Notes
Understanding fragrance notes
Openings, hearts and bases: a simple guide to reading a fragrance story.
A fragrance has more than one moment.
Notes describe the scent impressions a fragrance is designed to evoke. A note can refer to a material, a blend or an accord; it does not always mean that a literal ingredient appears in the bottle.
Top, heart and base
The top describes the opening, the heart the character that develops, and the base the deeper part of the fragrance story. They are useful guides rather than a stopwatch: what you notice can overlap and change with skin, weather and application.
Read the whole story
A woody base can sit beneath a floral heart. That does not make every fragrance with a flower primarily floral. Look at the main character as well as individual notes when choosing.
Our product pages keep the brand’s listed pyramid separate from broader scent families and accords. Where a brand gives only a partial list, we show what is known rather than invent missing layers.
Start with something you love
Try a favourite rose, oud, vanilla or fresh direction in your scent reading, then explore the notes and trade-offs on the suggested bottles.