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AGENDA
Fine Fragrance Discovery
Based upon the Symrise Fragrance Genealogy

1. WHAT IS A FRAGRANCE?
- The sense of smell
- A complex harmony
- Perfumer is an artist
- Fragrance construction

2. HOW TO DESCRIBE A FRAGRANCE BASED ON

THE SYMRISE GENEALOGY
- Family and sub-family
- Structure
- Specifiers

3. APPENDIX

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1
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 WHAT IS THE SENSE OF
A FRAGRANCE ? SMELL

The most basic of the 5 senses

The least known of the 5 senses

The sense of memory & emotion

per excellence

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 WHAT IS A COMPLEX an ingredient
A FRAGRANCE ? HARMONY
Fragrances are extremely
complex harmonies of odours
that can be described as …

a mood a sensation a memory

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a mood
 A Perfumer can use around 800
FRAGRANCE different fragrance materials
derived from a wide range of
CONSTRUCTION sources :

VEGETAL origin:
flower, citrus, spices, root,
shrub, leaf, bark, seed, wood,
balm

ANIMAL origin:
secretion of civets, beavers &
deer, musk, amber gris
from cachalot wale’s
secretion, beeswax

CHEMICAL origin:
nature identical & synthetic

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 THE FRAGRANCE :
FRAGRANCE
A BALANCED
CONSTRUCTION CONSTRUCTION

Top

Heart The Olfactory pyramid is a tool

which helps to understand the
fragrance structure.
It shows the fragrance evolution
over time.
Base

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 EVAPORATION
FRAGRANCE
CONSTRUCTION

Evaporation Intensity Each raw material has its own

molecular weight which
100
determines its release in time.

- top - heart - base

50

0 Time Scale
15 min 6 h. 24 h.

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 RAW MATERIAL
FRAGRANCE
CLASSIFICATION
CONSTRUCTION Each raw material is classified
in an olfactive family. A family
Citrus Aqueous gives the identity of the raw
Green Spicy materials olfactive character
Top that positions it in a group with
Aldehydes Aromatic
Fruity  0 to 15 minutesMint other raw materials.

Floral Spicy
Fruity Woody
Heart
By placing raw materials into
 15 minutes to 6 hours families, it allows us to
communicate the language of
fragrance.
Woody Edible
Musky Base Ambery Identity : olfactive family
Powdery Animal Long lastingness : top, heart,
Oriental Leathery base
 6 to 24 hours or more

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22. HOW TO DESCRIBE A
FRAGRANCE
BASED ON THE SYMRISE
GENEALOGY
PAGE TITRE

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CLASSIFICATION BASED UPON
THE SYMRISE
FRAGRANCE
GENEALOGY

1. FAMILY 2. SUB-FAMILY 3. SPECIFIER

the dominant character

of the fragrance the fragrance’s
secondary character
the 3rd main facet of
the fragrance

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CLASSIFICATION 1. FAMILY
the dominant character
of the fragrance

5 families characterized by the main ingredient

CITRUS GREEN FRUITY FLORAL WOODY

4 families defined by structure

FLORIENTAL FOUGERE ORIENTAL CHYPRE

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 ORANGE
CITRUS
FLOWER

WOODY GREEN

POWDERY FRUITY

AMBERY AQUEOUS

CHYPRE LAVENDER
the fragrance’s

ORIENTAL AROMATIC
CLASSIFICATION 2. SUB-FAMILY

secondary character

EDIBLE ALDEHYDIC

MUSKY SPICY

LEATHERY FLORAL

WHITE
ANIMALIC
FLOWER
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CLASSIFICATION 3. SPECIFIER
the 3rd main facet of the
fragrance

• Citrus • Orange Flower • Milky

• Aldehydic • Aromatic • Balsamic
• Fruity • Lavender • Ambery
• Spicy • White Flower • Animalic
• Watery • Floral • Leathery
• Ozonic • Rose • Musky
• Salicylic • Floriental • Vanilla
• Marine • Woody • Edible
• Green • Powdery • Sweet

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 FEMININE GENEALOGY
CITRUS
CITRUS FLORAL

WOODY

CHYPRE

MUSKY

FLORAL
GREEN
FLORAL
FRUITY
CITRUS
FLORAL
AQUEOUS

GREEN

FRUITY

ALDEHYDIC

SPICY

FLORAL

WHITE
FLOWER
ORANGE
FLOWER
WOODY

EDIBLE

MUSKY

GREEN
FLORIENTAL
FRUITY

SPICY

FLORAL

WHITE
FLOWER
WOODY

POWDERY

AMBERY

GREEN
ORIENTAL
SPICY

FLORAL

WOODY

AMBERY

EDIBLE

GREEN
WOODY SPICY

FLORAL

GREEN
CHYPRE
FRUITY

FLORAL

WOODY

LEATHERY

ANIMALIC
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 MASCULINE GENEALOGY
CITRUS
CITRUS
GREEN

AQUEOUS

SPICY

FLORAL

WOODY

CHYPRE

GREEN
FLORAL WOODY

CITRUS
FOUGERE
FRUITY

AQUEOUS

LAVENDER

AROMATIC

SPICY

FLORAL

WOODY

AMBERY

ORIENTAL

CITRUS
WOODY
GREEN

FRUITY

AQUEOUS

AROMATIC

SPICY

FLORAL

WOODY

AMBERY

ORIENTAL

CITRUS
ORIENTAL
GREEN

AROMATIC

SPICY

WOODY

AROMATIC
CHYPRE SPICY

WOODY
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LEATHERY

MASCULIINE SELECTIVE US TOP 30 2012

CLASSIFICATION 1. FAMILY
the dominant character
of the fragrance

5 families characterized by the main ingredient

CITRUS GREEN FRUITY FLORAL WOODY

4 families defined by structure

FLORIENTAL FOUGERE ORIENTAL CHYPRE

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 CITRUS
FAMILY
Top

These are volatile materials, Citrus notes are widely used in

fresh, sparkling and they are consumer products as dishwash
widely used in many Eau de detergents, disinfectants, laundry
Cologne structures and to detergents in their citrus variants.
provide freshness to a fragrance.

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 GREEN
FAMILY
Top

In pursuit of naturality…
Evolution of freshness
influenced by the outdoors:
green, dewy, leafy, earthy humid
sap notes, stem-like hyacinth.

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 FRUITY
FAMILY
Top
Heart

From limited editions to a This family’s blooming was due

permanent trend. to the “Escada” phenomenon.

Depending on the note and on From then it has spread out as a

the combination, fruity notes can subfamily in most of the families,
work as top or body character. before becoming its own real
family.

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 FLORAL
FAMILY
Heart

The most important feminine Flowers are divided into 3

fragrance family. categories :
Components that make the core
character of - WHITE FLOWERS (jasmine, ylang
ylang, tuberose…)
most fragrances in all categories,
flowers are complex and diverse. - ORANGE FLOWER
- OTHERS (rose, orris, mimosa, lily of the
valley, carnation…)

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 WOODY
FAMILY
Heart

Base

The evolution of the perfumery Woods such as cedar,

has transformed this initially sub- sandalwood, patchouli, gaiac
family into a mainstream family wood, vetiver and modern
for masculine products. “molecule” woods such as blond
wood, cashmeran are a very
important part of a fragrance in
that they provide volume and
structure to a perfume.

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CLASSIFICATION 1. FAMILY
the dominant character
of the fragrance

5 families characterized by the main ingredient

CITRUS GREEN FRUITY FLORAL WOODY

4 families defined by structure

FLORIENTAL FOUGERE ORIENTAL CHYPRE

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 FLORIENTAL
FAMILY

A mainstream global family. Main ingredients:

This term broadly used in the Floral accord with Vanilla,
industry is the answer to a new Amber…(floral & oriental)
sensuality : a combination of a
main floral character with sweet,
ambery, oriental base notes.

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 FOUGERE
FAMILY

The “Fougere” name comes Main ingredients:

from the Fougere Royale by (Bergamot, Lavender) for a fresh
Houbigant, created in 1882, and clean top note, Geranium,
which opened up the way to a Coumarin, Moss, Woods…for a
whole series of masculine woody powdery back.
fragrances.

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 ORIENTAL
FAMILY

Combination of sweet balms,

resins, amber and spices.
Mainly characterized by a typical
warm, sensual and powdery
base enlightened by a citrus top
note.
Those oriental fragrances are
both men & women.

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 CHYPRE
FAMILY

The “chypre” name comes from Main ingredients:

the Chypre de Coty, created in Bergamot, Rose, Patchouli,
1917, which was such an Oakmoss ...
innovation that it gave its name
to all the fragrances built around
the same accord.

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SPECIFIER

ALDEHYDIC AQUEOUS AROMATIC

LEATHERY
SPICY MUSKY EDIBLE & ANIMALIC

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 ALDEHYDIC
SPECIFIER
Top

Shimmering and metallic notes,

aldehydes are strong notes that
work on the top of a fragrance.
They became famous with
Chanel nº 5 which was a mark
for a new feminine fragrance
family.

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 AQUEOUS
SPECIFIER
Top

Generic term including watery, Watery : impression of drenched

marine and ozonic notes which and wetness
transmit transparency and
modernity to fragrances. Marine : Impression of ocean,
Very light and fresh, they have sea
an important role in the top of a
fragrance.
Ozonic : Impression of air and
ozone

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 AROMATIC
SPECIFIER
Top
Heart

Fresh top note given by

rosemary, lavender, thyme,
artemisia…
Aromatic notes include
camphoraceous, anisic and
coniferous families in one big
olfactive group that transmits
freshness and natural in the top
of the fragrances.

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 SPICY
SPECIFIER
Top
Heart

Piquant, savory or pungent

spices such as pepper, nutmeg,
clove and cardamom…
spices are divided into 2 groups:
- cold spices which are
encountered more on top notes
- warm spices more present in
heart notes.

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 MUSKY
SPECIFIER

Base

Soft mild and clean effect,

Musky notes give richness and
warmness to the fragrance.

In the past, musk deers’ sex

gland was extracted to prepare
the natural musk raw material.
Nowadays only synthetic musks
are used.

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 EDIBLE
SPECIFIER

Base

Impression of chocolate,
caramel, coconut, nuts, creamy
milky, pastries…

Those tasty notes are very

sweet and warm giving core to
fragrances.

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 LEATHERY &
ANIMALIC
SPECIFIER
Base

Impression of leather and suede. Strong drydown facet given by

civet, castoreum.
They give warmth, structure and They are very imposant and are
signature to a fragrance. used in very small quantities.

They give warmth and transmit

sensuality to perfumes.

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CLASSIFICATION BASED UPON
THE SYMRISE
FRAGRANCE
GENEALOGY

-RECAP-

1. FAMILY 2. SUB-FAMILY 3. SPECIFIER

the dominant character

of the fragrance the fragrance’s
secondary character
the 3rd main facet of
the fragrance

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