A concentrated fragrance created using a process called solvent extraction. It is similar to an essential oil, but that type of ingredient is created through distillation. Absolutes are usually created from flowers or resins that don’t respond well to distillation.

A type of fragrance of two to five per cent concentration, usually with less alcohol than similar fragrances and with some soothing or antiseptic ingredients mixed in.

Most perfumes are a mix of ingredients, water and alcohol, which evaporates when the perfume is applied to leave the scents on the skin.

An ingredient that originally comes from an animal, such as musk or civet. These scents are more commonly synthetic nowadays.

An ingredient that provides a perfume with watery notes. These are mostly synthetic, with the exception of some natural options such as bamboo.

An ingredient that provides a perfume with rich, balsamic notes.

The base notes are the longest-lasting aspects of a fragrance and help the other notes to remain for longer. These include sandalwood, musk, vanilla, patchouli and several others.

A mixture of natural and synthetic ingredients.

See ‘Heart’.

A family of fragrance invented in 1917 by François Coty, based on an ancient scent originating in Cyprus. It combined citrus and animalic notes with oakmoss. To be classed as a chypre, a perfume must be based around notes of bergamot, oakmoss and labdanum.

A fragrance that has been popular for at least 15 years can be classed as a classic; think Chanel No 5 or Dolce & Gabbana The One.

A type of fragrance of two to five per cent concentration. Named after the German city of Cologne, the ingredients of this perfume were originally based around citrus scents, but no it can refer to any fragrance with the right concentration. Commonly marketed to a male audience.

A complete perfume recipe that can then be diluted with water and alcohol to create a fragrance product.

A solid substance created by using solvent extraction on an ingredient, usually a flower. This is then turned into an absolute.

A way of describing how well a single character of a fragrance can be noticed throughout the top, middle and base notes.

A technique used to create essential oils and some other ingredients. It involves heating materials until their oils evaporate, then condensing the vapour to collect them. There are a number of different variables that come into effect during this process, and different ingredients will require different varieties of distillation.

A term for the final phase of a fragrance that usually starts a few hours after it is applied. At this time, the base notes will usually be the only aspect that can be detected on the skin.

See ‘Cologne’.

A type of fragrance of 10 to 20 per cent concentration.

A type of fragrance of 5 to 15 per cent concentration.

A method of creating an absolute from flowers. Ingredients are placed between layers of fat, then discarded and replaced with fresh ingredients until the fat has absorbed enough essential oils. The fat is then dissolved in alcohol, which is distilled to produce an absolute. This process is no longer commonly used.

The concentrated essence of an ingredient that can be used in creating a fragrance.

An ingredient used to increase the time a fragrance stays on the skin, as well as to ensure the character of said fragrance doesn’t change drastically as it evaporates.

The ‘recipe’ for a particular fragrance.

A fragrance family that tends to use herbaceous, mossy, citrus and lavender notes. The name comes from the French for ‘fern’, and the aim of the family is to produce fresh, woodland scents.

A note that smells of cut grass or leaves.

Also known as the body or middle, this term refers to the notes of a fragrance that emerge between the top and bottom. The heart notes are usually released after about ten minutes, and tend to be floral in nature.

Another way of saying a fragrance has more focus on the bottom notes than the top or middle.

A note that smells of herbs like sage, thyme, rosemary or chamomile. It can refer to any note that smells natural, somewhere between green and spicy.

The act of using more than one scent, in the same way that one might wear multiple layers of clothing. It’s not common in the West, but in the Middle East people regularly layer as many as seven fragrances on top of one another.

Another way of saying a fragrance has more focus on the top notes than the middle or bottom notes.

A process of obtaining an absolute by immersing ingredients in hot fat, replacing them with fresh ones until the fat has absorbed enough of the ingredients’ essential oils. The fat can then be processed to create an absolute.

See ‘Heart’.

A perfume released recently, usually using more synthetic than natural ingredients. This can also refer to the modern era of perfumery, which began when synthetic chemicals were first used at the beginning of the 20th century.

A single scent that goes into the overall composition of a perfume.

A fragrance family that typically features heavy, sweet and full-bodied perfumes.

A note that smells of fresh air and rain, sometimes described as the smell after a thunderstorm.

A type of fragrance of 15 to 40 per cent concentration.

The overall description of a fragrance from a marketing perspective, including details such as packaging colour, cost and other features of the finished product.

The areas of the body where the blood vessels are closest to the skin, where a pulse can be felt. This is the best place to put perfume, as the heat from the blood helps to activate the fragrance. The pulse points can be found at the base of the neck, on the wrists, behind the elbows, at the backs of the knees and behind the ears.

Extracts of resins, gums or balsams. These are usually used as fixatives.

How far away from the skin a fragrance can be smelt. A fragrance with minimal sillage will only be smelt close to the person wearing it, for example.

A fragrance based around a single floral note.

A man-made ingredient, usually used to recreate the scent of a natural ingredient. They can get a reputation for being cheap and low-quality, but in actuality synthetics can be more expensive than natural ingredients and are often better due to the fact that their scent properties can be more tightly controlled.

A tenacious perfume is one that lasts for a long time on the skin. This can also refer to a perfume that retains a particular scent throughout the time it’s worn.

The first notes that appear when a fragrance is applied. These notes tend to fade quickly, and are usually light, fresh or citrusy.

A note in a fragrance that can be detected in the background but isn’t the main focus of the perfume.

A smooth or soft scent that doesn’t contain harsh notes.

A volatile ingredient will evaporate quickly, meaning its notes won’t stay with the fragrance for long when applied. Most top notes come from volatile ingredients.

A note that smells of freshly cut or dried woods, not the fresh scent of a growing forest.