Perfume reviews and descriptions lean on a small, specific vocabulary — here’s the whole cheat sheet in one place.

  • Sillage — the trail a fragrance leaves in the air as you move; French for “wake,” as in a boat’s wake.
  • Projection — how far a fragrance radiates from your skin.
  • Dry-down — the final stage of a fragrance’s development, dominated by base notes.
  • Accord — a blend of materials that reads as one unified smell, like a chord in music.
  • Longevity — how long a fragrance remains detectable on skin.
  • Linear — a fragrance that doesn’t change much over time, staying close to its opening character.
  • Skin scent — a fragrance so close to the skin it’s barely detectable beyond arm’s length.
  • Nose — the industry term for a professional perfumer.

Frequently asked questions

What does ‘linear’ mean as a criticism?

It’s not always a criticism — some wearers prefer a consistent, unchanging scent. It simply means the fragrance doesn’t evolve dramatically from top to base.

Continue reading: What Is Sillage? · What Are Accords? · How Notes Evolve Through the Day

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