Pear

What it is

A synthetic construction, usually built on esters. No usable pear extract exists.

What it smells like

Light, watery and green with a crisp sweetness. It became a signature of fruity florals in the 2000s, and it is one of the few fruit notes that stays fresh rather than turning syrupy as it warms.

Where it sits

Which layer of the pyramid it is listed in, across every fragrance here that carries it. A base note is one you smell for hours; a top note is usually gone within the first.

What it turns up with

How much more often than the catalogue average. 1.0x would be chance, so these are the things that genuinely travel with it rather than the things that are simply common.

When it is worn

Against the average fragrance here. The line marks that average, so a bar past it means this is worn in that season or setting more than most.

Houses that use it most

Counted across the fragrances here, which reflects what we cover as much as what a house makes.

Lancome (9), Giorgio Armani (8), Yves Saint Laurent (8), Jean Paul Gaultier (6), Lattafa (6), Mancera (6).