Whether you are a fragrance admirer or you are just new to different types of perfumes, finding fragrances that fit perfectly on you can get a little daunting. When you approach the cashier counter, the only piece of information you get from the cashier is how the bottle looks or how long the fragrance lasts, which of course tells you nothing. And you are also often left to sniff a few scents from hundreds of available bottles, that end up getting blended in your head. 

A fragrance that you cherish can become a part of you; an amplification of your personality. But the concern now is how do you find one? Whether you do a quick research before heading to the store or you are trying to pick the perfect scent on the go, here are a few easy tips from the perfume experts themselves to help you pick a scent that you will love for years. 

Different Types Of Fragrance Notes 

In order to find your signature scent it is essential to have an in-depth understanding of the hierarchy of fragrance notes, and you also need to master everyday individualism with the use of perfume. Scents are created using notes just like a piece of music is composed using musical notes. With the help of these accords, you can figure out whether a perfume suits your olfactory senses or not.

These fragrance notes are categorized into three classifications based on their vaporization: 

1. Top Note 

Top notes are also referred to as headnotes, they have the highest volatility which means that they evaporate faster and compose the top layer of the scent. 

These are the notes that can easily be detected and tend to lure people in, and they are quite prominent as they create the first impression for all three classifications. 

Once they have given you a sense of the initial scent, they fade away after a while to make room for the next class. Some of the famous top notes for various types of perfumes are orange, lemon, rose, berries, etc. 

2. Heart Note

Middle notes also referred to as heart notes that unfold once the top notes have begun to fade. As the name implies these notes are the heart of the fragrance and their presence is significant until the scent fades away. Some of the famous heart notes in different types of perfume brands consist of scents such as cinnamon, jasmine, etc. 

3. Base Note

Base notes tend to bring long-lasting power to the fragrance; they appear once the fading of the heart notes begins. Base notes act as a solid foundation for lighter notes, the scents in this note evaporate slowly. Therefore, the most long-lasting of all three classes. Base notes are generally created using intense, rich, and heavy fragrances; also they do not appear until at least thirty minutes of application. They add depth to the scent, blending with the heart notes to leave an impeccable impression. Some of the famous scents that base notes consist of are cedarwood, sandalwood, musk, vanilla, etc. 

You can identify these fragrance notes by the amount of time that has passed since the application of the scent. The top notes appear right after you have sprayed the perfume. Eventually, after they evaporate the heart notes appear, and as the name implies these accords are the heart of the fragrance. Once the middle notes begin to fade away, the base notes take over and are the notes that people tend to remember the most. 

To sum up the above words, all these three notes should work together in order for the fragrance to be balanced and truly memorable. 

Different Fragrance Types 

Now to the main question, what are various types of scents? How do you choose the right perfumes for you? 

Scents are commonly classified into two main categories modern and traditional for a long time now. But, the scent wheel is adequately a newer tool for the classification of the fragrances that are gaining a lot of popularity among perfume connoisseurs and perfumers alike. 

There are four main olfactory families that are categorized by the notes they feature: floral notes, woody notes, fresh notes, and lastly, oriental notes. Within these main families, there are subfamilies that blend distinctively with neighboring families. Immaculately, you would be attracted to one or two of these perfume families, and it would be beneficial if you check out the subfamilies that come under those to start searching for your right scent. 

• Floral Notes 

This olfactory family is by far the most known and is employed in numerous famous fragrances. It’s the chief in feminine fragrances; however, it does often play a small role in male fragrances as well. There are four subfamilies within this perfume family: 

1. Fruity notes – these notes are tropical and edible fruit scents such as pineapple, pear, peach, etc. 
2. Soft floral notes – these notes are creamy flowers and soft powdery, such as jasmine. 
3. Floral notes – having the scent of classic flowers such as lily and rose, these scents can effortlessly lift your mood. 
4. Floral oriental notes – made with the ultimate blend of primarily subtly floral spicy scents for instance orange blossom, these scents are a must-have. 

• Woody Notes

Being known for their warm, earthy, and rich scents that create a perfect balance between bitter and sweet. These scents can effortlessly smell earthy or cool, and soft or creamy. They blend well with almost every family on the fragrance wheel. 

There are three subfamilies in this woody family: 

1. Mossy wood – this subfamily consists of smooth, sweet, and earthy scents such as oak moss and amber. 
2. Dry wood – this subfamily has been created by creating the perfect between leather scents and smoky wood such as vetiver. 
3. Woody – having the blend of dry, warm, and aromatic scents such as cedar wood, sandalwood, and patchouli this family can bless your olfactory. 

• Fresh Notes 

This fragrance family is famous and known for its bright, refreshing, and clean scents. It is also frequently compared with spicy notes for a more strongly made fragrance. While on the other hand, tart and aromatic notes are blended with zesty and fruity scents to create fresh perfumes. 

There are four subfamilies in this garden-fresh family:

1. Citrus notes – contains tangy and zesty scents such as grapefruit, bergamot, and mandarin.
2. Water notes – this note is created using fresh and ocean-like scents such as calone. 
3. Aromatic notes – contain woody, bright, and subtly floral scents such as lavender and sage. 
4. Green notes – this scent family consists of uplifting and fresh natural scents such as grass, water lilies, and green leaves. 

Once you get all the knowledge about how the olfactory wheel works, then you can try and experiment by blending different notes from various families and see how it works for you. 

Wrap Up!

Finding the perfect scent is more or less a journey, and this can get very intimate and personal; it sometimes also requires experimenting as well. Perfumes have the power to evoke nostalgic feelings and personal memories. It is essential that you pay less attention to what ongoing trends are, and more attention to which perfumes call out to you.