Understanding fragrance notes

Most of us know what types of fragrances we like. Maybe you’re drawn more often to a light floral, which brings to mind dew-soaked petals, or maybe you find those scents too sweet and prefer warm musk, like vanilla. But did you know there’s a whole science behind creating a robust, well-balanced fragrance?

Building Smells: The Basics
While the art of combining top, middle and base notes is often associated with perfume, we use it to thoughtfully inform every hand-crafted product we make at Crimson Candles.

Top Notes
Setting the Stage: Your first impression of a scent is largely shaped by the top notes. The top notes of a fragrance, also known as the head or opening notes, are what you smell immediately after lighting your candle; they evaporate quickly but will form the first impression of the fragrance. Lighter, herbal and citrus scents are often used for top notes and are meant to intrigue and attract, then transition smoothly into the headier middle notes.

Middle Notes
The Foundation: Middle notes are often referred to as heart notes because they essentially form the foundation of the fragrance. These scents are revealed once the top notes recede and often make up between 40-80% of the entire aroma. More complex than top notes, these scents are meant to hold your attention and also act as a buffer for more robust base notes.

Base Notes
A Lingering Impression In contrast to top notes, which are typically energizing and invigorating, base notes are often described as calming. These scents are made up of large, heavy molecules providing complexity, depth and a lasting impression. Base notes are what is left at the end; it is this smell that you remember the most.