Perfume Intelligence - The Encyclopaedia of Perfume

Oak Moss

Or the French 'mousse de Chene', from the genus evernia prunastri; a lichen that grows on oak trees found at high altitudes throughout Europe and is considered the finest raw material for the production of perfume extracts, has an earthy and woody hint of musk; the essential oil is extract by the use of solvents.

Oakmoss Brown Absolute

Obtained from a lichen of the genus evernia

Oakmoss Green Absolute

Obtained from a lichen of the genus evernia v.

Object d'Art

French term meaning art object which is both small and valuable

Oceanic

Also known as ozonic or marine: notes evoke the scent of the sea, usually with the essences of amber, broom and lichen.

Oleum Bergamot

Bergamot in a solution of oleum; a perfume ingredient

Oleum Juniperi BPC

Juniper is a solution of oleum

Olibanum

Grown in Ethiopia and Yemen, a shrub tree, trunk is scored; a natural oleo-gum-resin that is formed as a physiological liquid product of the bark of various boswella species; there are least 4 different species that are recognized as parent plants of the commercial Olibanum. Also refer to Frankincense

Oil Base

In ancient times Arab perfumers used oil to 'fix' their fragrances; the aroma lasts longer in oil than alcohol; still preferred in the Middle East today

Olive Oil

One of many types of natural oils used as a base for fragrances throughout the Middle East and ancient Mediterranean regions.

Opalescent

A milky iridescent crystal reflecting light like an opal. Also refers to a type of glass that was made in the late 19th century

Opaline

A slightly translucent glass made by the addition of ashes of bones to give it an opal effect

Opaque

A highly coloured glass with little or no translucency

Opaque

French = glacé or givre; German = Geeist

Open-work stopper

Also called a pierced stopper; moulded stopper with openings through the glass; for example Guerlain's bottle for 'Mitsouko'

Opoponax

Also called sweet myrrh. The essential oil is extracted from the resin of the commiphora erythrae, that is closely related to myrrh; it is a low growing shrub/tree native to Somalia and Ethiopia; has a smokey, oriental spicy notes with undertones of celery and fennel, used in mossy, forest accords and oriental bases

Orbitone®

Registered trademark of Takasago - "It softens other materials, appeases tensions between musk, woody and floral notes, and makes perfume blends light as clouds… Since the early 1990s, “the transparent woody-ambery odor of Iso E Super has shaped and defined modern perfumery like hardly any other material”, writes the fragrance chemist Philip Kraft.

Organ

A musical anology used by perfumers to describe the variety of raw (base) notes (ingredients) being used.

Orange

Of the genus citrus sinensi, an evergreen tree native to China, the essential oil is obtained from cold pressing the pithy peel. An essential oil is also obtained from the zest of the bitter orange, citrus aurantium amara and the sweet orange, citrus auratium dulcis.

Orange

French = orange; German = Apfelsine or orange ; native to China

Orange blossom

Or Orange Flower; obtained from the genus citrus aurantium var. amara; originates from Tunisia; Rich sweet flowers on the level of jasmine and tuberose.
Extracted from the blossom of the Seville orange tree; 'bitter orange tree' - known as ‘the queen of orange trees’, has a dark brown or dark orange coloured, somewhat viscous liquid with a very intensely floral, heavy and rich, warm, but also delicate and fresh, long-lasting aroma

Orange Leaf

French = feuille de orange; German = orangenblätter

Orchid

The Orchid family is the largest of all plant families on Earth with over 35000 species, grown everywhere except in the poles, but mainly in the tropics. However for all its many varied and exotic flowers it is the humble ‘military’ or ‘soldier’ orchid, Orchis militaris that grown at the edges on limestone woodlands throughout the warmer parts of Europe from which the essence is produced. As this process, the flowers treated with a volatile solvent added to the slowing growth of the plant, the essence so acquired is very costly resulting that most orchid oils used in perfumes today are synthetic

Orchid

French = orchidée; German = orchidee

Oriental perfumes

Fragrances of the oriental family are characterized by a combination of spicy, woody, sweet, animalic and powdery notes, notably sandalwood, vanilla and amber.

Origanum

Of the genus origanum vulgare var hirtcum; produced for the eperfumery industry in France and Spain

Ormolu

Golden bronze gilt made with powdered gold and alloy

Orris

Also called orrice or arrace or iris; from the genus iris pallida; the essential is steam distilled from the rhizomes; buttery, velvety richness with fruity undertones; often chocolaty and carroty, has voluptuous depth; often used in chypre and oriental fragrances.

Orris Root

German = Orriswurzel

Osmanthus

The concrete and absolute are extracted from the flowers of the evergreen tree osmanthus fragrans native (to which the jasmine and lilac belong) to China and Japan; be means of alcohol. The fragrance has similarities to jasmine with notes of plums and raisons. The yield of the absolute from the concrete is only about one kilo per 3,000 kilos of flowers.

Osmetechnology

The technology used to analyse the contents of an essence at the school for perfumers; it near Versailles

Oudh

Also refer to 'Ud' and 'Agar-wood'(Aquilaria), believed to have originated in the Assam region of India, and spread from there throughout Southeast Asia. The tree releases a dark and fragrant resin in order to protect itself against a fungus (Phialophora parasitica), that decomposes its bark. It is from this resin that the perfume ingredient is derived. An ancient ingredient in Middle Eastern fragrances and now in use in modern fragrances (2005).

Overlay glass

A layer of glass gathered/ moulded over another layer of different coloured glass

Ovoid

Term used to describe a scent bottle shaped as an oval

Oxford Lavenders

Collectors term for 19th century Bohemian glass

Oxidation

The chemical change that occurs in a perfume when it is exposed to the air

Ozone

Of the sea; refer to Head-space'

Ozonic

Used to describe aroma chemicals that are meant to mimic the smell of fresh air. Frequently described as the smell of air right after a thunderstorm.

Paestum Rose

Named after the city, Paestum, south of Naples, Italy: famous for it's fragrant rose; Virgil referred to them as “the rose-gardens of twice-bearing Paestum.” The same roses that were sacred to Aphrodite on the island of Samos and that were showered upon guests during Nero’s decadent feasts. Also a centre of religious worship

Palette

The range of aromatic materials from which a perfumeur selects in the formulation of a fargrance

Palma Rosa

from the genus Cymbopogon martinii, a grass related to lemongrass; the essential oil is said to have a soft, citrusy-green fragrance. Often used in rose accords.The essential is steam distilled ; has a fresh rosy herbaceous fragrance, with marked geranium notes

Pamplelune

A cross between a grapefruit and a lemon; has a sweet citric aroma

Pamplemousse

French for grapefruit -a type of grapefruit, with sweeter notes

Pamplemousse

A type of grapefruit, with sweeter notes

Panacea

Greece

Daughter of Asklepios (see above) and sister of Hygeia; together regarded as the founders of medicine

Pansy

French = pansee; German = Stiefmütterchen

Papier d'Arménie

Scented paper used as incense since the 16th century; created to enjoy the medicinal properties of benzoin, is still popular in France

Parfum de Toilette

Alternative name for 'Eau de Parfum'; refer there for details

Paradisone®

A Firmenich tradename, a captive molecule patented in 1996 - an analogue of a compound naturally present in jasmine

Parma Violet

French = violette di Parma; German = Parma-Veilchen

Parian

Type of porcelain imitating marble, unusual material for perfume bottles; English

Parsley

Of the genus petroselinum sativum; belongs to the same family as celery, and its Latin name reveals a relationship to the very old Greek selinon. In the 4th and 3rd centuries B.C. the Greek word 'definitely' meant "parsley."
The Latin Petroselinum means "rock parsley," referring to its habit of growing in rocky places. Parsley supposedly was introduced into England from Sardinia in 1548.

Passion flower

Or granadilla originated from Brazil, introduced to Europe in c1700; essence distilled from the fruit

Pastile

The French word for lozenge, used to describe the shape of a mini-perfume bottle that is lozenge shaped. Also a mixture of aromatic substances, resins, woods and spices, kneaded and rolled or moulded into a cone shape and burnt: see following

Pastille burners

A small incense burner on which the 'Pastile' was burnt; very popular in 18th and 19th century Europe as a means of concealing unpleasant household odours.

Petalia

A Givaudan molecule; described as having a fruity rose-peony aroma

Patch box

A small container designed to hold tiny beauty spots dipped in scent and applied to one's face

Patchouli

An Indian herb, posostemon patchouli, a member of the lavender family and a native to Bengal, long known as a disinfectant and insect repellent, the essential oil is obtained by steam distillation from the dried leaves and stems; it has a unique, spicy fragrance with a strong note of cedar. .

Pâté de Cristal

Any transparent glass made of powdered glass paste fused in a mould

Pâté de Verre

Literally means 'a paste of glass'. Glass pastes have been used since early Egyptian times before glass was blown into shapes, and was used to produce objects

Patina

The sheen on any antique surface produced by age or use. Created in modern times by forced oxidization and or burnishing the surface of the glass bottle to accentuate design features, used extensively from c1910 to c1935: René Lalique was famous for using patinas on his flacons

Pavè

French for decorative stones placed close together so that very little case metal shows between the mountings

p.d'o

Stands for 'parfum d'origine'; French term for a sealed perfume bottle

Peach

French = peche; German = Pfirsch

Peach

Of genus prunus persica (L) Batsch, there are about 200 species of trees and shrubs all native to temperate regions and all have delicious fruit and ornamental qualities. A drupe – has a single seed or kernel surrounded by sweet and fragrant pulp; the seeds as well as the pulp yield a fragrant and/or therapeutic oil by distillation; in practice most notes of peach used in modern perfumes are synthetic.

Peau d’Espagne

Meaning ‘Spanish Skin’: leather that had been impregnated with expensive scented materials such as musk, amber and civet: used during the Renaissance for luxury leather goods including saddles, shoes, jerkins, cloaks and especially perfumed gloves

Pelargonium

From which 'geranium oil' is extracted

Penny Royal

A species of Mint, of the genus mentha pulegium; known to botanists since the time of Linnaeus; a native of most parts of Europe and parts of Asia, is the Pulegium of the Romans, so named by Pliny from its reputed power of driving away fleas - pulex being the Latin for flea, hence the Italian pulce and the French puce.
This name given the plant in ancient times has been retained as its modern specific name. It is sometimes known to the country-people as 'Run by the Ground' and 'Lurk in the Ditch,' from its manner of growth. It was formerly much used in medicine, the name Penny-Royal being a corruption of the old herbalists' name 'Pulioll-royall' (pulegium regium), known in the Middle Ages as 'Piliole-rial.' Is highly aromatic, perhaps even more so than any other Mint, containing an essential oil resembling in properties that of other mints, though less powerful. The flavour is more pungent and acrid and less agreeable than that of Spearmint or Peppermint.

Peony

There are more than 30 species of paeonia genus, an herbaceous perennial that prefer temperate climates. The main source of the subtle exotic fragrance is obtained from the genis P lactiflora.

Peony

French = pivoine; German = Pfingstrose

Pepper

Is derived from the peper nigrum vine, a climbing plant native to India and Malaysia; now cultivated worldwide .It has only recently been used in perfumery and the essential oil is steam-distilled from the died peppercorns; the resulting oil is clear with a warm, fresh and woody scent.

Pepper

French = poivre; German = Pfeffer

Peppermint

A members of the mint family, genus mentha piperita; first grown in Europe 1771 at Utrecht; extensively cultivated for years as the source of the well-known volatile oil; also used as a flavouring and therapeutic agent.

Perfume

The word comes from the Latin per fumum meaning ‘through smoke’ as ancient civilizations burnt aromatic substances as part of their worship. It is a solution classified today as containing 15-30% perfume oils and 70-85% alcohol

Perfume burners

A vessel made of metal, pottery or porcelain in which incense and pastilles cane be burnt; became popular in affluent homes from 17th century onwards; also see pastille burners

Perfume Cards

German = Parfümkarten or Duftkaren

Ver 17043

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