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The Real Meaning of Perfume Notes

 by cedricrice

The term “Notes” is used by people affiliated with the perfume industry to describe the subtle changes that take place over time with the perfumes that you wear. 

The reason for different notes is that different types of molecules of the ingredients in perfumes evaporate at different rates causing different fragrance at the time of their departure. 

The fragrance or note that is prevalent at the time that you smell the fragrance is actually caused by the inhalation of different ingredients which are evaporating into the atmosphere.

When perfumers design fragrances they purposely add ingredients which will evaporate at different intervals so that the fragrance has a desired smell or produces a desired effect at that time. 


Sometimes perfumers will design fragrances to have notes that closely resemble each other throughout the duration of the event. Sometimes they will produce the fragrance so that each note will have a decidedly different effect.

There are three notes with each fragrance. The first note is called the top or first note. The top note consists of the aroma of the aggregate of ingredients that have lighter molecules which causes them to evaporate faster. 


The perfumer in effect creates three different perfumes in one when he designs a fragrance. 

He or she then has to blend all of the notes together to have a harmonious effect for the user. The way that these ingredients interact is what gives the fragrance its character.

The top note is normally a crisp clean clear fragrance most times it consists of the citrus ingredients of the fragrance and or ingredients such as ginger. 


The top note forms the first impression of a perfume. People typically decide, whether to purchase the scent based on the performance of this note. 

A savvy buyer will take the time to experience the fragrance over its entire life span before making a final decision. Another name for this note is the head note. Perfumers know the importance of this note for sales so it is designed to capture the interest of the buyer more than anything else.

The successful perfumer is able to get these notes to function in unity or balance. Balance is critical to the success of the perfume. 


You can see that designing perfumes is not a simple or easy process. The perfumer must have intimate knowledge of fragrances and ingredients used in creating fragrance.

The middle note is also known as the heart note. This note is important in that it defines the fragrance and embodies its theme. 


The middle note is formed by those molecules which take a longer time to vaporize. It emerges when the top note dissipates. 

Sometimes the fragrance is designed so that the middle note will emerge slowly. The average person can discern when this is happening if he or she monitors the change carefully.

The aroma of this note is fully-flavored, expansive, warm, soft and smooth. Aroma of lavender and rose petals are typical representatives of this class. 


It also has aroma of flowers like magnolia and honeysuckle. Generally this is where the floral type of ingredients really comes forth. It also functions to mask the initial unpleasant smell of the base note.

The last or dying note of a fragrance is known as the base note. I think that ingredients in this note are added for more for other reasons than fragrance. The base note has compounds which are usually characterized as fixatives. 


Their primary purpose is to hold the fragrance together and help to balance the effects of the other notes. 

Rich and deep are the terms usually used to describe the base note. Vetiver, musk and scents of plant resins come under this class of fragrance notes. 

Sandalwood is an excellent fixative and so are musk fragrances. The fragrances that emerge in the base or third note are normally classified as woodsy fragrances.

The combination of base note and middle note decides the main theme of the perfume. The theme is the fragrance that is most prevalent during the life of the fragrance.


The aroma of the top and middle note influences the aroma of the base note and vice versa.


Creating perfume and scented oil fragrances is just as much of an art as it is a science. Fragrance Oil Express

Fragrance Oil Express

Article Source: ArticleRich.com

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