How to Define a Perfume Scent Direction | Reference Fragrances, Key Notes, Consumer Profile

A clear perfume scent direction should cover six things: who will wear it, the main scent family, the key notes, the reference fragrances, the performance target, and what the perfume should avoid.

For example: woody musk, green fig as the main note, bergamot in the opening, sandalwood and musk in the dry-down, sweetness at 2/5, opening freshness at 4/5, projection at 3/5, and a 6-8-hour wear target. Marine notes, syrupy fruit, and a strong powdery smell should be avoided.

Note on the numbers: The scores, time points, sample sizes, and ranges used below are examples for product development. They are not fixed perfume-industry standards.

Build the Consumer Profile

Useful consumer information can come from:

• reviews of existing products
• fragrance sampling feedback
• customer interviews
• customer-service records
• repeat-purchase feedback
• retail and distributor feedback
• small consumer tests

The target customer, product type, price, and market should be clear before starting custom perfume development.

Set Product, Use, and Cost Limits

Example: Premium 50 mL Eau de Parfum. Medium projection, 6-8-hour wear target, and fragrance cost kept within the approved project budget.

XUELEI's OEM/ODM process covers fragrance, packaging, testing, cost, and production before mass production begins.

Turn Brand Words into Clear Scent Descriptions

Better: “Clean woody musk, sweetness 2/5, with a creamy sandalwood dry-down.”

Too vague: “Modern luxury fragrance with timeless elegance.”

Select the Fragrance Family

A fig note does not mean there is one single “fig ingredient.” A perfumer can create a fig smell by blending several materials.

Build the Reference-Fragrance Table

Reference fragrances should be used to show specific details. They should not be used as instructions to copy another perfume. XUELEI's perfume sample approval process also records what should stay, what should change, and what should be avoided before another sample is made.

Give Every Key Note a Clear Job

The priority score shows how important the smell is in the brief. It does not show the percentage used in the formula.

Set the Smelling Timeline

Dry-down target: After 6-8 hours, soft sandalwood and clean musk should still be noticeable, with a small trace of green fig.

Use the same spray method when comparing samples. Spray amount, pump output, distance, alcohol base, sample age, raw-material batches, filtration, storage, and packaging can all change what is smelled. XUELEI lists common causes in its guide to perfume sample differences.

Use the Same Scale for Sweetness, Freshness, and Projection

Describe Texture with Simple Words

Too general: Sandalwood and musk.

Clearer: Creamy sandalwood and soft skin musk with no dry, scratchy edge.

Set Performance Targets

EDP and EDT names do not guarantee a fixed level of strength or wear time. The result also depends on the formula, amount applied, skin, temperature, airflow, and test method.

Check Climate and Packaging

Warm-market amber example: Keep the amber smell, but avoid a thick, syrupy dry-down. Test the finished perfume under warm-use conditions.

XUELEI's perfume manufacturing process covers fragrance preparation, filling, packaging, inspection, and finished-product checks.

Set the Originality Level and Avoid List

A smell restriction is different from banning an ingredient. A true ingredient ban should only be used when there is a safety, legal, certification, sourcing, or brand-policy reason.

Test Samples the Same Way

• Use coded sample names.
• Keep the test times the same.
• Do not wear a strong personal perfume during testing.
• Avoid scented hand products, candles, smoke, and strong room fragrance.
• Use blotters for side-by-side comparison.
• Use skin testing for shortlisted samples that are intended for skin use.

Coffee beans should not be treated as a guaranteed way to “reset” the nose. A controlled experiment found no improvement in later odor identification compared with lemon or plain air.^[1]

When the nose becomes tired, use clean air and take a short break.

Score Samples Against the Brief

The importance of the item also matters. A 0.5-point difference in the main fig signature may matter more than the same difference in a background note.

Write Clear Revision Instructions

Simple feedback format: When + Problem + Change + Avoid + Keep.

During the first 20 minutes, the pear is too sweet. Reduce the candy-like fruit smell, keep the current freshness, do not add a marine effect, and keep the sandalwood dry-down unchanged.

Run a Small Consumer Test

Example 30-person test:

In this example, more people choose Sample A, but Sample B scores better for brand fit, memorability, and purchase intent. The sample with the most votes is therefore not always the best final choice.

Add one open question:

What three words would you use to describe this fragrance?

If the target is “clean, elegant, modern” but many people independently answer “sweet, heavy, mature,” the sample is not matching the brief.

A small group can help find clear problems. There is no fixed number of people that automatically proves market demand.

Check Safety and Compliance

IFRA Standards can ban, limit, or set conditions for certain fragrance materials depending on the product use. IFRA also states that its Standards and related documents do not replace local laws or a finished-product safety assessment.^[2]

Natural ingredients are not automatically free from restrictions. Essential oils and other natural fragrance materials can contain restricted substances.^[2]

In the United States, perfume and cologne sold for cosmetic use are generally treated as cosmetics. FDA states that cosmetic companies are responsible for product safety and correct labeling. Fragrance mixtures may also be listed simply as “Fragrance” in many cosmetic ingredient lists instead of listing every fragrance material separately.^[3]

In the EU, Regulation (EU) 2023/1545 added more individual fragrance-allergen labeling requirements. For the allergens covered by the rule, the labeling limits include 0.001% in leave-on products and 0.01% in rinse-off products.^[4]

ISO 22716:2007 gives Good Manufacturing Practice guidance for cosmetic production, control, storage, and shipment.^[5]

XUELEI's perfume quality-control process checks fragrance matching separately from finished-product items such as appearance, fill level, packaging function, and batch records.

Use This One-Page Scent Brief

Final Approval Check

• The customer, use, product format, market, and price are clear.
• There is one clear main fragrance family.
• The main signature note has the highest priority.
• Each reference fragrance has a clear purpose.
• The opening, middle stage, and dry-down are written down.
• Sweetness, freshness, projection, texture, and originality have clear target levels.
• The unwanted smells are listed.
• Samples are tested in the same basic way.
• Feedback says what should change and what should stay.
• Customer preference is checked separately from brand fit and purchase intent.
• Safety, legal rules, stability, packaging, and production checks are handled separately from scent preference.