Star fruit.

A synthetic compound with a spicy, musky, floral odor. Meant to add a powdery, velvet nuance that invokes the smell or feel of cashmere.

A secretion from the Castor beaver, or a synthetic substitute, used to impart a leathery aroma to a fragrance.

A flowering tree of the magnolia family, originally found in India, also called the "Joy Perfume tree" as it was one of the main floral ingredients in that perfume. Traditionally used in Indian incense as well.

French for "Cyprus" and first used by François Coty to describe the aromas he found on the island of Cyprus. He created a woodsy, mossy, citrus perfume named Chypre; the word is still used for fragrances made in that style. Chypre fragrances generally owe their soft, sweet, earthy natures to ingredients like bergamot, oak-moss, citruses, and patchouli.

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. In addition, civet acts as an excellent fixative. Most modern fragrances use synthetic substitutes.

(French for) clove.

A compound that smells like vanilla. Usually derived from the Tonka bean, but also found in lavender, sweet grass and other plants. Coumarin is banned as a food additive in the United States due to toxicity issues, but is used to produce anti-coagulant medicines, rat poison, and as a valuable component of incense and perfumes.

The fresh, slightly sour notes displayed by Lemon, Orange, grapefruit, Bergamot, Pomello.

A classic fragrance can be considered in the same vein as classic painting or music. It’s a style of fragrance structure that has depth and usually a higher percentage of floral absolutes (3-10%) than are found in modern style fragrances.

An odor that is excessively sickly sweet and clinging, it can be an effect where a perfumes note does not change, as in a linear perfume that seems to last too long and becomes unpleasantly clinging.

A city in Germany where the precursor of modern perfumes was first produced - Eau De Cologne (Kolnisch Wasser) almost 300 years ago. It’s a blend of primarily Citrus Oils. Popular makes are Farina Gegenuber and 4711 which are both brands over 200 years old!

A light form of a specific fragrance with about 3% concentration of perfume compound in an alcohol water base.

More concentrated than women's colognes (5-8%), similar to the strength of toilet water (Eau de Toilette). A Men’s After-Shave by comparison usually only have 3 - 5%.

The name used in the industry for the concentrated perfume or flavor mixture before it is diluted or used in products.

The mixture of volatile oil, waxes and color that is obtained after an aromatic raw material such as flower petals are extracted with a highly volatile solvent e.g. Hexane. The term refers to the fact that after the solvent is removed the mass is solid and waxy.

The process of discovering or making new combinations and perfumes as opposed to copying perfumes or reconstructing naturally occurring fragrance materials.