Ingredients
Perfume Allergens and Patch Testing: A Cautious Guide
Perfume can irritate skin or trigger an allergic reaction in some people, including when its materials are natural.
4 min readAll fragrance articles
Material profiles, scent vocabulary and practical advice for your next sample.
Notes A–Z
Amber: Scent, Source and Wearing Guide
Amber in perfume can smell warm, balsamic and resinous, often softly sweet or powdery.
4 min readNotes A–Z
Ambroxan: Scent, Source and Wearing Guide
Ambroxan in perfume can smell dry, woody and ambergris-like, sometimes mineral, warm or skin-like.
4 min readNotes A–Z
Bergamot: Scent, Source and Wearing Guide
Bergamot in perfume can smell tart and green with bitter peel and a gently floral softness.
4 min readNotes A–Z
Cedarwood: Scent, Source and Wearing Guide
Cedarwood in perfume can smell dry, woody and structured, often associated with shavings, timber or a pencil-like impression.
4 min readConcentrations
Parfum, EDP, EDT, EDC and Perfume Oil Compared
Parfum, eau de parfum, eau de toilette and eau de cologne are concentration and style labels, while perfume oil describes a carrier format.
4 min readHow to wear fragrance
Why a Perfume Smells Different on You
A perfume can smell different on you because application, skin surface, temperature, surrounding scents and perception all affect the experience.
4 min readFragrance families
The Fragrance Families Wheel: Find Your Bearings
Fragrance families group perfumes by their dominant character, such as citrus, floral, woody or amber.
4 min readIngredients
What IFRA Standards Are and What They Cannot Promise
IFRA standards are fragrance-industry standards for the safe use of fragrance ingredients in defined applications.
4 min readNotes A–Z
Incense and Frankincense: Scent, Source and Wearing Guide
Incense and Frankincense in perfume can smell resinous and woody, with possible citrusy, peppery, balsamic or smoky facets.
4 min readNotes A–Z
Iris and Orris: Scent, Source and Wearing Guide
Iris and Orris in perfume can smell powdery, softly woody and root-like, with violet-like or cosmetic associations.
4 min readNotes A–Z
Iso E Super: Scent, Source and Wearing Guide
Iso E Super in perfume can smell smooth, woody and amber-like, often compared with soft cedar and a velvety aura.
4 min readNotes A–Z
Jasmine: Scent, Source and Wearing Guide
Jasmine in perfume can smell rich, floral and sometimes fruity or tea-like, with potentially indolic warmth.
4 min readHow to wear fragrance
How to Make Perfume Last Longer Without Overspraying
To make perfume last longer, choose a formula whose settled scent you enjoy, apply it as directed to clean dry skin, and store the bottle away from heat and light.
4 min readNotes A–Z
Lavender: Scent, Source and Wearing Guide
Lavender in perfume can smell aromatic and floral with herbal, woody or camphor-like freshness.
4 min readHow to wear fragrance
How to Layer Fragrances With a Clear Starting Point
Layer fragrances by testing a simple pairing in small amounts, starting with a familiar base and changing one variable at a time.
4 min readNotes A–Z
Leather: Scent, Source and Wearing Guide
Leather in perfume can smell dry, smoky, warm or softly suede-like, depending on the accord.
4 min readNotes A–Z
Musk: Scent, Source and Wearing Guide
Musk in perfume can smell soft, clean, powdery or warm and skin-like, depending on the material.
4 min readIngredients
Naturals vs Synthetics: What Perfume Materials Do
Natural extracts and synthetic aroma materials are both useful tools in perfume.
4 min readNotes A–Z
Neroli: Scent, Source and Wearing Guide
Neroli in perfume can smell bright, floral and green, with citrus freshness and a lightly bitter edge.
4 min readNotes A–Z
Oud: Scent, Source and Wearing Guide
Oud in perfume can smell resinous, woody and leathery, sometimes smoky, damp or animalic.
4 min readNotes A–Z
Patchouli: Scent, Source and Wearing Guide
Patchouli in perfume can smell earthy, woody and persistent, with leafy, camphor-like or dark cocoa associations.
4 min readNotes A–Z
Pink Pepper: Scent, Source and Wearing Guide
Pink Pepper in perfume can smell sparkling, rosy and spicy with fresh, lightly fruity or woody facets.
4 min readNotes A–Z
Rose: Scent, Source and Wearing Guide
Rose in perfume can smell floral and petal-like, with fresh, citrusy, spicy, green or honeyed facets.
4 min readNotes A–Z
Saffron: Scent, Source and Wearing Guide
Saffron in perfume can smell dry, warm and hay-like, sometimes leathery, metallic or softly medicinal.
4 min readNotes A–Z
Sandalwood: Scent, Source and Wearing Guide
Sandalwood in perfume can smell smooth, creamy and softly woody, sometimes milky, dry or balsamic.
4 min readHow to wear fragrance
How to Choose a Signature Scent You Want to Rewear
Choose a signature scent by identifying the textures you enjoy, testing a small set of samples over ordinary days, and selecting a fragrance whose drydown fits your routine.
4 min readHow to wear fragrance
Sillage and Projection: Two Ways Perfume Reaches Others
Projection describes how far a perfume seems to extend around the wearer, while sillage describes the trail it leaves as the wearer moves.
4 min readHow to wear fragrance
How to Store Perfume: Heat, Light and Air
Store perfume tightly closed in a cool, stable place away from direct light and heat.
4 min readScent through the seasons
Best Notes for Summer vs Winter: Choose by Texture
Summer fragrance choices often favor bright citrus, airy florals and dry woods, while winter choices may lean toward warm amber, vanilla and richer woody textures.
4 min readHow to wear fragrance
How to Test Perfume in a Store or With Samples
Test perfume by limiting competing scents, assessing an opening on paper, and giving a suitable finished sample a separate skin-wearing day.
4 min readNotes A–Z
Tonka Bean: Scent, Source and Wearing Guide
Tonka Bean in perfume can smell warm, sweet and hay-like, with almond, tobacco or vanilla-adjacent facets.
4 min readIngredients
Top, Heart and Base Notes: How Perfume Develops
Top, heart and base notes describe how the emphasis of a perfume can change during wear.
4 min readNotes A–Z
Tuberose: Scent, Source and Wearing Guide
Tuberose in perfume can smell lush, creamy and white-floral, sometimes green, waxy or faintly medicinal.
4 min readNotes A–Z
Vanilla: Scent, Source and Wearing Guide
Vanilla in perfume can smell warm, softly woody and sweet, with dark bean, dried fruit or creamy facets.
4 min readNotes A–Z
Vetiver: Scent, Source and Wearing Guide
Vetiver in perfume can smell dry, woody and earthy, sometimes smoky, green or faintly citrus-like.
4 min read