Editing Perfume (section)

===Fragrance notes===
{{main| Note (perfumery)}}

Perfume is described in a musical metaphor as having three sets of ''notes'', making the harmonious scent ''accord''. The notes unfold over time, with the immediate impression of the top note leading to the deeper middle notes and the base notes gradually appearing as the final stage. These notes are created carefully with knowledge of the evaporation process of the perfume.
*'''Top notes''': Also called the '''''head notes'''''. The scents that are perceived immediately on application of a perfume. Top notes consist of small, light molecules that evaporate quickly. They form a person's initial impression of a perfume and thus are very important in the selling of a perfume. Examples of top notes include mint, lavender and coriander.
*'''Middle notes''': Also referred to as '''''heart notes'''''. The scent of a perfume that emerges just before the dissipation of the top note. The middle note compounds form the "''heart''" or main body of a perfume and act to mask the often unpleasant initial impression of base notes, which become more pleasant with time. Examples of middle notes include seawater, sandalwood and jasmine.
*'''Base notes''': The scent of a perfume that appears close to the departure of the middle notes. The base and middle notes together are the main theme of a perfume. Base notes bring depth and solidity to a perfume. Compounds of this class of scents are typically rich and "deep" and are usually not perceived until 30 minutes after application. Examples of base notes include tobacco, amber and musk.
The scents in the top and middle notes are influenced by the base notes; conversely, the scents of the base notes will be altered by the types of fragrance materials used as middle notes. Manufacturers who publish perfume notes typically do so with the fragrance components presented as a ''fragrance pyramid'',<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://blog.lebermuth.com/fragrance-101-understanding-the-fragrance-pyramid|title=Fragrance 101: Understanding The Fragrance Pyramid|website=Blog.lebermuth.com|access-date=28 September 2018|archive-date=29 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180929000259/https://blog.lebermuth.com/fragrance-101-understanding-the-fragrance-pyramid|url-status=live}}</ref> using imaginative and abstract terms for the components listed.