The Art of Scented Candle Making - Fragrance notes and how they work

Behind each House of Cassidy candle scent is hours of research, testing, and careful sourcing of the finest, often rare ingredients. What makes our candles unique is the care that goes into each fragrance blend. Each one is a complex, multi-layered and balanced experience that takes your senses on a journey.

Each fragrance is made up of layers of notes that come together in harmony, a little bit like a piece of music - top notes, middle notes and base notes. If you’re not sure what this means, keep reading! We’re going to explain what fragrance notes are, and how they work together…

Top Notes - First Impressions 

When you take that first breath after lighting your candle, the first scent you experience will be the top notes. Perfumers tend to use refreshing and sharp scents in top notes, to catch your attention.

Think fruity and floral scents, like citrus, berries, rose, lavender, and fresh linen. With smaller molecules, the top notes soon fade, slowly making way for the mid notes. 

Mid Notes - The Main Event

Also known as heart notes, the mid notes of our unique fragrance blends tend to be more mellow, complementing the top notes with more depth. They are what gives your scented candle its unique character. The mid notes will linger on much longer, often for several hours. 

Mid notes tend to be more floral and sweet, including rose, ylang ylang and jasmine. Lighter spices like cinnamon and pepper are commonly used for base notes. 

Base Notes - The Anchor 

The base notes of a scent are the deepest of all, with a grounding effect that completes the fragrance experience. With the largest molecules, the base notes will stay in the air the longest, even after your candle has been extinguished. They underpin the entire scent, and bring all the notes together. 

Scents most commonly used in base notes can include musk, vanilla, amber, and warm, earthy wood and moss.

Here at House of Cassidy, all our unique blends are made by scent experts who understand the delicate interplay between fragrance notes, from top to base. 

Ingredients of the highest quality, combined with organic soy wax and cotton wicks, free of pollutants, bring a pure and unspoilt sensory experience to every room in your home. 

Explore our luxury candle collections