Absolute - Also known as an essence. An absolute is the most potent aromatic product made from a base product. It differs from an essential oil in that it’s produced through an extraction process that uses volatile solvents. The extracted solid material is then combined with alcohol to produce the absolute. Absolutes are also darker in color than essential oils.
Accord - An accord is a blend of two or three fragrances to produce a third unique fragrance, with none of the original fragrances being detectable. When you smell an accord, you only smell one distinct fragrance, not the original fragrances that were combined.
Aldehyde - An aldehyde is a highly-reactive chemical compound made by oxidizing different alcohols to make resins and organic acids.
Amber - Fir tree resin, in its regular, non-fossilised form is used in perfumery and offers a rather sweet, warm and deep, sensuous smell that serves as a base to anchor the other ingredients that are place on top of this less volatile ingredient. Amber is also a general term – according to the French system – to describe the perfumes that fall in the Oriental group and have a warm, slightly powdery, erotic, animalic tonality to them.
Ambergris - A sperm whale secretion. Sperm whales produce it to protect their stomachs from the beaks of the cuttlefish they swallow. Ambergris was traditionally used as a fixative, but in modern perfumery, ambergris is usually of synthetic origin. Ambergris is described as having a sweet, woody odor. Most commercial perfumes today use a synthetic replacement because it is so expensive.
Attar - An extremely expensive essential oil made from the Bulgarian rose.
Castoreum - A secretion from the Castor beaver, or a synthetic substitute. Used to impart a leathery aroma to a fragrance.
Civet - The african civet cat looks like a fox, and is related to the mongoose. Civet musk is produced by a gland at the base of the cat's tail. Pure civet is said to have a strong, disagreeable odor, but in small quantities to add depth and warmth to a fragrance and a sweaty/musky note that is considered very erotic and pairs extremely well with floral notes.. In addition, civet acts as an excellent fixative. Most modern fragrances use synthetic substitutes.
Heady - Heady fragrances make you feel light-headed, exhilarated or stimulated.
Hesperidia - A general term for citrus oils.
Labdanum - An aromatic gum that originates from the rockrose bush. The sweet woody odor is said to mimic ambergris and can also be used to impart a leather note.
Musk - Coming from a glandular secretion of the male Tibetan musk deer, this was considered an aphrodisiac in the past. The practice of extracting the musk was difficult so the deer was killed in the process and the practice nowadays is extinct. New synthetic musks have now been created.
Opoponax - Also know as sweet myrrh. Has a sweet, balsam-like , lavender-like fragrance when used as incense.
Oud - Sometimes spelled oudh or aoud. The Arabic word for wood. In perfumery it usually refers to wood from the agar tree.
All of these were taken from the Glossary provided on the website of The Perfumed Court. Click here to be directed to this page...
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