Can you choose a perfume by notes?

Like a second skin, your perfume reveals your personality, your tastes and your state of mind. To find your perfect fragrance, you’ll need to be guided by its notes. Not sure where to begin? We’ve got plenty of advice on how to choose the right scent.

Perfume, a very specific olfactory structure

We talk about an “olfactory pyramid” when describing a fragrance’s composition. As such, a perfume is made up of three notes that correspond to different scents, from the most fleeting to the most long-lasting:

- Top notes: these are the scents that are released from the bottle as soon as the perfume is opened. This fragrant explosion doesn’t last and gradually gives way to heart notes.
- Heart notes: these notes take longer to reveal themselves but linger on the skin for longer.
- Base notes: these scents are more persistent and give the perfume its body. They last all day long and even into the early hours...

Olfactory families: let your senses do the talking!

Olfactory families can be used to categorize perfumes, based on their specific olfactory characteristics. Let us explain:

- Woody: these notes are essential in perfumery, helping to bind the perfume’s base notes. Sandalwood, patchouli, cedar and vetiver give the fragrance its body.
- Chypre: this is a truly unique accord. Composed of rose, bergamot, patchouli, rockrose, jasmine and oakmoss, it’s superbly seductive!
- Floral: these fragrances can recreate a bouquet or convey a single floral note. Rose, violet, iris and jasmine are basic floral scents in perfumery.
- Hesperide: totally refreshing! Hesperide accords feature citrus fruits including grapefruit, green tangerine and lemon.
- Fougère: the name comes from the French word for “fern”, but don’t worry, that’s not what it smells like! Lavender, geranium, coumarin and oak leaf make up this original floral accord.
- Leather: this scent reproduces the characteristic smell of leather. Featuring notes of flowers, hay and tobacco, it creates a unique woody scent with undeniable sex appeal!
-Oriental: renowned for their incredible sensuality, oriental fragrances are characterized by their mellow, mesmerizing accords. Amber, vanilla, musky and spicy notes create an overwhelmingly seductive scent!

How should you choose a perfume by notes?

A fragrance’s top notes appear as soon as you spray it. If you instantly fall in love with a fragrance, slow down! These initial scents are particularly volatile and fade over time. To ensure that you really are attracted to a certain fragrance, it’s best to wait a few hours for the heart notes and base notes to appear.

Before deciding once and for all on a fragrance, remember that a perfume’s notes vary from person to person: spray it on your wrist and wait a moment before getting a glimpse of it in all its glory!

Choosing a perfume by notes is the ideal way to reveal your personality. Be inspired by a fragrance’s scents and accords to find the perfect perfume! Don’t trust your nose? Find out information about perfume layering, how to choose a perfume for the season, for your age, for your personality or even a perfume for a wedding.