Glossary

Aldehydes - Organic chemicals derived from natural or synthetic materials. Aldehydes add a vivid, quick quality to top notes. Variations can be powdery, fruity, green, citrusy, floral or woody.
Amber - A fossil resin from the fir tree. Prized for its tenacity, it also adds warm, leathery, powdery elements to a composition. The color amber refers to the color of the resin.
Ambergris - Secretion from the male sperm whale, often found floating in the ocean. The Chinese once used it as an aphrodisiac. Ambergris imparts a woody, balsamic odor. Substitutes are used more often today, because the natural substance is difficult to obtain.

Ambrette Seed - These plant seeds yield a musky floral, brandy-type aroma.
Anjelica - Oil from the root of the angelica tree, which is cultivated in France, Belgium and Germany. It is musky and peppery, with a spicy green quality.
Balsam - Tree resins that exhibit a warm, sweet element. They are generally used as a base fixative.
Basil - A spicy herb with a green impression.
Bay Leaf - A tree leaf valued for its spicy, warm, almost bitter scent.
Bayberry - A shrub with berries, from which a waxy substance is taken. Bayberry adds a spicy, woody flair to fragrance.
Benzoin - Balsamic resin from the tropical styrax tree, used as a fixative, imparting a sweet, cocoa-like quality. Benzoin is found in Thailand, Vietnam and Laos.
Bergamot - Oil produced from the peel of the bergamot fruit. The inedible fruit is of the citrus family and is about the size of an orange. The largest bergamot production comes from Calabria, Italy. The fresh, citrus essence is ideal in top notes and eau de cologne.
Black Currant Bud - (see Cassis)
Boronia - Essence taken from the flower of the boronia bush, which is mainly found in Australia. Often used in chypre blends, it leaves a spicy-rosy impression.
Broom - This produces a sweet, grassy odor. It is derived from the blossoms of the Mediterranean-area Spanish broom shrub.
Buchu - Substance from the leaves of the buchu herb. It yields a strong minty, camphor odor.
Bulgarian Rose - A highly valued flower in perfumery, grown Bulgaria's Valley of the Roses at the base of the Balkan mountain range, where a Turkish merchant began cultivation centuries ago.
Cardamom - Oil distilled from the cardamom plant, a member of the ginger family. It leaves a spicy floral impression. It is second only to saffron as the world's most expensive spice. In India, cardamom grains are chewed to freshen the breath.
Carnation - This flower gives off a spicy, sensual aroma.
Cassia Oil - Obtained from the leaves of an evergreen tree, valued for its spicy cinnamon-like quality. The oil is also used in cola drinks.
Cassie - Derived from the Acacia farnesiana bush, the cassie absolute produces a spicy floral flavor.
Cassis - Oil taken from the bud of the black currant fruit, which is also used in liqueur.
Castoreum - A secretion from the beaver that exudes a leathery quality and is used as a fixative.
Cedarwood - Oil obtained from the juniper cedar tree, which is native to Texas. An excellent fixative, it has a distinct wood tone.
Chamomile - A sweet, herbal odor with fruity notes, often used to balance floral compositions.
Cinnamon - Oil obtained from the bark and leaves of the cinnamomum tree, which is native to Southeast Asia and the East Indies. It imparts a familiar warm, sweet, spicy odor.
Civet - A glandular secretion from the civet cat, used as a fixative. Repugnant by itself, civet blends well and adds a warm, leathery, erotic tone to a composition.
Clary Sage - An herb valued for its sweet, subtle quality.
Clove - Obtained from the clove tree, clove buds are prized for their spicy sweetness. The tree is cultivated in Sri Lanka, Madagascar and Indonesia.
Coriander - Oil from the coriander herb of the parsley family, valued for its spicy aromatic impression.
Costus - Essence from the root of the costus plant of the daisy family, lends warmth to Oriental blends. It has green, violet-like accents.
Coumarin - Obtained from the tonka bean and often created synthetically, produces a sweet, herbal, spicy, hay-like odor, similar to vanilla.
Cyclamen - Essence taken from the heart-shaped flowers of the primrose family.
Eucalyptus - Oil from the leaves of the eucalyptus tree, leaves a strong herbal, camphor impression. Discovered in Tasmania, it is widely cultivated in Spain, Portugal and Australia and is well priced.
Frangipani - Oil from the sweet, jasmine-like flowers of the frangipani tree.
Frankincense (see Olibanum)
Galbanum - A gum resin valued for its leafy green, soft balsamic odor. Galbanum is used in many fragrances to provide a pleasing freshness, or green lift.
Gardenia - A heady white flower with a strong sweet scent.
Geranium - Oil made from the leaves and stems of the plant. Depending on the variety, it gives off a rosy, minty or fruity essence often used in rosy or spicy compositions.
Ginger - A woody, warm, spicy odor derived from the ginger plant.
Gums - Resins or balsams secreted from plants. Exhibiting a sweet tenacious odor, they are often used as fixatives.
Heliotropin - An aldehyde with a floral almond tone, found in pepper oil.
Honeysuckle - A highly fragrant vine flower but difficult to capture correctly. The essence of honeysuckle is usually re-created by blending a variety of florals.
Hyacinth - A sweet floral that imparts a green impression.
Incense - Made from gums and resins, produces a spicy aroma when burned.
Jasmine - Called the king of flowers, a sweet tiny white flower with a vibrant, smooth aroma. Jasmine is one of the most prized essences in the perfumer's palette. It is grown in France, Morocco, India, Egypt and Spain and must be harvested before sunrise to retain the full amount of its delicate fragrance.
Jonquil - Highly fragrant essence derived from a flower of the narcissus family, rare because it is difficult to distill.
Labdanum - A dark resin obtained from the rockrose herb, valued for its leathery odor.
Lavender - From the flowering tops of lavender plants in France, Spain, Morocco and old Yugoslavia, a sweet, light essence with woody floral accents. The oil is used in lavender waters, chypres, fougères and florals. Lavender water is said to have been a favorite of Madame de Pompadour, mistress of Louis XV.
Leather - A smoky, sweet, animal odor crafted from the perfumer's palette. It is warm and persistent.
Lemon - Oil from the lemon rind. It is a zesty, sharp, refreshing essence, and is added to brighten many compositions, particularly eau de cologne.
Lilac - Since the essence released by the lilac plant and flower does not accurately portray its aroma, the perfumer re-creates the essence by using jasmine, ylang-ylang, neroli and vanilla.
Lily of the Valley - Also known as muguet, lily of the valley is invented by the perfumer, using jasmine, orange blossom, rose, ylang-ylang and chemical additives. The sweet essence is difficult to obtain from the natural flower.
Magnolia - A sweet, highly fragrant flower, also stubborn in releasing its essence. The perfumer re-creates the essence by blending rose, jasmine, neroli and ylang-ylang with aroma chemicals.
Mandarin - Oil from the peel of the mandarin orange fruit, a brisk, sweet essence often used in eau de cologne.
May Rose - Also called rose de mai. The May rose from Morocco produces a rich, long-lasting oil prized for its full-bodied, diffusive qualities.
Mimosa - A green floral essence obtained from mimosa tree flowers and stems. It imparts a smooth, sweet aroma.
Moss - Earthy essences are derived from a variety of mosses: oakmoss, treemoss, lichen, seaweed and algae.
Muguet (see Lily of the Valley)
Musk - A glandular secretion from the male musk deer of Tibet, China and Nepal, used as a fixative in fine perfumes. It is valued for its woody, animal, erotic impressions, though nowadays it is often created chemically by the perfumer. Soft, sensuous, pervasive.
Narcissus - A highly fragrant yellow and white flower that produces an intense spicy, earthy and sweet straw-like odor. Small amounts are often used to round off floral compositions. Native to Persia, the narcissus flower was carried to China over the silk route in the eighth century.
Neroli - Made from the orange blossoms of the bitter orange tree grown in France, Egypt, Algeria and Morocco. It is light, sweet and spicy and is used in top notes and eau de cologne. It was named for the Duchess of Nerola and was often used to scent gloves.
Nutmeg - Spicy oil derived from the seeds of the South Asian nutmeg tree.
Oakmoss - A lichen grown on oak trees. Its odor is earthy, woody and slightly leathery. It is used as a fixative in many blends, especially chypre.
Olibanum - Also called frankincense. Olibanum is a gum resin from a tree found in Africa and Saudia Arabia. An outstanding fixative, its odor is spicy and balsamic, similar to that of incense.
Opopanax - Derived from a gum resin and similar to myrrh. A woody, sweet fixative.
Orange Blossom - From the white blossoms of the bitter orange tree. It adds a warm, spicy flavor that is often used in floral compositions.
Orange Oil - Produced from the peel of the orange, and often used in eau de cologne and floral fragrances. Refreshing, sweet, fruity and crisp.
Orris - One of the most expensive ingredients used in perfumery. It is obtained from the iris plant, which is commonly cultivated in Italy. Its odor is violet-like and can be warm, sweet, woody, fruity or floral, depending on the quality.
Osmanthus - Produced from the flowers of the osmanthus tree, which is found in Japan, China and Southeast Asia. It has a floral odor, with a hint of plum and raisin.
Patchouli - Oil obtained from the leaves of the patchouli plant, a superb fixative. Discovered in India, it is also cultivated in Malaysia and Indonesia. Its odor is earthy, dry, woody and spicy. Patchouli is often used in Oriental and chypre blends.
Petitgrain - Essence derived from the leaves and stems of the bitter orange tree. It has a subtle woody tone similar to neroli. Sweet and floral, petitgrain adds freshness to a fragrance, especially eau de cologne.
Resin - Gum secretions from trees and plants, often used as fixatives.
Rose - Rose oil is also referred to as "otto" or "attar" of rose; these terms refer to perfume oil produced through distillation. There is a wide variety of roses, and the rich oil they produce has the familiar rose aroma, though undertones vary from honey to fruity, spicy to musk, and violet to green. Called the queen of flowers, it is one of the most precious ingredients in perfumery. Roses bloom just thirty days of the year and must be picked quickly, for they lose half their essence by noon. Centifolia and Damascena are popularly cultivated roses. The floral essence is used in rose water, floral, chypre and Oriental compositions. Rose water was said to have been a favorite of Marie Antoinette.
Rose de Mai (see May Rose)
Rosemary - Flowers and leaves of the evergreen rosemary herb of the mint family, distilled for use in perfumery. The oil produces an herbal note that is woody and slightly lavender-like.
Rosewood Oil - Oil obtained from the wood of the rosewood tree, the aniba rosaeodora of the laurel family. It gives off a rosy odor, sweet and subtly spicy. Rosewood is often added to eau de cologne.
Sage - A fresh, spicy odor from the sage herb.
Sandalwood - Oil from the sandalwood tree, the evergreen santalum album grown in India, Australia and Southeast Asia, though the Indian province of Mysore supplies 85% of all sandalwood. The wood is valued for its aroma and its imperviousness to termites. The trees must mature at least thirty years for the oil to fully develop. An expensive ingredient, sandalwood oil is prized for its fixative quality. Its odor is powdery, balsamic, woody and rich. Sandalwood gives a smooth finish to Oriental, chypre and floral perfumes.
Styrax - A sweet balsam found on the styrax tree, an excellent fixative.
Sweet Pea - A flower oil produced from the fragrant flowering vine, valued for it light, delicate nature.
Tagetes - Essence produced from the tagetes flower, which is grown in Spain, Italy and South Africa. The strong essence has an herbal, aromatic personality with fruity undertones.
Thyme - Derived from the flowering herb. Thyme smells sweet and herbaceous--ideal for eau de cologne.
Tonka Bean - Fragrant seeds from native South American trees of the Dipteryx family.
Tuberose - One of the most expensive oils, from a flower known for its rich, sensual aroma. Its cost is due in part to a painstaking processing called enfleurage, an oil extraction method whereby the flowers are pressed into fat, then the oil is separated with alcohol. Tuberose is a perennial plant native to Mexico. The sweet, honey-like aroma adds fullness to many floral fragrances and blends well with gardenia, jonquil and hyacinth.
Vanilla - Made from the fruit and seeds of a climbing orchid vine. It has pods, or capsules encasing the beans. Vanilla is an impressive sweet fixative, used in many Oriental, amber and floral perfumes.
Vanillin - Can be produced naturally from the vanilla pod, as well as certain balsams and benzoins. It can also be made synthetically. Its sweet, strong odor is similar to vanilla, but lacks the depth of vanilla. Vanillin blends well with vanilla to produce a round, full-bodied vanilla aroma.
Vetiver - A grass grown in Haiti, Réunion Island, Brazil, China and Southeast Asia. It has a woody, earthy quality, enhanced by a moist balsamic accent. A superb fixative, vetiver is an important component in chypre blends.
Violet - The violet flower yields such a minute amount of oil that it is cost prohibitive to extract. Instead, the violet aroma is created chemically for use in perfumery.
Violet Leaf - Oil from the leaves of the violet plant, valued for its cucumbery green and peppery herbal aroma, with touches of violet and iris. Parma, Italy, is known for its violet production.
Ylang-Ylang - From Tagalog for "flower of flowers." This oil comes from the flower of ylang-ylang trees grown in Madagascar, Indonesia, Comoros and the Philippines. The rich oil has a jasmine-like aroma and sweet balsamic accents. Used in many floral and Oriental compositions, ylang-ylang smooths and rounds bitter notes, adding warmth and grace.