Perfume Jargon

For new perfume enthusiasts out there we wanted to give you some terms we think are useful to know when you walk into a perfume boutique. You can get really deep into the industry jargon but it is good to know some regularly used perfume terms. So here we go.

Accord

An accord is a blend of fragrance notes. A perfume accord is often listed alongside single notes in the list of top, middle or base notes. Accords come in various forms. For example, the blue shirt or first kiss accords are abstract olfactory ideas. Accords such as musks and ambergris are a reconstruction of real scents from nature as deer musk is becoming increasingly illegal to use and natural ambergris is extremely rare in nature. 

The “Ginger Flower” from Ingenious Ginger and “Salvage Shipwreck” from Whispered Myth are classified as the abstract olfactory idea because these scents cannot be extracted from natural ingredients. The way these accords capture the essence of things that can't be distilled directly is nothing short of perfumery magic. For example, leather is a scent that can’t be distilled using actual leather and hence it needs to be reconstructed from other notes. 

Dry down

You might have heard a lot of people use the term “dry down” and you might be wondering to yourself: what does this phrase mean? Don’t worry, we’re here to help.

The dry down how the scent smells after the top and middle notes have evaporated. When the base notes emerge as a gradual evolution between the middle and base notes in addition to the unique profile of your own skin.

To us, the drydown is like the graceful conclusion to a fragrance's tale. It is intriguing how the scent evolves, leaving a unique and lasting impression.

Projection

Imagine a bubble of scent around you – that's what we're talking about here! The "scent bubble" is like the invisible cloud of fragrance that extends from your skin. 

So, when we mention "scent projection," we're basically figuring out how far the scent reaches out to someone else's nose. 

Some scents with great projection: Island Lush - Goldfield & Banks, VaneXstasy - Maison Tahite

Sillage

Pronounced “see-yazh,”

Imagine you're walking through a garden, and you leave a lovely trail of your fragrance behind you, just like breadcrumbs. Well, that's what we call "sillage"! It's like the invisible path of scent that you leave in the air as you move around, marking your presence

Now, let's talk about the difference between "sillage" and "projection." While projection is about how far your scent can reach, "sillage" is more about how long your scent lingers in the air. 

Olfactory Family

Think of "olfactory family" as a special club for fragrances! Just like how people with similar interests gather together, scents that share similar smells join the same olfactory family. It's like grouping perfumes based on their common traits and personalities [Find out more about Olfactory Families].