Perfumery & scent
The Fragrance Pyramid: Top, Heart and Base Notes
A perfume is not a fixed picture but a story that unfolds over time. The olfactory pyramid describes exactly this evolution in three acts — top, heart and base — and once you understand it, the way you choose and experience a fragrance changes for good.
What the fragrance pyramid is
The pyramid is a model that arranges a perfume's ingredients according to how quickly they evaporate. The most volatile notes come through first, the heavier ones linger until the end — which is why a fragrance seems to "change" on the skin over the course of a few hours.
Top notes
These are the first impression, the ones you catch in the opening minutes after spraying. Volatile and bright — citrus, aromatic herbs, green facets or fresh spices — they grab your attention but fade quickly, usually within the first quarter of an hour.
Precisely because they are so fleeting, they should never be used on their own to judge a perfume: they are only the introduction.
Heart notes
The heart is the soul of the fragrance: it emerges as the top fades and lasts for several hours. This is where you usually find the florals, spices and fruity notes that define a perfume's character. It is the part most people associate with the identity of a scent.
Base notes
The base notes are the foundation that supports everything and stays the longest, often for many hours. Woods, musks, resins, vanilla, amber and oud lend depth, warmth and tenacity, and they shape much of the trail — the sillage — you leave behind.
Why the pyramid matters when choosing
Understanding the pyramid teaches you patience: try a perfume and wait for it to settle into the heart and base before making up your mind. Often a fragrance that fails to convince in the opening turns out to be stunning an hour later.
It is also the key to reading the descriptions in our catalogue and anticipating how a fragrance might evolve on your own skin.