How do I read scent notes and families?
The scent details on a product page are read in three layers: top notes are noticed first, heart notes carry the character of the scent, and base notes remain in the final phase. The scent family summarises the overall character, and the main accords the impression the notes give together.
Top, heart and base notes
Top notes are the first you notice after spraying and evaporate fastest. As they fade, the heart notes come forward and carry the character of the scent. Base notes evaporate most slowly and stay on the skin in the final phase. On the product page these three layers are listed on separate lines; if the source gives no layers, the notes are shown as one list under “Scent components”.
What is a main accord?
A combination of notes that together create a single impression (e.g. woody, sweet). Accords summarise the overall direction of a scent rather than individual notes, which makes them handy for a quick comparison of two products.
The four scent families
The family is matched from the scent group on Sansiro's official product page: Floral → Floral, Woody → Woody, Fresh Chypre → Fresh, Oriental and Amber → Oriental. If the source gives a group outside these four (e.g. Fruity Gourmand, Aromatic), the product is not forced into a family; the group name is shown as it is (15 products).
- Floral Scents (66)
Soft, elegant scents led by floral accords such as rose, jasmine and iris.
- Woody Scents (30)
Warm, dry tones such as cedar, sandalwood and vetiver.
- Fresh Scents (52)
A light, clean and lively feel with citrus, marine and green accords.
- Oriental Scents (78)
Rich, warm and full scents with vanilla, amber, spices and resins.
Do notes tell you how long a scent lasts or how strong it is?
No. Notes and the family describe what a scent contains and its character; they don't tell you how long it lasts or how intense it is. How a scent is perceived varies with the person, the skin and the surroundings; the site has no measured longevity values for these products.
Where does the information come from?
Notes and scent groups are taken from Sansiro's official product pages; the date the source was accessed is shown on the product page. Information that conflicts between sources is not shown and gaps are never filled in by guessing, so some products have a short note list or none at all.
How do I find scents close to one I like?
“Close to this scent” on the product page is based on the same scent family and shared notes; it does not mean the scent is identical. You can type a note into the search box and see up to three products side by side on the comparison page.