Chapter 1
The perfume organ and the scent scale
Chapter 2
The high-pitched top notes
Chapter 3
The harmonious heart notes
Chapter 4
The deep resonance of base notes
Chapter 5
Global symphonies of scent
Ch 4 · The deep resonance of base notes
Glossary
base note (noun)
The longest lasting element of a fragrance that remains after other scents have faded. French perfumer Jean Carles designed the olfactory pyramid to classify these enduring ingredients by their slow evaporation.
The longest lasting element of a fragrance that remains after other scents have faded. French perfumer Jean Carles designed the olfactory pyramid to classify these enduring ingredients by their slow evaporation.
Fun Fact
Long-lasting ambergris: Natural ambergris must float in the ocean for decades, oxidising in salt water and sun, before it develops its sweet, marine, and highly prized perfume scent.
Quiz
Which natural, historically prized fixative is a waxy substance produced in the digestive system of sperm whales?
Quiz
Why did the perfume industry transition from natural deer musk to synthetic white musks?
Quiz
Which natural seed is the primary source of coumarin, a sweet-smelling base note resembling almonds and hay?
Quiz
In which decade was vanillin first synthesized, transforming modern sweet perfumery?
Quiz
From which part of the tropical vetiver grass is the smoky, earthy essential oil extracted?
Quiz
What is the common industry term for the clean, cozy, lab-created synthetic musks used today?