The world of fragrance is constantly evolving, with innovative combinations you’re yet to discover. By keeping an eye on these trends, you can open your eyes to new, unexpected favourites to add to your collection. In this report, we’ll uncover the most popular fragrance notes of 2024, digging deep into Diem Scents’ exclusive data on scent preferences.
We’ll uncover the top fragrance notes of the year, as well as which scents appeal most to different age groups, to encourage you to experiment with new fragrance notes and find your next scent of the season.
Fragrance notes are distinct layers of scent that come together to create a perfume’s unique aroma. You can picture fragrance notes a lot like applying paint to a blank canvas. Just as you layer coats of paint to create a work of art, individual layers of ingredients are combined to create the scents you treasure. To answer the question ‘what are fragrance notes?’, in simple terms they’re individual scents or ingredients that make up a fragrance, working in harmony to create an overall aroma.
Fragrance notes are usually classified in a fragrance pyramid, with top notes, middle notes and base notes. These notes are classified according to how quickly they evaporate and how long the scent lingers. So, notes at the top of the pyramid have a higher volatility (meaning they evaporate quicker), while fragrance notes at the base of the pyramid last the longest. The top notes are fresh and inviting, and capture your attention immediately. The middle notes, known as the heart notes, take the stage as the top notes fade, giving the scent character and richness. The base notes develop last with depth and warmth, there to leave a lasting impression.
Fragrance notes are the heartbeat behind perfume, working together to create a unique combination of scents to cater to various preferences and occasions. After all, scent is entirely personal and can evoke unique memories and emotions for each person, making the exploration of fragrance an intimate and expressive experience.
When it comes to the most popular fragrance notes, we’ve looked at our internal data on people’s fragrance preferences to unveil the top fragrance notes found in the most popular scents. We were also able to uncover the top fragrance notes by age.
With 62% of currently worn or loved scents containing jasmine, it’s the top fragrance note of the year. Jasmine offers the best of both worlds, balancing sweet floral notes with musky, alluring undertones.
If Jasmine is up there as one of your favourite notes, Diem Scents’ Love Tangle could tick all your boxes. For wild-hearted wanderers, Love Tangle is fruity without sweetness, combining Jasmine with rich, warm notes of blackcurrant buds and bramble leaves.
Lisa Hipgrave, Head of Fragrance at Diem Scents and Director of the International Fragrance Association (IFRA), gives her thoughts on why Jasmine is the most popular fragrance note:
"Jasmine is an intoxicating, precious floral that is universally liked by people. It’s recognised to be something that is rare and only flowers at a certain time of year for a certain number of hours a day. Therefore, it is very precious in that way."
Another popular fragrance note is musk, with 48% of perfumes currently worn or previously loved leaning on this warm, comforting aroma to bring sensuality and sophistication to the surface. Musk pairs well with warm, woody notes as seen with Diem Scents’ Self Made, combining musk with tonka and spiced rum for a sensual and warming aroma. You’ll find its musky qualities linger throughout the day until it’s time for your head to hit the pillow.
Rose is another top choice when it comes to fragrance notes, found in 46% of perfumes. Rose is delicate and romantic, as found in Diem Scents’ Neon Nectar, which combines the timeless elegance of rose, with sweet lychee and pear. Other popular fragrance notes include vanilla found in 46% of perfumes, and patchouli and amber found in 42%.
That initial ‘wow’ you receive when you first apply perfume? They’re the top notes of the fragrance that you smell first - they’re the lightest and most volatile, and typically last for about 5-15 minutes. Top notes have personality and demand attention - they're the most dominant notes that you can detect from the very first spritz.
According to our data, the most popular top notes are jasmine, musk, bergamot, orange and patchouli. Although listed as key top notes in the most popular fragrances, musk and patchouli are usually considered as dominant heart and base notes and are used to shape the scent all the way through. Each of these notes celebrates nature and earthiness, from the woody, spicy notes of patchouli to the uplifting, zesty notes of orange, making them a natural choice for a top note. They certainly leave a lasting impression.
Middle notes are often referred to as heart notes, because they’re at the heart or core of the scent, once the initial top notes have evaporated. Heart notes are often more complex, designed to add depth and richness to other layers of the fragrance. According to our findings, bergamot takes the top spot for the most common middle note in currently worn or previously loved fragrances, which isn’t surprising - its zesty, fresh aroma can complement both delicate and intense fragrances.
Although bergamot is most commonly used as a top note, it also affects other middle note materials - allowing them to be detected on top. They essentially act on each other and help them evaporate (or slow them down) depending on the material.
Other popular middle notes listed in the most worn scents include orange, rose, lemon and jasmine - all light and elegant scents to complement and enhance the overall scent profile.
As the name may suggest, base notes are final notes of the scent which you’ll notice once the top and middle notes have evaporated. While they’re the last notes to be appreciated, they also last the longest, for over six hours in most cases. Their role is to make your chosen scent last as long as possible. They rely on heavier, more complex components that naturally take longer to develop and as a result, remain noticeable over time. Base notes play a pivotal role in balancing and enhancing the composition of the fragrance, so your scent lingers well into the night.
The most popular base notes we’ve identified, in order of popularity, are as follows:
Does our age affect the fragrance notes we’re drawn to? According to our data, jasmine is the most popular fragrance note for those born in the 70s, 80s and 90s, yet this popularity dips for those born in the 2000s.
Those born in the 2000s have purchased fragrances with vanilla notes the most, which isn’t surprising given the soar of vanilla-scented body products (think Victoria Secret’s Bare Vanilla) in the 2000s. Gen Z has grown up with vanilla, so may be drawn to its warm and sweet aroma as it's likely to evoke nostalgia and comfort. The second most popular fragrance note for both 70s’ and 80s’ babies is rose, with those born in the 1990s preferring the earthy, woody aroma of patchouli.
However, overall the preferences of different age groups are noticeably similar, with jasmine still appearing in the top 3 fragrance notes for those born in the 2000s too. Jasmine is a timeless scent that appeals to a variety of age groups. For younger wearers, jasmine’s floral aroma evokes freshness, often seen as uplifting and youthful. Those born in the next decade may gravitate towards jasmine due to its complexity - embodying sophistication and elegance that is suitable for both day and nighttime wear. Whereas, for older adults, jasmine may offer nostalgic, comforting qualities as its classic aroma helps to recall cherished memories, making it a favoured choice for those who appreciate timeless, traditional scents.
Fragrance notes work in harmony to build the scents you treasure. After all, scent isn’t just there to attract attention - it’s a reflective and personal experience, allowing you to express your mood each day. Fragrance notes complement this experience, adding layer upon layer of individuality and expression.
Wave goodbye to the complicated nature of fragrance discovery with Diem Scents. Rather than browsing endless shelves for your forever fragrance, our AI scent assistant takes your preferences and matches you with scents you’ll savour for years to come. Why not try a discovery set and see for yourself? You can experiment with different scents to uncover the one that speaks to not just your senses but your soul.
Using proprietary Diem Scents data on fragrance preferences (current favoured scents and previously loved perfumes), we analysed the fragrance notes of the top 50 mentioned fragrances, as well as the top 20 preferred fragrances by cohort, for each cohort (1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s).
For each fragrance, accords and notes were looked up on Fragrantica, BaseNotes, and WikiParfum. Unique notes were parsed and tallied up, according to the number of fragrances, in which they appear, overall, and among the top 20 fragrances for each cohort. An additional calculation was performed to count the number of fragrances, where they appear as top, middle, and base notes.
Data gathered in July 2024.
