer, better version of your own smell, noticeable mainly up close.
- Soliflore
- A fragrance built around a single flower, such as a rose or tuberose soliflore.
- Tester
- A bottle supplied to stores for customers to try, often without a cap or decorative box. The juice is normally the same as the retail bottle.
- Top notes
- The first impression of a fragrance, strongest in the first 5–30 minutes. Citrus, light fruits and fresh herbs are typical top notes. Learn more
- Vanilla
- One of the most loved base notes: sweet, creamy and warm, from vanilla pods or synthetic vanillin. It adds comfort and longevity. Learn more
- Vetiver
- The root of a tropical grass with a dry, earthy, smoky-green smell. It gives many fresh and woody fragrances their polished, grounded finish.
- Woody
- A fragrance family built on woods such as cedar, sandalwood, vetiver and oud. Woody scents feel dry, warm and structured. Learn more