Buying perfume online means choosing a scent without smelling it. The one thing every product page offers in its place is a notes list: a short line of ingredients, usually split into top, heart and base. Read carelessly, it is a string of pretty words. Read well, it is the closest thing to a preview that a screen can give. This piece looks at how to get more out of that list, using examples from the perfumes 10ML stocks. Three layers, three time frames A notes list describes a perfume in three overlapping stages. Top notes are the lightest materials and evaporate first: citrus such as bergamot, herbs such as lavender, light spice. They are the first impression, and the part judged on a shop strip. Heart notes carry the character once the opening settles: florals such as rose and jasmine, spices and green notes. Base notes are the slowest and heaviest: woods, resins, musk, vanilla and amber. They are usually not clear until about 30 minutes after application, and they carry the ...