Many people have selective anosmias, for instance, the inability to smell certain synthethic musks.Īttar: Attar is the English form of itr, the Arabic word for fragrance or perfume.

In large amounts, many of these notes are unpleasant, but in smaller amounts they provide depth and a sensual feel to a fragrance.Īnise: an annual herb of the parsley family, grown for its fruits (aniseed), which have a strong, licorice-like flavor.Īnosmia: the inability to smell odors. These are usually replaced by synthetics in modern perfumery. There is a long description of the scent of ambroxan in the review for Escentric Molecules Molecule 02 (scroll down).Īnimalic: refers to animal-derived ingredients such as civet, ambergris, musk, and castoreum. Today, the term 'ambergris' is used nearly interchangeably with 'amber' (see above) in lists of fragrance notes.Īmbrette: the oil obtained from these seeds has a musk-like odor and is frequently used as a substitute for true musk.Īmbrox / Ambroxan: a synthetic compound created as a replacement for natural Ambergris (see) it has a musky-ambery odor. Ambergris is described as having a sweet, woody odor.

Ambergris was traditionally used as a fixative, but in modern perfumery, ambergris is usually of synthetic origin (including the synthetic compounds ambrox, ambroxan (see), amberlyn). Sperm whales produce it to protect their stomachs from the beaks of the cuttlefish they swallow. For a more detailed explanation of the relationship between amber and ambergris, click here.Īmbergris: a sperm whale secretion. Now considered endangered in the wild due to overharvesting, and modern oud fragrances frequently use synthetic substitutes.Īmber: in perfumery, this refers to accords developed using plant compounds (such as labdanum) or synthetics, and referred to as amber because they were originally meant to mimic the smell of ambergris (see below). The tree, when attacked by a common fungus, produces an aromatic resin that has long been used in the Middle East as a source of incense and perfume.

You can find more information about specific notes at Bo Jensen's 'Small Guide to Nature's Fragrances' and at .įor a list of perfumista slang, including some of the abbreviations you'll see in the comments on this blog, see A Perfumista Lexicon.Ībelmosk: also known as Musk Mallow, and cultivated for its seeds, which are usually referred to as ambrette (see).Ībsinthe: a strong herbal liqueur distilled with herbs like anise, licorice, hyssop, veronica, fennel, lemon balm, angelica and wormwood.Ībsolute: also known as an essence, this is the material extracted from a plant or flower using one of various solvents.Īccord: a perfume accord is a balanced blend of notes which lose their individual identity to create a completely new, unified odor impression.Īgar wood: from the Aquilaria tree, and also called Oud or Aloes wood. This glossary defines some commonly used terms in the world of perfume and fragrance.

Nag champa pronunciation