Let’s Talk About It! Is Listing Fragrance Notes “Noteworthy”?

While I love poetry and storytelling and tend to wax somewhat "eloquent" when writing about fragrance, I still find the simple, dry lists of top, heart and base notes to be very helpful.  No matter how specific and technical (or vague and incomplete) these lists might be they are often a necessary jumping off point for understanding a perfume and for subsequent imaginative writing about the fragrance. Although I do make a point of smelling perfumes before referring to listed notes (in order to test my nose and to keep first impressions clean) I hate to admit that I find myself relying on unclear lists of notes to bring clarity to a review. I find these lists useful. I recently reviewed a fragrance I liked very much and was a little taken aback before smellling it when the press release admonished fragrance lovers they should not buy the perfume if they needed to know notes. In addition, more and more perfumers and Perfume Houses are shying away from revealing notes, and instead, are tending to describe their creations with "flowery" poetry and prose. The listed notes, if there are any, often remain mysterious.

The choice of technical vs. "flowery" descriptions has been an issue with me for years in regard to music. As far as teaching is concerned, the decision to go with the technical or the lyrical or a combination of the two boils down to "skillful means" – whatever works best for the individual.  But which is better in a perfume review – the technical or the descriptive or a combination of both?

Photo Copyright: Pierre Benard Osmoart  ©

For some people a list of notes might be considered nothing more than a boring, seldom accurate, parsing of a fragrance.  For others, excessive flowery descriptions are nothing more than examples of a writer's predilection for collecting and creating adjectives (just add a "y" to the end of a noun). As I am not a perfumer, I will often smell things in a fragrance that are obvious to me but not chemically present in the perfume.  I have to admit that I have been guilty of covering my gaps in olfactory knowledge with " adjective-itus"! I have struggled with the excessive use of words like: "Airy, balmy, creamy, dusty, earthy, fizzy, grassy…"and on through the alphabet! While these sorts of words can tell us something about fragrance, the "y" at the end dilutes specificity and suggests something similar to  – but not exactly like – the word it modifies. Understanding raw materials can be daunting unless you are an expert which is why Editor Elise Pearlstine, who is also a perfumer writes in-depth articles about how popular fragrance ingredients are used in perfumery. 

iso e supra molecule

Poetry and adjectives aside, I believe that part of the new reluctance to list and name fragrance notes on the part of perfumers and Houses has to do with the palette of wonderful and otherworldly aroma-chemicals that create the effects of strange fruits and flowers and accords that can only be described as un-natural and extra terrestrial. Rather than naming the exact aroma-chemicals as fragrance notes, it seems to be more consumer-friendly to describe the effect or the feelings related to the fragrance in fanciful poetry or prose.

miniature.com  ©

On the other side of this topic, does "knowing"  prejudice your choices? I have a friend that dislikes Vetiver perfumes. If she sees the word “vetiver” listed in a fragrance, she automatically passes judgement and …passes. However, when I sent her a sample of a perfume which was vetiver-centric, she asked, “What is that scent? I must buy it!”

Manchon Reef Sculpture and Photo by Jason Decaires Taylor  ©:Does this photo give you a clue to what the notes in the perfume might be?

So what do you think? Do you find the listed notes critical to your understanding of a fragrance. Would you rather the art of perfumery be reflected in eloquent writing and beautiful illustrations or do you prefer it broken down into chemical components. Is it important to understand and describe perfume by means of words, art, music and chemistry or is the olfactory sensation of the fragrance more than enough?  Do words limit or expand fragrance experience?  How does a fragance reviewer, marketer, retailer or perfumer writer make the intangible understandable.

Let's talk about it!

Gail Gross, Editor  with contributions from Michelyn Camen, Editor -in-Chief

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18 comments

  • Chayaruchama says:

    Ah, Gail!
    I hear you, loud and clear.

    I feel the truth of each side. When some folk express the lack of necessity of listing notes, the way I take it depends upon what I know of the company/perfumer.
    Sometimes condescension is meant, unfortunately.

    I remember years ago breaking down the Nasomatto line for a friend who ran a boutique – I wish I had kept those notes 😉
    (All done for love, not money.)

    At the same time, one has one’s own voice, and we do well to stay true to it.
    My approach varies, depending upon many factors: sometimes I’m very clinical. Others, I’m overwhelmed by the beauty of it, the way images, verse, music, hues appear before me.

    I so enjoy reading you, btw. <3

  • Sarah McCartney says:

    As someone who makes perfumes and writes about them, I am torn. I’d rather write a story about the moment or place I’m trying to capture in a fragrance, but retailers and reviewers need a note pyramid.
    Then sometimes there’s a whole debate.
    (“You say there’s raspberry. I don’t smell raspberry! I don’t think there’s raspberry in it.”)
    Everyone needs something to latch on to this invisible artwork. But everyone has a different sense of smell according to their own experience. Where one person smells raspberry, another smells violets. They are both right.
    The other issue is that notes are confused with materials, and notes are often created with completely different things – like using red and blue paint to make purple magically appear before your eyes.
    In my case I’d rather that people read the perfumes stories because I hope that leads to appreciating them more. If a reviewer wants a notes list, I’ll happily try to give one but there’s no wrong or right way to do this.

  • JoAnne Bassett says:

    I am a Natural Perfumer since 1993. Over the years people have asked me which of your fragrances contain lavender, or a number of esential oils. Then they say I do not like roses..or patchouli. When I sat down with people for a custom bespoke perfume or a perfume class and people would not know what was on the blotter.. they would go I want that.. and often the eau de parfum was created with rose and patchouli.. the exact things they said they did not want. The point was they had never smelled a true rose otto or patchouli. They had only smelled rose and patchouli that were synthetic fragrance oils made in a lab. So if you list all of the ingredients or most of them and a person sees a note they do not like they won’t try it. They could be missing out on something fabulous. If you don’t list them all they may not buy it as they want to know most of the oils. This is an interesting question. I list most of the ingredients in my natural perfumes. Some fragrances that contain 40 or more essential oils I will not list all of the raw materials. Most people do not know what most of the naturals of high quality really smell like as they are used to the cheap fragrance oils or cheap essential oils sold in a health food store. My vintage hydro distilled oils have an energy you really have to describe as magical and esoteric. When I perform alchemy with my perfumes there is another energy element that words will not do it justice. I would say read the notes, ingredients or the flowery description and just buy the sample if it “sounds good”. It is the only way you will know. Some people think a fragrance has lemon in it.. it does not. Some people say that fragrance has neroli.. it does not. Sometimes they say I don’t smell any vanilla in it.

    Are noses are all different with the way we perceive things. A notes list or ingredient list can make or break the appreciation of a fragrance. All perfumes are not created equal .. even knowing the ingredient list. How was it formulated..is it skillfully created so it all comes together perfectly? Some of my first year students make good perfumes some create some not so great.. the ingredient list is the same.. Food for thought.

  • Terri Bozzo says:

    As a perfumer I tend toward listing the notes experienced rather than what’s actually in it! As a consumer, I know which notes I’d like to research/experience and a note profile helps me decide what to try next. Blind testing samples before looking at the notes is the best of both worlds as one might find they like something they didn’t think they did. Listing at least the main notes is important for many perfume junkies! There is no other way to narrow a direction of olfactory adventure!

  • Barbara Carter says:

    This is a tricky issue. Here is my take on this. When you consider cuisine, wine, paintings, music, there is always a series of ingredients, notes, materials, time signatures, etc. that help make a creation unique. From the perspective of a buyer and enthusiast, it is helpful to me to have some of the notes in the composition listed – for a frame of reference primarily. It helps draw me to an understanding of something I am attracted to, or even have a difficulty with. It may be a list of ingredients (partial), but what makes it is the composition, and how it is interpreted by the person who is experiencing it. So, for example, we have varied pallets for food, and varied preferences for musical or artistic experiences. Some things we are drawn to like sirens, other things challenge us, and it may take some time getting acquainted with the creation. Regardless, it is a highly personal experience, and is different for each person. Some of us have common experiences, some of us are polar opposites in our enjoyment. That is the best part. So, in my world I like to fully experience a scent without reading notes, and explore the composition across the hours. Then I look things up, and it adds depth to my experience of what I had just gone through. In music, sometimes we look for a genre, composer, instrument, or feeling. This is the same in the perfume world for me, the more I explore. Having the notes deepens my understanding of the composition, but is not the sole source of my education on a scent. I like when the creator discusses the mental image and I like to see how I experience their vision – sometimes spot on, sometimes not. I consider the notes a way to further understand the composition, but cannot use it exclusively to say – oh I get it. It helps me also try things with commonalities I may enjoy. For what it is worth, it helps to have the notes – some not all. Mystery is a good thing.

  • Amanda says:

    I get grumpy if it is just poetry on its own. I want a list of notes. I paint my own pictures with a list.

  • Wendy says:

    I need notes because I am not an expert but love images and stories unless they sound really made-up or fake or on some blogs written in a combo of English and some foreign language. Images are excellent for me because it brings the review to life. I am guessing that reef sculpture photo would be used to describe an aquatic with moss. I learn a lot from reviews that explain how things smell to them and usually they all refer back to the notes.

  • Stevie Wilson says:

    In my humble opinion, I want to see a list of notes. I know that what I think the fragrance is but the notes tell me for sure what it is. I don’t want to ascribe things I don’t smell but it helps those who might be allergic to a specific ingredient as well as anyone who has a love of fragrances to know what they are smelling. While someone’s nose might interpret it differently and how it all comes together whether on a paper strip or on someone’s skin is dependent on an individual.
    I love knowing because the building blocks of a scent are just that. The results is the blending of different amounts of each note.
    Fragrances are often like musical compositions… they come out best when done with heart and willingness to be open to new experiences.

  • sherri sebastian says:

    Great article, Michelyn. I ask myself these same questions regularly. As a perfumer working at a fragrance house, I’m asked to submit ‘notes’ for marketing descriptions. Operative word, ‘marketing’. I always hesitate because listing notes is often subjective which can be misleading. It’s different than an ingredient listing which needs to be accurate, chemically speaking. (whole different subject) I think this can be confusing.

    For instance, if a fragrance I’ve created with 60 ingredients contains phenyl ethyl alcohol I could submit ‘rose’ as part of a fragrance description, even if the whole composition has an overall white flower character. Conversely I could create a scent that has a predominant rose character without using any ‘rose or rose derivative’ ingredients. Then what?

    As an independent perfumer & lover of scents I prefer to call out specific factual ingredients along with a description of the overall perceived effect of the scent. Let’s not forget, perfumery is an art and a science–enjoying and celebrating the balance between the two and the intangible magic that occurs within any given composition is what we’re enjoying when experiencing any scent.

  • mahigermez says:

    Thank you all for your kind words and thoughtful, thought provoking comments. I usually don’t get “grumpy” if a list of notes is not provided – unless, of course, some sort of “condescension” is stated or implied!

    I find that the listed notes serve me like training wheels – the more experience I have, the less I seem to need them. As I am not a perfumer I will probably never really know the specific names of the chemicals that make up a fragrance note. As in music, analysis is a very different kind of appreciation.
    Sometime the mystery story must be solved. At other times the question is best left unanswered.
    -Gail

  • Ann says:

    We had a customer spend a good hour and a half sniffing every fragrance we had to find her new scent. She found one she loved and was so excited- finally! As she was going to the counter to pay, she looked at the card sitting behind the tester, saw that it had musk, shrieked, put it back and ran out of the store. She had spent the previous 10 years wearing a fragrance that was just discontinued. I looked up its notes and, ironically, musk was one of its prominent base notes.
    Honestly, most of our customers don’t have the time or inclination to listen to the descriptive stories behind each perfume. We urge them to smell before they read the info cards. Judging a scent by reading is not accurate or helpful, just as looking at the bottles does not give one a clue about its contents’ fragrance. They need to use their noses! And a well ventilated shop certainly helps also.

  • fazalcheema says:

    My relationship with notes is mixed. Some perfumes do reflect the notes but others turn out to be totally different from the listed notes. I think a story sometimes give a better idea of what to expect. A green perfume may have galbanum, oakmoss, vetyver etc but it will not be as helpful as a description that the perfume has been inspired by a walk in a forest or in a garden.

  • Systeme D says:

    This is a conundrum for all of us — fragrance creators, reviewers, writers, and wearers.

    I confess I will not try a fragrance without having read reviews first, and with those reviews, I can get enough perspective for me to decide whether I wish to sample it or not. I usually don’t make the decision to purchase a bottle until I have gone through that sample, but I won’t even get to the sample stage unless I have some idea about either notes or ingredients.

    It’s all about perception, of course, but there are many reviewers whose perceptions and descriptions I have come to trust almost as well as my own.

  • Francesca Brice says:

    As a Perfumer myself I do love to see the notes listed- they swirl in my head and give me a direction of the fragrance. Then of course if my favs are there it gets very exciting and then, eloquence in writing gives me a story and that resonates with the journey the perfumer is on. Words, art, music and chemistry expand the perfume for me.I love your reviews as they are- your writers are great-varied and diverse in expression. Beautiful visuals then add magic. 🙂

  • Bryan Christopher says:

    As someone new to the world of fragrance, I’d like to see what the notes are in my perfumes. They’re what I should expect to smell while basking with them. At this point in time, I’m a bit apprehensive against certain notes (Oud, tobacco, Citrus) as I suffer from Hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating disease) and those notes can turn really bad on me. There are ‘fumes of course that have these notes and develops wonderfully on my skin like MFK’s Aqua Vitae Forte (for the citrusy) and Kalemat Black (for the ouds) but I haven’t encountered a “tobacco” dominant perfume that my skin likes.

    Knowing the notes is also helpful for me to see what “notes” turn bad on my skin and those that doesn’t. Before I had a beef with vetivers and patchouli but now that I’ve found the perfumes that are excellent with my skin, I’ve learned to love them.

    For all the prose and poetry a perfumer could write on the packaging, I just don’t want it to go immediately to the secondhand market just because it didn’t mix well with my sweaty skin. Thanks for the topic and happy mother’s day to all moms who write and read on this site.

  • Cynthia says:

    I agree with those voting for note lists, or at least a mention. There are so many perfumes out there and buying samples is not cheap. I can narrow my choices by looking for notes I Know agree with my skin chemistry. HAving said that, if I see people raving online about a perfume that I normally wouldn’t think is for me, I am likely to give it a try in an attempt to expand my horizons. I am one who finds it annoying when the occasional perfumer refuses to reveal notes. Trying a new perfume is a learning experience and trying to find and identify these notes is part of the fun. An interesting topic for discussion!

  • Brian says:

    I am a fan of a listing of notes myself. As a perfumer, I can get an idea of what it might smell like, although the descriptions might not be accurate. And, as was mentioned before, what is listed as the notes, might be a whole different animal than what is actually in the perfume. If a perfume has ‘cardamom’ in its note listing, that perfume may not have ever seen cardamom in it’s life!
    I usually have little patience for overly flowery or abstract prose about a perfume, and not to sound harsh, but some of them are just ridiculous and silly and make me roll my eyes. Some stuff about the perfumers inspiration, a statement of what the perfume smells like and what some of the notes bring to the perfume, or a description of some time, place, or season that the perfume is inspired by or brings to mind is cool, but when you start getting stuff like ‘The essence of freedom!”or “This scent is for the man who knows what he wants, blah blah blah” that’s when it really turns me off.