The Words of Perfume: Deciphering the Language of Emotions

The Translation Dictionary: Client / Perfumer

• “It’s fresh”: Heard very often. Don’t look for technical freshness, but simply that it smells good, it is pleasant.
• “I find it too acidic, bitter, it scratches my throat, it stings”: When a trial is a bit too hesperidic and rising.
• “It’s strong. It’s heavy”: Apparently the perfume does not please. This requires a particular aptitude to develop fragrances that are not close to your own taste and universe.
• “It’s spicy”: Even if there are technically no spices, to signify that this perfume has character.
• “The smell of nail polish, banana, or hairspray”: Often appears in the mouth of women: the perfumer will immediately understand that there is notably too much benzyl acetate notes.
• “It reminds me of wet earth”: Can be due to too large a dosage of patchouli or when it is not dressed enough.
• “It smells like baby”: Induces a strong presence of white musks or orange blossom. It is a rather positive and appreciated smell.
• “It smells like vegetables, tomato”: I noted it in a recent development: when green notes (cis 3 hexenol, triplal) were a bit alone and a bit raw.
• “It’s dirty” (Cow, stable, horse): Warning, this means that animal notes, indole, or leathery (or paracresol for “horse” notes) are in excess. Costus is often the victim of unflattering comments, comparing it to dirty feet or greasy hair.
• “It smells like cheese”: Can mean an animal note coupled with a butyric note.
• “Smell of laundry or soap”: Which can be an overdose of dihydromyrcenol or simply the perfume is too musky.
• “Candy, caramel, hot milk, cake”: Easy to correct: vanillin, vanilla, or veltol (which gives this raspberry and caramelized side).
• “Rice powder, old book, it smells old”: Impression given by notes too iridescent and woody, or too much classic violet. Mimosa can also evoke this rough and old-fashioned aspect.
• “It smells like cardboard”: This can be given by an excess of solar or salicylate notes.
• “White glue”: Easy! It is given by anisic aldehyde, heliotropin, or coumarin.
• “Doll’s head, celluloid”: Reference to dolls scented with vanilla (notably the “Corole” doll), which marked little girls.
• “Marker pen”: For paracresol. My collaborator spots paracresol when she tells me it smells like “marker”.
• “Hay, cut grass”: Rather positive reference expressing green notes, like triplal.
• “Green apple shampoo”: To correct! This is not a positive comment, it feels a bit “cheap”.
• “It smells like leek”: Watch out for the quality of vertofix. It can be bothersome.
• “Sunscreen, the beach”: If these references are voluntary, they are rather positive. These notes are very appreciated and very “European” (less so by Asians and Americans).
• “The sea, oyster, iodine”: I haven’t heard it much at Guerlain. These products are used in homeopathic doses.
• “It smells like diesel, gasoline”: Often given by an excess of green notes like cis 3 hexenol.
• “Toasted bread, burnt”: Probably too many pyrazines.
• “It pierces my nose”: These are amber woods (like karanal) that can give this effect. I am personally very sensitive to it.
• “I can’t smell anything anymore, my nose is anesthetized”: One must perhaps see the presence of violet notes, with ionones.

During my last trip to Canada, journalists told me about a Guerlain perfume I was presenting: “C’té écœurant ce parfum là” (That perfume is sickening) and there surprise! They just found it: “Sublime!” (In Quebecois, “écœurant” can mean awesome/sick). Hence the importance of decoding! It is essential to understand what lies behind sometimes crude words and ask the right questions to deepen the meaning of remarks.

Bibliographical References

Excerpt from Freddy Ghozland’s book L’Herbier Parfumé: human stories of perfume plants. This book is very interesting, where you will find the history of perfumery and the testimony of perfumers.

• L’Herbier Parfumé (Public price: 35€)
• Guerlain: Les flacons à parfum depuis 1828 (Public price: 59€ – sold out)