Methodology

AuraNote's core idea is ranking fragrances by how prominent each note actually is — not just whether it's listed on the bottle. This page explains exactly how that score is computed, including where it falls short.

1What "prominence" measures

Every note in a fragrance's pyramid gets a prominence score between 0 and 1, built from two things: which layer the note sits in, and where it's listed within that layer.

• Heart notes carry a weight of 0.95 — they define most of a fragrance's character.
• Top notes carry a weight of 0.90 — the opening impression.
• Base notes carry a weight of 0.80 — the lingering foundation.

Within its own layer, a note listed first scores higher than one listed further down the list — position matters as much as which layer it's in. A layer with only one note scores at 85% of that layer's weight; in a longer list, a note's position knocks up to 40% off the maximum for that layer.

2Curated vs. imported

About 150 fragrances in the catalogue are curated by hand — their note pyramids and prominence values are authored directly, not computed. The remaining 10,500-plus imported fragrances get this formula applied automatically, based on each note's position in its source pyramid listing.

3The honest limitation

Prominence reflects where a note was listed in the source pyramid — not an independently measured intensity, sillage, or longevity contribution. Two notes at the same position in two different fragrances get the same prominence score, even if one is objectively more noticeable when actually worn.

4Where this shows up

This score drives ranking on every family and brand page, the dominant note shown on each fragrance card, and precision note search's "must-have" ordering. It's separate from a fragrance's longevity and sillage ratings — see Data Sources for how those are determined.