Fragrance Glossary: Notes, Families, and Perfume Terms Explained
Fragrance has a vocabulary all its own, and most product descriptions assume you already speak it. This glossary explains the terms in plain English, so when a perfume promises "a chypre base with good sillage and a vetiver heart," you know exactly what you're being told. It's organised from the building blocks (notes and accords) up to the big ideas (families and performance). Bookmark it; it pairs well with our guides on finding your signature scent and fragrance concentrations.
The building blocks
Note
A single smell within a fragrance, bergamot, rose, sandalwood, vanilla. Perfumes are described by their notes the way a dish is described by its ingredients.
Top, heart, and base notes
The three stages a fragrance moves through as it wears. Top notes are the first impression (5 to 15 minutes, often citrus). Heart notes are the main character (15 minutes to ~2 hours). Base notes are what lingers for hours (woods, musk, amber). The base is what people smell when they're close to you.
Accord
Several notes blended so they read as a single new smell, the way notes combine into "fresh-cut grass" or "leather." An accord is to a fragrance what a chord is to music.
Composition
The overall structure of a fragrance, how its notes and accords are arranged across the top, heart, and base.
The scent families
Broad groups that describe a fragrance's overall character. Most perfumes belong to one or two. (Browse Parfumelle by family to shop these directly.)
| Family | Character | Typical notes |
|---|---|---|
| Citrus / Hesperidic | Bright, fresh, zesty | Bergamot, lemon, grapefruit, neroli |
| Floral | The largest family, flowery, from soft to opulent | Rose, jasmine, orange blossom, peony |
| Woody | Warm, dry, grounded | Sandalwood, cedar, vetiver, oud |
| Amber (Oriental) | Warm, sweet, resinous, sensual | Amber, vanilla, incense, spice |
| Fougère | The classic "barbershop" accord | Lavender, oakmoss, coumarin |
| Chypre | Sophisticated, mossy, earthy | Bergamot, oakmoss, patchouli, labdanum |
| Gourmand | Edible, dessert-like | Vanilla, caramel, chocolate, coffee, tonka |
| Aquatic / Marine | Clean, watery, "ocean air" | Sea notes, calone, melon |
| Green | Crisp, leafy, herbal | Galbanum, basil, fig leaf, mint |
Strength and performance terms
Concentration
How much perfume oil is in the bottle, which sets a fragrance's strength and longevity. From strongest to lightest: parfum, eau de parfum (EDP), eau de toilette (EDT), eau de cologne (EDC), eau fraîche. Full breakdown in our EDP vs EDT vs cologne guide.
Sillage
Pronounced "see-yazh." The trail of scent you leave behind as you move, how far the fragrance travels. A scent with "good sillage" can be noticed across a room.
Projection
How far the fragrance radiates from your skin at a given moment. Close cousin to sillage: projection is the bubble around you, sillage is the trail you leave.
Longevity
How long a fragrance lasts on your skin before fading, usually measured in hours. Driven by concentration, the notes used, and your own skin chemistry.
Dry-down
The final phase of a fragrance once the top and heart notes have faded, essentially the base notes settling in. Many people make their buying decision based on whether they love the dry-down, since it's what they'll wear longest.
Performance
A catch-all for how well a fragrance lasts and projects. "Beast mode" is enthusiast slang for a scent that projects strongly for many hours.
Format and buying terms
Decant
Genuine fragrance transferred from a full bottle into a smaller vial (often 2 to 10ml) so you can try it affordably. See how to test fragrances at home.
Sample
A small tester vial (usually 1 to 2ml), the smallest way to try a scent before buying a bottle.
Tester
A bottle of the genuine fragrance intended for trying a scent. Parfumelle's Build Your Own Kit draws on in-stock testers.
Flanker
A spin-off of an existing fragrance, a new version that shares the original's name but tweaks the formula (for example a "Sport," "Intense," or "Elixir" edition).
Batch code
A code stamped on the bottle and box that identifies when a fragrance was produced, useful for verifying authenticity and freshness.
Style and character terms
Linear vs evolving
A linear fragrance smells much the same from spray to dry-down. An evolving (or "dynamic") one changes noticeably as its notes unfold.
Niche vs designer
Designer fragrances come from fashion houses and are made for broad appeal. Niche fragrances come from specialist perfume houses, often using more unusual notes and aiming for distinctiveness over mass appeal. Parfumelle carries both.
Unisex (shared)
A fragrance marketed to anyone, rather than specifically masculine or feminine. In practice any scent can be worn by anyone, the label is a guide, not a rule.
Still have a term you don't recognise?
Send it to our Perfume Concierge and we'll explain it, and point you to scents that fit. Ready to put the vocabulary to use? Find your signature scent or build a sample kit.