Seamus Hammond
Fragrance notes are the individual scent layers of ingredients that, when combined, form a unified, pleasing perfume. They are typically categorised into three types: top notes, heart or middle notes, and base notes. Each note plays a specific role in the fragrance's development and longevity. Top notes are the scents you detect first after spraying a perfume. They usually consist of lighter and smaller molecules, such as citrus or light floral scents, and evaporate quickly. Heart notes make up the heart of the fragrance, retaining some of the top notes' aroma while introducing new scents. They are the main character of the perfume and last longer than top notes. Base notes are the foundation of the fragrance, boosting the lighter notes while adding depth and resonance. They are rich, heavy, and long-lasting, sinking into your skin and lingering for hours.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Top notes | Citrus fruits, herbs, and light florals. |
| Lemon, orange, bergamot, basil, anise, lavender, and rose. | |
| Heart/middle notes | Florals, spices, and fruits. |
| Jasmine, geranium, neroli, ylang-ylang, cinnamon, pepper, pine, lemongrass, black pepper, cardamom, saffron, rose, tuberose, and coconut water. | |
| Base notes | Woods, musk, and vanilla. |
| Sandalwood, cedarwood, patchouli, amber, and cashmere wood. |
Top notes
Citrus scents are commonly used as top notes, providing a refreshing and effervescent quality to the fragrance. Examples of citrus top notes include lemon, orange, bergamot, and grapefruit. These scents can be combined with herbal or woody notes to create a brighter and more modern fragrance.
In addition to citrus, light floral scents are also popular top notes. Fragrances such as lavender and rose fall into this category. Basil, anise, and other fresh herbs can also be used as top notes, adding a unique twist to the fragrance.
When choosing a fragrance, it's important to consider not only the top notes but also the middle and base notes, as they all work together to create a harmonious scent. Perfumers carefully blend these notes to evoke specific emotions and moods in the wearer, creating a captivating olfactory experience.
Some popular top notes found in colognes include bergamot, grapefruit, lemon, orange zest, cardamom, lavender, jasmine sambac, and peppermint. These scents can be combined in various ways to create unique and appealing fragrances.
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Heart/middle notes
Heart notes, also known as middle notes, are the scents that emerge after the top notes fade. They form the core of the fragrance and are often floral, fruity, or spicy. Heart notes contribute to the overall character and longevity of the scent. They typically make up around 40% to 80% of the final fragrance and last longer than top notes. Heart notes include full-bodied, aromatic floral oils like jasmine, geranium, neroli, and ylang-ylang, as well as cinnamon, pepper, pine, lemongrass, black pepper, and cardamom.
Heart notes are what you smell on your skin after wearing a fragrance for a few hours. They are considered the 'main character' of a perfume. For example, a fragrance described as floral will have floral heart notes. Heart notes have a complex role as they bring together the fresh top notes and warm base notes, making up the heart of a fragrance.
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Base notes
Some fragrances from the Charlotte Tilbury collection that feature base notes include:
- Love Frequency: base notes of sensual musk, warm cashmere wood, alluring ambery woods, and intoxicating patchouli heart.
- Joyphoria: base notes of enchanting vanilla bean extract, velvety cashmere wood, and powdery musks.
- Calm Bliss: base notes of cashmere wood, spiritual palo santo accord, ambergris accord, and olibanum resinoid.
- Magic Energy: base notes of cashmere wood, powdery musks, and sensual sandalwood oil Caledonia.
- Cosmic Power: base notes of mystical amber accord, enchanting vanilla bean extract, and powdery musks.
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Fragrance families
Fragrance notes are the individual layers of scent that, when combined, form a unified, pleasing perfume. They are typically categorised into three types: top notes, heart or middle notes, and base notes. Each note has a specific role in the development and longevity of the fragrance.
Top Notes
Top notes, also known as head notes, are the first scents you smell when you spray a perfume. They are usually composed of lighter, smaller molecules, such as citrus and fruity ingredients, and they evaporate quickly, lingering for only the first five to fifteen minutes. Their main purpose is to give off an initial scent and then smoothly transition into the next part of the fragrance. Common top notes include lemon, orange, bergamot, lavender, rose, basil and anise.
Heart/Middle Notes
Heart notes, also referred to as middle notes, are the scents that emerge after the top notes fade. They form the core of the fragrance and are considered to be the 'main character' of a perfume. Heart notes make up around 40-80% of the final fragrance and usually last longer than top notes. They include full-bodied, aromatic floral oils like jasmine, geranium, neroli and ylang-ylang, as well as spices such as cinnamon, pepper, pine, lemongrass, black pepper and cardamom.
Base Notes
Base notes are the foundation of the fragrance and become more prominent as the top and middle notes dissipate. They are rich, deep and long-lasting, and they kick in about 30 minutes after application, mixing with the middle notes to create the full body of the perfume. Base notes are predominantly composed of woody, balsamic and musky ingredients. Popular base notes include vanilla, amber, musk, patchouli, moss and woody notes like sandalwood and cedarwood.
The four main fragrance families are warm, woody, oriental and fresh. Each effect is brought out by different combinations of fragrances.
- Fresh fragrances usually comprise citrus, water and green notes, resulting in refreshing, zesty and vibrant smells. Citrus-based fragrances typically include lemon, mandarin and bergamot, while water fragrances are made with aquatic notes like sea spray. Fresh green fragrances are often herbal and leafy, with notes of lavender, rosemary or basil.
- Warm fragrances use more florals and juicy fruit scents.
- Woody fragrances are warm and mysterious, often favoured for evening wear. They use wood-based smells like cedarwood, sandalwood, vetiver and amber. Woody fragrances are split into mossy woods with an earthy, sweet undertone, and dry woods with a smoky, leathery smell.
- Oriental fragrances are warm, sweet and sometimes spicy. This luxurious fragrance family includes floral oriental, soft oriental and woody oriental scents. Oriental fragrances are rich and sensual, often made with notes of cardamom, cinnamon, vanilla, jasmine, orchid and orange blossom.
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How to choose a fragrance
Choosing a fragrance can be a daunting experience. Here is a comprehensive guide to help you select a scent that you will love for years.
Fragrance Notes
Firstly, it is important to understand what fragrance notes are. Similar to musical notes, fragrance notes are the individual components that, when combined, form a unified, pleasing perfume. These notes are the building blocks of a fragrance and contribute to its overall scent profile. Fragrance notes are typically categorised into three main types: top notes, heart notes (or middle/mid notes), and base notes. Each note plays a specific role in the fragrance's development and longevity.
Top Notes
Top notes, sometimes referred to as head notes, form the top layer of a fragrance. They are the scents you detect first after spraying a perfume, setting the first impression. Top notes usually evaporate quickly, lingering for only the first five to fifteen minutes. Their main purpose is to give off an initial scent and then smoothly transition into the next part of the fragrance. As a result, top notes generally consist of lighter and smaller molecules. Common top notes include citrus scents such as lemon, orange, and bergamot, as well as light floral scents like lavender and rose. Basil and anise are also commonly used as top notes.
Heart Notes
Heart notes make up the "heart" of the fragrance. They retain some of the top notes' aroma while introducing new scents to deepen the experience. Sometimes referred to as middle notes, heart notes also serve as a buffer for the base notes, which may not smell as pleasant on their own. Heart notes typically last longer than top notes, appearing as the top notes start to fade, and remain evident for the full life of the fragrance. Heart notes include full-bodied, aromatic floral oils like jasmine, geranium, neroli, and ylang-ylang, as well as spices like cinnamon, pepper, pine, lemongrass, black pepper, and cardamom.
Base Notes
Base notes, along with middle notes, form the foundation of the fragrance. They help boost the lighter notes while adding depth and resonance. Since they form the perfume's foundation, base notes are rich, heavy, and long-lasting. They kick in about 30 minutes after application and work together with the middle notes to create the fragrance's scent. Since base notes sink into your skin, their scent lingers the longest, up to six hours or more. Popular base notes include vanilla, amber, musk, patchouli, moss, and woody notes like sandalwood and cedarwood.
Understanding Your Preferences
When choosing a fragrance, it is important to consider your preferences. Think about the scents you already love in your daily life. This could be the coconut shampoo at your gym, the fresh and green body wash you use, or the soft and mineral smell of your clothes after laundry. These can serve as a great starting point for finding your ideal scent. You can also consider the fragrance families: warm, woody, oriental, and fresh. Fresh scents usually comprise citrus, water, and green notes, giving a refreshing, zesty, and vibrant smell. Warm scents tend to use more florals and juicy fruit scents. Oriental fragrances are warm, sweet, and sometimes spicy, often made with notes of cardamom, cinnamon, and vanilla, alongside floral notes like jasmine and orchid. Woody fragrances are warm and mysterious, often favoured by men, and use wood-based smells like cedarwood, sandalwood, vetiver, and amber.
Testing Fragrances
Before purchasing a fragrance, it is important to test it on your skin. Our skin has a unique chemical makeup that can alter the way a fragrance smells. Spray a small amount on your wrists, wait a few moments, and then smell the scent. Depending on your chemical makeup, it can enhance or diminish the smell, or change it in other ways.
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Frequently asked questions
Fragrance notes are the individual components or layers of a cologne that, when combined, create its overall scent.
There are three main types of fragrance notes: top notes, heart/middle notes, and base notes.
Top notes are the first scents you smell when you spray cologne. They are light and volatile, lasting only 5-15 minutes. Examples include citrus scents like bergamot and lemon, and spices like cardamom.
Heart or middle notes form the body of a cologne and appear after the top notes fade. They last longer, around 3-5 hours, and can be floral, fruity, or spicy. Examples include rose, jasmine, and cinnamon.
Base notes are the foundation of a cologne's scent, providing depth and longevity. They are rich, aromatic ingredients that emerge after the middle notes and can last 8 hours or more. Examples include sandalwood, cedarwood, vanilla, and musk.
