The notes glossary
What do fragrance notes smell like?
Notes are the building blocks of every perfume — the raw materials a perfumer stacks into top, heart and base layers. Tap any note to learn what it actually smells like, its role in a composition, and the fragrances in our collection built around it.
Top notes
The first impression
Bergamot
33 scentsBright, zesty and a touch floral — a sparkling citrus with the bitter edge of an Earl Grey tea.
Citrus
Lemon
14 scentsSharp, juicy and instantly fresh — clean, tart and uplifting like a squeeze of zest.
Citrus
Lavender
12 scentsHerbaceous, clean and calming — floral and slightly camphorous, with a soft, soapy freshness.
Aromatic
Cardamom
9 scentsCool, green and aromatic spice — fresh and slightly citrusy with a warm, resinous undertone.
Oriental
Mandarin
9 scentsSweet, soft and juicy citrus — rounder and less tart than orange, with a sunny, candied warmth.
Citrus
Neroli
8 scentsCrisp, green and citrus-floral — orange blossom’s brighter, cleaner cousin with a honeyed lift.
Citrus
Pink Pepper
7 scentsSparkling, rosy-spicy and a little fruity — peppery warmth without the heat of black pepper.
Heart notes
The character
Jasmine
28 scentsLush, heady white-floral sweetness with an indolic, almost animalic warmth under the petals.
Floral
Rose
15 scentsThe quintessential flower — dewy, honeyed and velvety, ranging from fresh and green to deep and jammy.
Floral
Iris
11 scentsCool, powdery and suede-like — a buttery, slightly carroty floral with an elegant, makeup-box softness.
Floral
Geranium
10 scentsGreen, rosy and minty-fresh, with a crisp, slightly metallic herbal bite.
Aromatic
Orange Blossom
10 scentsHoneyed, sunny white floral — sweet and slightly green, fresher and more radiant than jasmine.
Floral
Cinnamon
8 scentsWarm, sweet and fiery — the cozy bakery spice with a dry, woody-red bite.
Oriental
Saffron
7 scentsWarm, leathery and a little sweet — a precious spice with a soft, suede-like, slightly medicinal glow.
Leather
Coffee
3 scentsRich, roasted and bittersweet — the comforting aroma of fresh espresso with a dark, edible depth.
Tuberose
2 scentsIntensely creamy, narcotic white floral — buttery and heady with a green, almost fleshy lushness.
Floral
Base notes
The lasting trail
Vanilla
31 scentsSweet, creamy and warm, with a soft balsamic, almost boozy depth — comfort in a bottle.
Amber
Patchouli
27 scentsDark, earthy and damp — woody and a little sweet, with a chocolatey, head-shop richness when used heavily.
Woody
Amber
25 scentsSoft, golden warmth — sweet resin, powder and a honeyed glow that hugs the skin.
Amber
Cedar
22 scentsDry, clean and pencil-shaving woody, with a faintly sharp, aromatic crispness.
Woody
Musk
20 scentsSoft, warm and skin-like — clean and powdery in white musks, sensual and animalic in deeper ones.
Sandalwood
20 scentsCreamy, smooth and milky-woody, soft and a little sweet — the most luxurious of the woods.
Woody
Tonka Bean
19 scentsWarm and sweet like vanilla crossed with almond, hay and a whisper of cinnamon and tobacco.
Amber
Vetiver
13 scentsEarthy, smoky and green-rooty — dry grass and damp soil with a cool, mineral edge.
Woody
Oakmoss
10 scentsDeep, damp forest-floor green — earthy, slightly inky and bittersweet, like a rain-soaked wood.
Chypre
Ambroxan
9 scentsDry, warm and ambery-woody with a clean, mineral, almost salty radiance.
Woody
Incense
7 scentsSmoky, resinous and meditative — dry, cool church-smoke with a peppery, lemony lift.
Oriental
Tobacco
7 scentsWarm, dry and sweet — like a pipe pouch and honeyed pipe-smoke, with hay, leather and spice.
Leather
Leather
6 scentsSmoky, dry and animalic — from soft, sweet suede to tarry, smoke-cured hide.
Leather
Oud
3 scentsDeep, dense and complex — woody, smoky, leathery and faintly animalic, the most opulent of woods.
Woody
Your nose, organized
Scan any bottle and N.O.S.E. learns which notes you love — then finds you more of them.
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