Perfumes are amazing - but also amazingly complex. This is why it takes years to develop a fragrance and why perfumers, or ‘noses’ as they are called in the industry, are considered ingenious, skilful and accomplished artists. Composing a perfume out of thousands of chemical building blocks in order to translate a specific style or feeling into a fragrance, is more an art than a science. Countless books are written on the history, psychology and art of perfume – all is equally interesting, but it is a lot of information to grasp. In order to understand the basics as to better understand perfume reviews and make well-informed choices on what fragrance suits you and why, I will regularly post a ‘Perfume 101’, each time explaining about a different subject related to perfume. First topic: the anatomy of a perfume and how this influences how a fragrance is perceived over a timespan as short as minutes and hours.
A perfume doesn’t have
the same scent over time; from the moment of application to the moment that it has
vanished after a few hours, the scent that you perceive changes. To understand
why and how a perfume changes, you need to understand two basic principles
first:
(1) A perfume is
composed of several ‘notes’, that act as
the descriptors of the scent
(e.g. ‘vanilla’, ‘peony’, ‘amber’ etc.)
(2) These notes are categorized
into three groups based on their volatility, i.e. the times
they can be sensed after the application of a perfume: Top or Head Notes,
Middle or Heart Notes and Base Notes.
Most notes are ascribed to one category
only, however some notes can fall in two of those three categories, depending on
their intensity and the interval in which they can be sensed.
The Perfume Pyramid, in which fragrance notes are categorized based on their volatility
TOP/HEAD NOTES – Fresh, Lightly Sweet & Short-lived
Timing: Within the first 2-10 minutes after
application.
Description: Top or Head notes are perceived immediately upon application of a perfume and provide the first scent impression of a fragrance. In professional perfume vocabulary, this moment is described as the opening of a fragrance. Top notes are usually lighter, more volatile aromas that evaporate quickly. The scent of these notes are usually described as ‘Fresh’, ‘Fruity’ (in particular Citrus) or ‘Sharp’.
Typical Notes:
Citrus (Lemon, Mandarin, Orange Zest, Bergamot);
Light fruits (Grapefruit, Berries, Peach, Melon);
Mildly fragrant flowers (Peonies, Lilies, Neroli);
Herbs (Rosemary, Sage, Lavender, Eucalyptus).
MIDDLE/HEART NOTES – Rich, Round & Longer Lasting
Timing: From 10 minutes to 1 hour after application.
Description: Middle or Heart Notes make up the body of the blend, and are
considered the heart of a fragrance. They usually take 10-30 minutes to
fully develop on the skin and are the notes that classify the fragrance family
(floral, oriental, chypre, etc) that a perfume can be categorized under.
Typical Notes:
Fragrant
flowers (Jasmin, Gardenia, Orchid, Neroli, Orange Blossom, Bulgarian Rose);
Green
(Grass, Lemon Grass, Fennel);
Spices (Black Pepper, Cinnamon, Coriander, Clove, Nutmegg).
BASE NOTES – Deep, Dramatic & Long lasting
Timing: After 1 to 12 hours of application.
Typically, a fragrance lasts up to 4 hours, but this depends on the amount and nature of
base notes and on a person's individual skin.
Description: Base
notes provide the lasting impression and are the notes with the greatest
molecular weight. These rich notes linger on the skin and act as fixatives to
slow down evaporation of the lighter middle notes, to make the fragrance last
longer.
Typical Notes:
Wooded (Moss, Cedar, Rosewood, Sandalwood, Firewood,
Teak Amber, Tobacco);
Balsamic (Musk, Vanilla, Patchouli, Incense, Leather, Tonka Beans)
Traditional versus Linear Fragrances
When a fragrance is not
composed of the traditional top, middle and base notes, this is described as a
‘linear’ fragrance. This implicates that a perfume is sensed the same way from beginning to end
when wearing it. However, these type of fragrances
are rare, and are likely to be a more modern, niche type of perfume. Whereas
some people like the ‘what you see is what you get’ nature of linear
fragrances, other critic them as ‘flat’ and boring because they don’t have the
traditional gradual transition. For me personally it depends on the fragrance:
if a fragrance is ‘just right’ at a certain moment and not too present or
overwhelming, it can be pleasant if it doesn’t morph. If you are curious to try
out a linear perfume, try one of the following: Angel by Thierry Mugler, Aqua Allegoria series by Guerlain, Sublime
Vanille by Creed, Eternity by Calvin Klein or Gucci Flora by Gucci Eau de
Parfum. And if you want to compare the linear sensation of these perfumes with
the evolving sensation under the influence of time and top/heart/base notes,
try any perfume of Chanel – these are
very traditional, morphing fragrances that take time to develop and settle.
If you're interested to learn more, check out one of the following sources:
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