Perfume Glossary A–Z: The Most Important Terms

Niche perfumery has its own vocabulary – often French, sometimes Arabic, occasionally English. This glossary explains the 30+ most important terms you will encounter in product descriptions, reviews and expert conversations. Sorted alphabetically, compactly worded.

A

Absolute — Highly concentrated plant fragrance material obtained by solvent extraction from flowers or resins. Denser and more floral than essential oils. Rose absolute is the prime example.

Agarwood — English name for the heartwood of infected Aquilaria trees; the source of Oud.

Accord — Harmonious blend of several individual notes into a "single scent impression". A floral accord of rose, jasmine and lily of the valley acts as a closed unit.

Ambergris (ambra) — Secretion of the sperm whale, matured in the sea for decades. Warm, marine, musky. One of the most expensive fragrance materials in the world.

Aquilaria — Genus of trees from Southeast Asia whose infected heartwood is distilled into oud.

Attar — Traditionally alcohol-free perfume oil, often from the Middle East or India. See our attar collection.

B

Base note — The longest-lasting fragrance molecules of a composition: musk, ambergris, woods, resins. Appear after 3–6 hours and carry the fragrance for the rest of the day.

Bespoke — Made-to-measure fragrance for a single person. See Duftkumpels Bespoke.

Blotter — Test strip of untreated paper for assessing a fragrance without skin contact.

C

Castoreum — Gland secretion of the beaver. Leathery, smoky, warm. Historical component of all great leather perfumes.

Chypre — Classic fragrance family: bergamot, rose/jasmine, oakmoss, labdanum. Named after Coty's "Chypre" (1917). See Leather 4 LOVE! for a modern interpretation.

CITES — Washington Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. Regulates trade in endangered species; in perfumery it concerns, among others, the musk deer and Aquilaria.

D

Decant — A portion transferred from an original flacon into smaller vessels, often 1–10 ml. Practical for testing without investing in a full flacon.

Deer musk — Gland secretion of the male musk deer. See Deer musk ethics.

Distillation — Obtaining essential oils by water or steam distillation. Standard for oud, rose, sandalwood.

E

Enfleurage — Historical extraction process: flowers laid on fat to absorb the scent. Practically extinct today, but sensorially unique.

Extrait de Parfum (XDP) — Highest fragrance concentration (25–40%). See What is extrait de parfum?

F

Fixative — Raw material that extends the longevity of other fragrance materials. Classic fixatives: ambergris, musk, benzoin.

Fougère — Fragrance family: lavender, coumarin, oakmoss, geranium. "Fern scent" (fougère = fern). Classically masculine.

G

Gourmand — Fragrance family with edible notes: vanilla, caramel, chocolate, tonka, coffee.

H

Longevity — How long a fragrance remains perceptible on the skin. Extrait typically 10–16 hours.

I-K

IFRA — International Fragrance Association. Regulates safety limits for individual fragrance materials.

Iso E Super — Synthetic fragrance material; woody, skin-close, transparent. Base of many modern compositions.

Top note — The most volatile fragrance molecules (citrus, herbs), perceptible for 0–30 minutes.

L-M

Labdanum — Resin of the rock rose. Warm, amber-coloured, tobacco-like. Foundation of many orientals.

Maceration — Maturation of a perfume composition after blending. At Duftkumpels 4–8 weeks.

Musk — Historically animal (deer musk), today often synthetic (white musk molecules, Galaxolide etc.).

N-O

Niche — Perfumery beyond the mass market. See Niche perfume FAQ.

Oud — Oil of the infected Aquilaria heartwood. Honey, animalics, smoke. See oud collection.

P-R

Perfumer — The creator of a fragrance composition. French "nez" (nose).

Pyramid — Top/heart/base structure. Historical model, increasingly complemented by linear compositions.

Rosa damascena — The most important perfume rose (Turkey, Bulgaria). 4 tonnes of petals = 1 kilo of rose oil.

S

Sillage — The scent trail a person leaves behind. French for "wake".

Sandalwood — Warm, creamy, sacred. Mysore (India) strictly protected; today mostly Australia or New Caledonia.

Synthetics — Chemically produced fragrance materials. Not inferior to naturals, but different tools.

T-Z

Tonka — Bean from South America. Warm, coumarin-like, sweet. Gourmand classic.

Vetiver — Grass-like root from Haiti or Java. Earthy, smoky, green.

XDP — Abbreviation for extrait de parfum.

Civet — Gland secretion of the civet cat. Animalic, warm, honeyed. Today mostly substituted synthetically.

Further guides: Buying oud, Ethical raw materials, Niche FAQ.