3

Welcome to our Perfumer’s Atelier.

/ FOREWORD

I hope you’ll enjoy learning about the art and

science of perfumery, experiencing smells in
a whole new way with our perfumer’s organ.

With our carefully curated collection

of ingredients, I want to share with you a skill
that I hope will make you see (and smell)
the world differently.

Happy smelling!

Emmanuelle Moeglin
Perfumer and Founder of EPC
ABOUT
EXPERIMENTAL
PERFUME CLUB
 5

Experimental Perfume Club is a

London-based perfume house specialising
in bespoke perfumery. Founded in 2016
by French perfumer, Emmanuelle Moeglin,
EPC has already welcomed thousands of visitors
from around the world.

EPC’s mission is to help people experience the

joy of perfume creation. By lifting the veil on an
art form often shrouded in secrecy, we educate,
inspire and help our visitors to create completely
unique fragrances.

In 2018, EPC launched its collection of fine

fragrances that can be blended together
to create personalised scents.
CONT EN TS
 7

I
VOCABUL ARY OF SCENT
Learn how to smell with the tools and vocabulary
professionals use.

II
CL ASSIFICATION OF INGREDIENTS
Learn how to organise and categorise ingredients
by volatility, families and understand the art and logic
of how they blend together in formulae.
Top, Heart, Base Notes
Olfactory Families
Fragrance Wheel

III
ORIGINS OF INGREDIENTS
Learn from where perfumery ingredients originate,
the different types of extracts and their use
in perfume formulae.
Natural and Synthetic
Accords

IV
CL ASSIFICATION OF FRAGRANCES
Learn what a fragrance is made of
and how they are classified.

V
THE PERFUMER’ S ORGAN
Explore 50 perfumery ingredients.
Learn how to describe their scents
and discover their provenance and
use in fragrances.
 I.

Perfumers and perfumery experts use a common

vocabulary to describe smells, ingredients and
perfumes. Learning how to describe a smell is the
first step of training in perfumery. By describing
a scent repeatedly it becomes a memory.

Professionals memorise ingredients

by describing them in absolute terms, but also
comparatively to one another, especially with
the ingredients that have a similar smell.
VOCABUL ARY
OF S CENT
1. BORROW WORDS FROM OUR OTHER SENSES:

We can easily describe the things we taste, see, touch or feel and these
commonly-words can describe a scent.

e.g. Bergamot oil is fresh, spicy and herbaceous.

Jasmine absolute is heady, spicy and fruity.
Cedarwood oil is warm, earthy and dark.

TOU CH /
TA STE S IG H T FEELING TEXTURE NATURE
S H A PE

Sour Sparkling Sharp Intense Velvety Fruity

Bitter Transparent Soft Sensual Metallic Leafy

Juicy Bright Round Warm Creamy Watery

Salty Green Cool Gentle Dusty Ozonic

Sweet Clear Textured Sunny Dry Mineral

Zesty Dark Heady Fresh Powdery Herbaceous

2. SIMIL ARITIES WITH OTHER INGREDIENTS:

You can describe scent by referencing other ingredients that share

commonalities in their olfactory perception or chemical makeup.

e.g. Bergamot oil smells like lavender.

and coriander seeds.
Rose oil smells like litchi and lemongrass.

3. MAIN OLFACTORY CHARACTERISTIC

OR FRAGRANCE FAMILY:

This is an easy way to describe a fragrance in a general sense and to

communicate its overall character. From citrus to woody and musky,
the main characteristic is the signature that will appear first when
smelling an ingredient or a fragrance.

e.g. Lemon and orange oils are citrusy.

Rose oil and jasmine absolute are floral.
Cinnamon and clove oils are spicy.
 11
4. SECOND -MOST-IMPORTANT CHARACTERISTIC
OR SUB-FAMILIES:

You can go into more detail and describe either an ingredient

or a fragrance using a second and third family of characteristics.
This enables you to delve deeper into a description, helping you to
differentiate ingredients that have a similar smell.

e.g. Rose absolute is floral powdery.

Rose essential oil is floral citrusy.
 II.

It is said that there are nearly 2,000 ingredients

available in the perfumer’s library, but only around
500 will make it to the daily toolbox of a perfumer.

Knowing how to organise and classify

ingredients provides information on how to use
them in a formula.
OF ING REDIENTS
CL AS SI FICATION
 IV.

Fragrances or perfumes are formulae generally

composed from a dozen to a few dozen
ingredients - with some fragrances comprising
over a hundred ingredients. A formula contains
natural, synthetic ingredients and accords.
When blended together creatively and
harmoniously, they make a perfume.
CL AS SI FICATION OF
FRAGRANCES
1. CL ASSIFICATION

The development of a formula typically takes between a few months

to a few years and it can take hundreds of trials before a formula is
deemed finished. The balancing act of creating a fragrance requires
superior expertise and years of training and experience. Measures of
success include creativity and harmony, projection and longevity.

In order to navigate perfumery, fragrances are classified within

families. A fragrance family is the main characteristic of a fragrance
that composes its signature. There are six main families, but some
perfume bodies may include a seventh.

C IT R U S

This family is the freshest of all fragrance families and

contains citrus ingredients, such as lemon, orange,
bergamot, other citrus notes and neroli. Historically,
this fragrance family was created from ‘Eau de Cologne’.

FO U GÈRE

Fougère fragrances, meaning ‘fern’ in French, do not

smell like ferns. This fragrance structure typically contains
a blend of lavender notes, oakmoss, coumarin, bergamot
and geranium. The name originates from Fougère Royale
by Houbigant, the first fragrance of this kind created in 1884.

F LO RA L

The largest family of fragrances is centred around flowers

and floral notes, including jasmine, rose, lily of the valley,
tuberose, violet, gardenia, narcissus and more. The
ingredients in this family comprise both natural extracts
and synthetic molecules.
 V.

CITRUS SPICY
1. Bergamot Oil 29. Pink Peppercorn Oil
2. Sweet Orange Oil 30. Cardamom Oil
3. Lemon Oil 31. Eugenol
4. Petitgrain Oil WOODY
5. Grapefruit Base
32. Frankincense Oil
GREEN 33. Sandalwood Oil
6. Cis-3-hexenol 34. Cedarwood Oil
7. Blackcurrant (Cassis Base) 35. Vetiver Oil
8. Violet Leaf Absolute 36. Iso E Super
AROMATIC 37. Agarwood
9. Dihydromyrcenol BALSAMIC
10. Anethol 38. Benzoin Absolute
11. Lavender Oil 39. Labdanum Absolute
FRUIT Y 40. Honey (Miel Blanc)
12. Allyl Amyl Glycolate AMBERY
13. Aldehyde C16 41. Ambroxan
14. Aldehyde C14 42. Ambre 83
15. Aldehyde C18 EDIBLE
16. Apple
43. Ethyl Maltol
17. Prunella
44. Coumarin
AQUEOUS 45. Vanillin
THE PERFUM ER’ S

18. Melonal MOSSY

19. Calone
46. Patchouli Oil
FLORAL 47. Oakmoss Absolute
20. Neroli Oil LEATHER
21. Geranium Oil
48. Leather (Suederal LT)
22. Rose Oil
23. Jasmine Absolute ANIMALIC
24. Ylang Ylang Oil 49. Castoreum Base
25. Hedione MUSK Y
26. Lily of the Valley
27. Ionone Alpha 50. Galaxolide
28. Iris Absolute
ORG AN
CI TRUS
BERGAM OT ESSENTIAL OIL

TYPE :
Natural

BOTANICAL :
Citrus Bergamia

EXTRACT :
Essential Oil

PYRAMID :
Top

OLFACTORY FAMILY :
Citrus

OLFACTORY D ESCRIPTORS :
Fresh / Spicy / Herbaceous

TOP 01
 31

ABOUT:
Bergamot is a nobly green citrus fruit Nowadays, bergamot oil is mainly
of the Citrus bergamia that can be found in perfumery as bergapten-free,
found growing in Southern Italy. Its first or furocoumarin-free. Bergapten is
appearance anywhere in the world was in one of the major naturally occurring
Calabria in the mid-17 century, but can
th
constituents of bergamot and is known
also be found in the South of France for its skin photosensitive properties,
and southern Turkey. Still harvested which is why it is now removed from
mostly by hand, it can be picked from the essential oil.
October to February. The bergamot used
in fragrance comes from Italy and the
juice itself is less sour than lemon and
more bitter than grapefruit.
Most will recognise the smell from Earl
Grey tea, where it’s used to fragrance
and flavour the tea leaves.

The essential oil is obtained by cold

extraction of the rind. Bergamot essential
oil contains molecules such as limonene,
linalyl acetate and linalool, which are
responsible for its rich olfactory profile
ranging from fresh citrus to woody spicy.
These molecules are found in other
citruses, flowers and aromates and are
commonly used as individual ingredients
in perfumery.

USE IN PERFUMES

Bergamot is one of the most

commonly used top notes in perfumes
due to its rich and complex smell.
It is commonly found in fragrance
structures such as citrus cologne
(Eau de Cologne), chypre and fougère.

The smell of bergamot is versatile,

which makes it a fairly easy ingredient
to use in fragrances. It smells zesty citrus,
sharp lime-like, green and aromatic-
lavender with spicy-coriander and
woody undertones. It offsets richer,
more opulent notes perfectly, adding
a sparkle, which is why it remains a firm
favourite with perfumers.

This versatile and beloved ingredient

works well in all types of fragrances and
particularly in citrus, spicy, fougère, chypre
and woody fragrances.
GREEN
CIS-3-HEXENOL

TYPE :
Synthetic

MOLECULE :
Artificial or Natural Isolate

DOMINANT SMELL :
Cut Grass

OTHER NAME :
Leaf Alcohol

PYRAMID :
Top

OLFACTORY FAMILY :
Green

OLFACTORY DESCRIPTORS :
Cut grass / Leafy / Vegetable

TOP 06
 43

ABOUT:
A synthetic ingredient, cis-3-hexenol is
an aroma compound that smells similar
to freshly cut grass and leaves. It is also
called Leaf Alcohol. It is one of the major
volatile compounds in tomatoes
and is produced in minute amounts
by most plants.

USE IN PERFUMES

Cis-3-hexenol is used extensively in

fragrances, but almost always a tiny
amount. It contributes to a fresh, vegetal,
nature-like smell in floral and fruity notes.
It plays an important role when
recreating the smell of fruits, such as
peach, berries or red fruit to give a more
natural tone to them.
It blends well with citrus notes, as well
as other green notes and gives a sharp
freshness when used. A powerful and
intense ingredient, it should be used
carefully as not to overwhelm a fragrance.
It is also extremely volatile and will not
stay long on the skin.
When used in floral notes, such as lily
of the valley, lilac and hyacinth, it gives
a dewy green natural effect. It can also
blend well with darker green notes like
galbanum, patchouli and geranium to
create an earthy and damp forest-like effect.
FLORAL
NEROLI ES SENTIAL OIL

TYPE :
Natural

BOTANICAL :
Citrus Aurantium

EXTRACT :
Essential oil

PYRAMID :
Heart

OLFACTORY FAMILY :
Floral

OLFACTORY D ESCRIPTORS :
Citrusy / Floral-Orange Blossom / Green

HEART 20
 79

ABOUT:
Derived from the Citrus aurantium, or Orange blossom absolute is obtained by
the bitter orange tree, Neroli is an oil solvent extraction, while neroli essential
obtained from its fresh white flowers. oil is produced by steam distillation. A by-
product of distillation is orange blossom
Grown widely in India and eastern Africa,
water, which is frequently used in cookery
the tree was thought to be brought over
and flavourings.
to Europe when the trade routes opened.
Orange groves now grow the world over, Neroli contains natural aroma chemicals
from Florida to Florence. Some of the such as linalool, limonene and ocimene,
best oils used in perfumery come from which can also be used individually
Tunisia, Egypt and Morocco. by perfumers.

A symbol of fertility and purity, the

orange blossom has been popular with
brides, often adorning their hair on their
wedding day.

Procured from a distillation of the

bitter-orange flower. The bitter orange
tree is a plentiful supplier of fragrance
ingredients; an essential oil is obtained
from its peel, the leaves are used in
petitgrain production, and the white
flowers are used in the production of
neroli and orange blossom absolute.

USE IN PERFUMES

Despite coming from the same flower,

neroli oil and orange blossom absolute
are quite unlike each other and
perfumers use each extract for different
purposes. Neroli has a more pure and
innocent scent, with citrusy and light
facets. Orange blossom absolute is like
its warmer sibling, far more honeyed,
headier and a little dirtier.
As a result, neroli pairs well with other
citrus, green and herbaceous notes while
orange blossom absolute blends well
with other heady floral and oriental notes,
where it can help bring a fresh, soapy,
clean scent.
An indispensable perfumery ingredient,
neroli is effortlessly bright, citrusy and
green with subtle undertones of honey
and orange.
It works perfectly in white florals, Eau de
Colognes and any floral scent. It adds a
light floral, citrus element and is a great
ingredient for unisex compositions.
WW W. EXPE R IM E N TA L PE R FUMECLUB .CO M

© Copyright 2020. All rights reserved.