In perfumery, notes are descriptors of scents that can be sensed upon the application of a perfume. Notes are separated into three classes: top/head notes, middle/heart notes, and base notes; which denote groups of scents which can be sensed with respect to the time after the application of a perfume. Perfume notes could be identified based on the time passed after the application of the perfume.
There are 3 common types of Perfume Notes, one has to know so as to know how to combine and stay fresh. Top notes are those you smell immediately after the perfume first touches your skin. Once this initial burst fades, the heart notes kick in to form the essence of the perfume. Base notes are the scent that lasts the longest and is the one you remember most.
Every note adds a certain quality to the fragrance. Some of the most common fragrance note categories include fresh, floral, spice, fruits, woods, and musk, each which are typically used in specific note categories. For instance, fresh and floral scents are almost always top notes while woody and musky scents typically appear toward the bottom of the note pyramid.
Types of Perfume Notes
Here are the the different types of perfume notes along with an explanation of how they’re used.
Fresh Notes
Fresh notes are light and citrusy in nature, making them popular as top notes. Notes like orange and bergamot give a fragrance its freshness and sweetness, while lemon and bergamot have a more bitter sharpness. Suitable for a work, you could wear it for an interview.
Floral Notes
Floral notes add a natural feel to a fragrance. They are often used as top or heart notes and can be mixed with other notes for a more dramatic scent. Jasmine is another popular floral note with its fruity and white floral scent, while ylang-ylang adds a more tropical touch. Floral often represents feminine, this should be the ladies best bet.
Fruit Notes
Fruity notes are most commonly used as middle notes, as they blend easily with other notes and can add more depth to a fragrance. For example, blackberry adds a rich, musky scent, while notes like apple and strawberry give off a sweet and juicy vibe. And it’s mostly good for romance or at a romantic serene.
Spice Notes
Spice notes are used to add warmth and potency to a fragrance, mixing particularly well with floral notes in the heart of a perfume. Notes like cinnamon and nutmeg add spice and sweetness, while others like rosemary and basil possess an herbal quality.
Wood Notes
Sandalwood and patchouli are two wood notes that are often used in a fragrance’s base to strengthen the scent’s lifetime. While most wood notes have an earthy quality, some like cedarwood and oud provide a nice sweet scent. Good sensation for summer.
Musk Notes
Musky notes are most frequently found in the base notes of fragrances. Their richness helps to fill in the foundation and increase the duration of the scent. The different types of musk, from black musk to cashmere musk, means that these scents can add a unique trait to any fragrance. A scent of rich ness, would go no wrong for a date.
