Take Note: The World of Fragrance, Ingredients & Layers

If there is one facet of the beauty industry that falls behind the wayside it would have to be fragrance. Why? We become infatuated with anti-ageing products and colour products for that instant 'wow' factor, and somehow we forget the power that a fragrance can have over us.

Of all facets in the world of beauty, I believe that fragrance is one of the most important because a fragrance can move you, change your mood and even evoke memories from your childhood - a flashback - your first kiss.

The world of fragrance is filled with millions of beautiful bottles containing scents of all kinds. A scent is not for everyone, so it is important to understand what ingredients you like in a fragrance to help you identify others which work with your skin ... and nostrils.

Fragrance expert and author of the annual Fragrances Of The World guidebooks, Michael Edwards explains that “Modern perfumery is based on the synergy of natural and man-made ingredients,” says Michael.

What are 'notes' and how do they work? The notes in a fragrance also represent the different phases through which a fragrance develops when it is worn on the skin. At each stage the notes in the fragrance have a different degree of volatility so it’s important not to judge a fragrance on the first encounter. The first scent from an open bottle has only the sharp bite of alcohol and the unstable top notes. A scent will bloom as it reacts with the warmth of the body to create a fragrance that is unique to each person.

Here is a list of commonly used ingredients as well as ways to identify them:

Ingredient	Natural / Synthetic	Characteristic	Note
Aldehydes	Synthetic	Adds powdery, soft floral notes for a clean fresh effect.	Top
Basil Oil	Natural	Gives naturalness and liveliness. It is botanical while still adding sweetness.	Top
Carrot Seed Oil	Natural	Provides an unusual oily fruity-apricot nuance.	Middle
Damascone Alpha	Natural / Nature Identical	Gives rich depth to rosy heart notes and adds naturalness to fruity fragrances. Damascone Alpha occurs naturally in rose, tobacco, and tea.	Middle
Elemi Oil	Natural	Adds fresh, citrus, green, spicy, herbal or balsamic notes.	Base
Fennel Oil Sweet	Natural	Adds a sweet, smooth, liquorice effect.	Middle / Base
Geranium Oil	Natural	A fresh, floral, herbal, sweet note. Blends well with rose notes to give a full-bodied floral heart. Used in masculine fragrances that need a floral heart but need to avoid being overly feminine.	Middle
Indole	Natural / Nature Identical	Naturally occurring in jasmine and frangipani flowers, Indole adds an essential heady, narcotic depth to floral accords.	Middle
Jasmine Absolute	Natural	Used in fine fragrances to give luxurious, rich naturalness to floral hearts.	Middle
Lavender Oil	Natural	Fresh, herbaceous, floral, sweet and calming used in a masculine or feminine fragrances.	Top / Middle
Lemongrass Oil	Natural	Gives an element of zesty freshness and is uplifting.	Top
Maltol	Natural / Nature Identical	Naturally occurring in coffee, cocoa, raspberries and strawberries – this ingredient has a caramel-fruity smell and is used in gourmand accords.	Top
Orange Oil	Natural	Fruity-fresh sparkle can be juicy or zesty.	Top
Patchouli Oil	Natural	Classic woody note used in many modern classics.	Top
Pepper Oil	Natural	Tones down sweet notes and adds an uplifting spicy nuance.	Top
Rose Absolute	Natural	The heart of perfumery! Rich, rosy, woody, and earthy.	Middle
Sandalwood Oil	Natural	Precious, expensive oil giving a creamy woody effect.	Base
Allyl-Tiglate	Synthetic	Gives jammy, green, berry notes to fruity accords. Can make an apricot or peach accord more “ripe”.	Middle
Vanillin	Natural / Nature Identical	Provides a creamy, sweet, vanilla warmth. Used to build various gourmand accords such as marshmallow, praline, chocolate, fairy floss, toffee, caramel and honeycomb.	Base
Watermelon Ketone	Synthetic	Gives a melon, marine, fresh, watery, clean note. Can be used to enhance a floral fragrance or to add characteristic notes to fruity melon accords.	Middle
Musk Xylol	Synthetic	Dry sweet musk with great longevity.	Base
Ylang Ylang Oil	Natural	Used in the heart of several narcotic floral bouquets – not just Ylang Ylang but also tuberose, orange flower, frangipani, or jasmine. It adds an exotic floral nuance.	Middle
Zingiberone	Natural / Nature Identical	Characteristic note of ginger – occurs naturally in ginger and raspberries. Toner of citrus and herbaceous notes. Currently added to exotic woody, oriental, or floral fragrances.	Top
*Fragrance Foundation Australia

The Fragrance Foundation Australia is the non-profit educational arm of the international fragrance industry and devotes its energies to expanding the appreciation, use and sale of fragrance. Following a well-established tradition in the USA and other countries, The Fragrance Foundation Australia (FFA) was founded in 2002.

Are you a fragrance connoisseur?