Education
Fragrance Notes Explained: From Top to Base
May 21, 2026 · 6 min read
If you've ever noticed that a candle smells one way when you first light it and another way an hour later, you've experienced fragrance notes at work. A scent isn't a single moment — it's a sequence, built in three layers that reveal themselves over time.
Top notes — the first impression
Top notes are what you smell first: bright, volatile, and fleeting. Think bergamot, lemon, pink pepper. They make the first impression and then gracefully step aside, usually within the first fifteen minutes.
Heart notes — the character
As the top notes fade, the heart emerges. This is the soul of the fragrance — florals like rose and jasmine, warm spices, soft woods. The heart is what you'll associate most with the scent.
Base notes — the memory
Base notes are the foundation: amber, musk, sandalwood, oud, vanilla. They're heavy, slow to evaporate, and they linger longest. The base is what stays in the room — and in your memory — after the flame is out.
Aurelia, mapped out
Golden Amber moves from bergamot through vanilla orchid into sandalwood and musk. Rose Noir opens on black pepper, blooms into dark rose, and settles on oud. Once you learn to read the three acts, every candle becomes a small piece of theatre.