Glossary

An accord is a blend of several fragrance materials combined to create a single, unified impression, for example a "leather accord", "strawberry accord" or "woody-amber accord".

An allergen declaration lists the regulated fragrance allergens in a product, which in the EU must appear on the label above 0.001% in leave-on and 0.01% in rinse-off products.

A composition is a finished scent created by a perfumer: a fragrance, accord or base, ready to be evaluated and licensed.

The CPNP (Cosmetic Products Notification Portal) is the EU's online portal where a cosmetic product must be notified before it is placed on the market.

A CPSR (Cosmetic Product Safety Report) is the mandatory safety assessment a cosmetic product, including a fragrance, must have before it can be legally sold in the EU/UK.

The drydown is the final phase of a fragrance on skin or blotter, after the top and heart notes have faded and the base notes dominate.

An evaluator is a fragrance professional who assesses a composition for quality and for how it fits the brief, on behalf of a brand or as a collaborator.

A fixative is a low-volatility material that slows the evaporation of lighter materials in a composition, helping the scent last longer and evolve more evenly.

A flanker is a sequel or spin-off fragrance that keeps the name and bottle architecture of an existing bestseller but alters its scent profile.

Fragrance concentration is the ratio of perfume oil to a solvent (e.g ethanol) and additives (such as water, antioxidants, etc.) in a finished product, which determines whether it is sold as an extrait de parfum, eau de parfum, eau de toilette or eau de cologne.

A fragrance family is a broad category that groups scents by their dominant character, such as floral, woody, citrus, ambery or chypre.

A fragrance sub-family is a narrower category within a fragrance family that names its second defining facet. For example "floral fruity", "woody aromatic" or "ambery spicy".

IFRA compliance means a fragrance respects the IFRA Standards: the industry's limits, bans and specifications for fragrance materials, set per product category.

Licensing a composition means a brand pays to use a perfumer's finished scent in their product, while the perfumer retains ownership and the formula stays confidential.

Maceration is the resting period after a perfume concentrate is diluted in alcohol, during which the blend settles and harmonises before it is chilled, filtered and bottled.

A nose is the industry term for a professional perfumer, someone trained to identify, combine, and balance fragrance materials into a finished composition.

A note is a single fragrance impression within a composition, classified as top, heart, or base according to how quickly it's perceived and how long it lasts on the skin before stop being recognizable.

Olfactory fatigue (scent blindness) is the temporary, natural inability of the nose to pick up a scent after prolonged exposure to it, even though others can still smell it clearly.

A PIF (Product Information File) is the technical dossier every cosmetic product, including a fragrance, must have before it is placed on the EU/UK market, held by the product's Responsible Person.

Projection is how far a scent radiates outward from the wearer's skin into the surrounding space, from an "intimate skin scent" to one that "fills a room".

Raw materials are the individual ingredients a perfumer blends into a composition: naturals, synthetics and accords (also known as perfume bases).

The Responsible Person is the company or individual, based in the EU (or the UK for the British market), legally accountable for a cosmetic product's compliance.

A safety assessor is the qualified professional who evaluates a cosmetic product's safety and signs the CPSR.

A scent collaborator is a business that wants a custom scent for its own needs, for example a cosmetics brand, a product team, or an art director creating a scent for an exhibition.

An SDS (Safety Data Sheet) is the standardised document a supplier provides with a raw material or fragrance compound, covering its hazards and how to handle, store and transport it safely.

Sillage is the scent trail a fragrance leaves in the air around and behind the wearer. The name comes from the French word for "wake".

Stability testing checks that a finished product keeps its intended scent, colour, clarity and other properties over its shelf life, under the conditions it will be stored and used in.

Works is the marketplace where perfumers list finished unreleased compositions for brands and scent collaborators to discover and license.