Fragrance Notes

Most people are unaware that in aromatherapy, fragrances have notes and chords. From designer perfumes to discount fragrances, there are always notes that work together to create a chord of the scent. Notes refer to the development of the perfume or cologne once it hits your skin. You may notice that a certain eau de parfum smells differently on someone else than it does on you, and this is related to the fragrance notes and skin acidity. Some people have more acidic skin, and this makes it harder for perfume to “stick” to skin and stay on all day.

What is the chord of the scent?

The chord of the scent is the harmonious blend that all of the notes together make. For example, a men's fragrance with tobacco, moss and sandalwood notes would create a woody chord of the scent, with each note playing a significant role in the overall fragrance. Elizabeth Arden's 5 th Avenue blends mandarin, linden and lilac, while the casual Boss cologne mixes bergamot, pineapple, juniper and geranium. How the scents react to your skin and which undertones appear most strongly depends on how much you use, and your skin type. Most designer fragrances and fragrance oils contain a variety of notes, which come together with one dominant scent.

Top Notes

The top note describes your first impression, so to speak. When you first open the fragrance oil or perfume bottle, what do you smell? When you spray the fragrance perfume, the top notes only last for the first 10 or 15 minutes. This is when you'll smell a burst of floral, citrusy or woody notes that may change into completely different scents as the fragrance develops on your skin. This is why you should always test a perfume or cologne for a day or two before you buy – the first sniff of your wrist is not what you should expect from your fragrance.

Middle Notes

Middle notes last much longer than top notes – around three or four hours. During this time, the various scents in the perfume will be mingling and creating the personality of the fragrance. Each individual will have different middle notes, but the main scents of the perfume or cologne will really come through at this time.

Base Notes

These come last and are considered the center of the fragrance, which is why they're called base notes. The dominant scent of the women's perfume or men's cologne really comes through in the middle notes. If the eau de toilette is predominantly focused on grapefruit but contains gardenia, for example, the grapefruit will smell stronger during the time of the middle notes than the complementary scents will.