Top Notes, Heart Notes And Base Notes for Fragrances
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Top Notes, Heart Notes And Base Notes
As fragrance retailers, it’s in our best interest if you understand how perfumes age on the body.
For customers to be completely satisfied, they must understand that perfumes change in smell after they’re placed on the body.
Top notes are simply the impression that a perfume or cologne gives when it’s first smelled or applied to skin or clothing. You smell the most volatile ingredients first, and these may quickly go away. That’s why it’s important for customers to sample a fragrance and let it rest a few minutes before making a firm decision.
While the top notes are often the freshest, strongest and perhaps even a bit harsh, they quickly fade into the heart notes, which are often gentler.
Heart notes -- also called the middle notes -- are the true essence of the scent. Put simply, these notes are what a scent smells like most of the time it’s being worn. That’s after the top notes have faded away and before the base notes become obvious.
Base notes are the third and final phase of a perfume or cologne evaporating from the skin and are important for customers to understand. These notes are the leftovers, the scent that remains on the skin as it is finishing its evaporation.
In general, top notes aren’t a good indication of a fragrance because they evaporate rather quickly. Heart notes become prominent after a few minutes. Base notes can be quite pleasant, however, depending on the scent. They are also an indication that it’s time to reapply if the evening is still young.