Every word on the bottle, explained.

A highly concentrated aromatic oil pulled from flowers using solvents rather than steam. Used when a bloom — like jasmine or tuberose — is too delicate to survive distillation.

Several notes blended so well they read as one new smell — the way chords work in music. "Amber" and "leather" are accords, not single ingredients.

A warm, skin-close, slightly raw character — historically from animal materials, today recreated synthetically. In small doses it makes a scent feel sensual and alive.

The heaviest, slowest, longest-lasting notes — woods, musks, amber, vanilla. They're the foundation that holds everything else and the part that lingers on skin for hours.

Pronounced "sheep-ruh." A family built on a contrast of bright citrus top and a mossy, woody, patchouli-and-oakmoss base. Named after the island of Cyprus.

A solid, waxy paste extracted from plant material with solvents. It's the in-between step that's later refined into an absolute.

How much fragrance oil a formula holds, versus alcohol and water. More oil generally means richer scent and longer wear — the ladder runs Cologne → Toilette → Parfum → Extrait.

The classic way to capture scent: steam is passed through plant material, lifting its aromatic oils, which are then cooled and separated from the water. Yields an essential oil.

The final phase of a fragrance, hours in, once the top and heart have faded and the base settles into your skin. Often the truest, most personal part of a scent.

The lightest concentration, roughly 2–5% fragrance oil. Fresh, bright and fleeting — made to be splashed on generously.

Around 5–15% oil. Lighter and more wearable for everyday — a soft, refreshable trail rather than a statement.

Roughly 15–20% oil — the modern sweet spot. Rich and long-wearing without tipping into heavy. Most signature perfumes live here.

The concentrated aromatic oil of a plant, usually obtained by steam distillation or cold-pressing. The raw, natural scent of the source material.

A material that slows evaporation so a fragrance lasts and its lighter notes hold. Musks, ambers and resins are classic fixatives.

Pronounced "foo-zhair," French for fern. An aromatic family built from lavender, oakmoss and coumarin — fresh, herbal and clean.

Scents that smell good enough to eat — vanilla, caramel, chocolate, coffee, praline. Warm, comforting and addictive without being literal dessert.

A technique that captures the scent molecules in the air around a living flower or object, then reconstructs them — so perfumers can bottle smells nothing could otherwise yield.

Also called middle notes. The character of a fragrance — usually its florals and spices — that emerges once the tops fade and defines how the scent is remembered.

Letting a finished perfume rest and "marry" for weeks after blending, so the materials settle into each other — much like resting a curry or a wine.

A single smell you can pick out in a fragrance — rose, bergamot, vanilla. Notes are grouped into top, heart and base, the three acts of a scent.

The system that sorts every fragrance by its dominant character — floral, woody, citrus, amber and so on. The map that helps you find scents you'll love. See the families →

The most concentrated form, often 20–40% oil. Worn in tiny amounts; deep, intimate and very long-lasting.

How far a fragrance radiates from your skin — its "bubble." High projection fills a room; low projection stays close, just for you and whoever leans in.

A thick, aromatic material extracted from natural resins like benzoin or labdanum. Warm and balsamic — and a natural fixative.

Pronounced "see-yazh." The scented trail you leave behind in a room. The reason someone turns, a beat after you've passed, to ask what you're wearing.

Using a solvent to coax scent from materials too fragile for heat. The route from delicate flower to concrete to absolute.

A scent material made in a lab rather than extracted from nature. Modern, safe synthetics let perfumers protect endangered species, control allergens and create notes nature never offered.

The lightest, fastest notes — the first thing you smell and the first to fade. Usually citrus and fresh accords. The opening line of a fragrance.