Perfume by Notes

Find perfume by its key note: vanilla, oud, rose, jasmine, musk, citrus, patchouli and sandalwood.

Shop perfume by note: find fragrances built around your favourite ingredients

Sometimes you know exactly what you love: the creamy warmth of vanilla, the smoky depth of oud, the elegance of rose or the brightness of citrus. Shopping by note lets you find fragrances where that ingredient plays a starring role. It is one of the most intuitive ways to discover new perfumes that match your taste.

How fragrance notes work

A perfume develops over time in three layers, often described as a pyramid.

• Top notes: the first impression, light and fleeting. Citrus, herbs and light fruits are typical.
• Heart notes: emerge after 15 to 30 minutes and form the main character. Flowers and spices are common.
• Base notes: the longest-lasting layer that lingers for hours. Woods, vanilla, musk, amber and oud.

Popular notes to explore

Vanilla is sweet, warm and comforting. Oud is rich, woody and intense. Rose is romantic and timeless. Jasmine is radiant and sensual. Sandalwood is creamy and soothing. Patchouli is earthy and deep. Musk is soft, clean and skin-like, while leather is smoky and confident. Citrus and bergamot bring freshness and sparkle.

Tips for exploring by note

A base note will define how a perfume smells for most of the day, so if you love a particular base note, start there. Remember that the same note can smell very different depending on what it is paired with: vanilla with citrus is light and bright, while vanilla with tobacco is dark and smoky.

Frequently asked questions

Are fragrance notes real ingredients?

Sometimes. Notes describe what you smell. They can come from natural extracts, synthetic molecules or a combination that recreates a scent.

Why can I not smell some notes?

Everyone's sense of smell is different, and some molecules, especially certain musks, are hard for some people to detect.

Explore by note

• Vanilla
• Oud
• Rose
• Jasmine
• Sandalwood
• Patchouli
• Musk
• Leather
• Citrus
• Spicy