ÇaFleureBon Notes from The Lab: Make it Happy on Top (unofficial perfumery descriptors and dialects) +Provision Scents Resonance Draw

 

 Sherri Sebastian perfumer of Provision Scents

Sherri Sebastian of Provision Scents in her kitchen enjoying the taste of methyl anthranilate. (aka grapes)

Back in the 90’s when I was an apprentice perfumer at International Flavors and Fragrances, I would occasionally meet up with an old college friend who worked across the street at CBS.  We’d catch up over a quick bite on the corner, rarely talking about work, typically sticking to our common interest in music, and most importantly which bands were playing when and where. One day I was wearing an experimental scent when I off-handedly mentioned that I needed to “make it happy on top,” turning back to our conversation without further explanation. My friend stopped me and asked, “Wait, what did you say?” “You mean ‘Make it happy on top?’” I asked, realizing as I said it again how funny it must have sounded. Until that point, it hadn’t occurred to me that there are many dialects spoken by and between perfumers about fragrances, aside from the more commonly spoken consumer-friendly descriptors like floral, fruity, spicy, vanilla, green, and so on. This memory got me thinking about how perfumers talk to each other about fragrances, as well as how I think about them. I have an ongoing and internal scent dialogue that’s always with me, whether I’m crafting the perfect top note to a new scent I’m working on, or just walking down the street.

 

gamma decalactone used in fig perfumes

Walking under a fig tree canopy and that aroma sounds better than “hmmm I smell gamma decalctone”

Case in point: For many months, I couldn’t figure out why I smelled gamma decalactone every time I passed by a particular house in my Los Angeles neighborhood. I wondered – are they burning fig candles 24/7?  One day, I looked up as I passed by and realized I was walking under a fig tree! It seemed so obvious once I looked up, but it a was a scent moment I’d definitely never have experienced in PA or NY.  Before I studied perfumery, I was an apprentice flavor chemist. Each morning upon entering the lab, I would begin to evaluate a new ingredient. I was taught to keep a journal of my ingredient studies where I would first write my own personal impression of the aroma. Reviewing these journals today brings back many memories with very interesting personal impressions, such as: burnt electrical wires, Kool-Aid, Band-Aid smell, baby doll head, swimming pool, horse stall, sweaty horse, bales of hay, garage oil, etc.  (Did I mention I grew up in the country?)

perfumers keep notebooks on how a industry term relates to real aromas

Old school notes on an old school ingredient from the Notebook of Sherri Sebastian of Provision Scents.

As it turns out, these descriptors and dialects ended up serving me very well throughout my two-decade career as a professional perfumer. I could always memorize a chemical name like “methyl para cresol,” but I will never forget the scent of brushing a sweaty horse as a ten-year-old. Linking an ingredient with a personal experience makes for unforgettable linguistic scent descriptors. So when I later learned how important this “sweaty horse” ingredient can be to certain floral compositions, it was my own internal association that allowed me to translate this note into “correct perfumery talk” instead saying “animalic” when speaking to a fellow perfumer about this ingredient, that could turn a floral note decidedly jasmine.

pink jasmine

Sweaty horse notes transformed into animalic pink jasmine.

It’s the same reason that when speaking to another perfumer I might recommend adding aldehyde C16 and they will automatically know I’m suggesting to increase the fruity aspect of  strawberry, even though in my own mind I might be thinking “add more of a baby doll plastic note.”  (Anyone remember Strawberry Shortcake dolls?) This ability to toggle between the deeply personal, industry-insider, and outward facing fragrance dialect is especially valuable when I’m working with a brand to create a new scent for their products. This is why I always encourage anyone I’m working with to skip the “marketing descriptors” or “perfume terms” when trying to explain what they’re looking for, and speak in plain terms about their own desired experience. Through these conversations I can learn a lot more about how each person experiences scent and have a better chance at making a good translation. I’ve learned that a big part of being a good perfumer is to be a good translator of the many scent dialects.  I’m excited to share more about the new scents I’m developing and reveal more about how this process is unfolding.

In the meantime, I ask you to develop your own inner dialect about the scents you encounter throughout the day.  As you become more attuned with your own fragrance talk, you will have a greater opportunity to find what you like with ease, regardless of the words used.

—Sherri Sebastian, Contributing Editor and perfumer for Provision Scents, all photos by Sherri Sebastian©

Sherri Sebastian is an independent perfumer and founder of luxury wellness brand, Provision Scents  provisionscents.com She’s based in Los Angeles and is the Vice President of the American Society of Perfumers.

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Provision Scents Resonance edp

Provision Scents Resonance (Sherri’s personal descriptor is “Daniel” it is her husband’s favorite

 Thanks to Provision Scents and perfumer Sherri Sebastian there is a draw for a USA registered  CaFleureBon reader (if you are not sure if you are registered click here (you must register on our site or your entry will be invalid) for a bottle of Provision Scents Resonance. To be eligible please leave a comment with what you enjoyed or learned from Sherri’s article on personal  perfume descriptors. Do you think of scent in terms of “marketing notes and descriptors” or aromas you are familiar with? Draw closes 10/7/2020

all photos Sherri Sebastian©

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37 comments

  • Shamrock1313 says:

    Never tried the house but enjoyed reading how perfumers look at notes differently. The fig tree is an example how we all lose awareness of our surroundings in the daily routine and how nice it is when we break out of it.
    I’m a notes and descriptors type of person.
    Pennsylvania USA

  • Doni says:

    Sweaty horse! I KNEW that animalic jasmine had a name! Totally agree with Sherri about the value that speaking in plain terms has when creating a perfume. The associations that we create in our childhood can be particularly important when attempting to evoke an emotion. Fortunately, I have made an effort to balance my frag-speak with ordinary language and comparison aromas, although I won’t pretend I don’t slide from time to time… Frankly there are some odours that elude adequate description. Methinks we may need to consider creating new words to fit the scent. A mix between the smell of glue and a soap bubble could be called “glubble” for instance; carbonated urine – “pizzy” and so on… I’ll phone Websters shall I? MI, USA

  • drjedi says:

    Learned a lot about how real perfumers think of notes in perfumes. There are so many notes and accords and so many chemical names, but to make the knowledge personal, it is so important to connect both the chemical names and common descriptors with one’s personal experiences, which may be different from those of others. I knew aldehydes are fruity smells, esters are flowery smells and so on, but not which aldehyde or ester relates to which particular smell, and also, which particular experience of mine. I haven’t tried anything from this house, yet. Thanks for the draw and the informative essay. Writing from the USA.

  • Trinity33 says:

    I like the plastic baby doll head descriptor and it does hit a number of memory senses; visual and olfactory. A successful fragrance conjures individual memories of time and place and it takes a talented perfumer who knows to tweak that floral note with a bit of sweaty horse. I’m definitely a person who processes scent with familiarity. Commenting from the US.

  • INYA says:

    I definitely search for fragrances that remind me of places or memories that I enjoyed. For instance, a walk through the woods or discovering the various scents of roses. Thanks for another fabulous draw. Following Notes From the Lab. Mich USA

  • Gina Kenney says:

    I definitely associate fragrances with memories. I am drawn to particular scents that I associate with a fond memory. For example, the smell of sens sens candy ( a bit of a licorice scent) reminds me of an elderly neighbor as a child who was so kind ( and always smelled like this candy). I like the example of the fig tree that Sherry explains.

  • Dami says:

    I tend to associate scents to aromas I am familiar with or to those that bring back memories, but I also like to link them to colors, textures, and sensations. This seems like a great fragrance! I am in the DFW area.

  • Brygantor says:

    This was very enlightening. It was nice being schooled on how different perfumers describe fragrances. If I decide to formulate a fragrance, I now know to say “aldehyde C16” if I want to increase the fruity aspect of strawberry, even though in my own mind I might be thinking “add more of a baby doll plastic note.”;-D

    I only associate. scent with aromas I am familiar with, and I liked the series on Facebook.

    I live in Waldorf, MD, USA.

  • Dubaiscents says:

    I always find articles about the inner workings of the perfume industry fascinating. Sherri’s story about “making the top note happy” and her friend not having any idea what that meant made me smile. Even just as a lover of perfume, sometimes I forget that most of the world could care less what notes are in a scent or what sort of silage it has. I have been trying to take more notes on how my perfumes that I wear make me feel rather than what they smell like. I think it helps in truly understanding them. Thank you for sharing your personal insight. I would love to try this perfume! I’m in the US.

  • NiceVULady says:

    I’m not sure how I think about scents. I don’t think I think unless I’m asked about something. I “experience” scent, so I’m terrible at trying to describe it.Thank you for this fascinating article and for this terrific draw. I’m in the USA

  • Jun says:

    I liked the idea that perfumers have their own dialect when talking about perfumes that is different than what consumers are used to hearing. I also think of scents in terms of what I am familiar with and the scenario that the scent reminds me of.

  • Bill says:

    Great article. We all have our own way to describe what a fragrance “smells like” regardless of the official notes. If my wife says, “wear the baby wipe one,” I know what she’s talking about. Ha.

  • FC says:

    This is an interesting article about we may use professional jargon sometimes while forgetting that the person we are talking to is not familiar. I immed. recognized as a perfume collector that you meant to say to make the top note more cheerful. thanks for the draw. USA

  • Sngash says:

    Thank you Sherri for the illuminating article and the kind giveway. I rather like your way of thinking of describing scents based on specific experiences and scent memories. I’ve had a few experiences where a smell throws me back decades and would rather think of scents based on these memories rather than marketing descriptors 🙂 I’m in USA

  • BostonScentGuy says:

    I loved reading this article, because I am very much in the practice of defining smell not by marketing blurb but by personal scent associations. I love how Sherri talked about the different languages and vocabulary perfumers used to discuss scent. I love labdanum, and Resonance sounds like a great scent! Thanks for the draw–I’m in the US.

  • xoe says:

    Hearing about Sherri’s inner monologue and personal scent descriptions was fascinating. When I think of scent it is more in terms of personal affiliation than marketing. I am in the US.

  • Aleks says:

    I never think about the perfume in the context of marketed notes. I am not that good at sensing them anyway. I often feel other things in it and don’t feel many of the things that are officially listed. To me the perfume is a personal experience, something that often reminds me of previous experiences and details from past. I also feel it is one thing to be able to feel and understand fragrance in your own way but a something completely different to have the ability to convert what you feel and describe it to others. This post was really such a joy to read and made me think about that topic even more. I’m from Illinois, US.

  • Hashim Madani says:

    Sherri ‘s insights are nose-opening. It never occurred to me that ‘animalic’ is too generic and broad as it encompasses so many different nuanced scents. Her recommendation requires deeper thought and accuracy when speaking in plain terms about aromas. Thank you, Sherri. Great insights and advice. VA, USA.

  • wallygator88 says:

    Thank you for the great article Sherri.

    I come from the wetshaving world where we often use descriptors such as green, smokey, animalic, indolic to portray scents. This is kind of fun to look at from the context of fougeres, where everything is green, but other descriptors such as floral, bright, popping etc convey the idea ofthe scent.

    Cheers from WI, USA

  • israelfriedmann says:

    It is true that each person perceives aromas in different ways.
    It is a unique and very personal language.
    And I imagine that it will be difficult to interpret for the one who hears a description of another person.
    Certain aromas also transport me directly to places where I have already been.
    Beautiful review.!!
    FL, USA

  • patrick_348 says:

    I enjoyed the way that Sherri’s article made me think. It made me wonder the extent to which having terms to identify different scents makes you more able to identify them. Does having the right terms make you a better nose because you are able to categorize scents more precisely? Just today I was trying a sample but hadn’t read what the notes were. As soon as a read that one note was nectarine, I could smell nectarine quite specifically when I wouldn’t have listed it before. I am always amazed at how experienced perfume folks are able to pick out notes in fragrances. I’m not there yet. But I suspect having terms like “fougere” and “chypre” help you to perceive their qualites as you experience them. Very interesting article. In the US in NC.

  • jundaasian says:

    I found the idea that perfumers have their own dialect when talking about perfumes that is different than what consumers use very quite interesting. I usually think of scents in terms of the scenario that it reminds me of or the scene it reminds me of.

  • chrisskins says:

    I hope that must people don’t think of scents in terms of *just* marketing descriptors, and I was a big fan back in the early days of perfume reviewing on MUA. Marketing blah blah blahs have become so far removed from the actual scents that they are (almost) always not worth reading. That said, Resonance sounds cozy and delicious. I live in the USA.

  • Natalia306 says:

    This is description of Provision Scents Resonance: scent is all about Labdanum absolute, just the way we like it. Coming on strong then evolving, softening into the soundtrack of your day or night. Fortified with vanilla absolute, amber, and sheer woods, notes that deepen on your skin. I love what I reading, but it’s always my own experience and my nose will make decisions Love or Not my cup of tea.
    Very interesting article, I thank you for chance to try Provision Scents Resonance.
    Florida USA

  • statikstepz says:

    Please enter me in your giveaway! What I learned in Sheri’s article was to throw out the fancy talk and technical limbo jumbo with fragrance notes and all that… but instead just go with what you know, what you can relate to when describing a scent or having a scent bring u back somewhere… like that sweaty horse smell she remembered when she was a little girl. It’s just translate that way so much easier when u make it more relatable! So I would say relate it to aromas that you are familiar with!! So much better and I think the general masses of us that aren’t perfumers but like finely tuned collectors, can relate and understand that a lot better! Thanks for the opportunity and hope I win!! Another great review!

  • C K says:

    I really enjoyed this article. It made me think and want to be more conscious of scents I encounter and how I think about them. It makes sense that having the strong associations with scents mentioned will help to identify them and to discover likes or dislikes easier because of their attachment to memories. I believe I think of scent more in terms of notes or descriptors but would like to try to start identifying them with familiar aromas as well. Thanks for the generous giveaway, I went to the website and Resonance sounds great! I am in the U.S. and I did like Cafleurebon Notes From The Lab on facebook, I don’t have my own personal acct, I use my girlfriends for feagrance related things so it will show as liked by Amanda Golden, hope that helps. Much appreciated as always.

  • John Gahlt says:

    This is definitely a topic that is important to raise. Unfortunately, a lot of people do not rely on their own feelings and senses when testing a scent, but on what the marketing press release suggests listing the main notes. In this sense, the words of Sherri Sebastian are very close to me. After all, a scent is your experience, background, your personal perception, therefore nothing will ever be objective as regards the description of fragrances. A true professional should, taking this into account, compose a fragrance in accordance with the feelings of the customer. A perfumer must have taste, flair and empathy.
    AL, USA

  • Elizabeth T. says:

    It’s so interesting to read about the inner workings of Sherri’s creative process. I love reading lists of notes, but it’s not until you smell a perfume that you really can associate it with past experiences of it’s different facets. And of course, wearing it is when you start to associate it with new experiences and feelings. Thank you for the article and generous draw! I’m in the USA.

  • Maya says:

    Scents for me are very basic. It’s simply a matter of – does this smell good to me? “Marketing notes and descriptors” or aromas I am familiar with don’t matter much to me. It is interesting though to find out how Sherri Sebastian perceives scents. I absolutely love her Provisions Maitri!
    Live in the US.

  • vickalicious says:

    I really loved the line, “Linking an ingredient with a personal experience makes for unforgettable linguistic scent descriptors”. When considering fragrances, I appreciate both the “marketing notes and descriptors” as well as aromas I’m familiar with. I’ve never tried anything from Provision Scents, and Resonance sounds amazing. Thank you, USA.

  • supima says:

    I really love the idea that perfumers have their own dialect when talking about perfumes. I definitely associate scents with aromas you are familiar with instead of the described notes. And I look for scents that evoke pleasant memories.

    Florida, USA

  • doveskylark says:

    Sherri’s article made me think back to high school chemistry. It was the only class I failed. This article didn’t stir up any bad memories, though. In fact, the opposite. Now, much older, I want to study some basic chemistry. Maybe now I have more time to concentrate on the formulas and equations. I think how perfume sparked my great love for/interest in geography. Why not chemistry? Why not approach scent in terms of chemistry?

    I loved seeing Sherri’s handwritten notes.

    I live in the USA.

  • Michael Prince says:

    I enjoyed reading Sherri’s article on personal  perfume descriptors. It’s so cool how people use fragrance smells and associations with certain memories. It’s true that there are also dialects with certain notes and smells. This article really opened my eyes to this. I try to associate my fragrance with the notes listed and marketing descriptions. Sometimes I do associate certain notes or accords with other fragrances or certain smells I experienced growing up. I am from the USA.

  • KateD says:

    I can only imagine being able to store all of those chemicals and descriptors in your head and then be able to combine them into something pleasing or even amazing…or to know what might be missing from a formulation to make it perfect. It really is the ability to translate. One of the things I love about fragrance is that it has the can evoke feelings and moods without words or sounds. I love how it sneaks into our brains and pulls out memories.

  • helenlam says:

    Isn’t this just a way to make memorization easier? I remember when studying I’d need to associate a story/memory to compounds too, so it just seems like a logical method for me. But communicating and using vocabulary specific to your audience is definitely a useful skill regardless of the individual industry! We all have a different idea/association with different notes anyways… I don’t imagine that smells translated to each individual in the exact same way. I live in the USA. Thanks for the giveaway!

  • Michele Miller says:

    I actually wanted to comment before I even noticed the draw! As a lay person, I found Sherri’s article extremely interesting. When I experience a fragrance, I typically try to mentally identify the notes I am smelling. Often, when a fragrance hits the right notes for me (see what I did there – LOL) the journey the fragrance takes me on causes me to identify the notes much as she described in the article – by place and/or experience. I really enjoyed the clear insight!