(L-R) Gucci Guilty, Dsquared2 Wood, Hugo Boss Boss The Scent

Oriental

Full of Eastern promise, the Oriental category is opulent, hedonistic and sensual. Spices and resins, like frankincense, oud and myrrh from East India, Turkey, and the Middle East give these scents an almost hypnotic appeal, and are among (due to their rare ingredients) among some of the most expensive. Often worn as evening fragrances, they usually pack quite a punch and can be a little overwhelming.

(L-R) Dolce & Gabbana The One, Cartier L’Envol de Cartier, Viktor & Rolf Spicebomb

Fragrance Lifecycle

All scents have a lifecycle, with most traditional men’s fragrances built in a pyramid-like structure; divided into three layers (top, middle, base) with notes that evaporate in a considered sequence. Creating fragrances isn’t just about combining the right essential oils, it’s as much about the order they appear in and how long they last. Much like music, without order it would be just a random bunch of notes without any structure or harmony.

Top Notes

The spike of the aforementioned pyramid holds the top notes (also known as head notes). These are the ingredients that jump to the foreground and give the first impression of a fragrance. Evaporating after half an hour or so from the skin, they are usually citrus, fruity or herbaceous in origin, such as mint, lemon, grapefruit, bergamot, basil or ginger, and serve as an uplifting rush of short-lived, foot-on-the-accelerator energy. While many top note ingredients are inexpensive to produce (presumably because they don’t hang around too long), their importance is paramount as they’re often the make or break for over the counter perfume sales.

Middle Notes

‘Dry down’ is the perfumery term for evaporation (essentially what’s left on your skin after the notes have gone). After the zing of the top notes, the middle notes become more identifiable, as these usually last 3-4 hours before going through the same process. They are the heart (but not the soul, that comes from the base) of any scent, and are therefore usually soft, familiar and comforting. Floral-based oils, such as jasmine, neroli, rose, lavender and geranium and colder spices such as cumin and coriander are all reliable and continuously used examples of middle notes.