What is the temptation of perfume? Perfume has been part of our culture for thousands of years and yet it continues to fascinate us every time. What does it do to us, where does it come from and how is it made? In the photo the most famous perfume, most used and adored to this day by millions of men and women… Chanel number 5.
General
Very briefly, perfume is a mixture of fragrances in alcohol (usually). Fixing agent is added to prevent the product from evaporating too quickly and dye(s) to give it an attractive color. But written like this it does not do justice to the wonderful scents that are created in the course of the grain. Some are even classics and so timeless that women from the 1930s to the present love the scent.
Most can be divided into aroma chemicals and essential oils. A classically constructed perfume consists of three parts, also called “notes”. The heart notes are ultimately the most important.
- Top notes or top notes/head notes are the scents that are dominant in the first minutes after application.
- Heart notes or middle notes are the scents that emerge after the top notes have largely disappeared, about ten minutes after application.
- Base notes or base notes are the last scents that remain after the heart notes have largely evaporated. This is usually one and a half to two hours after applying the perfume. Base notes can continue to release fragrance for many hours.
Where does it originate?
The Egyptians brought scented offerings (tree branches). The Egyptians thought that smells calmed the gods and would not harm people. These scents were then processed into oil and the dead were rubbed with it before they were mummified.
The Greeks adopted it in a different form, water-based, and the first ones came out in bottles (for the rich) in the 12th century BC.
Which scent suits you?
There are a lot of scents and it goes on and on. This is how the market works, if there is a need it will be met, but in recent years there have also been plenty of fragrances on the market that we are not really looking forward to. Fortunately, market forces also work there and the odors disappear just as quickly. Not infrequently a well-known personality attaches his or her affection to a scent and this often helps in the sales process.
Yet a scent is very personal, so never just buy a scent that smells nice on someone else. This odor can smell significantly different on someone else
due to diet, skin type, perspiration, etc. If you are ready for a different scent, have it sprayed on your skin in the store (you should not have sprayed anything yourself), then go shopping or at least do something else and smell regularly (do it consciously). After one to two hours you should still like the scent.
A rough division into scents;
- Oriental scents are heavy and spicy. Long lasting.
- Spicy scents are much fresher. Think green tones.
- Floral scents are of course derived from flowers.
- Fruity scents naturally have a recognizable fruit scent.
Where do you apply perfume?
You apply perfume to the pulsating places. Pulsating places are the places where you can feel your pulse (where it is close to the skin). Behind the ears, wrists, indentation of the neck, crooks of your elbows or possibly near the knees.
If you are allergic to the substances in perfume, spray a little on the clothing (first test on the inside to see whether the substance can withstand it). The effect is then slightly less long and intensive.
What is and what isn’t?
Always be careful with the quantity. A scent must be subtle to smell (that is also where the appeal lies) and too much can have an adverse effect. It can lead to unpleasant reactions and, in fact, people can suffer from it.
Good luck choosing a new scent…and take your time!