What Are The Different Fragrance Notes?
Fragrance notes are the individual ingredients that, when combined, create a beautiful perfume accord. An accord is the final result of the unique combination of notes, with each note playing a role in the final scent. Fragrance notes are divided into three key elements: top notes, middle notes (heart notes), and base notes. These terms describe each note’s weight in the scent.
TOP NOTES
Top Notes are the lightest notes, the first ingredients you smell in a fragrance that give it its first impression. They’re often citrus scents, such as lemon, grapefruit, bergamot, and mandarin.
MIDDLE NOTES
Middle Notes fall between top notes and base notes in terms of longevity. They create the foundation of all fragrances, accounting for 40–80% of the total scent. Heart notes come to the forefront when the initial smell of the top note subsides, making way for the fragrance’s core. These notes are full-bodied and may include ylang-ylang, lemongrass, lavender, and cinnamon.
BASE NOTES
Base Notes are the heaviest ingredients in the perfume accord from a molecular standpoint. These notes are often recognized after the top and heart notes have faded away. They make up 10-25% of the total scent and are used to uplift other notes while extending their longevity. Standard base notes include cedarwood, tonka bean, vanilla, and musk.
What Are Some Universally Loved Fragrances?
Not sure where to start your fragrance journey? Here, you can find all our best-selling scents in one place. Explore these customer favorites to find inspiration for your next signature scent.
Why Do Perfumes Smell Different On Everyone?
Although top notes may be alluring when smelled from the bottle, the scent can change once applied. This is due to your unique body chemistry; i.e., your skin’s unique pH level and oiliness, or individual dietary differences. Fragrances tend to smell different on different people, so the best way to choose one is to smell it on your skin. Placing cologne on pulse points (where veins run close to the skin) provides the fragrance with warmth, allowing the scent to develop its true depth. Here’s a tip to help your fragrance last: avoid applying onto dry skin. Ideally, you would spray onto skin still slightly damp from the bath or shower, or you can use unscented moisturizer or petroleum jelly first to prep the skin.
Sign up for text messages
Download NM App
