A Fragrant Vocabulary

Hey guys and gals! I hope this day finds you all well and fragrant! I just thought I would throw out a small informational post for people who might be new to fragrances and explain some of the acronyms and slang we use in the Fragrance Community because it can be a bit overwhelming for new folks to understand the difference.

Let me know what you think! If you have anything to add that I missed then feel free to let me know. If you like the content I putting out then please feel free to hit the blue follow button at the top right. It helps people be able to find my blog better and I would be super grateful for the support! Now, without further ado, let's get into it!

One of the most common things that I see people confused about is sillage (pronounced see-aj) and projection.

Sillage-  A scent trail that you leave behind you as you walk by someone.

Projection- How well the fragrance comes off your skin and how far away spmeone can smell it on you.

Longevity- How long the fragrance lasts. This includes it being a faint skin scent.

Cologne/fragrance/perfume/scent/juice
These are all words that are used to describe a fragrance. Technically cologne and perfume (derived from the word parfum) are concentrations of oils. So, technically speaking, calling men's fragrance a cologne and women's fragrance a perfume is incorrect...it is still widely accepted as proper in most circles. While juice is a slang term for any fragrance. Fragrance and scent are the most used terms to describe a fragrance in the Fragrance Community and are accepted as proper.

EDC/EDT/EDP/Parfum/Extrait de Parfum (Parfum Extrait)
These all deal with the concentrations of oils that fragrances contain.

EDC(Cologne)- Eau de Cologne- 2-4% concentration. The weakest concentration you will find in men's fragrances.

EDT- Eau de Toilette- 5-15% concentration. The most commonly found in men's fragrances.

EDP- Eau de Parfum- 15-20% concentration. These are mainly richer and denser fragrances for the cooler months, but there are some EDPs for warmer weather as well. (all of Creed's fragrances are EDP from what I have seen)

Parfum- 20-30% concentration.

Extrait de Parfum(Parfum Extrait)- 15-40% concentration. This is sometimes called "Pure Parfum" as well.

Miscellaneous Terms 

Note- The aromachemicals or ingredient that create a single smell,

Accord- Several notes strung together to create a feeling of what a fragrance smells like.

Aldehydes- A synthetic note in fragrances that creates an airy, almost sky type feeling.

Ozonic- An accord that means it smells fresh. Sort of like rain.

Animalic- Containing notes derived from animals. Musk, civet, castoreum, leather, etc. Although most are synthetically made now, they still "smell" animalic.

Barbershop- A fragrance that smells like the aftershaves they use in barbershops. There is no real definition of this type of fragrance, but most commonly you will find them containing oakmoss, tonka bean, and lavender. There smells herbal, dry, and slightly spicy typically.

Oud- Another term used for Agarwood. Which is a tree that produces a resinous sap when it is injured. This sap is what they use in fragrances. It can smell woody, animalic, smoky, or earthy. The real stuff is very expensive, so most fragrances synthetically make it now.

Chypre- a fragrance that typically has a bright citrus top note with an oakmoss base.

Balsamic- A sweet, warm, and vanillic accord.

Top notes/opening- the lighter notes in a fragrance that usually fade within the first hour. Examples: Lavender, bergamot, lemon, and neroli.

Middle notes/heart- Slightly denser notes that come into play 30 minutes to an hour into the fragrance's life. Examples: pepper, cardamon, nutmeg, and cedar.

Bottom notes/base- The densest notes in a fragrance that usually are the strongest things you smell in the drydown. Examples: leather, oud, musk, sandalwood.

Although the density of the notes can differ depending on how concentrated they are in the fragrance, the examples I used are typical, but not set in stone.

Uomo- An Italian word meaning "man".

L'homme- A French word meaning "the man".

Cuir- A French word meaning "leather".

Nuit- A French word meaning "night".

Noir- A French word meaning "black".


That's it for now. I hope you enjoyed it. Feel free to add your own words that I missed!