NICHE FRAGRANCES
Niche fragrances, sometimes referred to as boutique fragrances, are scents that are only sold in 300 or 400 doors as compared to designer fragrances that can be sold in as many as 3,000 doors at a time. That is, niche scents have a limited distribution, are usually not sold as testers or at discounts (with a few exceptions like CSP, Etro and Creed) and a philosophy of high-quality, specialized, unique perfumery (as opposed to mass-market scents that are designed to appeal to a wide range of individuals). (NYTimes.com)
NATURAL ESSENCES
Natural essences contain minute traces of various materials, which is why Moroccan rose smells different from Bulgarian rose or Egyptian rose. Synthetics can approximate the dominant qualities of the natural essences, but they cannot capture the same subtlety or softness, nor can they mimic the way natural perfumes evolve on the skin, uniquely in response to body chemistry. (aftelier.com)
VOLATILITY
Volatility refers to how long a fragrance remains perceptibly fragrant. On this basis, individual notes are classified as either head/top, heart/middle, or base notes. (aftelier.com)
BASE NOTES
Intense and profound, base notes evolve over the course of hours or even days. They are often thick and syrupy, and most are derived from bark (sandalwood), roots (angelica), resins (labdanum), lichens (oakmoss), saps (benzoin, peru balsam), and grasses (patchouli, vetiver). (aftelier.com)
HEART/MIDDLE NOTES
Flowers—geranium, rose, jasmine, orange flower, tuberose, violet leaf, ylang ylang—have always provided the most precious heart notes. Heady, dramatic, intense, sometimes sickly sweet, heart notes give body to blends, imparting warmth and fullness, and they bring out the best in the other notes. (aftelier.com)
HEAD/TOP NOTES
Head notes reach our sense of smell first, forming the scent's initial impression and quickly dissipating. Many of them are familiar from cooking: herbs and spices such as coriander, spearmint, black pepper, cardamom, juniper, basil, tarragon; citruses such as lime, bitter orange, blood orange, tangerine, pink grapefruit. (aftelier.com)
SILLAGE
Sillage (see - yahj) is the trail of scent that a fragrance leaves. Generally the closer a scent stays to the skin, the less sillage it has. (credited to Indieguy)
TESTER
A tester of a fragrance is a bottle that is usually given to a seller who orders a specific quantity of fragrance so that he/she has a product to help customers "test" out the scent. During the last decade, testers have been sold at wholesale prices at shops like scentiments.com or perfumebay.com and it saves us all a great deal of money. Generally testers have no cap or box, say "tester" or "demonstration" on them or may be packaged in a plain white box. There is no difference in strength or quality between testers and real products.
SAMPLE
A sample is a (usually) small glass or plastic vial or spray anywhere from 1/32 oz to 1/16 oz. Again, no difference between sample and real product. HOWEVER, once a bottle is opened (any bottle) and the actual fragrance (alcohol) comes into contact with the air, the fragrance can change slightly. Additionally, once the fragrance touches skin, oils are released from the skin and may subtly change the scent. Think about it: If you hold your little SAMPLE vial to your skin, then the fragrance that DOESN'T stay on your body ends up back in the vial....This is why so many companies have gone to the sprayer version of a sample though it costs them more money to produce.
MINI
A mini is a small replica of the original bottle usually provided as a GIFT WITH PURCHASE (GWP), SAMPLE or PURCHASE WITH PURCHASE (PWP). These are generally not sold at retail prices, though again, like testers, they are currently sold at "wholesale" prices. They are generally boxed, exactly the same quality as the regular product but sizes are 5ml, 7 ml, sometimes as large as 1/2 oz. They are great if you only want a little or to test a fragrance but the price is actually quite high for the amount of fragrance you actually receive.
DECANT
A decant is an amount of fragrance sprayed or poured into another bottle or container that is NOT the original container.
AFTER SHAVE BALM
Aftershave balm is a usually white cream, or clear gel that serves as a mositurizing lotion for the face after shaving, with usually a much lower alcohol content than ASL or fragrance.
AFTER SHAVE LOTION
Aftershave lotion is a usually clear liquid with a high alcohol content that braces and firms the skin after a shave. Because of the high alcohol content, it usually has a stronger scent.
DEODORANT SPRAY
A deodorant spray from a fragrance company is generally a light deodorizing fragrant spray for the BODY and is NOT intended for use under the arms or on the body's more sensitive areas. This reference to deodorant spray does not refer to underarm deodorants.
DEODORANT STICK
A deodorant stick is intended for under the arms but usually does not function as an anti-perspirant unless stated otherwise.
BODY LOTION
Body lotion is intended to moisturize and scent the skin. Quality varies among companies, and often the scent is not quite as true to the original fragrance as one might hope. This is not intended for face, but arms, legs, etc...
LAYERING
Layering refers to using various products of the same fragrance and helps ensure your fragrance will last longer. For example, using an After shave lotion, soap, deodorant and EDT at the same time.
ALCOHOL-FREE
Alcohol-free fragrances are becoming more popular these days due to sensitive skin. However, due to the lack of alcohol as a carrier for oils, these scents usually do not last as long as EDT's for example.
SUMMER SCENTS
Summer scents or ediitons are generally the same fragrance as the original but with added citrus, floral, or fruit notes. H2O, Fahrenheit, Ultraviolet are recent examples.
STORING FRAGRANCES
It is recommended that fragrances be stored in cool, dry, and dark places as light and heat cause the oils in fragrance to break down and thus, go bad. Some afficionados store their fragrances in refrigerators to help prolong the life of the fragrance. Generally, the less alcohol a fragrance has, the longer the true scent will last.
STRENGTH & LONGEVITY
Generally, the order of fragrances is:
Cologne weak
Eau de Cologne EDC
Eau de Toilette EDT
Eau de Parfum EDP
Parfum de Toilette
Extrait de Parfum
Parfum strong
That being said, every scent is different and body chemistry has a HUGE effect on how scents smell to us. Quality, longevity, and strength of fragrance also varies greatly among manufacturers.
SHELF LIFE
Most fragrance salespeople will tell you that a fragrance has a shelf life of about 7 years (for a bottle whose cap or sprayer is sealed) if stored as above. Annette Green from the International Fragrance Foundation disagrees and recommends that fragrance is "best" when used within the first year of creation. Fragrances that are splashes or whose caps can be removed have shorter lives due to the contact that the actual alcohol will make with the air or skin oils.
VOL.
VOL refers to alchol content or volume (usually between 80-90%)
OLFACTORY HABITUATION
Olfactory habituation is a phenomenon which basically means that after our nose detects a scent, it will eventually (after about 15 minutes) stop registering that scent with the brain: Since our sense of smell may have at one time helped us to detect danger, it must distinguish scents. Apparrently it cannot do this if being overloaded by just one smell. So this is one reason why we often cannot detect our own fragrances though everyone else can!!!
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FRAGRANCE FAMILIES
CHYPRE A fragrance blend with a heavy, dry scent. Sometimes characterized as a leather scent. Typically composed of some of the following: oakmoss, patchouli, bergamot, labdanum and sandalwood. In women's scents rose and/or cassie achieve floral notes in this blend. Citrus adds a lift to fragrances with this base. May have a tobacco note, as in Cigar Aficionado cologne. Also found in Aramis, Salvador Dali and Dunhill.
CITRUS Popular as top notes, with their fresh, clean, sharp citrus scents. Derived from the oils of lemon, lime, tangerine, bitter orange and bergamot trees. Found in Penhaligon's Blenheim Bouquet, 4711 Eau de Cologne and CK one.
FLORAL The large floral family includes all fragrances with a flower or bouquet as their main theme. The large floral family includes all fragrances with a flower or bouquet as their main theme. Men's floral scents include Givenchy Insense, Penhaligon's Hamma Bouquet and L'Artisan Voleur de Roses.
GOURMAND One of the more recent explorations in fragrance has focused on using motes generally associated with foods and confections. Coffee bean, Madagascar Vanilla, Fruit and berries, chocolate, honey are just a few of the notes now being used. Examples of Gourmand scents for men include Angel for Men (Amen), HM Hanae Mori for Men, and Rochas Man.
ORIENTAL Exotic smelling, oriental scents often blend nutmeg from the West Indies, cinnamon from Asia, clove bud oil from Zanzibar, bay oil from the West Indies and basil from the Mediterranean. Patchouli oil, from leaves grown in India, British Malaya, Sumatra and South America, impart a musty note and a sweet, herbaceous, spicy, woodsy-balsamic odor. Carnation, ginger and lavender are also used. Generally, spices, woods, vanilla, and musk. Two types - warm vanilla based scents, and herbal sweet scents without the vanilla. Found in Jaipur Homme, Joop! for Men, Gucci Envy, Tiffany for Men, Opium for Men, Le Male and Contradiction for Men.
FOUGERE This fern or forest note comes from lavendar from the South of France, labdanum resin from Spain, coumarin taken from the bean of tonka trees grown in Venezula, bergamot and geranium oil from the Island of Reunion. Typically, there are also citrus and tobacco notes. Found in Canoe, Paco Rabanne for Men, Monsieur Givenchy and Kouros.
FRESH AROMATIC/MARINE This new blend in the fragrance world was created by adding a fresh-smelling aroma chemical called dihydromyrcenol to scents formerly found in the fougere family. Gained were soapy, watery-marine qualities, lost was the tobacco note. Pineapple, apple, and woody (from ambroxan) notes fill out this fragrance blend. Found in Cool Water, tommy by Tommy Hilfiger, Aqua di Gio, Dolce & Gabanna Pour Homme, L'eau D'Issey Pour Homme and Good Life by Davidoff.
WOODSY-MOSSY Very popular for masculine fragrances, woodsy scents are typically made from vetiver from Haiti and Java, sandalwood from India, cedar from Virginia, and flamed birch. Earthy oakmoss, rosewood and fern notes accentuate this flavor. Found in Dunhill Edition, Bulgari for Men and Vetiver.
ALDEHYDES Animal, powdery or slightly woody notes often enhance the floral bouquet. The top note is a marriage of aldehydes and hesperidia. This sub-family came into existence with the creation of Chanel n°5, the first floral-aldehydic perfume with an unusually high amount of aldehydes.
FRUITY Fruity scents employ the use of leaves, fruit, and and blossoms to create a sometimes tangy (pineapple) and sometimes sweet (berries, apple, peach) bouquet. Fruit notes are often used in the top or middle notes of a fragrance to add a freshness to a scent. Men's scents that may be classified as fruity include OP Juice, Clean Men, and MAT Male.
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COMMON FRENCH, SPANISH, and ITALIAN TERMS
MAN: Homme, Uomo, Hombre, Lui, Il, El, Monsieur
WOMAN: Femme, Donna, Ella, Lei, Elle, Madame
FOR: Por, para
WATER: Eau, aqua, acqua, agua
AFTER SHAVE: Apres-rasage, dopo-barba
SOAP: Savon, sapone, jabon
SPRAY: Vaporisateur
TESTER: Article demonstration
SAMPLE (Gift): Enchantillons gratuit
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COMMON SIZES
10 ml=1/3 oz
15 ml=1/2 oz
30 ml=1 oz
50 ml=1.7 ozs
75 ml=2.5 ozs
90 ml=3.0 ozs
100 ml=3.3 or 3.4 ozs depending on manufacturer
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WEBLINKS
Information on Fragrances, Bottles, and the Fragrance Industry
www.museodelperfume.com
www.salons-shiseido.com
www.perfumeworld.net
www.osmoz.com
www.fragrance.org
Swap/Trading Sites
www.makeupalley.com
www.perfumeoflife.com
Fragrance Oils Duplications
Wholesale Fragrance Oils, Candle Oils, Incense, Perfume Oils
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Information may be credited to Osmoz.com, Cigar Afficionado magazine, The Fragrance Foundation, Basenotes members and this writer's experience (marlen/scenteur7)
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