I've talked about scent being so similar to music before in the way that it has the power to evoke memories so strongly when you smell a familiar fragrance, just like when you listen to a particular piece of music, you can be transported back to a certain place. Another way they are similar is how they are composed.
Like musical notes make up a song, shades of colour create a painting, blending the perfect balance of fragrance notes are what really brings a scent to life.
There are three note scales that make up what is called the olfactory pyramid. Top, middle and base notes are grouped together and they all work in their own unique way..
Top notes..
The invitation to your fragrance.
Top notes are often referred to as the opening note, they are easily recognisable and make the first impression. They are usually fresh notes such as citrus (lemon, orange and bergamot) fruity notes such as berries and grapefruit and herbs such as clary sage and lavender. Without blending these with middle and base notes, these scents will quickly fade.
Middle notes..
Also known as the heart of the fragrance.
These are the scents that have a strong influence on the overall blend. They last longer than top notes and are considered mellow and balancing. These are often floral notes but can also include spicy and fruity. Popular middle notes can be geranium, rose, lemongrass, ylang ylang, coriander, nutmeg, neroli and jasmine. Interestingly lavender can also work as a top and middle note depending on the type.
Base notes...
These create the lasting impression.
Base notes mingle with the mid heart notes to create the full body of the scent. When wearing a perfume, these are the notes that will linger and last once the others have evaporated. They are the notes that you'll want to snuggle up to, they are often deep and warm ingredients such as woody, balsamic and musky notes such as cedarwood, sandalwood, amber, patchouli and musk.
On their own all of these fragrances can really struggle to make an impact but together they are just wonderful!