With the term raw materials we define substances with different origins, natural and synthetic, which once extracted from plants (at one time also from animals), or obtained in the laboratory thanks to particular chemical reactions, are used by fragrance creators (or “noses”) to compose fragrances.

They have been divided in terms of their olfactory affinity into 18 groups called facets, which are then further organised into a pyramidal structure following their level of volatility. To talk about facets therefore means a definition of the areas which group together raw materials based on their olfactory characteristics; for example citrus fruits, with their sunny lively and sparkling Mediterranean notes; aromatic plants, fresh and toning; flowers, fresh and opulent as they can be, filled with sensuality which can be either delicate and romantic or sometimes less subtle and more direct; woody notes, with their infinite range of shades, from the most exotic precious woods such as sandalwood, patchouli, or African woods, or those more familiar such as cedar, pine or oak moss, all elegant and refined; spices, with their power and their warmth, capacity to transport us to far away lands, mysterious and fascinating...

The composition of a fragrance is a balancing game between various sensations, an evocative journey suggested by the creator, whose pathway is represented by the choice of raw materials, and their relative proportions, from the harmonious order with which they present themselves to our nose.  

The various facets to which the raw materials selected by the perfume creator belong to contribute in delineating and completing the personality of the fragrance, defined as olfactory family . The olfactory family therefore refers to a classification of perfumed compositions; also called the dominating facet it is composed as already described from raw materials of similar olfactory affinity.