Every perfume.
A world within.
Enter the art, ingredients and imagination of perfumery. A living encyclopedia by master perfumer Maria Nicolaeva – CYDIVA.
EXPLORE THE ENCYCLOPEDIA ↗︎MEET MARIA NICOLAEVA
A deeper world of perfume.
10 notes in the
2026 conversation.
From pistachio and matcha to osmanthus and rice: explore the smell, the material and the composition.
EXPLORE THE NEW INGREDIENT GUIDES ↗
Follow your curiosity.
Discover what is inside a fragrance, how it is composed, and how to understand what you smell.
Pistachio in Perfume: Nutty, Green and Creamy Notes
What does pistachio smell like in perfume? Explore its nutty-green character, gourmand accords, useful contrasts and how to compare pistachio fragrances.
READ THE GUIDE ↗︎
Matcha in Perfume: Green Tea, Creaminess and Dry Woods
Discover matcha in perfume: grassy tea accords, creamy interpretations, woody contrasts and the difference between a tea note and a botanical extract.
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Osmanthus in Perfume: Apricot, Tea and Leather Facets
What does osmanthus smell like? Explore its fruity-floral absolute, apricot and leather facets, extraction context and role in perfume composition.
READ THE GUIDE ↗︎
Guava in Perfume: Tropical Fruit Beyond Simple Sweetness
Explore guava perfume notes, tropical fruit accords, creamy and green contrasts, and how to read guava fragrance descriptions without guessing the formula.
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Rice Notes in Perfume: Steam, Grain and Soft Texture
Discover rice notes in perfume: steamed-rice accords, grain-like softness, floral and musky settings, and how to compare modern rice-inspired fragrances.
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Sesame in Perfumery: Toasted, Nutty and Savoury Facets
What does sesame smell like in perfume? Explore toasted and earthy facets, savoury gourmand effects, composition contrasts and a documented fragrance example.
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Milk Notes in Perfume: Understanding Lactonic Scents
Learn what lactonic means in perfume, how milk accords differ from literal dairy ingredients, and how creaminess interacts with woods, tea and gourmand notes.
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Cacao in Perfume: Bitter Cocoa and Chocolate Accords
Explore cacao in perfume: bitter cocoa, chocolate accords, roasted texture and the way rose, woods and patchouli can change a gourmand fragrance.
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Honey in Perfume: Nectar, Beeswax and Floral Warmth
What does honey smell like in perfume? Explore nectar-like sweetness, waxy texture, floral and balsamic settings, and the difference between honey notes and ingredients.
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Peach in Perfume: Juicy Fruit, Soft Skin and Woody Depth
Discover peach in perfume: juicy and velvety accords, floral and woody contrasts, an official fragrance example and a practical guide to comparing peach notes.
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Bergamot
The luminous opening of perfumery
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Rose
A flower with a thousand facets
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Jasmine
The expansive heart of white florals
READ THE GUIDE ↗︎
Orris
The quiet luxury behind an iris note
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Vanilla
Warmth beyond sweetness
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Vetiver
Roots, earth and elegant dryness
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Patchouli
The depth beneath the composition
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Sandalwood
A study in creamy woods
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Amber
An accord, not a single ingredient
READ THE GUIDE ↗︎
Floral
From a single flower to an imagined bouquet
READ THE GUIDE ↗︎
Woody
Structure, texture and lasting presence
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Citrus
Freshness with an architectural role
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Understanding the perfume pyramid
Top, heart and base without the myths
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Eau de parfum and eau de toilette
Concentration is only part of the story
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How to smell a perfume
Build a useful olfactory vocabulary
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Extraction methods explained
From botanical material to a perfumer’s palette
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Natural and synthetic ingredients
Two parts of the perfumer’s palette
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Accords and notes
The difference between a material and an illusion
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Building a fragrance wardrobe
Choose by experience, not by rules
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Storing your perfumes
Protect the fragrance you chose
READ THE GUIDE ↗︎Four paths into scent.
Learn to smell. Then understand.
Maria Nicolaeva.
Master perfumer.
CYDIVA is Maria Nicolaeva’s world of perfume: a place to explore ingredients, understand composition and develop a more personal relationship with scent.
The encyclopedia brings together the vocabulary of perfume and the questions that make discovery interesting—from the character of a single ingredient to the way an entire fragrance unfolds.
DISCOVER CYDIVA ↗︎A few words. A richer experience.
A combination of materials perceived as a coherent olfactory effect.
The later character of a fragrance as its opening changes.
The scent trail left by a person wearing fragrance.
A composition built around the impression of one flower.
A concentrated aromatic material obtained through an extraction and processing sequence.
A paper strip used to evaluate the development of a fragrance.