Understanding what it means when people talk about perfume notes can help you choose perfumes that match your personality and really appeal to you. It can also make you simply feel more informed at the perfume counter, or when browsing online. If you've heard a perfume or cologne referred to as citrusy, summer, woody, spicy, or floral, among other labels, this refers to the perfume notes.

A perfume has three notes--top, middle and base. If you really want to know your perfume, it can take a little practice to distinguish the quality of these different notes, but it's worthwhile because you can better appreciate each scent.

Top notes are the first scents you experience when you apply a perfume. You may also hear these referred to as head notes. When you first spray or dab on a perfume, you'll probably notice the alcohol scent immediately. But there is also fragrance, and this makes up the top perfume notes. A perfume that is said to have woody top notes will smell green and woody as soon as you apply it.

These top notes face pretty quickly and give way to the middle perfume notes. These can also be called heart notes, because these scents are the heart of the fragrance. After the top notes fade a little and the alcohol smell is gone, you're experiencing the middle notes of the perfume.

Finally, you have the base notes. These scents are revealed as the perfume sits on your skin as warms to your temperature. It can take up to an hour for the base notes to come through and mix with the middle perfume notes to make up the actual, true scent of the perfume.

This is the reason you should never just squirt a perfume at the cologne counter and purchase it--you won't know how it truly smells on your for 45 minutes to an hour. Be patient to really find out how well the scent compliments you.

Perfume notes are the same as cologne notes, essentially. Those notes are, of course, for men's cologne instead. What may go on smelling like a bit of alcohol and citrus could give way to a deep scent of leather and sandalwood with only a trace of spice.

Perfume notes are simply the levels of scent in a fragrance. They can be very simple or very complex, depending on the scent and its makeup. A scent that has only a few different fragrant ingredients is going to give off much simpler notes than one that's a combination of many different essential oils and scents.

Typically, an alcohol based perfume will have simpler and more straightforward notes than one that's oil-based. This is because the oil-based perfumes generally are longer lasting, and have more time to reveal a complex fragrance combination than alcohol-based perfumes which face much more quickly.

A little dedication and practice can help you understand perfume notes and recognize different scents and undertones, just as a wine connoisseur practices learning the different tastes and bouquets of a favorite vintage.

Photo Credits: avrenim_acceber

Originally posted 2009-09-22 12:41:16. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Related Posts

• Versace Versense Perfume This is a review of the Versace Versense perfume, a perfume intended for use by women and created by the Versace design house. The Versace Versense perfume is a refreshing scent with a citrus opener and a base of woody musk, capable of highlighting notes that exemplify the beauty and......
• Guide to Fine Fragrance The more that you know about fine fragrance and everything that encompasses this topic, the better able you are going to be to choose the perfumes and the fragrances that best meet your personal needs, tastes and styles. Here are some more frequently asked questions about the use of fine......
• Glossary of Perfume Scents pt 3 Chypre – This is the French word for Cyprus, and it is pronounced as "sheepra". It typically describes fragrances that have sparkling floral and citrus notes laid over dark and earthy bases of patchouli, oak moss, woods and labdanum. This is a fragrance family, but fragrance families are largely subjective......
• Fragrance Scent Primer The more that you know about fragrance scent, perfumes and how fragrances work, the better able you will be to choose the perfumes and fragrances that best meet your personal needs, tastes and styles. The following are a few of the most frequently asked questions on fragrance scent, that will......
• Perfume Scents Glossary Gucci No. 3 - This fine fragrance was released by the Gucci fragrance house in the year 1970. The perfume scents and fragrance notes in this fragrance include green notes, mossy notes, woodsy notes and floral notes blended together with other soft and natural notes. This fragrance scent is......

Related Websites

• Choosing the Right Ball pt 1 Choosing the right golf ball is critical if you are trying to cut down on your golf handicap. Choosing the right ball is going to impact the results of your game almost as much as choosing the right golf clubs, meaning that it is vitally important for you to choose......
• Collectible Mantel Clocks Antiques -> Decorative Arts -> Clocks Many people have a fondness for timepieces of all varieties, but collectible mantel clocks hold a special place in many collectors' hearts Perhaps because mantel clocks were placed on mantels above fireplaces years ago, in the eras before electricity and digital clocks with their......
• Review of the Garmin Forerunner 310 XT Having a GPS enabled training device is a good thing. Having a training device offering GPS that isn't afraid to get a little wet is even better. The rugged Garmin Forerunner 310 XT is an indispensable training tool for any triathlete because it is a swim proof, GPS enabled trainer......
• Harmony 101 When it comes to music, you can look at harmony as the use of chords or pitches simultaneously. The study behind harmony involves the study of chords and the way that they are constructed as well as harmonic progressions and the connection principles that are used in order to govern......
• Fixing a Toilet Leak Caused by a Worn Wax Ring A toilet leak can very quickly get out of hand if it isn’t taken care of. You’ll be facing pools of water that can damage the bathroom floor and even seep through to damage the ceiling of the room below. Then you’ll have to add the costs of those repairs......

Online Stores

• Estee Lauder Face Powder Makeup Store
• Commercial Bottles/Tins Perfumes Vanity, Perfume & Shaving Collectibles
• Vanity, Perfume & Shaving Collectibles
• Laura Mercier Face Powder Makeup Store
• Hand Mirrors Vanity, Perfume & Shaving Collectibles

If you liked this article, vote for it on del.icio.us and stumbleupon.


Categories:

Perfume

Tags:

alcohol, cologne, compliments, dab, fragrance, heart notes, labels, perfume counter, perfumes, personality, scents, squirt, woody