OKEYHAUL Spreadsheet: Perfume Notes, Families and Concentration

How do fragrance families, notes and concentration differ?

A fragrance family describes a scent’s broad character. A note description gives a more specific account of the smells within a composition. Terms such as eau de toilette and eau de parfum identify a concentration category. Reading those three layers separately makes perfume descriptions in the OKEYHAUL Spreadsheet easier to interpret.

They can appear together without replacing one another. A woody family description does not specify whether the perfume is an EDT or EDP, and an EDP label does not tell you which notes dominate. Start with the kind of information each term provides, then consider how the descriptions fit together.

Scroll horizontally to view all columns.

What is a fragrance family?

Fragrance families group perfumes by their dominant olfactory characteristics. The Perfume Society uses categories including fresh, floral, woody, gourmand and fougère. These are ways of organising scent language, rather than a list of ingredients that must appear in every member of a group.

The classification is also not completely universal. Publishers and perfume houses may divide or name the groups differently, and a scent can combine characteristics associated with more than one family. Treat a family name as an orientation: it helps explain the overall direction while leaving room for differences within that group.

If two descriptions share a family, that is a reason to compare them more closely rather than to assume they smell alike. Their note balance, concentration version and development can still be different.

What do top, heart and base notes mean?

Top notes describe the opening impression, heart notes the central character, and base notes the longer-lasting foundation. The phases overlap: heart notes can be apparent early, while a perfume described as linear changes relatively little in overall impression.

The pyramid is therefore a description of development, not a fixed timetable. A shared note name is also not enough to establish an identical smell. Read its role within the composition rather than comparing isolated words.

What do EDT and EDP mean?

EDT abbreviates eau de toilette, and EDP abbreviates eau de parfum. These labels are used to describe concentration categories. The Perfume Society explains that concentrations vary between fragrances and brands, so a category name is not an exact formula disclosure.

Versions bearing different concentration names may also use different note arrangements. An EDP should not automatically be understood as the same EDT with its volume turned up. Read the complete version name and its own description before treating two versions as interchangeable.

Concentration is relevant to how a fragrance is presented, but the letters alone do not establish a guaranteed wear duration. A useful description keeps the version, composition and actual scent experience distinct.

Why is it useful to smell a perfume as it develops?

The Perfume Society recommends allowing a fragrance to develop and trying it on skin rather than relying only on its opening on a blotter. Written descriptions help organise a comparison; they cannot reproduce that sensory experience.

Keep packaging and scent information separate, too. A bottle photograph cannot establish the formulation or provide a wear test for an individual linked item.

How can you read a perfume description more clearly?

For the OKEYHAUL Spreadsheet perfume category, begin with the broad scent character that interests you, then read the notes and exact concentration version together. This gives each description a clear job and avoids reducing a perfume to one prominent note or a single strength label.

A useful comparison can end with a more precise question about the scent’s direction, rather than a claim about which concentration is universally best. Keep any unreported formula details or wear results open instead of filling them in from the label.