Our in-house expert’s guide to deciphering fragrance...

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Fragrance possesses an almost superhero-like ability to take us places, or instantly alter our mood. Meaning:

A hint of bright citrus finds me on a quiet beach, CONTENT, with book in hand and waves lapping at my feet.

A waft of sandalwood and I’m meandering through a wooded path, CALM, in search of myself (and some wildlife, to boot).

Scent is our strongest sense, so it’s no wonder that we use fragrance to define who we are and recapture where we’ve been, whether by mood, place, or memory. (In fact, there are scientific studies that support why fragrance conjures such distinct associations.)

With that science in mind, I started thinking about a new go-to fragrance, which I typically re-up around this time of year.

However, when I started perusing fragrances on my phone, I found myself questioning the jargon. Sure, the earthy fragrances enticed me, but should I make my decision based on the top, middle, or base note? What does neroli smell like anyway? Turns out, buying perfume online is nothing short of tricky.

To avoid a game of scent-fueled roulette, I turned to our Product Developer of Beauty, one-half of the creative team behind Free People’s newest exclusive fragrance (with Brooklyn-based fragrance and design studio Joya making up the other). What resulted from our discussion was this: navigating the fragrance landscape became blissfully easy. And, equipped with Christine’s tips, I’m the newly minted owner of LOU, an intoxicating, plant-forward formula that takes me across land and sea to...well pretty much anywhere I want to be.

So, What Exactly Are Notes?

Perhaps the most confounding element of perfume translation is distinguishing between the various degrees of scent -- or notes -- on a product page. For this, it might prove helpful to imagine a pyramid -- with top, middle and base sections that range from most volatile (top) to least volatile (bottom), with volatility representing how quickly an ingredient evolves and evaporates once it meets air.

Christine explains further: “Top notes are those scents in a perfume which the nose initially identifies. They are the most volatile, meaning their molecules are smallest and will therefore evaporate most quickly. Middle notes sit the core of a fragrance and are often referred to as the heart note. They appear after the perfume evolves on your skin and help to smoothly transition a scent from top to bottom.

Base notes are also referred to as a fragrance’s “dry-down” -- they provide its depth and longevity. They are the largest molecules and, as such, least volatile.”

Consider Where & When You’re Using It

Let’s be honest: some of the ingredients in luxe perfumes might sound delightful, yet a little foreign to one’s palate. Take LOU’s ingredients, for example:

Neroli (from France), Guaiac Wood (from Paraguay), Jasmine Absolute (from Egypt), Benzoin Siam Resin (from Thailand), Bergamot (from Italy), Pink Pepper (from Madagascar), Valencia Orange (from USA).

Some of these I’m familiar with (citrusy orange, uplifting jasmine), while others (bergamot and neroli) were notes I’ve seen repeatedly on fragrance bottles, but was never quite sure what they smelled like. I asked Christine to translate these ultra-popular notes:

Bergamot is extracted from the skin of the bergamot fruit just before it ripens. Its scent is a delicious combination of citrus and floral notes -- simultaneously uplifting and relaxing.

Neroli is a beautiful flower from the bitter orange tree. An exquisite, sweet floral scent recognized for soothing the spirit.

Benzoin Siam Resin is an aromatic resin (sap) that is manually collected from the bark of the styrax tree. It’s been used for centuries in incense and perfume. It has a ‘sweet woods’ aroma with an amber-y, caramel-like scent and woodsy dry-down.

Guaiac Wood Oil is steam distilled from the Palo Santo tree. Its sensual, warm, woody aroma is commonly used to cleanse the mind from negative energy and enhance meditation.

Put That Fragrance Know-How To Use

Because fragrance can affect your mood and productivity, consider the context in which you’ll be using the perfume. For example, as someone STILL adjusting to a WFH lifestyle, it would be wise for me to select a fragrance with awakening citrus notes, which have been linked to productivity. Someone looking to relax and wind down, meanwhile, may want a perfume with notes of soothing jasmine or bergamot. (LOU checks both of those boxes for me!)

Now that we’ve given you a little crash course, here’s how to apply your newfound knowledge. Below, we’ve highlighted the heart note and bouquet (what describes the perfume in its entirety) of LOU, along with 2 perfumes from FP’s 1809 collection and translated what you can expect.

A Fragrance Guru’s Parting Advice

“A well-crafted perfume is capable of doing many things at once -- it will yield varying scents at different times as it “unravels,” yet maintain a cohesive signature throughout your experience. And, perhaps most importantly, it will take you to the place where you most long to be.”