The top notes are the most crucial element in the initial stage of a sales journey. They create the first impression that instantly draws the customer in and encourages them to continue exploring. That’s why understanding the fragrance pyramid is essential — it helps you make smarter choices and identify the best-selling products with precision.

At Jasmine, today we’re taking a closer look at the fragrance pyramid, what it is, why perfumers rely on it, and how knowing its structure can help you select winning products. We’ll wrap up with a few practical tips to help you choose the perfect scent composition for your collection.

What is the pyramid of notes in perfume?

The fragrance pyramid—also known as the olfactory pyramid—is a structural model used to illustrate how a perfume’s scent evolves and changes over time after it’s applied. It consists of three layers of notes: top, middle, and base. Each layer evaporates at a different rate, and understanding this progression is key to recognizing how perfumes are crafted to achieve the perfect balance between an instant first impression and long-lasting depth.

Why Do Perfumers Use a Layered Approach to Fragrance?

For a fragrance to truly succeed, it must unfold in a smooth, gradual, and convincing way, from the first spritz to the very last trace on the skin. That’s why perfumers depend on the fragrance pyramid structure, and here’s what makes it so essential:

• Capture Audience Attention: Top notes are light and quick to evaporate, creating an immediate sense of freshness and appeal when the fragrance is first applied. This first encounter often determines whether a customer feels drawn to the scent and proceeds with a purchase. Crafting a strong and memorable opening is the key to inspiring a buying decision within those first few minutes.
• Create Depth and Harmony: The heart notes, or middle notes, act as the vital link between the bright, fleeting opening and the deep, lasting base. They represent the core character and emotional identity of the fragrance. When blended with precision, they ensure a smooth and balanced transition that keeps the scent cohesive and enjoyable throughout its wear.
• Make Perfume Last Longer: The base notes—dense and slow to evaporate—form the foundation that gives a perfume its staying power. Using rich, concentrated base materials is crucial to maintaining the quality and longevity of your fragrance, allowing it to linger beautifully for hours after the initial application.

How Knowing the Fragrance Pyramid Helps You Spot Best-Selling Scents?

A solid understanding of how perfumes are built gives you a clear competitive edge in identifying products with long-term appeal,  even before you invest in them. Here’s how:

Evaluating Product Quality and Longevity

Consumers care deeply about a fragrance’s staying power. By examining the base notes, you can determine how long the scent will last on the skin. This is where the fragrance pyramid becomes invaluable. It helps you assess whether a composition is designed for lasting performance or merely offers a short-lived burst, allowing you to make smarter product decisions.

Understanding the Scent’s Appeal to Different Market Segments

Analyzing the top notes reveals the overall tone of a fragrance — whether it’s modern and airy or classic and intense. This initial insight helps you categorize your products effectively, target your marketing campaigns more accurately, and define your ideal customer base with precision.

Enhancing Sales Performance

When you explain a perfume’s development stages — the opening, heart, and base — you elevate the product’s perceived value and build professional trust with your customer. Your ability to describe scents with expertise and confidence demonstrates deep product knowledge, encouraging clients to make a purchase.

Predicting the Strength and Longevity of a Product

By assessing the type and concentration of base notes within the Olfactory Pyramid, you can estimate how long a scent will last — a key factor in sales performance. Knowing the composition of the base ensures you avoid investing in weak, short-lived products, ultimately protecting your brand’s reputation.

Our expertise as professional perfume creators ensures your products stand out in a competitive market.
Contact with our team at Jasmine, and we’ll craft a custom fragrance collection built around a perfectly balanced olfactory pyramid.

What is the ratio of notes in fragrance?

Perfumers typically follow traditional ratio guidelines when building a fragrance. Understanding these proportions gives you a powerful analytical tool to evaluate the quality and balance of any perfume composition.

Top Notes

These make up about 10% to 20% of the total fragrance formula and are the most volatile layer.
They serve as the introduction of the scent—what the customer smells first—and are therefore the key factor influencing their initial purchase decision within seconds.
Focusing on the purity of fresh ingredients, such as citrus or herbs ensures you instantly capture the customer’s attention and create an immediate sense of appeal.

Heart Notes

The heart, or middle notes, form the largest portion of the fragrance pyramid, typically ranging from 50% to 70% of the total blend.
They represent the core identity of the perfume, emerging once the top notes fade to reveal the fragrance’s true character—whether floral, spicy, or otherwise.
Investing in the quality of these ingredients, which define the scent’s depth and last for several hours, builds customer trust and reinforces their perception of real product value.

Base Notes

The base notes account for roughly 10% to 25% of the total composition and are responsible for the longest-lasting effects.
Ingredients such as woods, amber, and musk create the foundation of the fragrance and determine its longevity—a quality customers highly value.
Choosing strong, pure base materials elevates the product’s prestige and reinforces its luxurious impression, supporting premium pricing and higher commercial returns.

Also read: Perfume Ingredients: Types and Secret Formulations

How the Fragrance Pyramid Relates to Fragrance Families?

Classifying a perfume within a specific fragrance family makes it easier to market and for customers to understand. This connection between the olfactory pyramid and fragrance families plays a key role in how scents are perceived, as explained below:

Defining the Core Identity

The heart notes carry the greatest concentration within the pyramid and express the true essence of the scent. They determine the perfume’s main family classification, such as woody, citrus, or floral.
Recognizing this central role helps you categorize your products more accurately, making it easier to sell them directly to customers based on their preferences.

Highlighting the Fragrance’s Secondary Character

The top and base notes complement and reinforce the heart, adding distinctive nuances that give a fragrance its secondary character—for example, a floral-oriental blend.
This layered complexity allows you to describe the scent more dynamically, enhancing its appeal in marketing and promotional content.

Reinforcing the Longevity of Fragrances Within the Family

The base notes, often made up of heavier materials such as amber and woods, dominate oriental or woody fragrances and give them their long-lasting depth.
Understanding this connection allows you to promote richer, heavier scents based on their longevity, which in turn supports higher pricing and premium positioning.

At Jasmine, our expertise in crafting balanced fragrance pyramids ensures your products are precisely classified and remarkably long-lasting, enhancing both their market value and brand appeal.
Get in touch with our team, and we’ll help you develop signature blends that strengthen your brand identity and boost your sales.

Tips for Retailers: How to Choose Scents That Sell?

• Analyze market trends to identify the most in-demand top notes, ensuring quick, impulse-driven sales.
• Focus on long-lasting base materials to justify a higher price point and strengthen your product’s value perception.
• Invest in balanced compositions that combine an immediate, captivating opening with deep, long-lasting complexity.
• Study how scents interact with different skin types to guarantee consistent performance for every customer.
• Source high-purity fragrance oils to deliver a product that feels premium, trustworthy, and worth its price.
• Compare the cost of rare notes against their actual impact on the perfume’s overall value and appeal.
• Stay updated on global fragrance trends to keep your collection fresh, relevant, and aligned with modern consumer preferences.

How Jasmine Applies the Fragrance Pyramid in Perfume Production?

At Jasmine Perfume Factory, we apply the principles of the fragrance pyramid to craft balanced and sophisticated scent compositions. Each formula is carefully planned with precise ratios of top notes that ensure an immediate and appealing first impression. We focus on developing high-quality heart notes to define the perfume’s main identity and create depth of character. Meanwhile, we select premium base materials, such as woods and musk, to anchor the fragrance and deliver exceptional longevity in the final product.

How do We Help You Build Your Brand?

• We design exclusive fragrance blends that align perfectly with your brand’s identity and positioning.
• We turn your concept into a commercial reality, managing the process from idea to large-scale production in our state-of-the-art facility.
• We supply high-concentration fragrance oils to ensure strong performance and long-lasting scent quality.
• We provide premium packaging and bottle design, reflecting your product’s aesthetic vision and luxury appeal.
• We guarantee compliance with European quality and export standards (ISO certified).
• We offer logistics and supply chain consulting to help you reduce international operating costs.
• We create distinctive bottle and cap designs that leave a memorable visual impression of your brand.
• We help you craft a unique olfactory brand identity, building an emotional connection between your products and your customers.

At Jasmine, our expertise in structuring fragrances through the olfactory pyramid creates a tangible difference in both quality and longevity—making your products easier to market and sell.

Get in touch with our expert team to begin developing your own fragrance brand built on balanced, pyramid-based compositions that elevate your revenue and brand value.

FAQs About the Fragrance Pyramid

What is the fragrance pyramid?

The fragrance pyramid is a structural model used to describe how a perfume’s scent evolves and changes over time after application. It’s divided into three layers, known as notes—each representing a different stage in the perfume’s lifespan. This progression helps explain how a scent transitions from a fresh first impression to a deep, lasting base.

What do fragrance notes mean?

Fragrance notes are the individual components that make up a perfume’s overall composition. They’re grouped into three categories—top, heart, and base—based on how quickly they evaporate and how long they last on the skin.

Does the fragrance pyramid differ between men’s and women’s perfumes?

The three-tier structure of the fragrance pyramid remains the same for both. The difference lies in the type and concentration of ingredients used in each layer. Men’s fragrances typically emphasize woody and leathery base notes, while women’s perfumes often feature floral and fruity heart notes in higher proportions.

How does Fragrance Pyramid Relate to perfume longevity?

The connection is direct and essential. A perfume’s longevity depends largely on the strength and quality of its base notes, which are the slowest to evaporate. Using heavy, rich ingredients such as amber and musk in the base layer helps anchor the scent, ensuring it lasts for hours after application.