Fragrance, perfume, incense, redolence, bouquet are comparable when denoting a sweet or pleasant odor.
Fragrance usually suggests the odor diffused by flowers or other growing things, though it is applicable to odors that merely suggest the presence of flowers.
Perfume originally applied either to the pleasantly odorous smoke emitted by some burning things (as various spices, gums, or leaves) or to some natural or prepared substance which emits a pleasant odor.
The latter sense predominates in current use, especially in reference to a preparation in liquid form, also called a scent ((for full treatment of this term see SMELL )), that contains the essence of fragrant flowers or is a synthetic concoction. When applied to an odor rather than to a preparation, perfume differs little from fragrance except that it usually, when unqualified, suggests a heavier and more redolent odor, or at least a less delicate one.
Incense is usually used in place of perfume for the agreeably odorous smoke emitted by burning spices and gums. The term, from association with the use of incense in religious ceremonial, tends to apply to odors or things comparable to odors that are not only pleasant but grateful to the senses or that for some cause uplift or are mentally or spiritually exalting.
Redolence usually implies a mixture of fragrant, often pungently agreeable, odors.
Bouquet applies especially to the distinctive fragrance of a good wine, which is perceptible when one inhales the delicate and agreeable odor, but it may be extended to other delicate and distinctive odors (as of cooking food) that suggest the excellent savory character of the source of the odor.