Scent notes are descriptions of perfumes that are often sensed preceding the application of a perfume. Notes are divideded into 3 parts; top, middle as well as base. Each refer to groups of aromas that can be observed with regard to the moment subsequent to the application of the fragrance. These explanations are produced with the knowledge of the disappearance times of the ingredients as well as the function for which the perfume is planned. That said, each class of note can effect the rest. Thus it is not as straightforward to sense a precise note because they continually transform over a period of time. For example, the existence of a specific root or heart note will effect the smell perceived when the top notes are strongest, and likewise the perfume related with the base notes will often modify based on the scent of the middle notes.
The concept of notes is used predominantly to describe a perfume for marketing reasons. Occasionally they are referred to by perfumers to depict the different stages of a scents bouquet to the layman.
Top notes.
These are the aromas sensed directly after the application of a aftershave. They comprise of minute, light molecules that evaporate rapidly. Top notes are key to the selling of a cologne as it is these that form a person's initial judgment of a cologne. They are generally described as fresh, sharp or assertive. The ingredients that lead to top notes are volatile, intense in bouquet, and disperse quickly. Citrus and ginger are frequent substances for top notes. Top notes are occasionally referred to as the head notes.
Middle notes.
At times known as the heart or main body of a scent, they emerge in the middle of the fragrance's diffusion process. It is the aroma of a scent that appears immediately before the conclusion of the top notes. Their job is to mask the often unpleasant first impact of the base notes, which grow to be more appealing with time. Compunds used for a scent's middles notes are regularly more soft and rounded. The middle notes can develop anywhere from two minutes to 1 hour after the first application of the scent. Rose along with lavender are standard compounds used to make the middle notes.
Base notes.
The middle plus base notes together shape the focal theme of a scent with the base notes showing just prior to the departure of the middle notes. Base notes establish the solidity and intensity of a perfume. Bass note components are often the fixatives used to hold and increase the depth of the lighter middle and top notes. The molecules contained in these compounds are substantial and heavy which mean they evapourate gradually. These compounds are generally deep and rich and are not generally noticed until at least thirty minutes after the cologne has been applied. This time frame is regularly referred to as perfume dry-down. A quantity of of the longer lasting base note compounds can still be sensed in excess of twenty four hours after application. This especially applies to the animalic notes.
Author Resource:
Elizabeth Rodriguez specialises in the promotion and marketing of Mens Eau de Toilette and Cologne and has over 20 years experience in the industry.