Music to your scentses
The notes of a fragrance are like the instruments in an orchestra, they all play their part. Here’s how they come together to create the score:
Top or head notes
The first smell when you apply a fragrance. Top notes contain ingredients that evaporate quicky: delicate florals, bergamot and other light citruses and herbs such as coriander and basil.
Mid or heart notes
The smell that kicks in a few minutes after the top notes. It usually contains rich florals – even in a fragrance that isn’t considered part of the floral family – because these compounds tend to be less volatile. The heart notes are important because they weave all the notes together to define the personality of the fragrance as a whole.
Base or bottom notes
The longest lasting ingredients that stabilise the fragrance and extend its staying power. They contain thick, heavy oils, such as those derived from plants (including vanilla, oakmoss, sandalwood and patchouli), or those that are synthesized to smell like animal-based ingredients (including musk, civet and ambergris)
Dry-down
The notes that stand out and linger after the fragrance ha dried on your skin. The dry-down scent varies from person to person, since it mixes w your skin’s natural scent.
*Extracted from a very old (forgotten) issue of Allure
