What Are Fragrance Notes?

Similar to how musical notes make up a song, fragrance notes are the individual components that, when combined, form a pleasing and alluring scent. Not all scented candles are made the same however. Some candles use one, two or maybe free notes at most. Celona London scented candles are different. We like to get a bit more creative and incorporate a plethora of carefully selected notes to achieve a truly unique smell.  Such as in perfumery, fragrance notes are split into three categories; Top Notes, Middle Notes and Base Notes. Let's look into each of these and explore what they mean.

 

Fragrance Notes

Image by BeAromic

 

Top Notes

Top notes, also called 'head notes' are the notes that introduce you to the scented candle. They are what form your first impressions when you first smell the candle. Because of the molecular structure of these notes, top notes evaporate very quickly into the air, but they arguably have the most important job as they lure you in. Once the scented candle is lit, top notes usually last anywhere between 5-15 minutes.  Common top notes include: Lemon, Orange, Sage, Lavender

 

Middle Notes

Middle notes, also called 'heart notes' make up the main body of the fragrance. These notes are designed to balance the heavier bottom notes, whilst complimenting the delicate top notes. Middle notes make up around 70% of the total fragrance and start to appear when the top notes evaporate. They usually last around 20-60 minutes. Common middle notes include: Jasmine, Pepper, Geranium, Rose, Lemongrass

 

Base Notes

Base notes, also called 'bottom notes' are the notes that hold the whole fragrance together. They are the heaviest and the most long lasting notes as they are made up of larger, more complex molecules. As a result, the base notes stay around in the air long after the candle has been extinguished. Base notes start kicking in around 30 minutes in the burn and can last upwards of 6 hours. Common base notes include: Cedarwood, Sandalwood, Musk, Patchouli, Vanilla

 

Every note in our scented candles has been carefully selected and meticulously combined to deliver a superior scent experience. If you haven't already, check out our scented candle collection here.