Sillage in perfume refers to the trail created by a perfume when it is worn on the skin. It comes from the word in French for "wake" and can best be described as how a fragrance diffuses behind the wearer as they move.

What does sillage mean in perfume?

"'Sillage' is the French word for the perfume trail left in the air when someone leaves the room, similar to the 'wake' of a boat or the track of waves that it makes behind it as it moves through the water," explains Sue Phillips, CEO of fragrance and consulting firm Scenterprises.

Is sillage good or bad?

Minimal sillage is best if you want to keep your scent out of the limelight. Light-sillage scents are perfect for intimate occasions or formal evenings when you don't want to risk making too strong an impression with your scent. You might not make an impression from a distance, but you will when you are up close.