Heart notes

Fragrances are often emotional, and tend to evoke art and beauty, rather than scientific concepts. However, the creation of a fragrance is based on a very technical logic and orchestration. The perfumer-creator builds his perfume according to different elements, some of which are called notes and are chosen for their scientific characteristics. These notes will give the perfume its beauty. In perfumery, there are three different types of notes: top notes, base notes and heart notes. The latter are essential to the perfume: they develop over several hours and allow the fragrance to become denser and rounder. 

 

The heart notes in the olfactory pyramid

A perfume is often represented in the form of an olfactory pyramid. This construction organizes the different notes in the following way: 

• At the top: the top notes
• In the middle part: the heart notes
• At the bottom: the base notes

This model, widely used by brands to describe their fragrances, illustrates the way notes are organised. However, it is important to know that the notes will fit and interact with each other, and reveal themselves in an order that will not always be the same. This construction will harmonise the fragrance and gradually release the evaporation of the different olfactory facets and scents. 

 

What is a heart note?

Heart notes escape after the top notes have gone. They are also called the curves of the perfume. Of average tenacity, the heart notes are carried away by the top notes. Once applied to the skin or to a tissue (a strip of paper used to test a perfume), you will have to wait at least 15 to 20 minutes to really discover these notes, which may already start to be felt in the top notes. Note that the top notes will not have the same result depending on the support, or the type of skin.

 

 

The heart note: an important transitional note

The curves of perfume 

Certain other notes, or olfactory facets, may act in the heart notes, as all the scents are interlaced with each other. 

If they are well orchestrated, the heart notes can bring softness and comfort to the perfume, and make you want to discover the evolution of the perfume. However, the final result, which determines whether the fragrance is suitable, will be given by the base note. 

The importance of the heart notes 

The heart notes are very important in a fragrance because they only last a few minutes. However, as customers are often in a hurry to discover a scent, fragrances are organised so that the heart notes lead to the base notes. A fragrance with an unbalanced architecture would risk creating an impression of emptiness that could detract from the beauty of the fragrance. 

The origin of the heart notes

The concept of top notes, heart notes and base notes, that helps to understand the construction of a fragrance, was created by Jean Carles, former perfumer at Roure (now Givaudan). Creator of Ma Griffe by Carven and Miss Dior, this great perfumer founded and directed the Roure Perfumery School in the 1940s. Thus, thanks to him we owe the method of learning and organising raw materials in perfumery.

 

Heart notes and raw materials 

Indeed, Jean Carles has grouped all the natural and synthetic raw materials according to the base notes, heart notes and top notes. 

Flowers in the heart notes

Thus, the flowers essentially give heart notes, apart from the spring floral notes that act more in the top notes. Here are some flowers that act in the heart notes: 

• White flowers: jasmine, tuberose, ylang-ylang, orange blossom absolute, lily, frangipani
• Powdery flowers: iris, violet, heliotrope, mimosa and broom
• Spicy flowers: carnation, immortal
• Flowers of the dew family: rose, geranium and peony

Fruits in the heart notes 

The vast majority of the fruits act as a heart note (with the exception of a few watery and juicy fruit notes). Here are some fruits that give heart notes:

• Red fruits: strawberry, raspberry, blueberry, blackberry, redcurrant, blackcurrant
• Yellow fruits: peach, plum, apricot
• Exotic fruits: mango, pineapple, banana, passion fruit
• Aqueous fruits: melon and watermelon
• Juicy fruits: pear, apple, kiwi

 

Natural materials and synthetic ingredients

The choice between natural and synthetic raw materials in the composition of a perfume will impact the fragrance quality. 

Indeed, the more natural ingredients are in the fragrance, the more evolved, lively and richer it will be. Conversely, a perfume containing mainly synthetic materials will be straighter, more stable and linear in its evolution. 

In order for a perfume to be balanced and evolve in a pleasant way, the perfume should be composed of a greater percentage of natural notes that will give the fragrance its soul, while synthetic products will be used above all to bring technicality, power and durability to the perfume, or to replace materials which could not be used in a natural way (such as lily of the valley, violet and certain dried fruits).

 

The heart note and the choice of a perfume

Above all, you must take your time when choosing a perfume, in order to give the notes the opportunity to reveal themselves and evolve fully.

To do this, don't hesitate to let the perfume work for a few hours or even an entire night before buying it. This will allow you to become acquainted with all its notes, and to appreciate it in its entirety. If you still like it the next day, if you find it just as comfortable and if you receive compliments from those around you, it will surely mean that you have found your fragrance.

 

Conclusion 

The heart notes are essential in a perfume. They allow it to become rounder and denser. Thanks to the heart notes, the fragrance takes on shape and volume. Heart notes could be compared to a first conversation between two people, following introductions or the exchange of the first smile.

 

Sylvaine Delacourte fragrances

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