A fragrance is not a single smell. It is built in layers that reveal themselves one after another as the perfume warms on your skin. Perfumers describe these layers as top, heart and base notes, often drawn as a pyramid. Knowing how they work makes choosing a scent much easier.
Top notes: the first impression
Top notes are what you smell in the first ten to fifteen minutes. They are made of light, fast-evaporating materials such as citrus, bergamot, pink pepper, mint and other bright spices. Their job is to introduce the fragrance, and they fade quickly. That is why a perfume can smell very different at the counter compared with an hour later.
Heart notes: the character
As the top notes fade, the heart appears. It usually lasts for a few hours and gives the fragrance its personality. Florals such as rose, jasmine, iris and orange blossom often sit here, along with softer spices like cinnamon and saffron. When you describe a perfume as "a rose scent" or "a spicy scent", you are usually describing its heart.
Base notes: the memory
The base is the foundation. Rich, slow-evaporating materials such as oud, amber, sandalwood, vanilla, musk, patchouli and tonka bean anchor the lighter notes and stay on the skin the longest. The base is also what lingers on your clothes and scarf at the end of the day.
An example: Rose Noir
- Top: pink pepper, lychee and bergamot for a juicy, sparkling start.
- Heart: Damask and Turkish rose with peony.
- Base: oud accord, amber, white musk and patchouli.
The first spray is bright and fruity, the next few hours are all about rose, and by evening the scent becomes warm and velvety.
Using notes to choose
Look at the heart and base notes more than the top, because that is what you will live with for most of the day. If you love warm, cosy scents, look for amber, vanilla and tonka. If you prefer clean and fresh, look for citrus, sea notes, vetiver and white musk.
Test it properly
Spray a sample on your skin rather than on paper, and give it at least two hours before deciding. Skin chemistry, the weather and even what you ate can change how a fragrance develops, so the same perfume can smell slightly different on two people.
