The Nose Knows

We're not saying the Top/Middle/Base Note Method of creating a fragrance blend is invalid or even outdated. It’s a great method to use. It’s just that most of the time, you will “accidentally” use this method and create fragrances that have appropriate ratios of top, heart (middle), and base (bottom) notes, without even knowing the concept exists. This is because scents including top, middle and base notes simply smell “complete,” whereas you may feel a scent is missing something if it doesn’t have notes from all three categories.

You are free to intentionally use this method, but you’ll probably find you love your other fragrance recipes just as well… and that you’re able to make great recipes faster when you’re not thinking too much about top/middle/base notes.

Rather than listing every single-note scent sorted by top notes and base notes, I’ll let your nose tell you:

• If a scent smells light and airy, and evaporates within an hour on your skin, it is a top note.

• If a scent smells deep and hearty, and lasts all day on your skin, it is a base note.

• Everything in between can be used as a heart, or middle note.

• The lines are slightly blurry between top, middle, and bottom notes. For instance our Maple Spice would be considered somewhere between a middle and bottom note. Sandalwood would be considered somewhere between a top and middle note. But Green Apple is definitely a top note, Wisteria is definitely a middle note, and Chocolate is definitely a bottom note.

The most important thing to remember though, is that fragrance making is an art. Art requires creativity. And creativity means there are no rules (except that you must write a hash mark to your sheet after adding every single drop!).

Some popular fragrances contain little to no base notes (Escada’s Ibiza Hippie) while some are extremely heavy in base notes with few top notes (YSL’s Opium).

Bottom line: your nose knows what it loves. All you really need to know are a few tips on what different perfume oils can accomplish, and how to get yourself out of a bind if your fragrance isn’t turning out just how you imagined.


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