Apart from technical perfumers' words, there is no common vocabulary for scents, making it difficult for people to describe the type of fragrance they are looking for. They end up improvising, mixing adjectives for food, sounds, touch, and music. So many people have asked me for a "fresh" perfume and then ended up buying my Musc Ravageur, which is spicy, woody, and sexy—but certainly not fresh. My advice is to be as basic as possible. Ask yourself simple questions when you describe the fragrance you want, such as: Do I see a color? A specific texture: Is it soft, edgy, crisp, dewy, or hard? Is it warm or light? Transparent or opaque? Does it smell like something in nature? You can also name an existing perfume that is close to what you're trying to find: for instance, "Thierry Mugler's Angel, but less sweet. "

Defining Terms

Here are a few confusing names of fragrance categories and what they really mean. Use them to help get your point across at a fragrance counter and find the scent you want.

Cologne (also describes a low concentration of perfume)

THE QUALITIES: Fresh, transparent, zesty, light, clean
THE MAIN NOTES: Citruses such as lemon, orange, and grapefruit, along with green leafy notes
THE SCENTS: Frédéric Malle Bigarade Concentrée and Annick Goutal Eau d'Hadrien

Ozonics (also called "marines")

THE QUALITIES: Fresh, transparent, zesty, light, clean
THE MAIN NOTES: Synthetics made to smell like rain or sea air and surf are often mixed with watery fruits like cucumber and watermelon. They also work well with rose and white flowers (like white lily).
THE SCENTS: Issey Miyake L'Eau d'Issey and Estée Lauder Pleasures—the classics in this field


THE QUALITIES: Deep, dark, dry, mysterious
THE MAIN NOTES: Citrus (often bergamot) or florals (often heady ones, such as rose) combined with woody and mossy notes (like patchouli, oak moss, and the resin labdanum, which can smell leathery).
THE SCENTS: Clinique Aromatics Elixir, Dior Miss Dior, and Chanel Coco Mademoiselle

Floral aldehydic

THE QUALITIES: Urban, sophisticated, ladylike, fairly soft, fairly warm
THE MAIN NOTES: Floral aldehydics are a subset of the chypre category. They contain aldehydes, which are green-smelling chemicals, and florals (often jasmine and rose).
THE SCENTS: Lanvin Arpège, Estée Lauder White Linen, and Je Reviens by Worth


THE QUALITIES: Warm, sensuous, powdery, comforting
THE MAIN NOTES: Amber, vanilla, and musk are central to these compositions. Birch tar or animalic notes (originally extracted from animal glands, these are now synthetically created) often are included, as well, which can give a fragrance a "fur coat" smell.
THE SCENTS: Cartier Must de Cartier and Guerlain Shalimar

Spicy oriental

THE QUALITIES: Deep, sensuous, vibrant, hard, edgy
THE MAIN NOTES: A mix of oriental and chypre smells, with spices such as pepper, clove, and cinnamon
THE SCENTS: A mix of oriental and chypre smells, with spices such as pepper, clove, and cinnamon

Floral oriental

THE QUALITIES: Soft, sweet, cuddly, dewy
THE MAIN NOTES: A blend of fresh florals (such as orange blossom or iris) plus oriental notes like amber, sandalwood, and heliotrope
THE SCENTS: Guerlain l'Heure Bleu, Jean Paul Gaultier Classique, and Oscar by Oscar de la Renta