What is perfume?

Perfume is a mixture of fragrant essential oils and aroma compounds, fixatives, and solvents used to give the human body, animals, objects, and living spaces a pleasant scent.

  Different Types have Different Concentrations

Perfume types reflect the concentration of aromatic compounds in a solvent, which in fine fragrance is typically ethanol or a mix of water and ethanol. Various sources differ considerably in the definitions of perfume types. The concentrations by percent/volume of perfume oil are:

• Perfume extract (Extrait): 15-40% (IFRA: typical 20%) aromatic compounds
• Eau de Parfum (EdP), Parfum de Toilette (PdT): 10-20% (typical ~15%) aromatic compounds. Sometimes listed as ‘eau de perfume’ or ‘millésime’.
• Eau de Toilette (EdT): 5-15% (typical ~10%) aromatic compounds
• Eau de Cologne (EdC): Chypre citrus type perfumes with 3-8% (typical ~5%) aromatic compounds
• Splash and After shave: 1-3% aromatic compounds

  The Higher the Concentration, the Longer it Lasts

The intensity and longevity of a perfume is based on the concentration, intensity and longevity of the aromatic compounds (natural essential oils / perfume oils) used: As the percentage of aromatic compounds increases, so does the intensity and longevity of the scent created. Different perfumeries or perfume houses assign different quantities of oils to each of their perfumes. Therefore, although the oil concentration of a perfume in Eau de Parfum (EdP) dilution will necessarily be higher than the same perfume in Eau de Toilette (EdT) from within the same range, the actual amounts can vary between perfume houses. An EdT from one house may be stronger than an EdP from another.

  Men’s or Women’s?

Men's fragrances are rarely sold as EdP or perfume extracts. Women's fragrances are rarely sold in EdC concentrations. Although this gender specific naming trend is common for assigning fragrance concentrations, it does not directly have anything to do with whether a fragrance is intended for men or women.

  Fragrance notes

The experience of a perfume changes over time, intentionally. Perfume is described in a musical metaphor as having three sets of notes, contributing to a harmonious scent overall. The notes unfold over time, with the immediate impression of the top note leading to the deeper middle notes, and the base notes gradually appearing as the final stage. These notes are created carefully with knowledge of the evaporation process of the perfume.

  Top notes

These are the scents you notice as soon as you apply a perfume. Top notes consist of small, light molecules that evaporate quickly. They form a person's initial impression of a perfume and thus are very important in the selling of a perfume. Also called the head notes.

  Middle notes

This is the scent that emerges as the top notes dissipate. The middle note compounds form the ‘heart’ or main body of a perfume and act to mask the sometimes unpleasant initial impression of base notes, which become more pleasant with time. They are also called the heart notes.

  Base notes

This is the scent that appears close to the departure of the middle notes. The base and middle notes together are the main theme of a perfume. Base notes bring depth and solidity to a perfume. Compounds of this class of scents are typically rich and ‘deep’ and are usually not perceived until 30 minutes after application.

The scents in the top and middle notes are influenced by the base notes, as well the scents of the base notes will be altered by the type of fragrance materials used as middle notes. Manufacturers of perfumes usually publish perfume notes and typically they present it as fragrance pyramid, with the components listed in imaginative and abstract terms.

  Fragrance Hints & Tips

• Kept away from heat and light, an unopened fragrance will be good for at least four years
• Identical fragrances will not only smell differently also last longer when applied to some people than others. The balance and chemical make-up of your skin is the reason for this
• Avoid storing fragrances in bathrooms as the fluctuating temperatures and humidity will degrade the scent rapidly
• Exposure to the air should be kept to a minimum, as once opened, the ingredients will deteriorate - this mainly applies to dab-on fragrances more so than sprays
• People who are sensitive to fragrance should apply it to their clothes or a handkerchief, rather than directly on the skin. If you are wearing delicate fabrics such as silk, the hanky is the safer bet to avoid marks

  Find Out Which Family

All fragrances fall into family groups e.g. Floral, Woody, Spicy and Fresh etc. People tend to stay with a certain smell family, either because it recreates happy memories, or simply because it stimulates their olfactory receptors.

  What our Experts say

If you want to change your perfume or aftershave or are looking for a fragrance gift, it is a good idea to look at what you or the recipient already like and try to find something else within that particular family group. If they like one floral fragrance, they may also like others.

  When Will It Be Worn?

Some perfumes or aftershaves are designed for different periods of the day. Decide whether you are looking for something to wear during the day, for evenings or just for fun! People usually prefer lighter scents for daytime and more intense for evening.

  Why It Might Smell Different On You

If you like the smell of a perfume or aftershave on someone else it may not smell the same on you. Fragrance reacts uniquely on different skin types or under different conditions e.g. body temperature, diet or even weather.

  After a While They All Smell The Same

It’s important when finding a new scent that you don’t try more than three at any one time. Your nose may become de-sensitised if you try more than a few so take a break. The most traditional way to take a ‘smell break’ when trying different scents is to inhale coffee beans but if they aren’t available simply take a deep breath through your nose and smell your sleeve or cuff. This will clear your nose of any lingering perfume or aftershave notes.

  History

The word ‘perfume’ used today derives from the Latin ‘per fumus’, meaning through smoke. Perfumery, or the art of making perfumes, began in ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt and was further refined by the Romans and Persians.

Although perfume and perfumery also existed in India, many of its fragrances are incense based. The earliest distillation of Attar was mentioned in the Hindu Ayurvedic text Charaka Samhita. The Harshacharita, written in 7th century A.D. in Northern India mentions use of fragrant agarwood oil.

The world's first recorded chemist is considered to be a woman named Tapputi, a perfume maker who was mentioned in a cuneiform tablet from the second millennium BC in Mesopotamia. She distilled flowers, oil, and calamus with other aromatics then filtered and put them back in the still several times.

In 2005, archaeologists uncovered what are believed to be the world's oldest perfumes in Pyrgos, Cyprus. The perfumes date back more than 4,000 years and were discovered in an ancient perfumery. At least 60 stills, mixing bowls, funnels and perfume bottles were found in the 43,000-square-foot (4,000 m2) factory. In ancient times people used herbs and spices, like almond, coriander, myrtle, conifer resin, bergamot, as well as flowers.

The Arabian chemist, Al-Kindi (Alkindus), wrote in the 9th century a book on perfumes which he named Book of the Chemistry of Perfume and Distillations. It contained more than a hundred recipes for fragrant oils, salves, aromatic waters and substitutes or imitations of costly drugs. The book also described 107 methods and recipes for perfume-making and perfume making equipment, such as the alembic (which still bears its Arabic name).

The Persian chemist Avicenna (also known as Ibn Sina) introduced the process of extracting oils from flowers by means of distillation, the procedure most commonly used today. He first experimented with roses. Until his discovery, liquid perfumes were mixtures of oil and crushed herbs or petals, which made a strong blend. Rose water was more delicate, and immediately became popular. Both of the raw ingredients and distillation technology significantly influenced western perfumery and scientific developments, particularly chemistry.

The art of perfumery was known in Western Europe ever since 1221 if we consider the monks' recipes of Santa Maria delle Vigne or Santa Maria Novella of Florence, Italy. In Hungary in 1370, a perfume made of scented oils blended in an alcohol solution was created for Queen Elizabeth of Hungary.

The art of perfumery prospered in Renaissance Italy, and in the 16th century, Italian refinements were taken to France by Catherine de' Medici's personal perfumer, Rene the Florentine (Renato il Fiorentino). His laboratory was connected with her apartments by a secret passageway, so that no formulas could be stolen en route. Thanks to Rene, France quickly became one of the European centres of perfume and cosmetic manufacture. Cultivation of flowers for their perfume essence, which had begun in the 14th century, grew into a major industry in the south of France.

Between the 16th and 17th century, perfumes were used primarily by the wealthy to mask body odours resulting from infrequent bathing. Partly due to this patronage, the perfumery industry was created. In Germany, Italian barber Giovanni Paolo Feminis created a perfume water called Aqua Admirabilis, today best known as eau de cologne, and in 1732 his nephew Johann Maria Farina (Giovanni Maria Farina) took over the business.

By the 18th century, aromatic plants were being grown in the Grasse region of France, in Sicily, and in Calabria, Italy to provide the growing perfume industry with raw materials. Even today, Italy and France remain the centres of European perfume design and trade.