Floral
Flower, petal and bouquet structures, from transparent white florals to soft, powdery and ambered florals.
- Soliflore
- Floral bouquet
- White floral
- Rose floral
- Soft powdery floral
- Floral amber
Understanding scent
Read the atmosphere, then notice your own preference.
Begin with direct impressions such as fresh or warm, light or present, then use scent families and facets to describe the direction more precisely.
SCENT LANGUAGE
Twelve families, with room for every scent to be described precisely.
A scent can have one primary family, up to two supporting families, then subfamilies and facets, with verified material information added separately. Commercial names remain names rather than becoming new families.
Fruity
Non-citrus fruit impressions, ranging from crisp and juicy to ripe and deep.
- Orchard fruit
- Berries
- Stone fruit
- Tropical fruit
- Dark fruit
Citrus
Bright peel, juice and petitgrain impressions with a fresh, lively character.
- Lemon and bergamot
- Orange and mandarin
- Grapefruit
- Petitgrain
Green
Leaf, grass, stem and vegetal impressions, including the green air of a forest.
- Leafy green
- Grass green
- Green stems
- Forest green
- Vegetal green
Aquatic
Water, sea, rain and airy impressions, sometimes carrying ozone, mineral or salt facets.
- Watery
- Marine
- Rainy
- Ozonic and airy
- Mineral and salty
Aromatic and herbal
Distinct botanical impressions reminiscent of lavender, mint, rosemary, sage, tea or herbs.
- Lavender
- Mint
- Aromatic herbs
- Tea aromatic
- Medicinal herbal
Fougère
A structured accord of aromatic herbs, coumarinic softness and woody-mossy depth.
- Classic fougère
- Fresh fougère
- Woody fougère
- Amber fougère
Chypre
A contrast between a bright opening and mossy, woody depth, often paired with floral, fruit or leather facets.
- Classic mossy chypre
- Floral chypre
- Fruity chypre
- Leather chypre
- Modern chypre
Leather
Textures ranging from soft suede to dry leather, sometimes with smoky or tobacco-leaf impressions.
- Soft leather
- Suede
- Dry leather
- Smoke-impression leather
- Tobacco-leaf impression leather
Woody
Dry, smooth, forest, earthy and smoke-impression woods, ranging from quiet to deeply present.
- Dry woods
- Creamy woods
- Forest woods
- Earthy woods
- Smoke-impression woods
Amber
Warm, enveloping structures of resins, balsams, vanilla and spice, often extending into floral or woody territory.
- Soft amber
- Spicy amber
- Resinous amber
- Floral amber
- Woody amber
Gourmand
Edible impressions of vanilla, caramel, cocoa, coffee, milk, nuts, honey or baked goods.
- Vanilla and caramel
- Chocolate and coffee
- Milky gourmand
- Nutty gourmand
- Honeyed gourmand
- Baked gourmand
CROSS-FAMILY FACETS
Use facets to describe what a family name cannot say alone.
Facets can appear across several families. They are descriptive tags, not additional primary families.
- Aldehydic
- Powdery
- Soapy
- Clean linen
- Fresh spicy
- Warm spicy
- Resinous
- Tea
- Earthy
- Damp
- Mineral
- Salty
- Metallic
- Lactonic
This is scent language, not an ingredient list. A family or note name does not mean that the product contains an essential oil of the same name. For pregnancy, breastfeeding, spaces shared with infants, asthma or scent sensitivity, follow the product label and product-specific safety information.
PFISHINE
Three PFISHINE names to compare
Gardenia After Rain
A picture of softened gardenia and clear air after rain.
Understand this directionMorning Mist Forest
A picture of early mist, green leaves and quiet forest air.
Understand this directionCedar Amber
A picture of composed cedar and the enveloping warmth of amber.
Understand this direction
A simpler scent language
Describe the feeling before memorising the notes.
Fragrance can be translated into rooms, moments and degrees of presence. Familiar images make differences easier to discuss than a stack of technical terms.
- Clean and airy, like sun-dried linen
- Grounded woods, like a warm desk after dark
- Quiet tea notes with room to breathe
Exclude, then approach
It is useful to begin with what you do not like.
Too sweet, too strong or too floral are clear preferences, not a lack of fragrance knowledge.
Light or present
Decide whether scent should stay in the background or make a clearer entrance.
Fresh or warm
Green, tea and linen often feel fresher; woods and gentle sweetness feel warmer.
Bright or grounded
Neither is better. They simply belong to different rooms and times.
Clear exclusions
Naming disliked sweetness, florals, woods or intensity quickly narrows the field.