4 Confusing Perfume Terms, Explained
Want to be more fluent in fragrance? Start with this mini vocabulary lesson, courtesy of Harry Frémont, master perfumer at Firmenich, and the Fragrance Foundation.
Photo: Kevin Cremens
Dry-Down: The scent that endures after a perfume's top notes evaporate and the formula settles on your skin—and the reason you can't judge a fragrance by first whiff (wait at least 30 minutes after applying a new scent before deciding whether to buy).
Sillage (SEE-yaj): The trail of scent left by that chic woman who just stepped off the elevator.
Apocrines (AP-o-kreen): Sweat glands that influence how a fragrance interacts with your skin. If your favorite perfume smells better on you than on your best friend, thank your apocrines.
Mouillettes (mwee-YET): You know those blotters that salespeople spritz with perfume? This is a fancy word for them—proving again that everything sounds more sophisticated in French.
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