Fragrance 101: A Beginner’s Guide to Perfume Notes & Types
Estimated Read Time: 8 to 10 minutes
Quick Links
- 1. What Is a Fragrance?
- 2. What Is Perfume Made Of?
- 3. How Do Perfumes Work?
- 4. Understanding Fragrance Concentrations
- 5. How to Find a Fragrance Suited to You
- 6. How to Test Perfumes Properly
- 7. Why Perfumes Smell Different on Everyone
- 8. Do Perfumes Expire?
- 9. How to Store Perfume Properly
- 10. Final Tips & Summary
Whether you’re completely new to fragrance or just looking to refine your nose, this guide gives you the foundation to explore the world of scent with confidence.
Perfume is one of the most personal and powerful parts of your daily routine.
But how much do you really know about what you're wearing?
At its core, a fragrance is a blend of aromatic ingredients designed to create a specific scent. Whether it’s fresh and floral or deep and woody, every perfume is made up of carefully layered notes that evolve over time on your skin.
In this comprehensive guide, you'll discover:
- What a fragrance is and how it evolves on your skin
- How perfumes work and the role of scent layers
- The difference between EDP, EDT, and Parfum
- How to test, choose, and store perfume like a pro
Whether you're completely new to fragrance or just looking to refine your nose, this guide gives you the foundation to explore the world of scent with confidence.
What is a Fragrance?
A fragrance is a blend of scented ingredients — including essential oils, aroma molecules, and a base like alcohol or water — designed to create a pleasant and long-lasting scent when applied to the skin.
While the art of perfumery dates back to ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, the first modern fragrance is often credited to Hungary Water, an alcohol-based perfume created in the 14th century for Queen Elizabeth of Hungary. This formula laid the groundwork for modern perfumery.
Traditionally, most fragrances have used alcohol as a carrier, helping the scent project and dry quickly. But in recent years, water-based fragrances have gained popularity. These formulas skip alcohol altogether, offering a more gentle, skin-friendly alternative — especially for those with sensitivities or a preference for cleaner formulations.
What Is Perfume Made Of?
At its core, perfume is made of three main components: aromatic ingredients, a carrier (typically alcohol or water), and sometimes stabilisers or fixatives to help the scent last longer.
Core Components of Perfume:
- Fragrance oils – These are the aromatic ingredients that give the perfume its scent. They can be natural (like essential oils and absolutes) or synthetic aroma molecules.
- Carrier – Most perfumes use alcohol as a carrier, helping to disperse the scent and enhance projection. Increasingly, water-based formulations are also used for a lighter, alcohol-free experience.
- Fixatives and stabilisers – Ingredients that help balance the formula, improve shelf life, and make the scent last longer on the skin.
Many fragrances use a combination of natural extracts (like rose, oud, or sandalwood) and synthetic ingredients that mimic or enhance complex scents. Synthetics are especially useful when natural harvesting is unethical, expensive, or environmentally damaging — like in the case of musk or ambergris.
| Natural Ingredients | Synthetic Ingredients |
|---|---|
| Extracted from plants, flowers, woods, and resins (e.g. rose, oud, sandalwood) | Lab-created aroma molecules (e.g. Ambroxan, Iso E Super, Calone) |
| Complex, rich scent profiles that can vary depending on climate, harvest, and soil | Highly consistent, replicable scents that allow precise control and innovation |
| Often expensive due to limited yield and intensive extraction methods | Cost-effective and scalable for mass production |
| May raise sustainability concerns if over-harvested or endangered (e.g. sandalwood) | Eco-friendly alternative to banned or animal-derived ingredients (e.g. musk, ambergris) |
| Used in niche or artisanal perfumery to showcase raw materials | Dominant in designer and mainstream fragrances for performance and reliability |
Are Fragrance Ingredients Regulated?
Yes, every ingredient used in commercial perfumes must follow safety standards set by the International Fragrance Association (IFRA).
The IFRA Standards regulate which ingredients can be used, how much can be included in a formula, and under what conditions — all to ensure consumer safety. You can explore IFRA's official guidelines here, which include detailed limits for each approved material.
Whether a perfume is natural or synthetic, it must comply with IFRA’s global safety guidelines before being sold. This is why high-quality perfumes, especially from trusted brands are tested and evaluated before they ever reach your skin.
How Do Perfumes Work?
When you apply a perfume, it doesn’t just sit on your skin it interacts with your body heat, evaporates into the air, and evolves over time. This is what gives fragrances their signature character and depth.
Perfumes are made with a mix of volatile ingredients that evaporate at different rates. As time passes, different parts of the scent become more noticeable which is why what you smell at first often isn’t what you smell an hour later.
They also react uniquely with your skin’s chemistry, natural oils, and even diet. Which is why the same perfume can smell completely different on two people.
Two key things affect how a fragrance performs
-
Note structure – how the scent develops over time (we’ll break this down in the next section)
-
Concentration – how much fragrance oil is in the formula (more on this below)
Understanding how perfume works is the first step toward finding one that truly suits you and applying it in a way that makes it last.
Understanding Fragrance Concentrations
Fragrance concentration refers to the percentage of aromatic compounds (perfume oils) present in a fragrance. This concentration affects not only the intensity and duration of the scent but also its projection and development on the skin.
Common Fragrance Concentrations:
-
Parfum (Extrait de Parfum): 20–30% perfume oil
-
Eau de Parfum (EDP): 15–20% perfume oil
-
Eau de Toilette (EDT): 5–15% perfume oil
-
Eau de Cologne (EDC): 2–5% perfume oil
-
Eau Fraîche: 1–3% perfume oil
How to Find a Fragrance Suited to You
If you’ve ever stood in front of a wall of perfume bottles wondering where to start — you’re not alone. Learning how to find a fragrance suited to you is part instinct, part exploration. Here are two quick ways to start narrowing things down:
1. Know What You Like (and Don’t Like)
Think about the types of scents you're naturally drawn to; in candles, skincare, or even food. These preferences often point toward your ideal fragrance family:
- 🌿 Fresh & citrusy
- 🍰 Sweet & gourmand
- 🌲 Woody & spicy
- 🧼 Clean & musky
2. Consider When and Where You’ll Wear It
Are you looking for a:
- 💼 Subtle, everyday office scent?
- 💘 Romantic evening fragrance?
- 🔥 Bold, long-lasting signature?
- 🚿 Fresh gym or post-shower scent?
Matching fragrance to your lifestyle helps narrow your options based on concentration, season, and scent profile.
How to Test Perfumes Properly
Testing perfume isn’t just about a quick spray and sniff — if you want to know how a scent truly performs on your skin, you need to apply it the right way. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you test fragrances like a pro:
- ✅ Start with clean skin: Avoid applying any other scented products like lotion or deodorant — they’ll interfere with the fragrance.
- ✅ Spray on your skin, not paper: Blotters are good for a first impression, but your skin chemistry is what really determines how the scent develops.
- ✅ Don’t rub it in: Let the scent settle naturally. Rubbing can crush top notes and distort how the fragrance evolves.
- ✅ Wait at least 30 minutes: What you smell first are the top notes — give it time to reveal the heart and base before making a decision.
- ✅ Limit testing to 3 at a time: Too many scents will overwhelm your nose and lead to olfactory fatigue. Space them out, and give your senses time to reset.
How to Test Perfumes Properly
Testing a fragrance isn’t just about a quick sniff — it’s about how it reacts to your skin, evolves over time, and fits your lifestyle. Here’s how to do it properly:
✅ Start with clean skin
Avoid any scented products like lotions or deodorants that might interfere with the fragrance.
✅ Apply to skin, not paper
Blotter strips are fine for a quick test, but your skin chemistry changes how a fragrance smells.
✅ Don’t rub your wrists together
Let the scent settle naturally. Rubbing can distort the top notes and alter the scent’s evolution.
✅ Wait at least 30 minutes
The scent will change over time. What you smell first is only the opening — wait to discover the heart and base.
✅ Limit to 2–3 fragrances per session
Too many scents at once can overwhelm your nose. Space out your testing for a clearer comparison.
Tip: Fragrance behaves differently in heat vs cold. Always try testing the same scent across different seasons.
Why Perfumes Smell Different on Everyone
Ever loved a fragrance on someone else — only to try it yourself and feel like it smells completely different? You’re not imagining it. Perfume interacts with your skin’s chemistry, body temperature, and even your diet — which is why the same scent can perform uniquely from person to person.
Skin Type
Oily skin amplifies and holds fragrance longer, while dry skin can absorb and mute certain notes.
pH Levels
Your skin’s natural pH can subtly shift how florals, musks, and fresh notes appear over time.
Diet & Hormones
Hormonal changes and food habits can affect how your skin smells — which impacts perfume development.
Body Temperature
Warmer skin speeds up evaporation, which can make perfumes project differently or fade faster.
Do Perfumes Expire?
Yes — perfumes can expire, although not like food or medicine. Over time, exposure to light, heat, and air can change a fragrance’s scent, colour, and performance. If you’re wondering how to tell if your perfume has expired, here’s what to look out for:
Sour or Metallic Scent
If the fragrance smells off, flat, or chemical — it’s likely oxidised.
Darkened Colour
If a light or clear fragrance becomes amber or brown, it may be past its prime.
Sediment or Cloudiness
Visible particles or foggy liquid is often a sign of breakdown in the formula.
No Longevity or Development
If the scent disappears quickly or doesn’t evolve, it may be expired or oxidised.
Note: A slight change in colour over time can be normal — it doesn’t always mean your fragrance has gone bad. Trust your nose first.
Next, we’ll cover how to store your perfumes correctly so they stay fresher for longer.
How to Store Perfume Properly
Perfumes can be surprisingly fragile. Heat, light, and moisture all contribute to premature ageing — which is why good storage habits can make your favourite scent last significantly longer. Here’s how to do it right:
1. Keep it cool and dry
Avoid warm, humid places like bathrooms. A drawer or cabinet in a consistently cool room is ideal.
2. Avoid direct sunlight
UV light breaks down perfume oils and alters colour. Store bottles away from windows and bright light.
3. Don’t store in the bathroom
Steam and temperature changes speed up oxidation — even in sealed bottles. Always store somewhere dry.
4. Keep the cap on and box nearby
Replacing the cap after every use and keeping the bottle in its original box helps block light and limit oxygen exposure.
5. Store upright and tightly closed
Keep perfumes standing up to prevent leaks or pressure loss — especially with press-tops or screw caps.
Even subtle storage habits — like putting your bottle back in its box — can dramatically improve how long your perfume stays fresh and performs on skin.
Final Tips & Summary
Whether you’re new to fragrance or refining a growing collection, understanding how perfume works transforms each spray into something intentional. Here's a quick recap of what we’ve covered:
- ✅ What a fragrance is — and how it evolves over time
- ✅ The role of top, heart, and base notes in scent structure
- ✅ The difference between Eau de Toilette, Eau de Parfum, and Parfum
- ✅ How to properly test, store, and choose fragrances
- ✅ Why skin chemistry, climate, and storage impact how a scent performs on you
Fragrance is deeply personal and the more you understand it, the easier it becomes to discover scents that truly resonate with you.
Keep exploring, keep testing, and when you're ready, dive deeper into each topic linked throughout this guide. Your signature scent might be just one spray away.