9 A Pyramid “Scent” Scheme

When it comes to the raw ingredients, it is easiest to think of them in terms of a pyramid. The ingredients at the top are what we smell when we first spray a fragrance, then the ingredients in the middle, and then lastly (sometimes not even fully until an hour after we spray the fragrance) are the base notes (an insider term for ingredients). This diagram below helps show some of the most common ingredients found in the various parts of the fragrance pyramid.

Again, you don’t have to know every raw ingredient that goes in to a fragrance. However, knowing the key notes in the fragrances you are selling to your client will help you guide them to the perfect scent. Let’s turn to the brands you will be working with and discover the three main ingredients in each, as well as the type of fragrance so you know how long it will last on your customer.