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| Glossary of Natural Botanical Perfume Terminology |
Absolute ~ strongly scented material extracted by alcohol or
solvent from concrete (see concrete)
Accord ~ (see Chord) musical reference (Piesse) relating to a
chord; usually two or more essences combined to create a scent
with its own character and distinctive scent; harmonization and
balance within a blend of essences
Adulteration ~ also called ‘extending’ or ‘sophisticating’ an oil;
when materials either natural or synthetic, are added to extend
an oil to gain higher profits, or to perfect or sophisticate a poor
grade oil to create an illusion of a higher grade oil in an attempt
to render it marketable
Alcohol ~ perfume medium, diluent, solvent or carrier (ethanol)
for a perfume composition; in natural perfumery, 190 proof
organic grape or grain alcohol is preferred (90-95% alcohol
content)
Alcohol, denatured ~ a non-potable alcohol; alcohol with a toxic
additive which renders the alcohol undrinkable; used in
perfumery (not necessarily Natural Botanical Perfumery)
Alcohol, undenatured ~ for use in perfumery, undenatured
alcohol refers to alcohol (ethanol/ETOH) which has not been
rendered undrinkable through the inclusion of a toxic
substance which ‘denatures’ the alcohol
Aldehyde/Aldehydic ~ refers to a specific set of synthetic
fragrance compounds that give a perfume composition lift and
effervescence; in natural perfumery, it relates to the lift and
sparkle of the top notes, most notably citrus and spices
Amber ~ warm, powdery note in a perfume composition obtained
through the combination of styrax benzoin, labdanum, vanilla
and other similar aromatic oils
Animalic ~ usually refers to fecal, leathery and fur-like scents,
such as hyraceum (hyrax/Africa Stone), ambergris, costus,
nargarmotha, patchouli, choya loban, deer musk and civet; can
have some connection to indolic botanical materials such as
jasmine
Anosmia ~ the inability to smell, OR the inability to smell
certain molecules, such as musks
Aromatic ~ strongly scented materials; specifically refers to rich,
balsamic essences, but can be used to refer to nearly any
scented botanical material
Attar ~ co-distillation of sandalwood oil with flowers or flowers
steam distilled into a receiver containing sandalwood oil
Balsam ~ sweet, warm, woody, resinous materials; exudates of
trees (sap)
Balsamic ~ refers to sweet, warm, woody, rich notes such as tolu
balsam and benzoin
Base Notes (see Bottom Notes) ~ notes within a perfume
composition which are more tenacious and long-lasting; the last
notes detected in the dry down of a perfume composition
Base ~ a base is a composition which include head, heart and
base note components that are used as a single scenting
element; for example, a jonquil base that will be used as a
jonquil note in a perfume concentrate is formulated by blending
sandalwood, jasmine sambac, orange blossom, tuberose, lime
and vanilla; amber is a base composed with the raw materials
benzoin, vanilla and labdanum; OR an unscented, unaltered
basic component of a product, such as an oil base, lotion base,
shampoo base, conditioner base, etc.
Bottom Notes ~ (see Base Notes)
Bouquet ~ refers to a blend of flower essences; used more often
in pre-modern perfumery to describe rich floral compositions
Brief ~ a perfume blue print; the perfume concept; it usually
utilizes descriptors which are not related to scent or perfume,
but evoke emotion; for example, the feeling of a winter sun rising
over a mountain covered in leaf-barren dogwood
Camphoraceous ~ medicinal note found in lavender and
rosemary; camphor-like essences such as eucalyptus and tea tree
Carrier Oil ~ oil used as a base or diluent in oil-based and solid
perfume making; typically jojoba and fractionated coconut oils
due to their longer shelf lives
Chord ~ (see Accord) refers to a combination of two (usually
three) or more aromatics to create a single ‘essence’
Chypre ~ (pronounced shee-prah) a perfume formulation
characterized by bergamot and oak moss with woody and
resinous essences like patchouli and ambriene
Citrus Notes ~ the notes obtained through the use of citrus;
orange, lemon, lime, bergamot, grapefruit, yuzu, lemongrass
Clarifying ~ filtering a finished perfume composition to create a
crystal clear result
Classic ~ a scent which follows a perfumery template utilizing a
higher percentage of floral notes to create an essence with
timeless appeal
Cloying ~ sweet, heavy, almost suffocating and clingy
CO2 Extraction ~ carbon dioxide extractions, supercritical
carbon dioxide extracts; solvent extraction utilizing CO2 at low
temperature and high pressure to create a fragrant product
Coconut Oil, Fractionated ~ a fraction of whole coconut oil (long
chain triglycerides are removed); a completely saturated fat that
is more stable and has a longer shelf-life than regular coconut
oil; used as a menstruum or medium in perfume making
Cologne ~ an essence composition utilizing primarily citrus oils
and a high percentage of water; 3 – 5% perfume composition to
alcohol and distilled water
Composition ~ concentrated perfume formula
Compound ~ a blend of two or more essences which comprise
parts of a composition
Concentrate ~ (see composition)
Concrete ~ solvent extracted waxy substance obtained from
botanical materials
Destructive Distillation ~ distillation of materials, seashells,
woods or resins, which are intentionally burned, resulting in a
material with a smoky, leathery bouquet
Diluent ~ a substance used to dilute
Distillate ~ results of distillation
Distillation ~ separation of the oil compounds within a botanical
material through the use of heated water (see steam distillation,
hydro distillation and destructive distillation)
Dry Down ~ the final stage of a perfume’s life on the skin;
base/bottom notes which have the most tenacity within a
perfume composition
Eau de Cologne (edc) (oh du coh-lohn-yu) ~ same as Cologne; an
essence composition utilizing primarily citrus oils and a high
percentage of water; 3 – 5% perfume composition to alcohol and
distilled water
Eau Fraiche (edf) (oh fraysh) ~ “fresh water” contains 1 to 3%
perfume composition to alcohol and water
Eau de Parfum (edp) (oh du pah-fyah) ~ 8 – 15% perfume
composition blend to alcohol; sometimes incorporates less than
5% distilled water or floral hydrosol; second highest
concentration of scent to diluent in perfume making
Eau de Toilette (edt) (oh du twah-let) ~ 4 to 8% composition
blend to alcohol; incorporates a small percentage of distilled
water or floral hydrosol; most common concentration in modern
perfume making
Earthy Notes ~ refers to notes typified by mossy, moldy, dirty
scents, such as patchouli, cepes (mushroom), tree mosses and
vetyver
Enfleurage (ahn-floo-yahj) ~ ancient method of obtaining scent
by repeatedly placing, removing and replacing fragrant botanical
materials on sheets of glass that have
been glazed with fat (typically cleaned animal fat) to produce a
pomade (see pomade)
Essence ~ fragrant raw materials
Essential Oil ~ aromatic material obtained from botanicals
through the process of distillation or cold-pressing/expression
Expression ~ method of obtaining an aromatic material
(essential oil) through the use of presses which squeeze out the
volatile oils of plant materials, typically citrus peels
Extrait ~ highest concentration of scent to diluents in perfume
making; 15 to 40% (sometimes up to 50% or 60%) composition
blend to alcohol or diluents
Fining ~ term coined by perfumer Alec Lawless, defined as
clarifying or clearing a finished perfume by use of bentonite
clay, formerly and currently used as a term defining the
clarifying of wine
Fixative ~ raw materials or other natural materials which are
used in very small amounts (1 to 3%) to help sustain a perfume,
holding it down onto the skin so the scent lasts longer; includes
distilled water, floral hydrosols, resin and wood tinctures, styrax
benzoin and vegetable glycerin
Flat Note ~ a note with no lift or body
Floral ~ flower based composition
Fougere ~ (pronounced foo-zhayr) any ferny, mossy scent with
lavender at its heart; usually includes patchouli, labdanum,
vanilla, tonka and benzoin
Fresh ~ typified by light and airy notes found in green and
citrus essences such as galbanum, violet leaf, lemon, lime,
grapefruit, bergamot
Fruity ~ fruit essences, usually does not include citrus oils;
some examples of fruity essences are davana, magnolia, black
currant bud, Roman chamomile; some fruit essences can be
obtained through the use of tinctures of fruit such as fig, dried
currant, and berries
Green ~ fresh scent of cut grass or fresh leaves; violet leaf
absolute is a green note with a green cucumber-like scent;
cardamom typifies a spicy/green note; coriander is a classic
green note
Gums ~ sticky, resinous substances; plant sap exudates;
balsams can also be called gums
Herbal/Herbaceous ~ typified by green and somewhat
camphoraceous scents in
combination; lavender, rosemary, sages and mints are common
herbal essences
Harsh ~ pungent or chemical character within a perfume
composition
Hay ~ an essence typified by a coumarin character; tonka,
lavender absolute, liatris
Head Note ~ the first notes you smell in a perfume; they’re the
opening note, the lead or hook note; relatively fleeting, usually
lasting no more than 10 or 20 minutes
Heady ~ deeply intoxicating scent; transportative
Heart Note ~ notes which normally classify or identify the
perfume family or theme of the composition; for instance, if your
theme is a white floral, then you would blend some combination
of jasmine, neroli, tuberose, gardenia tinctures and other ‘white’
flower oils as the main component of this note
Heavy ~ intense and oftentimes cloying note
Honey ~ sweet, syrupy, slightly urinic note
Hydro Alcohol ~ water and 90- 95% alcohol; used in
formulating edt’s, edc’s and edf’s
Incense ~ notes incorporating sweet, powdery and resinous
essences
Infusion ~ whole botanical materials immersed in a hot
medium, diluents or carrier; botanical material in warmed oil is
considered an infusion
Ipsilateral ~ affecting the same side of the body (pertains to
left/right nostril evaluation)
Isolate (Natural) ~ individual chemical constituents of an
essential oil which are fractionally distilled to obtain, or isolate,
from the remainder of the chemicals; examples: eugenol,
citronellol, linalool, raspberry ketone
Insoluble ~ raw materials (essential oils, resins, absolutes,
concretes, etc.) which do not dissolve in a diluent (alcohol,
solvent, oil, water, etc.)
Jojoba ~ simmondsia californica/simmondsia chinensis plant seed
wax used as a menstruum or medium in perfume making (also
called goat nut)
Leitmotif ~ theme of the perfume composition
Menstruum ~ a solvent
Middle Note ~ (see Heart Note)
Mossy ~ typified by oak moss, tree mosses and accords
reminiscent of forest floor
Note/Notes ~ refers to the melody within the composition, the
song of the perfume, the theme, or to a particular part of a
perfume or an individual essence, or it refers to how the
composition is perceived, i.e. ‘floral notes’, ‘woody notes’, ‘green
notes’
œillet ~ French for carnation; clove pink, spicy carnation
essence
Olfactory ~ relating to the sense of smell
Organ ~ system of storing bottles of perfume making materials
typified by stepped shelving; any method of organizing perfumery
materials for ease of use
Organic (oil) ~ oil sourced from plants on which herbicides and
pesticides have not been used
Organoleptic ~ capable of being perceived by a sensory organ
Oriental ~ typified by ‘amber’ and spice notes
Otto ~ rose(s) steam distilled, Turkish or Bulgarian varieties:
rose otto
Palette ~ collection of raw materials used by the perfumer to
create perfume
Parfum/Perfume ~ (see Extrait)
Perfumer ~ an artist who creates perfume
Pomade ~ fatty substance obtained through enfleurage; the
pomade is then used for solid perfume making, or it is further
processed by soaking the pomade in high proof alcohol for
several weeks to obtain a fragrant tincture which is filtered and
used to make alcohol based perfume
Powdery ~ a note obtained through the blending of sweet, woody
notes with fruity, green or citrus notes; typified by the use of
vanilla, patchouli, benzoin, labdanum, cananga/ylang-ylang,
rose, sandalwood and/or bergamot
Quenching ~ perportedly a phenomenon in which it is believed
some sensitizing chemicals can be rendered safe (quenched) for
skin contact by adding a quenching agent
Raw Material ~ botanical or animal based material used in
perfumery; essential oils, absolutes, tinctures, infusions,
concretes, pomades, CO2 extractions, dry botanicals,
flower petals, etc. are all examples of a raw material
Reconstituted (oil) ~ an identical to nature oil formulated with
the use of synthetics to appear as the authentic oil by odor and
analysis
Resinoids ~ (see Balsam and Gums)
Sillage ~ (pronounced see-yahj) scent left in the wake of the
perfume wearer
Soluble ~ raw materials (essential oils, resins, absolutes,
concretes, etc.) which dissolve in diluents (alcohol, solvent, oil,
water, etc.)
Solvents ~ fluid materials used to dissolve and extract volatile
elements of botanicals (water, alcohol, hexane, oil, etc.)
Spicy ~ notes which are typically hot in character, such as clove,
pepper and cinnamon
Sweet ~ characterized by taste utilizing essences such as
vanilla, honey and warm balsamic notes
Tenacity ~ strength of a scent or note characterized by the
length of time it lasts on the skin
Top Note ~ (see Head Note)
Ultrasonic Extraction ~ a method of extracting high grade
perfumery materials through the use of an ultrasonic device
(jewelry cleaner)
Volatile/Volatility ~ evaporating quickly; rate of evaporation of a
raw material
Woody ~ notes related to woods or grasses; cedar wood,
sandalwood, patchouli and vetyver are examples of woody not
(INCOMPLETE LIST ~ MODIFY)
solvent from concrete (see concrete)
Accord ~ (see Chord) musical reference (Piesse) relating to a
chord; usually two or more essences combined to create a scent
with its own character and distinctive scent; harmonization and
balance within a blend of essences
Adulteration ~ also called ‘extending’ or ‘sophisticating’ an oil;
when materials either natural or synthetic, are added to extend
an oil to gain higher profits, or to perfect or sophisticate a poor
grade oil to create an illusion of a higher grade oil in an attempt
to render it marketable
Alcohol ~ perfume medium, diluent, solvent or carrier (ethanol)
for a perfume composition; in natural perfumery, 190 proof
organic grape or grain alcohol is preferred (90-95% alcohol
content)
Alcohol, denatured ~ a non-potable alcohol; alcohol with a toxic
additive which renders the alcohol undrinkable; used in
perfumery (not necessarily Natural Botanical Perfumery)
Alcohol, undenatured ~ for use in perfumery, undenatured
alcohol refers to alcohol (ethanol/ETOH) which has not been
rendered undrinkable through the inclusion of a toxic
substance which ‘denatures’ the alcohol
Aldehyde/Aldehydic ~ refers to a specific set of synthetic
fragrance compounds that give a perfume composition lift and
effervescence; in natural perfumery, it relates to the lift and
sparkle of the top notes, most notably citrus and spices
Amber ~ warm, powdery note in a perfume composition obtained
through the combination of styrax benzoin, labdanum, vanilla
and other similar aromatic oils
Animalic ~ usually refers to fecal, leathery and fur-like scents,
such as hyraceum (hyrax/Africa Stone), ambergris, costus,
nargarmotha, patchouli, choya loban, deer musk and civet; can
have some connection to indolic botanical materials such as
jasmine
Anosmia ~ the inability to smell, OR the inability to smell
certain molecules, such as musks
Aromatic ~ strongly scented materials; specifically refers to rich,
balsamic essences, but can be used to refer to nearly any
scented botanical material
Attar ~ co-distillation of sandalwood oil with flowers or flowers
steam distilled into a receiver containing sandalwood oil
Balsam ~ sweet, warm, woody, resinous materials; exudates of
trees (sap)
Balsamic ~ refers to sweet, warm, woody, rich notes such as tolu
balsam and benzoin
Base Notes (see Bottom Notes) ~ notes within a perfume
composition which are more tenacious and long-lasting; the last
notes detected in the dry down of a perfume composition
Base ~ a base is a composition which include head, heart and
base note components that are used as a single scenting
element; for example, a jonquil base that will be used as a
jonquil note in a perfume concentrate is formulated by blending
sandalwood, jasmine sambac, orange blossom, tuberose, lime
and vanilla; amber is a base composed with the raw materials
benzoin, vanilla and labdanum; OR an unscented, unaltered
basic component of a product, such as an oil base, lotion base,
shampoo base, conditioner base, etc.
Bottom Notes ~ (see Base Notes)
Bouquet ~ refers to a blend of flower essences; used more often
in pre-modern perfumery to describe rich floral compositions
Brief ~ a perfume blue print; the perfume concept; it usually
utilizes descriptors which are not related to scent or perfume,
but evoke emotion; for example, the feeling of a winter sun rising
over a mountain covered in leaf-barren dogwood
Camphoraceous ~ medicinal note found in lavender and
rosemary; camphor-like essences such as eucalyptus and tea tree
Carrier Oil ~ oil used as a base or diluent in oil-based and solid
perfume making; typically jojoba and fractionated coconut oils
due to their longer shelf lives
Chord ~ (see Accord) refers to a combination of two (usually
three) or more aromatics to create a single ‘essence’
Chypre ~ (pronounced shee-prah) a perfume formulation
characterized by bergamot and oak moss with woody and
resinous essences like patchouli and ambriene
Citrus Notes ~ the notes obtained through the use of citrus;
orange, lemon, lime, bergamot, grapefruit, yuzu, lemongrass
Clarifying ~ filtering a finished perfume composition to create a
crystal clear result
Classic ~ a scent which follows a perfumery template utilizing a
higher percentage of floral notes to create an essence with
timeless appeal
Cloying ~ sweet, heavy, almost suffocating and clingy
CO2 Extraction ~ carbon dioxide extractions, supercritical
carbon dioxide extracts; solvent extraction utilizing CO2 at low
temperature and high pressure to create a fragrant product
Coconut Oil, Fractionated ~ a fraction of whole coconut oil (long
chain triglycerides are removed); a completely saturated fat that
is more stable and has a longer shelf-life than regular coconut
oil; used as a menstruum or medium in perfume making
Cologne ~ an essence composition utilizing primarily citrus oils
and a high percentage of water; 3 – 5% perfume composition to
alcohol and distilled water
Composition ~ concentrated perfume formula
Compound ~ a blend of two or more essences which comprise
parts of a composition
Concentrate ~ (see composition)
Concrete ~ solvent extracted waxy substance obtained from
botanical materials
Destructive Distillation ~ distillation of materials, seashells,
woods or resins, which are intentionally burned, resulting in a
material with a smoky, leathery bouquet
Diluent ~ a substance used to dilute
Distillate ~ results of distillation
Distillation ~ separation of the oil compounds within a botanical
material through the use of heated water (see steam distillation,
hydro distillation and destructive distillation)
Dry Down ~ the final stage of a perfume’s life on the skin;
base/bottom notes which have the most tenacity within a
perfume composition
Eau de Cologne (edc) (oh du coh-lohn-yu) ~ same as Cologne; an
essence composition utilizing primarily citrus oils and a high
percentage of water; 3 – 5% perfume composition to alcohol and
distilled water
Eau Fraiche (edf) (oh fraysh) ~ “fresh water” contains 1 to 3%
perfume composition to alcohol and water
Eau de Parfum (edp) (oh du pah-fyah) ~ 8 – 15% perfume
composition blend to alcohol; sometimes incorporates less than
5% distilled water or floral hydrosol; second highest
concentration of scent to diluent in perfume making
Eau de Toilette (edt) (oh du twah-let) ~ 4 to 8% composition
blend to alcohol; incorporates a small percentage of distilled
water or floral hydrosol; most common concentration in modern
perfume making
Earthy Notes ~ refers to notes typified by mossy, moldy, dirty
scents, such as patchouli, cepes (mushroom), tree mosses and
vetyver
Enfleurage (ahn-floo-yahj) ~ ancient method of obtaining scent
by repeatedly placing, removing and replacing fragrant botanical
materials on sheets of glass that have
been glazed with fat (typically cleaned animal fat) to produce a
pomade (see pomade)
Essence ~ fragrant raw materials
Essential Oil ~ aromatic material obtained from botanicals
through the process of distillation or cold-pressing/expression
Expression ~ method of obtaining an aromatic material
(essential oil) through the use of presses which squeeze out the
volatile oils of plant materials, typically citrus peels
Extrait ~ highest concentration of scent to diluents in perfume
making; 15 to 40% (sometimes up to 50% or 60%) composition
blend to alcohol or diluents
Fining ~ term coined by perfumer Alec Lawless, defined as
clarifying or clearing a finished perfume by use of bentonite
clay, formerly and currently used as a term defining the
clarifying of wine
Fixative ~ raw materials or other natural materials which are
used in very small amounts (1 to 3%) to help sustain a perfume,
holding it down onto the skin so the scent lasts longer; includes
distilled water, floral hydrosols, resin and wood tinctures, styrax
benzoin and vegetable glycerin
Flat Note ~ a note with no lift or body
Floral ~ flower based composition
Fougere ~ (pronounced foo-zhayr) any ferny, mossy scent with
lavender at its heart; usually includes patchouli, labdanum,
vanilla, tonka and benzoin
Fresh ~ typified by light and airy notes found in green and
citrus essences such as galbanum, violet leaf, lemon, lime,
grapefruit, bergamot
Fruity ~ fruit essences, usually does not include citrus oils;
some examples of fruity essences are davana, magnolia, black
currant bud, Roman chamomile; some fruit essences can be
obtained through the use of tinctures of fruit such as fig, dried
currant, and berries
Green ~ fresh scent of cut grass or fresh leaves; violet leaf
absolute is a green note with a green cucumber-like scent;
cardamom typifies a spicy/green note; coriander is a classic
green note
Gums ~ sticky, resinous substances; plant sap exudates;
balsams can also be called gums
Herbal/Herbaceous ~ typified by green and somewhat
camphoraceous scents in
combination; lavender, rosemary, sages and mints are common
herbal essences
Harsh ~ pungent or chemical character within a perfume
composition
Hay ~ an essence typified by a coumarin character; tonka,
lavender absolute, liatris
Head Note ~ the first notes you smell in a perfume; they’re the
opening note, the lead or hook note; relatively fleeting, usually
lasting no more than 10 or 20 minutes
Heady ~ deeply intoxicating scent; transportative
Heart Note ~ notes which normally classify or identify the
perfume family or theme of the composition; for instance, if your
theme is a white floral, then you would blend some combination
of jasmine, neroli, tuberose, gardenia tinctures and other ‘white’
flower oils as the main component of this note
Heavy ~ intense and oftentimes cloying note
Honey ~ sweet, syrupy, slightly urinic note
Hydro Alcohol ~ water and 90- 95% alcohol; used in
formulating edt’s, edc’s and edf’s
Incense ~ notes incorporating sweet, powdery and resinous
essences
Infusion ~ whole botanical materials immersed in a hot
medium, diluents or carrier; botanical material in warmed oil is
considered an infusion
Ipsilateral ~ affecting the same side of the body (pertains to
left/right nostril evaluation)
Isolate (Natural) ~ individual chemical constituents of an
essential oil which are fractionally distilled to obtain, or isolate,
from the remainder of the chemicals; examples: eugenol,
citronellol, linalool, raspberry ketone
Insoluble ~ raw materials (essential oils, resins, absolutes,
concretes, etc.) which do not dissolve in a diluent (alcohol,
solvent, oil, water, etc.)
Jojoba ~ simmondsia californica/simmondsia chinensis plant seed
wax used as a menstruum or medium in perfume making (also
called goat nut)
Leitmotif ~ theme of the perfume composition
Menstruum ~ a solvent
Middle Note ~ (see Heart Note)
Mossy ~ typified by oak moss, tree mosses and accords
reminiscent of forest floor
Note/Notes ~ refers to the melody within the composition, the
song of the perfume, the theme, or to a particular part of a
perfume or an individual essence, or it refers to how the
composition is perceived, i.e. ‘floral notes’, ‘woody notes’, ‘green
notes’
œillet ~ French for carnation; clove pink, spicy carnation
essence
Olfactory ~ relating to the sense of smell
Organ ~ system of storing bottles of perfume making materials
typified by stepped shelving; any method of organizing perfumery
materials for ease of use
Organic (oil) ~ oil sourced from plants on which herbicides and
pesticides have not been used
Organoleptic ~ capable of being perceived by a sensory organ
Oriental ~ typified by ‘amber’ and spice notes
Otto ~ rose(s) steam distilled, Turkish or Bulgarian varieties:
rose otto
Palette ~ collection of raw materials used by the perfumer to
create perfume
Parfum/Perfume ~ (see Extrait)
Perfumer ~ an artist who creates perfume
Pomade ~ fatty substance obtained through enfleurage; the
pomade is then used for solid perfume making, or it is further
processed by soaking the pomade in high proof alcohol for
several weeks to obtain a fragrant tincture which is filtered and
used to make alcohol based perfume
Powdery ~ a note obtained through the blending of sweet, woody
notes with fruity, green or citrus notes; typified by the use of
vanilla, patchouli, benzoin, labdanum, cananga/ylang-ylang,
rose, sandalwood and/or bergamot
Quenching ~ perportedly a phenomenon in which it is believed
some sensitizing chemicals can be rendered safe (quenched) for
skin contact by adding a quenching agent
Raw Material ~ botanical or animal based material used in
perfumery; essential oils, absolutes, tinctures, infusions,
concretes, pomades, CO2 extractions, dry botanicals,
flower petals, etc. are all examples of a raw material
Reconstituted (oil) ~ an identical to nature oil formulated with
the use of synthetics to appear as the authentic oil by odor and
analysis
Resinoids ~ (see Balsam and Gums)
Sillage ~ (pronounced see-yahj) scent left in the wake of the
perfume wearer
Soluble ~ raw materials (essential oils, resins, absolutes,
concretes, etc.) which dissolve in diluents (alcohol, solvent, oil,
water, etc.)
Solvents ~ fluid materials used to dissolve and extract volatile
elements of botanicals (water, alcohol, hexane, oil, etc.)
Spicy ~ notes which are typically hot in character, such as clove,
pepper and cinnamon
Sweet ~ characterized by taste utilizing essences such as
vanilla, honey and warm balsamic notes
Tenacity ~ strength of a scent or note characterized by the
length of time it lasts on the skin
Top Note ~ (see Head Note)
Ultrasonic Extraction ~ a method of extracting high grade
perfumery materials through the use of an ultrasonic device
(jewelry cleaner)
Volatile/Volatility ~ evaporating quickly; rate of evaporation of a
raw material
Woody ~ notes related to woods or grasses; cedar wood,
sandalwood, patchouli and vetyver are examples of woody not
(INCOMPLETE LIST ~ MODIFY)
| Men do change, and change comes like a little wind that ruffles the curtains at dawn, and it comes like the stealthy perfume of wildflowers hidden in the grass. John Steinbeck |
| Gardening Gardenias for Perfumery by Ane Walsh |
PERFUME MAKING
| EDUCATION PAGES TABLE OF CONTENTS |
| Bringing it to the People Creative Marketing Ideas |
| Words of Wisdom Former Perfumery Students Share Their Expertise |