Fragrance Notes Explained: Gain a Better Understanding of Your Favourite Scents
Did you know that 70% of women in South Africa wear perfume on a daily basis? While perfume in South Africa may be a part of everyday life, not many people have an in-depth understanding of fragrance notes and the role that these notes play in the overall scent of perfumes.
In this article, we’ll fill you in on everything you need to know about top notes, heart notes, and base notes. We’ll also give you a few tips for identifying fragrance notes so you can gain a better understanding of your favourite scents. This will definitely come in handy the next time you decide to buy perfume in South Africa!
Top Notes
Top notes are the very first scents you smell upon application. While fleeting, these scents are very important as they are responsible for the first impression of a fragrance. Top notes typically include fresh scents like citrus fruits, berries, and herbs.
Heart Notes
Once the top notes have dissipated, you’ll be able to smell the heart notes. Heart notes are often described as the ‘core’ of a fragrance and include scents like florals, spices, and fruits. Some of the most popular heart notes are jasmine and rose.
Base Notes
Woods, musk, and vanilla are common examples of base notes. These are the longest-lasting scents, which make them the most memorable. They form the foundation of any fragrance and it’s essential that these scents are properly balanced.
Tips for Identifying Notes
- If you want to practise identifying fragrance notes, spray your favourite perfume onto a piece of paper.
- Smell the paper immediately after spraying. What you smell will be the top notes.
- Wait a few minutes and smell the paper again to identify the heart notes.
- Come back to the paper in 30 minutes to smell the various base notes.
Some people have a better sense of smell than others, so don’t worry if you can’t identify all the notes the first time you try this exercise.
Are you looking to buy perfume in South Africa? Here at The French Parfumerie, we offer hundreds of amazing scents inspired by your favourite international fragrances. No matter your preferences, you’re to find a scent that suits you! Feel free to browse our extensive online collection and get in touch should you have any questions for us!
