Understanding perfume terms: a guide to fragrance language

The perfume world has its own language, with words that aren’t often used in daily life. When learning more about perfume, you often come across words like aromatic, gourmand or aldehydic. These words might seem complicated, but they actually help a lot when describing and understanding fragrances. 
Understanding perfume starts with learning its unique vocabulary.

FRAGRANCE FAMILIES

Fragrance families are an umbrella term used to describe the main category of a scent. Following the Michael Edwards perfume wheel, there are four main scent families, which are woody, amber, floral and fresh.

WOODY

Woody perfumes are often reminiscent of nature, woods and warmth. They smell earthy, dry and sometimes creamy. The scent can vary from soft and sweet to smoky, powdery and full. They have a long-lasting and refined effect. Woody notes are often used in perfume bases

• Sandalwood
• Cedarwood
• Oud

AMBER/ORIENTAL

Ambery/oriental scents are warm, rich and cozy. They often bring a deep and sensual smell. They are often sweet, resinous and lightly spicy, with a comforting and long-lasting warmth.

• Labdanum
• Vanilla
• Frankincense

FLORAL

Floral perfumes are centered around flower-inspired scents and can vary from soft and powdery to rich, dewy and creamy. They often feel elegant, romantic and versatile. It is one of the most popular scent families.

• Rose
• Jasmine
• Tuberose

FRESH

Fresh perfumes are light, clean and airy. They are reminiscent of air, water and green. They are sparkly, refreshing and usually very friendly and non-abrasive.

• Bergamot
• Lavender
• Aquatic notes

OLFACTORY GUIDE

These terms describe the overall character or feeling of a fragrance more so than specific ingredients. They can appear across multiple families.

GOURMAND

Gourmand scents are inspired by foods/edibles and are often very sweet and warm. They are mostly associated with dessert-like scents like vanilla, chocolate, caramel, milk or coffee notes. The emphasis here is not on fruit or freshness but on rich, edible sweets. Gourmands often bring the sensation of dessert, pastry or a sweet warm drink.

PHOTOREALISTIC

Photorealistic refers to perfumes that imitate a scent from the “real world” in a very realistic way. Instead of an abstract interpretation of a flower or material, it smells exactly like the object itself, like a fresh rose or tomato leaf. The goal is realism instead of an artistic transformation.

ANIMALIC

Animalic scents evoke warmth, skin and sometimes a raw or primal feeling. They can vary from a soft, sensual skin-like warmth to an intense, more sweaty, leathery and almost dirty feeling. Animalic notes are often softened, but they can still be used to bring a human, sensual warmth and depth to a scent.

MUSKY

Musky scents are extremely versatile and can vary from clean and airy to warm and skin-like. Musk often smells like clean laundry or soft skin, creating a subtle, intimate effect. Depending on the composition, musk can also feel sensual or warm.

POWDERY

Powdery describes a soft and dry scent texture that often reminds one of baby powder or (vintage) make-up. Also what people often mean when they say: “This smells like my grandmother.” It is often associated with elegance, softness and comfort.

AROMATICS

Aromatic perfumes are built around herby, green and light fresh spices. They often feel fresh and natural with a lightly bitter or dry herbaceous undertone. Popular aromatics are lavender, rosemary or sage.

ALDEHYDIC

Aldehydic refers to a sparkly, airy and soapy effect created by aldehydes. These scents can smell clear, prickly and lightly metallic or waxy. They are often associated with a clean and abstract form of freshness and are used to give perfume a bit of a lift.

LACTONIC

Lactonic describes creamy, milky effects that are soft, smooth and comforting. These notes remind one of warm or condensed milk, or creamy coconut. Lactonic scents often add a sweet, cosy and comforting quality.

BALSAMIC

Balsamic describes thicker, sweet and resinous compositions which feel warm and lightly syrupy. They often make the perfume deeper and longer-lasting.

INDOLIC

Indolic scents contain indole, an organic substance that adds a rich, intoxicating and lightly dirty, animalic character to white florals like jasmine, tuberose and orange blossom. In pure form indole can smell sharp and unpleasant, like decay, but in low concentrations it creates a narcotic, sensual and intense floral effect. The result is a deep, seductive scent with a bold and almost addictive quality.

SOLAR

Solar scents evoke the feeling of sun on the skin. They’re warm, radiant, slightly salty or creamy, often with associations of sunscreen, warm skin or a summer glow. Think of notes like coconut, white florals or a bright amber accent. Solar perfumes feel sunny, relaxed and comforting.

OZONIC

Ozonic scents are light, airy and have an electrically fresh character. They evoke images of open air, stormy skies or a fresh sea breeze. Often they have a metallic, salty and clean quality, like right after a lightning strike. Ozonic notes feel transparent and give perfumes a clear, fresh and spatial effect.

AQUATIC

Aquatic scents are fresh, light and remind one of water. They evoke images of the sea, rain, fresh air or a cool breeze. They often have a clean, transparent and sometimes salty or ozonic quality. Aquatic perfumes feel refreshing with a clear and airy appearance.