Oriental Perfumery Glossary

Oriental perfumery has a rich vocabulary, inherited from centuries of tradition. This glossary helps you understand the essential terms to better appreciate and choose your oriental perfumes.

A

Amber: a warm and enveloping note, a pillar of oriental perfumery. Ambergris comes from sperm whales, while the amber accord is a synthetic composition combining vanilla, labdanum and benzoin.

Attar (or Ittar): a concentrated perfume oil, obtained by distilling flowers, herbs or woods into a sandalwood oil base. It is the oldest and most concentrated form of perfume. Discover our scented oils.

B

Bakhour (or Bukhoor): a blend of wood chips infused with perfumed oils and spices, burned on a mabkhara to fragrance interiors. A central element of Arab hospitality. Explore our collection of incense and bakhour.

Benzoin: an aromatic resin with a warm, vanilla-like and slightly balsamic scent, often used as a base note.

D

Dehn Al Oud: literally "oil of oud", refers to the pure essential oil extracted from agarwood. It is the most precious and concentrated form of oud.

Dukhan: scented smoke from burning incense or bakhour, used to fragrance clothing and hair.

E

Eau de Parfum (EDP): a perfume concentration between 15% and 20%, offering a good balance between intensity and projection. The most common form of modern oriental perfumes.

F

Frankincense (Olibanum): a resin from the Boswellia tree, used since antiquity in religious rituals and perfumery. Its aroma is simultaneously citrusy, resinous and slightly spicy.

I

Incense: aromatic resin burned for its fragrant properties. Frankincense is particularly prized in oriental perfumery.

K

Khalta: an Arabic term meaning "blend", referring to a complex perfumed composition combining several raw materials.

L

Layering: the technique of combining several fragrant products (oil + eau de parfum + bakhour) to create a personalised sillage and extend the longevity of the perfume.

M

Mabkhara (or Mibkhara): a traditional incense burner, often made of ceramic or metal, used to burn bakhour. Both a decorative and functional piece.

Musk: a soft and sensual animalic note, today predominantly reproduced synthetically (white musk). A fundamental ingredient in oriental perfumes for its ability to fix and prolong other notes.

Myrrh: an aromatic resin with a warm, earthy and slightly bitter scent, used since antiquity in rituals and perfumery.

N

Base notes (Notes de fond): the most enduring notes of a perfume, perceptible after the top and heart notes have evaporated. In oriental perfumery, they typically include oud, amber, musk and sandalwood.

O

Oud (or Agarwood): a precious resin produced by the agarwood tree (Aquilaria) in response to a fungal infection. Its complex aroma — woody, smoky, leathery, sometimes sweet — makes it the most iconic ingredient in Arabian perfumery. Often called "liquid gold".

R

Rose de Taif (Taif Rose): a variety of rose cultivated at altitude in the Taif region of Saudi Arabia. Its fragrance is more spicy and honeyed than Damascus rose, making it a prized ingredient in high-end oriental perfumery.

S

Saffron: a spice from the crocus flower (Crocus sativus), bringing a warm, leathery and subtly sweet note. A luxury ingredient frequently paired with oud and rose in oriental compositions.

Sandalwood: a precious wood with a creamy, soft and slightly milky scent. The traditional base of Indian attars and oriental perfumes.

Sillage: the scented trail a person leaves behind as they move. Oriental perfumes are renowned for their powerful and lasting sillage.

T

Tola: a traditional unit of measurement for perfume oils and oud, equivalent to approximately 12 ml. Still used in the trade of attars and oriental oils.

Taif: a city in Saudi Arabia renowned for cultivating exceptional roses used in high perfumery.

Top notes (Notes de tête): the first notes perceived upon spraying, often fresh and spicy (bergamot, saffron, cardamom). They fade within 15 to 30 minutes.

V

Vanilla: a gourmand and comforting note, often used as a base note in oriental perfumes to bring warmth and softness to ambery compositions.

This glossary is regularly updated. To explore oriental perfumes that showcase these exceptional ingredients, browse our collection of perfumes for women, perfumes for men and unisex perfumes at Parfum-Oriental.fr.