Your friends would recognize you with their eyes closed, because your perfume is an integral part of your identity. We all have a favorite, without knowing why. Anyway, don’t we say that tastes and smells cannot be discussed? We are going to teach you how to decipher the composition of a perfume through its notes. Are you ready to conquer the most mysterious of your five senses?
Understand the olfactory pyramid
a veritable orchestra of notes

The traditional structure of a perfume is divided into three notes which form a pyramid. It is a skilful balance between top, heart and base notes, of which the master perfumers have the secret. Both artists and technicians, they all have their own style, create trends and constantly renew themselves, as in the world of fashion. With thousands of possible combinations and raw materials, each perfume is unique and becomes even more so in contact with the skin, with a different acidity according to each individual. You will see that these 3 olfactory notes intervene in turn and have a very specific role. Make way for the virtuosos of smell!
Top notes
the heady charm
The top note is the most volatile , the one you smell immediately when you vaporize the perfume. It is the note that triggers our crush or not. The higher it is, the fresher and more evanescent the fragrance. It brings a lively but fleeting explosion of scents, disappearing in a period of time that varies between a few minutes and 2 hours. The top notes are often citrus fruits, for example bergamot or yuzu, but also green and aromatic notes such as basil or elemi. These less intense notes give way to the character of the heart notes.
The heart notes
they are pounding
The heart note is the signature of the perfume, the one that gives it all its character and roundness. It follows the top note and develops for long hours . With their heavier aromatic molecules, the heart notes really permeate the skin and evolve throughout the day. They are usually floral, fruity and spicy. We can therefore find white flowers like jasmine or powdery like iris and violet. The spicy notes can be of floral origin, for example with ylang-ylang, or more full-bodied such as cinnamon, vanilla or clove. Now let’s get drunk on the base notes, at the base of the olfactory pyramid.
The base notes
the essence of remembrance
The base notes are the last to be smelled; more tenacious, they complete the complex journey of a perfume trail. It is often necessary to wait about ten hours before being able to appreciate them but they remain several days, especially when they are impregnated in textile materials in natural fibers. We owe this longer lifespan to heavier olfactory molecules, which allow the perfume to be fixed. These notes are sweet, woody and coppery, perfectly embodied by oak moss, vetiver, sandalwood, cedar or even patchouli. Top, heart and base notes, the world of fragrances no longer holds any secrets for you!