| Case bottle | An 18th century English glass bottles, usual square made in sets for specially designed wooden presentation box | ||||||
| Cashmeran | An aroma chemical with a spicy, musky, floral odour with powdery, velvet nuance that invokes the smell or feel of cashmere. | ||||||
| Cassia | Cinnamon smelling bark and leaves of the Chinese cassia tree | ||||||
| Cassis | Chinese herb cassia senna has several uses in both Chinese and Western herbal medicines, the essential oil are used in the perfume industry; has a tenacious fragrance and is much used by American perfumers | ||||||
| Cassolette | A 16th century French vessel for holding or burning perfumes | ||||||
| Cassyran | From the chemical Cassyrane from Givaudan - a fruity floral note used in Eau de Frohliche No. 3 | ||||||
| Casting bottle | Perfume bottle with perforated top for sprinkling perfume; used from 16th century | ||||||
| Castor Oil | Obtained from the berries of the genus ricinus communis | ||||||
| Castoreum | The secretion from the preputial follicles of both the male and female Castor Beavers found in Canada and Russia; synthetics are now often substituted; has a warm sweet animalic and stinky odour, adds a fleshy warmth and eroticism to a fragrance | ||||||
| Cedar | From the genus juniperus virginiana; the essential oil obtained by the steam method from small chips, shavings and sawdust | ||||||
| Cedar of Lebanon | Of the genus cedrus libani; highly prized besides being used in incense blends, cedar was a wood of choice of the aromatic architecture reserved for palaces and temples | ||||||
| Cedar wood | Alternative name of Cedar | ||||||
| Cedar wood | French = bois de cedre; German = Zedernholz | ||||||
| Cedrat | French term for citron - refer | ||||||
| Celandine | Also referred to as Greater Celandine; a herbaceous perennial of the genus chelidonium majus; grows primarily in Europe and Asia; the essential oil is obtained from the leaves and small yellow flowers; the roots and rhizomes of the plant have been used medicinally | ||||||
| Celestrial Water | A 16th centuary concoction, originally known by it's Latin name aqua coloestis, distilled from various herbs and flowers - calamus, cinnamon, citron peel, gith, sandalwood and zedoary | ||||||
| Celery | Of the genus apium graveolens L.; is believed to
be the same plant as selinon, mentioned in Homer's Odyssey about 850 B.C.
Our word "celery" comes from the French celeri, which is derived from the ancient Greek word. The old Roman names, as well as those in many modern languages, are derived from the same root word and sound remarkably similar. It was first recorded in 1623 in France. |
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| Centifolia rose | A crystal-clear rose with a geranium note; famously grown in the Grasse region where it is called ‘rose de mai’ | ||||||
| Chamerande | Another name for casheran | ||||||
| Chamomile | Essential oil is obtained from the flower; grown mainly Morocco and Southern France | ||||||
| Champaca | A tree closely related to the magnolia tree, considered sacred to the Hindu god Vishnu and very popular in India; the essential oil is dense and sweet | ||||||
| Champlevè | A method of enamelling on metal whereby a pattern in hollowed out in the base and filled with coloured enamels then ground smooth | ||||||
| Chatelaine | A woman's ornamental clasp worn at the waist with keys, purses, watches and/or other items; often a scent bottle; fastened to it by chains - hence the name from the keys carried by the medieval chatelaine or lady of the castle | ||||||
| Chevrefeuille | French for honeysuckle | ||||||
| Chocolate | A ‘foody’ fragrance evocative of childhood pleasures, warm and cosy but also considered sexy. First used in a foam bath preparation; famously used in Thierry Mugler’s Angle | ||||||
| Choya Nakh | A smoky aroma made from roasted seashells. | ||||||
| Chromatography | Scientific process which identifies and analysis the molecular components of a fragrance | ||||||
| Chypre | Pronounced 'sheepra'. Is the name of the island Cyprus in French, where the goddess of beauty and love, Venus. In the Roman Empire a perfume bore the name of Chypre which was composed of labdanum, Turkish storax and calamus. The production of this perfume continued in Italy through the Middle Ages with a variety of natural aromatics used. | ||||||
| Chypre Family | (Pronounced 'sheep-pa) One of the main perfume families
where often the fragrances are strong, spicy and powdery; they are based
on the contrast between fresh top notes of lemon, neroli and orange, and
mossy base notes of oak moss underpinned by resinous and animal notes.
The name is derived from the Mediterranean island of Cypress where according to legend Venus was born |
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| Cinnamon | The ancient Greeks and Romans valued the warm and spicy
scent and used it in their toiletries and perfumes. True cinnamon, cinnamon verum is native to India, Sri Lanka and surrounding counties. Cinnamon oil is extracted from the bark, twigs and leaves by steam distillation although the yield is small only the tiniest quantities are ever used in perfumery. A synthetic form of the bark oil is more commonly used in to-day’s fragrances (2000) |
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| Cinnamon | French = cannelle; German = Zimt | ||||||
| Cire perdue | Means 'lost wax'; a complex method of casting a bottle in a mould, initially using a carved wax model | ||||||
| Cistus | refer to Labdanum | ||||||
| Citronella | Extracted as an alcohol from citronella oil; used to make synthetic fragrances; eg lily of the valley, narcissus and sweet pea. | ||||||
| Citrus Family | In French called 'hesperidée' ; consists of fragrances whose essential oils are extracted from the zest of lemon, bergamot, orange, lime and mandarins and are often combined with orange flower oil. They have a fresh and uplifting scent, which is not long lasting and are combined with resins, oak moss to give them body | ||||||
| Citrus note | A perfumery term to describe the fresh, light fragrance characteristic of citrus fruits | ||||||
| Civet | A soft paste-like glandular secretion obtained from both the male and female civet cats viverra civetta; has a musky, fresh sweet note; in the raw it smells like a sewer, but a minute proportion in a floral bouquet, it is metamorphosed adding a radiant heat and sexiness to the fragrance | ||||||
| Clary Sage | Or Clary Sage Oil; obtained from the Clary plant salvia sclarea, native to Syria, southern Europe and northern Africa; a meadow-sage herb with a sweetish minty citrus aroma | ||||||
| Classification of Perfumes | See under ‘P’, perfumes are divided into different groupings, these ‘Families’ have been given a letter of the alphabet by the Technical Commission of the world renown governing body for the fragrance industry, the Societe Francaise des Perfumers in Paris | ||||||
| Clearwood™ | A Firmenich molecule with a "woody character sparkling with creamy and ambery facets". | ||||||
| Cloisonnè | A type of enamel ware in which the divisions in the design were formed by delicate metal partitions and filaments, called Cloisons, attached to the surface of the object | ||||||
| Clou de girofle | French for clove | ||||||
| Clover | From the genus trifolium, native to North America and Europe; a 'traditional extract' obtained from the flowers. Also called Trèfle | ||||||
| Cloves | Are the un-expanded flower buds of the clove tree caryophyllus aromaticus; in the perfume industry the dried bubs of the flower of a very fragrant tropical tree eugenica aromatica are used; the name 'cloves' comes from the French ‘Clou’ meaning nail, which the dried flower resembles. The essential oil is extracted by the water distillation method | ||||||
| Coconut | French = coco; German = Kokosnuss | ||||||
| Coconut oil | Extracted from the drupaceous fruit of the coconut palm common to the tropics, a near colourless oil with an exotic scent, used extensively in the cosmetic business | ||||||
| Coffrets | In the early 1900’s Coty, Guerlain, Bourjois and other perfume houses began to sell elegant presentation boxes containing a selection of perfume samples; these collections were called ‘coffrets’ | ||||||
| Cognac Oil | Also known as 'Wine Lees Oil' or 'Weinhefeoel' (in German). Produced as a by product from the distillation of Cognac (Brandy). It is present in Cognac to the amount of about 2 mg. The aromatic substances contained in cognac oil derived partly from the activities of the particular yeast fungus used, partly from the type of grapes fermented. The oil is obtained by the steam distillation of the reside of grape tissue and fungus precipitate after fermentation (and distillation) of the alcoholic beverage. Used in flavors and perfumes in trace amounts to give 'lift' and fresh-fruity natural notes ie, colognes, after-shave fragrances, etc. | ||||||
| Cologne | Derived from the name of the German town of Köln. The fresh, bracing fragrance was orchestrated by an eighteenth-century Carthusian monk. | ||||||
| Colonia | Italian for cologne | ||||||
| Composition | The final mixture, blend of the fragrance. Some fragrance can have literally hundreds of ingredients | ||||||
| Compound | Also known as composition, the term referred to the harmonious arrangement and mixture of the components of the perfume | ||||||
| Concentrate | Perfumery tern used to describe a composition once it has been mixed | ||||||
| Conversion Chart | Conversion table - fluid ounces to millilitres | ||||||
| Concrete | A semi-solid obtained by the process of extraction of essential oils by volatile solvents | ||||||
| Coniferous | A note that contains the fresh earthy fragrance of pine, spruce, juniper and similar trees; often found in male fragrances | ||||||
| Copaiba Balsam | Obtained from the tree genus fabaceae; native to South and Central America; is extracted by making ‘v’ shaped cuts in the bark of the trees, this forms into a thick resin and the essential oils are steam distilled and has a dense vanilla-like suaveness and spicy aroma, each balsam has different notes | ||||||
| Copia | When Zeus was playing with the goat Amalthea he accidentally broke off one of her horns, to atone for this Zeus promised Amalthea that the horn would be full of whatever fruits she desired; this became the Cornucopia of the Roman Goddess Copia; the Goddess of Wealth and Plenty | ||||||
| Cooling Oven | An oven used to slowly cool a glass item over hours thus removing stress by annealing | ||||||
| Coriander | Of the genus coriandrum sativum; a
much-prized herb used since the ancient times; the oil used in perfumery
comes mainly from Romania, Russia and the Balkans. The essential oil is obtained from the fully ripe seeds by the steam distillation method; this varies in colour from clear to pale yellow and has a sweet smell with a spicy-woody note |
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| Corn Mint | Is the type of the Japanese Menthol plant, genus mentha arvensis, but is not endowed with useful medicinal properties, great care indeed, a valuable herb the essential oil is steam distilled; the oil has a strong odour. Mainly produced in Southern China and Brazil | ||||||
| Cornucopia | A perfume bottle shaped like the horn of plenty | ||||||
| Costus | Of the genus saussurea lappa; originated from India.
A large impressive plant which was originally found growing wild in the
Himalayan highlands. The oil is obtained from the root by distillation, prior to which the roots are not only comminuted, but also, macerated in water. The distillation is then a combination of water and steam distillation. The oil has a peculiar soft, but extremely tenacious odour, reminiscent of old precious wood. |
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| Coumarin | Created by William Perkin of England in 1868 an important aroma-chemical which has a hay-like aroma with coconut under tones, however it is banned as a food additive in the United States due to toxicity; is used to produce anti-coagulant medicines, rat poison, a valuable component of incense and perfumes | ||||||
| Cowboys | There was nothing sissy or feminine about the early American cattlemen; they went into town for monthly to bath to which lilac water had been added in effort to overpower the smell of sweat and animals. They might have been home on the range that way, but they knew better that for their nights on the town they had better spruce up; and nobody giggled when the well dressed, starch-collared man oft the turn of the century left the barber shop with his hair slicked and parted and smelling of petunias. There was nothing frugal about their use of fragrances | ||||||
| Craquelle glass | Created when hot glass is deliberately fractured by immersing it into water, then it is lightly reheated so sealing the cracks, then blown to enlarge the labyrinth of small fissures but leaving the scars | ||||||
| Cranberry Glass | A deep pink coloured glass made by adding gold and other oxides of metal; less expensive than ruby glass | ||||||
| Crystal | A brilliant transparent glass containing a high amount of lead oxide. Crystal by French law contains 24% lead oxide. Cristalleries de Baccarat glass has 30% which gives it extra brilliance, early René Lalique used demi-crystal, 12%lead, although less brilliant it was suited to intricate detailed designs | ||||||
| Crystallo Ceramie | An 18th century French technique for embedding bas-relief chain ornament in clear flint glass | ||||||
| Cumin | Obtained from the seeds of cuminium cyminium or C odorum, a member of the carrot family, a low growing herb. Roman caraway is an alternative popular name for the plant and spice. The essence is obtained from ground seeds then steamed distilled | ||||||
| Cut glass | Where lead crystal or other glassware in decorated by cutting facets, grooves or other depressions into the surface | ||||||
| Cutting | The process of removing part of the surface of a glass blank by grinding to produce a design; similar to making a cameo | ||||||
| Cyclamen | Although there are many species, no essential oil is obtained from them; the fragrance used in the manufacture of perfume is made from various synthetic and natural materials | ||||||
| Cyclamen | French = cyclam; German = Alpenveilchen | ||||||
| Cyprinum | The parfum obtained from the flower of the henna plant, lawsonia inermis, also known as caIn ancient times it was the symbol of the immortal soul; the essential oil is obtained from the aromatic balsamic resinmphire: a green-coloured, heavy long-lasting scent | ||||||
| Cyprinum | Or Henna Perfume; an ancient Egyptian perfume launched in the 'Common Era' . The parfum was obtained from the flower of the henna plant, lawsonia inermis, also known as camphire: a green-coloured, heavy long-lasting scent | ||||||
| Cyprus | Also referred to as 'Cypre'; based on labdanum, styrax, the powder of lichen and the water of rose. A treaties of this fragrance was recorded in the 17th century; most likely existed in the Hellenistic period of Greece. | ||||||
| Cypress | In ancient times it was the symbol of the immortal soul; the essential oil is obtained from the aromatic balsamic resin | ||||||
| Cyriol | An essential oil derived from the roots of Cyperus scariosus, aka Indian papyrus, aka nagarmotha grass. The term cypriol is sometimes used interchangeably with papyrus genus Cyperus papyrus. | ||||||
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Perfume Intelligence - The Encyclopaedia of Perfume Where you are: Volume Glossary Chapter 1: A - Hibiscus Page 3
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