How to describe a fragrance?

[nlyellows]

Hi there! I enjoy wearing perfumes but I feel I can’t really describe how/why. I get that floral scents references flowers and light/strong for the power. But for items like Dior’s J’adore and Joy, I am not sure how to describe them other than “they smell nice”. Could someone help me with the vocab etc? Thanks so much

[brannewbich]

Check out fragrantica. It has all the information on most perfumes including notes, sillage, etc. Just make sure that you type in the exact name when searching, otherwise it won't find it.

[LCResz]

@nlyellows A great place to learn more about the types of notes found in many fragrances is Basenotes dot net. When I’m trying to figure out what I’m smelling in a perfume, seeing the pyramid of top notes, heart notes, and base notes really helps.

[pocketvenus]

@nlyellows You can start by training your nose to identify the main genres of a perfume. Is it sweet, heavy and spicy? Probably an oriental. Fresh and citrusy? Possibly a cologne. Other common types are florals, fruity, gourmands which smell like food, leathers and woods. Sometimes they get mixed up, so you have a fruity floral. You can also describe texture. Is it dense, gauzy, layered, shimmering? With more practice smelling things, not just perfume, but all kinds of things in your environment, you will get better at recognizing different notes. You can smell different things and make notes or train yourself by smelling essential oil blends for diffusers and trying to recognize the ingredients. 

[greeneyedgirl107]

@nlyellows You may enjoy Fragrantica - it might inspire you 🙂

[nlyellows]

Thanks!

[BrendaBT]

Hi @nlyellows there is a thread in our Fragrance Fans group started by our community superstar, and fragrance guru @pocketvenus, called Fragrance Finder: https://community.sephora.com/t5/Fragrance-Fans/BIC-Fragrance-Finder/td-p/4725044

[pocketvenus]

@BrendaBT This is very nice of you to say, thank you for sharing the thread!

[nlyellows]

Thanks!