The Olfactory Pyramid: Understanding the Architecture and Evolution of a Perfume

The Orchestration of a Perfume

Let’s start with a small digression on what the orchestration of a perfume is.

Perfume has something magical about it: it evokes poetry, dreams, arouses emotions in the person who smells or wears it, telling them a story. Like in a poem or a symphony, it is the creator’s technical mastery that allows us to embark on a true olfactory journey.

The perfumer-creator “builds” and “composes” their perfume: they give it a structure by orchestrating physical elements in a process that is also scientific. The choice of notes, once assembled according to their physical and chemical characteristics, gives the perfume its full dimension.

A Definition of the Olfactory Pyramid

For educational purposes, the architecture of a perfume is visually represented in the form of an olfactory pyramid whose summit constitutes the top notes, the middle part, the heart notes, and the base, the base notes.

In reality, each part of this pyramid represents notes that interlock with each other and respond to one another. Thus, when a perfume is well constructed, it will be possible to smell the base notes from the start!

It is then said that “the flight prepares its conclusion” (cf. Testing a perfume).

Architecture and Jean Carles

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

The perfumer Jean Carles, who was a perfumer at Roure, which later became Givaudan, established and taught this olfactory pyramid. He classified all notes according to their volatility (top notes having very high volatility, heart notes medium volatility, and base notes low volatility).

An Evolutive or Linear Perfume

The more the perfume consists of natural notes, the more it is lively and evolutive. A perfume orchestrated solely with a majority of synthetic products (cf. Synthetic notes) would be linear (cf. How to preserve your perfume?).

The ideal is to have a larger percentage of natural notes, because they are the ones that give the soul, the life, the evolution, and the surprise in a perfume!

As for materials resulting from synthesis, they are used to bring stability, technicality, but also power and hold to the perfume (cf. The woody facet). And of course, the perfumer resorts to them when nature refuses to deliver the notes they need, such as lily of the valley, violet, or certain dried fruits for example.

Focus on the Top-Heart-Base Evolution of a Perfume

You should know that the top-heart-base evolution is linked to the fact that the different odorant molecules that compose the perfume possess different evaporation speeds.

This does not mean that there is an absolute truth in this area and a strict pre-established and structured order of evaporation, with top notes first, followed by heart notes and finally base notes.
In fact, it happens that all its notes evaporate more or less at the same time in a joyful disorder!

For example, Shalimar by Guerlain is composed of 30% bergamot, heart notes like rose and jasmine, and vanilla in base notes, accompanied by balsamic notes and leather, woody, and animal notes.

From the top notes, it is possible to smell the vanilla notes, which are nevertheless located in the base notes. Indeed, in certain fragrances, there is a form of transparency allowing one to feel the base notes right from the top notes.

A well-constructed perfume must have a flight that prepares its conclusion well. Sometimes, certain perfumes are interesting and attractive in top notes, then the base notes start to disappoint and the promise then vanishes in these last notes.

Examples of Olfactory Pyramid Schemes

Here are some examples of typical olfactory pyramid schemes, with the distribution of top, heart, and base notes.

The Olfactory Pyramid of Fougère Type Perfumes

Here is a classic scheme of the olfactory pyramid for Fougère type perfumes:

• 30% lavender or other aromatic notes (in top notes)
• 20% geranium or rosy notes (in heart notes)
• 10% salicylate notes (in base notes)
• 30% woody moss or patchouli notes (in base notes)
• 10% coumarin or tonka bean notes (in base notes)

The Olfactory Pyramid of Chypre Type Perfumes

Here is a classic scheme of the olfactory pyramid for Chypre type perfumes:

• 35% citrus (in top notes)
• 40% floral bouquet with rose and jasmine (in heart notes)
• 15% moss notes or woody notes like patchouli (in base notes)
• 10% musky notes or balms (in base notes)

The Olfactory Pyramid of Oriental or Amber Type Perfumes

Here is a model of an olfactory pyramid for oriental or amber perfumes:

• 30% hesperidic and aromatic accord (in top notes)
• 20% floral accord, with rose and jasmine (in heart notes)
• 50% amber accord (with balms, resins, patchouli, benzoin, vanilla, tonka bean, or coumarin (in base notes).