From the olfactory pyramid to quadrification
Can you imagine being able to get a faithful idea of what a perfume smells like before you try it? That's what we try to do at Wikiparfum, helping you to visualise what the structure of a fragrance looks like. We are based on gridding, which allows us to deconstruct the olfactory pyramid of a perfume by means of a grid that shows with images which are the main ingredients that compose it
What is the quadrification of a perfume?
The quadrification represents a conceptual grid in which the different notes present in a perfume - forming the well-known olfactory pyramid - are categorised and identified through the dominant ingredients.
Through quadrification we can break down a perfume into its most representative ingredients to better understand what its olfactory score is like, supported by images. Through these images we can understand how the olfactory notes evolve, from the first ones we feel at the moment of perfuming (top notes), to those that become more prominent over time, which are known in perfumistic terms as the heart and base notes.
Olfactory pyramid of a perfume
Top notes These are the top notes, those that we perceive immediately when we apply a perfume. They are usually light and fresh and disappear in a few minutes. They convey the first impression of the fragrance.
Heart notes Once the top notes begin to dissipate, the heart notes emerge, revealing the character of the perfume. These notes are longer lasting than the top notes and tend to be more complex and richer.
Base notes The longest lasting notes of the perfume, which are perceived for hours, are the base notes. They add depth and persistence to the fragrance.
In the case of niche fragrances, in Wikiparfum we have incorporated a button so that you can see the evolution of the notes over the hours (this way, you can get a faithful idea of how the olfactory pyramid evolves).
How can perfume quadrification help you when choosing a fragrance?
The scent of perfume is the primary purchase attribute. According to a Kantar consumer survey, 84% of consumers choose perfume solely on fragrance rather than brand (45%) or price (40%).
For this reason, quadrification is a useful tool for finding a perfume you like before you smell it. With an average of 2,000 perfume launches per year, perfumery is one of the most dynamic and innovative markets. But this hectic pace of novelties makes it impossible to keep up with all the new fragrances arriving in the shops… You have to select and try, even if you only get to try a few.
Quadrification allows you to visualise the most dominant ingredients that make up the perfume (based on the information provided by the brands), to get a sensory and intuitive impression of the fragrance. Even if you only see at most the five most important ingredients, in the text that accompanies each image you can expand the information and find out more about all the ingredients that make up the fragrance formula.
Before you make a fragrance tasting, how can you make your selection based on your own personal criteria? We must bear in mind that, in order not to saturate our sense of smell, we must not overdo it when smelling perfumes. Le Secret du Marais, a Madrid-based perfumery specialising in signature brands, advises us to opt for tastings of a maximum of seven perfumes, although we recommend no more than five.
But how do we arrive at this selection of five perfumes for a tasting? If you are a fragrance lover, the quadrification will help you to identify and visualise the olfactory characteristics of the perfume. You will then be able to see whether the perfume is dominated by citrus, floral or woody notes and select only those that match your preferences
This is how we apply the perfume quadrification on Wikiparfum
Size
The size of the ingredient images reveals the weight the ingredients have in the perfume. The larger the area an ingredient occupies, the more prominence it has in the fragrance.
Background colour
The box where the ingredients are displayed can be white or black: if it is white, it means that it is a light fragrance, while black indicates that it is intense.
Through the gridding you can explore and easily find perfumes that match your olfactory tastes. It will help you select fragrances in a more satisfying and personalised way before making a purchase. If you haven't tried it yet, we encourage you to do so