Perfume Notes Explained: How to Find the Scents You’ll Love

If you’ve ever looked at a perfume description and thought, “I’ve absolutely no idea what any of that means,” you’re not alone.

Bergamot. Neroli. Vetiver. Tonka bean. Oud.

Then there are top notes, heart notes and base notes. It can all sound a little complicated.

The good news is that understanding perfume notes is actually a simple way to start working out which fragrances you’re likely to enjoy. And you don’t need to know anything about perfumery to get started.

What is a perfume note?

A perfume is made by blending different ingredients together to create a particular scent. These individual ingredients are what we call notes.

You’ll probably recognise some already.

Lemon is fresh and zesty.
Rose is floral and familiar.
Vanilla is warm and comforting.
Sandalwood is smooth, creamy and woody.

But a perfume rarely smells like just one ingredient. A perfumer combines different notes to create something more complex, which is why two perfumes containing bergamot, for example, can smell completely different.

Getting to know the notes you love can be a really useful shortcut when choosing your next fragrance.

Top, heart and base notes

You’ll often see perfumes described using three layers: top notes, heart notes and base notes.

Think of them as the journey your fragrance takes after you spray it.

Top notes

These are the first scents you notice. They’re often fresh and bright, with citrus, fruits and herbs commonly used.

Bergamot, lemon, grapefruit and mandarin are good examples.

But don’t make your decision based on the first few seconds. There’s more to come.

Heart notes

As the top notes settle, the heart of the fragrance starts to appear.

This is where the personality of the perfume really begins to show, with floral, fruity and spicy notes often playing a part.

It’s one of the reasons we recommend trying perfume on your skin and giving it some time to develop.

Base notes

Base notes are the deeper ingredients that help give a fragrance its warmth, character and staying power.

Woods, musk, vanilla, amber, leather and oud are just some examples.

By this stage, the fragrance may smell quite different from when you first sprayed it.

And that’s part of the magic of perfume.

It changes.

Why does perfume smell different on everyone?

Ever loved a perfume on someone else, only to find it smells completely different on you?

That’s perfectly normal.

Fragrance reacts with your skin, and things like skin type, temperature and your surroundings can affect how it develops.

That’s why we always recommend trying a fragrance on your own skin rather than relying solely on a tester strip.

Give it time. Go about your day. Then come back to it later.

You might be surprised.

What are fragrance families?

Fragrance families describe the overall character of a perfume, rather than focusing on individual notes. We have four main fragrance families

Love fresh, sparkling scents? Try the fresh family.

Prefer soft and romantic? Explore the floral family.

Like warm, earthy scents? The woods collection could be for you.

Looking for something richer and warmer? Take a look at the amber family.

And don’t worry about fragrances fitting neatly into one category. A perfume can combine citrus, florals, woods, vanilla and much more to create something completely unique.

Start with a note you already love

One of the easiest ways to discover new perfumes is to start with something you already enjoy.

Maybe it’s fresh lemon, beautiful rose, creamy sandalwood or warm vanilla.

Once you’ve found a favourite note, explore fragrances that contain it. You might also discover that you enjoy other similar ingredients along the way.

Before long, you’ll start to recognise your own fragrance preferences.

Explore your favourite perfume notes

Our Perfume notes collection is designed to make exploring fragrance a little easier.

Browse individual notes, find out more about them and discover the perfumes in our collection that feature them.

Love bergamot? Explore citrus.

Love jasmine? Explore white florals.

Love sandalwood? Explore creamy woods.

And if you’re new to perfume, don’t worry about knowing all the terminology.

Start with what you like, try a few fragrances, give them time to develop – and trust your nose.

One final tip

Notes are a useful guide, but they’re not a rulebook.

A perfume might contain a note you normally dislike and smell amazing on your skin. Equally, a fragrance containing all your favourite ingredients might not be right for you.

The best test is how it makes you feel when you wear it.

So explore, experiment and enjoy the process.

Explore our Perfume notes collection and see where your nose takes you.