The Fragrance Pyramid in 2 Minutes

The fragrance pyramid consists of three distinct layer that signify how your fragrance will smell throughout the day. In this article we will explore this theme further and teach you how to get the most out of a fragrance when testing it.

What is the Fragrance Pyramid?

A perfume pyramid is an olfactory concept to visualise the composition of a fragrance. It has three layers: we find top notes at the tip of the pyramid, heart notes a layer down, and base notes underneath. The pyramid’s shape represents the way we experience perfume as it develops over the course of the day. First, we encounter light and refreshing top notes – fresh basil, perhaps, or zesty mandarin. Next, we experience a layer of heart notes, like florals. Over time, this layer then dries down to a heavier base – imagine woody or spicy scents. This is the perfume pyramid: its shape is a way to visualise the order in which we typically encounter a scent.

What are perfume notes?

Perfume notes are descriptors of scents, separated into three categories: top, heart and base notes. These three notes work together to create intricate layers that form a perfume’s unique character. All luxury fragrances are composed of different perfume notes – from the sweet symphonies of violet and iris to the sultry amber accents of musk and ambergris. Given the way these notes interact with one another to create a unique scent profile, it is perhaps unsurprising that perfumery is often described in musical terms: notice the way the scent’s notes harmonise, deepen and evolve on the skin.