Fragrance Terms You Need to Know

Buying new fragrances when unfamiliar with the jargon can feel like guesswork. You might be hearing words in a perfume store you’ve never heard before, which can be overwhelming. To help you make confident and informed decisions, here’s a beginner-friendly guide to essential perfume terminology every fragrance lover should know.

 

1 – Fragrance Families

Perfumes are categorized into families based on their accords:

 – Floral: Romantic and feminine, with notes of rose, jasmine, lily, and other florals.

 – Oriental: Warm and sensual, featuring spices, amber, musk, and oud.

 – Woody: Earthy and rich, with sandalwood, cedar, patchouli, and other woody notes.

 – Fresh: Light and refreshing, with citrus, aquatic, and green notes, but sometimes refers to fragrances that derive their freshness from their spices.

For a better understanding of this, check out the V Perfumes’ guide on fragrance families.

 

2 – Notes: Top, Heart, and Base

Fragrances are crafted with three layers of notes that define their character:

 – Top Notes: These are the first scents you notice. They are typically light and fresh and fade within 15 minutes to an hour.

 – Heart (or Middle) Notes: The heart notes emerge once the top notes dissipate. They form the fragrance’s prominent personality—often floral or spicy—and last a few hours.

 – Base Notes: The foundation of the scent, base notes include rich, lasting aromas. They give depth to the fragrance and last the longest.

 

3 – Concentration Types

Fragrances vary in strength and longevity depending on their concentration:

 – Parfum (Pure Perfume): 20-30% oil; lasts 8-12 hours.

 – Eau de Parfum (EDP): 15-20% oil; lasts 6-8 hours.

 – Eau de Toilette (EDT): 5-15% oil; lasts 4-6 hours.

 – Eau de Cologne (EDC): 2-4% oil; lasts 2-3 hours.

 – Eau Fraîche: 1-3% oil; provides a quick burst of scent for 1-2 hours.

Choose the perfume concentration based on your preference for longevity and intensity.

 

4 – Sillage

Pronounced “see-yazh,” sillage describes the scent trail a perfume leaves. High-sillage fragrances are noticeable even after you’ve left the room, while low-sillage perfumes offer less presence.

 

5 – Projection

Projection refers to how far a fragrance projects from the wearer. High-projection scents can fill a room, while low-projection ones remain close to the skin.

 

6 – Longevity

Longevity is the duration a fragrance lasts on your skin. It’s mainly influenced by concentration and the base notes. To maximize longevity, apply perfume to moisturized skin or pair it with a matching lotion.

 

7 – Dry Down

Dry down is the final phase of a fragrance, characterized by the base notes. It’s the longest-lasting part of the scent and defines the fragrance’s true nature as it settles into your skin.

 

8 – Fragrance Phases: Bloom and Fade

– Bloom: The stage when a fragrance fully opens after application.

– Fade: The base notes show most in this stage as the fragrance dries down and begins to fade.

Now, you can go perfume shopping confidently, and when a salesperson uses jargon, you won’t feel flustered or confused because you will know and understand what they mean.