Fragrance Glossary
A practical reference for the terms you'll encounter in fragrance reviews, clone descriptions, and accuracy ratings. Understanding these concepts helps you make better choices at any price point.
A
- Accord
- A blend of two or more raw ingredients that combine to create a unified scent impression different from any single component. An accord is the building block of a fragrance. For example, the 'leather accord' in many perfumes uses multiple synthetic and natural materials to create the impression of leather without a single 'leather' ingredient.
- Aromatic
- A fragrance family (and a sub-family of fresh fragrances) characterized by herbal and botanical notes: lavender, rosemary, sage, mint. Common in men's fragrances. Dior Sauvage is a prominent example of an aromatic fresh fragrance.
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B
- Base Notes
- The deepest, longest-lasting components of a fragrance. Base notes emerge after the top and heart notes have faded, typically 30 to 60 minutes after application, and can persist on skin for many hours. Common base notes include musk, oud, sandalwood, amber, vanilla, vetiver, and cedar. They provide the foundation and staying power of a fragrance.
- Blind Buy
- Purchasing a fragrance without smelling it first, based entirely on reviews, recommendations, or reputation. Common in the online fragrance community and especially among clone buyers. The risk of a blind buy is reduced when accuracy scores and detailed reviews are available, which is the primary purpose of this database.
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C
- Chypre
- A major fragrance family built on a triad of bergamot, oakmoss, and labdanum. The name comes from the French word for Cyprus, where the original style originated. Chypres tend to be dry, sophisticated, and woody-mossy. Classic examples include Miss Dior (vintage) and Hermès Terre d'Hermès.
- Clone / Dupe / Inspired-By
- A fragrance that is deliberately formulated to smell similar to a well-known designer or niche original, sold at a significantly lower price. Clone brands like Armaf, Lattafa, and Alexandria Fragrances openly market their products as inspired by specific originals. The quality of clones varies significantly, which is why accuracy scores matter.
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- Concentration
- The percentage of fragrance oil dissolved in the alcohol carrier solution. Higher concentration = stronger intensity, better longevity, and usually higher price. The main types are: Extrait de Parfum (20–40%), Eau de Parfum (15–20%), Eau de Toilette (5–15%), Eau de Cologne (2–5%), and Eau Fraiche (<2%).
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D
- Drydown
- The phase of a fragrance's development after the top notes have faded and the heart and base notes emerge. Typically occurs 20 to 60 minutes after application. The drydown is what you're actually wearing for most of the day, and is the most important phase for assessing a fragrance. Accuracy scores on PickMyClone are based on drydown performance.
E
- EDP (Eau de Parfum)
- The second-highest fragrance concentration at 15 to 20% fragrance oil in alcohol. The most versatile and popular concentration: strong enough for longevity, appropriate for most occasions. The majority of highly-rated clone fragrances are released as EDP.
- EDT (Eau de Toilette)
- A fragrance concentration of 5 to 15% fragrance oil. Lighter and more casual than EDP, better suited for warm weather and daytime wear. Many iconic designer fragrances launched as EDTs, including Dior Sauvage, Chanel Bleu de Chanel, and Acqua di Gio.
- Extrait de Parfum (Parfum)
- The highest concentration of fragrance, at 20 to 40% fragrance oil. One or two sprays can last 8 to 12+ hours. Used by luxury niche houses for maximum longevity and depth. Generally the most expensive format.
F
- Flanker
- A fragrance released as a variation of an existing, successful fragrance from the same house. It builds on the original's identity while introducing a new twist: often a different concentration, seasonal character, or ingredient emphasis. Dior Sauvage Elixir is a flanker of Dior Sauvage.
- Fougère
- French for 'fern.' A major fragrance family built on a core accord of lavender, oakmoss, and coumarin. Despite the name, it doesn't smell like fern; the accord creates something clean, herbal, and slightly sweet. Fougère is the structural template for most classic men's colognes.
- Fragrance Family
- A classification system that groups fragrances by their dominant character and ingredients. The main families are: Fresh, Floral, Oriental/Amber, Woody, Gourmand, Fougère, and Chypre. Understanding which family you prefer is the most efficient way to find fragrances you'll consistently enjoy.
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G
- Gourmand
- A fragrance family built on edible-smelling notes: vanilla, caramel, chocolate, coffee, almond, toffee. The category was popularized by Angel by Thierry Mugler (1992). Gourmand fragrances range from playfully sweet to deeply complex and luxurious. Many of the most-cloned fragrances of the past decade are gourmands.
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H
- Heart Notes (Middle Notes)
- The second phase of a fragrance's development, emerging as the top notes fade (typically 15 to 45 minutes after application). Heart notes form the core character of the fragrance and last several hours. Common heart note ingredients: rose, jasmine, iris, ylang-ylang, geranium, spices.
- House
- A fragrance brand or maison. 'Designer houses' are mainstream brands (Dior, Chanel, Tom Ford). 'Niche houses' are independent, usually smaller brands that focus exclusively on perfumery (Creed, Byredo, Amouage). 'Clone houses' specialize in inspired-by fragrances (Armaf, Lattafa, Alexandria Fragrances).
L
- Layering
- Applying multiple fragrances on top of one another to create a more complex result than any single bottle achieves alone. Usually done by applying a base (often a simple musk or oud) first, then the main fragrance on top. Clone buyers often use concentrated Middle Eastern attars as a base layer under their EDP to boost longevity.
- Longevity
- How long a fragrance lasts on skin from first application to when it becomes undetectable. Measured in hours. Heavily influenced by concentration, skin chemistry, and storage conditions. Longevity ratings in our database reflect expert reviewer experience on average skin.
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M
- Musk
- One of the most important base note ingredients in perfumery. Historically derived from animal sources (deer musk gland), today almost entirely synthetic. Musk provides warmth, longevity, and a skin-like, sensual quality. There are many different synthetic musks: some clean and powdery, some dark and animalic, some loud, some barely detectable.
N
- Niche Perfumery
- Independent, artisanal fragrance houses that operate outside the mainstream mass-market sector. Niche brands typically use higher-quality raw materials, smaller production runs, and command premium prices. Examples: Creed, Amouage, Kilian, Xerjoff, Initio. Many of the most-cloned fragrances in the world come from niche houses.
- Notes
- The individual scent components that make up a fragrance. Perfumers describe notes in three 'layers': top notes (first impression), heart notes (character), and base notes (foundation). A fragrance's 'note pyramid' describes how these layers interact and develop over time.
O
- Olfactory
- Relating to the sense of smell. 'Olfactory fatigue' (also called nose blindness) is the temporary inability to detect a scent after prolonged or repeated exposure, which is why you often stop noticing your own fragrance 20 to 30 minutes after applying it.
- Oud (Agarwood)
- The most prized and expensive natural ingredient in perfumery. Oud is the dark, resinous heartwood of agar trees infected with a specific mold. Genuine oud oil costs thousands of dollars per kilogram. Most oud in modern fragrances, including both designer and clone versions, uses synthetic oud accords that approximate the natural ingredient. Oud is the most-cloned single ingredient in perfumery.
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P
- Projection
- How far a fragrance radiates from the body. High-projection fragrances (sometimes called 'sillage monsters') can be detected from several feet away. Low-projection fragrances stay close to the skin. Projection is distinct from longevity: a fragrance can last eight hours but stay close to the skin the entire time.
S
- Sillage
- The scent trail left behind as you move. The French word means 'wake' (as in a ship's wake). High sillage means your fragrance lingers in the air after you've left a room. Sillage is closely related to projection but describes the lasting presence in a space rather than the immediate radius around the body.
- Skin Chemistry
- The way your individual body chemistry, including natural oils, pH, diet, hydration, and medications, interacts with a fragrance to change how it smells and how long it lasts. Two people wearing the same fragrance can experience noticeably different results. This is why testing on skin before buying is important, and why accuracy scores represent an average rather than a guaranteed personal experience.
T
- Top Notes
- The first impression of a fragrance: the notes you smell in the first 5 to 15 minutes after spraying. Top notes are the most volatile compounds and fade fastest. Common top notes: citrus (bergamot, lemon, grapefruit), light herbs, and fresh aldehydes. The top notes give a fragrance its initial character, but the drydown is what you're actually wearing for most of the day.
V
- Vintage
- An older formulation of a fragrance, typically before a major reformulation. Vintage fragrances are sought by collectors because older versions often used natural ingredients (oakmoss, nitromusks, civet) that are now restricted or banned by IFRA regulations. Some clones are deliberately formulated to resemble a vintage version of a fragrance rather than the current reformulation.
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