In my last blog on understanding aroma notes for essential oil blending, I dove into the foundation of a blended fragrance, known as the base note or fixative note. In this article, I’ll be delving deeper into what is considered the heart of a fragrance, commonly referred to as the middle note or mid-note.
I previously made an analogy that blending essential oils is much like building layers of paint on a canvas. If I piggyback onto that analogy, middle notes are akin to the layer that allows a painting to reveal the cohesive image of an artist’s vision. This “paint” layer allows the dark and light contrasting colors to seamlessly blend into one another, rounding any harsh lines with each stroke of the brush. Applying this principle to fragrance blending, middle notes help to balance and soften a blend.
Once the initial impression of the top note (which I’ll be diving into next) begins to subside, middle notes typically reveal themselves after about 15 minutes of being applied to the skin or dispersed into the air. The aroma of a middle note usually lasts for up to 2 hours before dissipating, leaving behind the final scent, the rich and foundational base note.
Middle notes encompass the body of a perfumery blend and are also considered the scent most influential on the mind and body of those who breathe it in. This makes choosing your middle notes a vital consideration for not only how you’d like a fragrance to smell, but also how you’d like it to make you feel. After all, 75% of the emotions we experience each day are attributed to our sense of smell, so choosing your fragrance notes with intention will create a clear picture of both the scent and your mind. I find it no coincidence that middle note fragrances primarily originate from trees and flowering plants, which also have a lot of visual influence over our emotions.
Some of the most commonly encountered essential oils within the middle note category are lavender, clary sage, tea tree, and rosemary. Expanding on the list of base notes we created to save you the tedious legwork of perusing our vast selection of essential oil offerings, we’ve created this comprehensive list of middle notes to help create the heart of your DIY fragrance blends.
*These oils can be used as a middle or base note, depending on the blend.
**These oils can be used as a middle or top note, depending on the blend.
You may also enjoy:
Topics: Aromatherapy, Specialty Ingredients
Hailey grew up on a small rural farm in Oregon surrounded by trees and more animals than you could count on your fingers and toes, Hailey has always had a strong passion for exploration, art, biology, and animals. These passions have led her through various career paths including veterinary medicine, neurodiverse healthcare, and teaching glazing at a local pottery studio. These accumulated skills brought her to the front steps of Mountain Rose Herbs, where she holds the Partnership & Event Coordinator position. When she isn’t planning community events, you can find her cooking up nourishing vegan food, snuggling with her beloved kitty, Indigo, or wandering around mossy creek beds looking for agates and animal bones to breathe new life into her jewelry creations.
.jpg?width=1080&name=2023%20(1).jpg "Mountain Rose Herbs 2023 Impact Report")
In my last blog on understanding aroma notes for essential oil blending, I dove into the foundation of a blended fragrance, known as the base note or fixative note. In this article, I’ll be delving deeper into what is considered the heart of a fragrance, commonly referred to as the middle note or mid-note.
I previously made an analogy that blending essential oils is much like building layers of paint on a canvas. If I piggyback onto that analogy, middle notes are akin to the layer that allows a painting to reveal the cohesive image of an artist’s vision. This “paint” layer allows the dark and light contrasting colors to seamlessly blend into one another, rounding any harsh lines with each stroke of the brush. Applying this principle to fragrance blending, middle notes help to balance and soften a blend.
Once the initial impression of the top note (which I’ll be diving into next) begins to subside, middle notes typically reveal themselves after about 15 minutes of being applied to the skin or dispersed into the air. The aroma of a middle note usually lasts for up to 2 hours before dissipating, leaving behind the final scent, the rich and foundational base note.
Middle notes encompass the body of a perfumery blend and are also considered the scent most influential on the mind and body of those who breathe it in. This makes choosing your middle notes a vital consideration for not only how you’d like a fragrance to smell, but also how you’d like it to make you feel. After all, 75% of the emotions we experience each day are attributed to our sense of smell, so choosing your fragrance notes with intention will create a clear picture of both the scent and your mind. I find it no coincidence that middle note fragrances primarily originate from trees and flowering plants, which also have a lot of visual influence over our emotions.
Some of the most commonly encountered essential oils within the middle note category are lavender, clary sage, tea tree, and rosemary. Expanding on the list of base notes we created to save you the tedious legwork of perusing our vast selection of essential oil offerings, we’ve created this comprehensive list of middle notes to help create the heart of your DIY fragrance blends.
*These oils can be used as a middle or base note, depending on the blend.
**These oils can be used as a middle or top note, depending on the blend.
You may also enjoy:
Topics: Aromatherapy, Specialty Ingredients
Hailey grew up on a small rural farm in Oregon surrounded by trees and more animals than you could count on your fingers and toes, Hailey has always had a strong passion for exploration, art, biology, and animals. These passions have led her through various career paths including veterinary medicine, neurodiverse healthcare, and teaching glazing at a local pottery studio. These accumulated skills brought her to the front steps of Mountain Rose Herbs, where she holds the Partnership & Event Coordinator position. When she isn’t planning community events, you can find her cooking up nourishing vegan food, snuggling with her beloved kitty, Indigo, or wandering around mossy creek beds looking for agates and animal bones to breathe new life into her jewelry creations.
