The olfactive facets

The architecture of a perfume is visually represented in the form of an olfactory pyramid, with the top notes being on the top of the pyramid, the heart notes in the middle and the base notes in the bottom. 

The olfactory pyramid allows the perfumer to architect his perfume and make it harmonious. It is used to balance the orchestration of a formula and to make the evaporation of the fragrance continuous and gradual. In this way, the perfume can deliver all its facets and the fragrance comes to life. 

Just like a chord in music, a perfume is built around an accord, which is the main theme of a perfume. By assembling various components, from 5 to 10, the perfumer-creator creates the architecture of the fragrance, which is in fact the soul of the perfume, the emotions that it evokes to the person who smells it.

The Comité Français du Parfum (CFP) classifies the pallets of scents and notes into 6 families of perfume (or main accord).

 

The 6 olfactory families

All these families can be both feminine and masculine but, generally, the floral family is more feminine and the fern family more masculine.

The perfumer-creator can dress each main theme or accord with one or more olfactory facets to make the architecture of the perfume more complex. 

The olfactory facets dress the olfactory families. It should be noted that the different accords, oriental or amber, chypre, ferns, woody, floral, citrus, can be expressed in a fragrance in the form of olfactory families or in the form of facets.

 

 

The different olfactive facets

From the most volatile to the most persistent notes, you will find the following facets:

  • The citrus facet

Composed of citrus fruits: very fresh, lively, sparkling notes such as lemon, orange, bergamot, lime, grapefruit, yuzu, etc.

  • The new freshness facet

It is more "technical", evoking “splash” notes, very tonic and clean, more often used in fragrances for men.

  • The aromatic facet 

It is made up of aromatic notes such as fresh plants that can be found in a garden: mint, lavender, lavandin, tarragon, rosemary or thyme. They bring a lot of freshness with a character. 

  • The marine facet

Iodine or oceanic is most often brought by synthetic notes that give a fresh, invigorating wind effect and make one think of scents reminiscent of the ocean.

  • The green or vegetal facet

The green facet is composed of invigorating notes and scents of cut grass or crumpled leaves. 

  • The aldehydic facet

This facet is more technical and is composed of  "clean and metallic" scents. They have the power to enhance the freshness and to make the other facets vibrate, especially the floral facet.

  • The floral facet

There are many categories of flowers: spring, pink, white, powdered, solar, spicy. The green flowers will act more in top notes, the white flower notes more in the heart notes (cf. Orange Blossom Collection by Sylvaine Delacourte).

  • The solar facet

The solar facet is given by flowers such as sambac jasmine, ylang-ylang, frangipani, tuberose and tiare flower. These flowers are often accompanied by exotic fruity notes and by salicylated notes, that smell like warm sand and sun-warmed skin.

  • The fruity facet

Fresh fruits such as pear and apple will be fresher than red fruits such as cherry, strawberry, or exotic fruits such as coconut and mango. Few fruity raw materials are natural.

  • The spicy facet

Fresh spices will act more as top notes, such as cardamom, ginger, pepper, etc. Warmer spices will act more as the heart and bottom notes, such as nutmeg, cinnamon, saffron, etc.

  • The fern facet 

It is based on the fern accord created by perfumer Houbigant in the 19th century. It's a rather fresh and masculine accord that smells like our grandfathers' shaving foam, which is the classic fern accord. The modern fern accord smells more like clean aftershave scents.

  • The woody facet

Some woods will be more present in the top notes, such as vetiver. Sandalwood, cedar, and patchouli, on the other hand, are more present in the heart and base notes. Woods can be fresh and vibrant, warm and velvety, but also dark and intense.

  • The chypre facet 

The chypre facet is always woody, but denser in patchouli and moss notes. The chypre accord that was created by Guerlain or Coty (depending on the source) is a classic perfume accord, it can remain classic or treated in a more modern way.

  • The oriental or amber facet 

Was the classic oriental note created by Guerlain or Coty? It is made up of resins, balms, vanilla notes, patchouli and other warmer notes.

  • The gourmet facet

It can support oriental or amber notes but can dress all the other olfactory families. They are regressive and titillate the taste buds (cf. Collection Vanille by Sylvaine Delacourte).

  • The powdery facet 

It is characterized by vaporous, airy scents that evoke rice powders. It’s often based on iris, violet, mimosa, etc.

  • The musky facet 

It is composed of white musk notes that are synthetic ingredients, originally found in animal musks that are now forbidden. They bring a soft, cocooning and enveloping side. They are very tenacious notes (cf. Musk Collection by Sylvaine Delacourte).

  • The animal facet

Except for ambergris, hyraceum and beeswax, animal notes are now prohibited, namely civet, castoreum and musk. Vegetable notes such as indole or musky notes with animal facets can bring a sensual tone. They are extremely tenacious.

If a perfume is orchestrated with many facets, it is said to be a faceted fragrance. The more faceted it is, the more complex it is, the more surprises it will offer. It can be more appreciated by people who are olfactory educated. A not very faceted perfume is more direct and will please more people who seek simple and pure fragrances.

 

Sylvaine Delacourte fragrances

Discover Sylvaine Delacourte's brand with her Orange Blossom, Musk and Vanilla Collections. You can try them thanks to the Discovery Boxes (5 Eaux de Parfum x 2 ml) and rediscover these raw materials as you have never smelled them before.