Fragrance Terms

This glossary is your guide to the world of perfumery. It will help you choose home fragrances with more confidence, and understand more deeply the philosophy of purity and mindfulness that BAGO family stands for.

Basic Concepts and Classification

Getting to know fragrance begins with the language used to talk about it. Here are the key terms that form the foundation of that language.

• Absolute — a highly concentrated, powerful aromatic material extracted from flowers or plants using volatile solvents. This intricate technique was developed at the beginning of the twentieth century. Absolutes are rare and precious ingredients: producing a single kilogram of Turkish rose absolute takes around 900 kilograms of petals. Unlike essential oils, absolutes are thicker, more concentrated liquids.
• Accord — a harmonious blend of at least two aromatic substances that together create a distinct, unified olfactory effect. If a fragrance is a piece of music, an accord is several notes sounding at once. The familiar Chypre scent, for example, is a classic accord built from moss, citrus, and woody oils.
• Fragrance — in perfumery, the word describes the finished, deliberately composed scent of a product, as opposed to “odor,” which more often refers to a raw material or an individual note. A fragrance is the result of a perfumer's creative work.
• Base — a perfumery composition with a relatively simple scent, obtained by blending several raw materials. Bases were developed in the mid-twentieth century to help perfumers build new fragrances. They are a kind of prepared component: some imitate the scent of a flower (jasmine, for instance), while others are abstract, like the famous Prunol with its candied-plum character.
• Diffusion — the ability of a fragrance to travel through space. For the home fragrances BAGO family is known for, this quality matters especially. Good diffusion means the scent fills a room gently and evenly, creating an atmosphere of comfort around you.
• Chypre — not the name of one particular perfume but an entire fragrance family, named after the legendary Chypre by Coty, released in 1917. A classic chypre is a complex accord of citrus (bergamot), floral notes (rose, jasmine), woody notes (patchouli), and — most important of all — oakmoss, which gives the fragrance depth and staying power.
• Fougère — another celebrated family. The French word fougère means “fern.” A classic fougère is built on lavender, oakmoss, and coumarin, a substance that smells of fresh-cut hay. These are very fresh compositions, often described as masculine or unisex.

The Structure of a Fragrance and How It Unfolds

Every well-made fragrance is a complex composition that reveals itself gradually on the skin or in the air. It is a journey in three stages.

• Top notes — the lightest and most volatile components. They are what we perceive in the first few seconds, when we lift a blotter to the nose or apply the fragrance to skin. Top notes set the first impression. As a rule they are fresh and invigorating: citrus (lemon, bergamot), green (leaves, grass), or aromatic (lavender, rosemary). Their job is to catch attention.
• Heart notes (middle notes) — the “soul” of a fragrance, emerging once the top notes have lifted away. They shape the essential character of the composition and last considerably longer. This is where floral, spicy, or fruity notes most often sound. Heart notes are what we remember as the “main” scent.
• Base notes — the most tenacious and “deepest” components. They appear last and stay with you longest, for several hours or even days. Base notes create the trail and the overall impression of a fragrance. They are typically woody, spicy, ambery, or musky, and they make a scent warm, sensual, and complete.
• Blotter — a narrow strip of special odorless paper used to sample a fragrance. In stores, perfume is applied to it so you can assess the scent without putting it on your skin. A fragrance unfolds a little differently on a blotter than on skin, but it is an excellent way to form a first impression.

Processes and Techniques

How fragrances are made is a science in itself, drawing on a range of methods for extracting and processing aromatic substances.

• Distillation — one of the oldest methods of obtaining essential oils. Steam is passed through plant material (fresh or dried flowers, leaves, bark), carrying the volatile aromatic compounds with it. The steam is then cooled, and an oily layer gathers on the surface of the water — that layer is the essential oil.
• Concrete — an intermediate product obtained when plants are extracted with volatile solvents. It is a solid, waxy substance containing essential oils along with resins and waxes. Further processing with alcohol turns a concrete into an absolute.
• Extraction — the general name for every method of drawing aromatic substances out of plant material with solvents. Perfumery uses several kinds: distillation, volatile-solvent extraction (which yields concretes and absolutes), and modern technologies such as supercritical CO₂ extraction.

Home Fragrance Terms

A separate section of the glossary covers the terms used in creating, choosing, and living with fragrances for the home. These concepts will help you find your way around home fragrance and make a mindful choice.

Aromatic diffuser — a device or decorative bottle that scents an interior space at home or in the office. The classic version is a glass vessel filled with fragrance liquid, into which special reeds are placed. Capillary action draws the fragrance up the reeds, where it evaporates gradually and fills the room. Unlike candles, diffusers are safe to use around children and pets and can run continuously for weeks or even months.

Diffuser reeds — porous sticks placed in a bottle of fragrance liquid. They are made from a range of materials: rattan, bamboo, reed, or synthetic fiber. BAGO home uses pressed fiber reeds that carry no scent of their own and convey the perfumery composition faithfully. The number of reeds lets you adjust the intensity of the fragrance: the more you use, the richer the scent.

Refill — a replacement fill for an aromatic diffuser. It is a spare bottle of fragrance liquid that extends the life of a diffuser you love without buying a new one. Refills are an economical, environmentally sound solution, fully in keeping with the principles of mindful consumption.

Scented candle — a source not only of fragrance but of a particular, intimate atmosphere, thanks to a living flame. Candles create comfort and can set the scene for a romantic mood or a ritual. Unlike diffusers, candles burn for a limited time (25 to 80 hours) and need to be watched while lit. BAGO home makes its candles from 100% soy wax, which burns safely and releases no harmful substances.

Scented spray — an express way to transform the atmosphere of a room in an instant. Unlike diffusers and candles, a spray creates its accent immediately, letting you refresh the air quickly or leave a light trail of fragrance on a favorite textile.

Sachet — a compact accessory filled with fragrant herbs, flowers, spices, or a special mineral powder infused with a fragrance composition. Sachets are ideal for small enclosed spaces: dressing rooms, dresser drawers, linen closets. They keep clothes from turning musty and leave a light, barely perceptible trace of a favorite scent. BAGO home fills its sachets with natural mineral powder.

Wax sachet — a solid fragrance piece made of wax and oils, the counterpart of a classic sachet. It holds its scent exceptionally well and is perfect for a wardrobe.

Aroma card — a modern, innovative fragrance carrier: a compact panel made of high-tech EVA (ethylene-vinyl acetate). The production technology infuses the material with fragrance oils during mixing rather than coating the surface, which guarantees a clean, steady rendering of the composition throughout its working life of up to 6 weeks. An aroma card needs no heat, no electricity, and no maintenance at all, which makes it exceptionally safe and versatile. A single card scents an area of up to 6 m², making it suitable for a car interior, wardrobes and dressing rooms, linen drawers, travel bags, and suitcases. BAGO home aroma cards come in the elegant Neoclassic collection, with compositions by leading European fragrance houses

Fragrance liquid — the foundation of a home fragrance, and it has to be safe and well made. Ideally it is a natural formulation based on organic solvents and natural essential oils rather than cheap synthetic fragrance compounds. BAGO home uses a unique plant-based “green” solution that carries no scent of its own.

Longevity — the measure of how long a fragrance will fill your home. Well-made compositions can keep sounding for anywhere from several weeks to several months.

Intensity — the richness of a scent. It can often be adjusted, for example by the number of reeds in a diffuser.

Odor neutralization — the ability of certain formulas not merely to mask unpleasant odors but to remove them effectively, leaving a clean olfactory space. BAGO home achieves this with the innovative METAZENE® technology in the Home Detox collection.

This glossary is only the first step into the world of fragrance. Behind every term lies a whole history, decades of experimentation and, of course, a love of the craft. That love, and the pursuit of purity, are what the philosophy of the BAGO family brands is built on as they create safe, natural fragrances for your home.