1. a borrowed language:

perfume-related vocabulary is poor as the sense of smell has always been neglected. Moreover, fragrances are experienced in a very personal perception. the best way to describe a scent is to borrow terms from other fields that can be understood by anybody (art, food,...)

2. Universal but personal

while a fragrance might evoke a specific idea/concept, it can fuel different reactions among individuals according to their tastes, personal experiences, etc... as the olfactory system is directly linked with the brain, a perfume can bring back far memories.

3. culturally-conditioned

According to culture and their values, people might have different perception of a scent. while a fragrance might be linked with a specific attribute on one market, this can differ in another one (clean, fresh, sensual, natural)