Perfume History
Having its origin in the Latin words per-fumus (meaning ‘through smoke’), perfume has been used for thousands of years. Dating back to around 1000 BC Egyptians used perfumed balms in religious ceremonies and as part of love making preparations.
Although commonly used in many ancient cultures in aromatic waters, the contemporary type of perfume extract was 1st created around 1000 AD when the process of distilling oil from rose petals was invented.
Throughout the 1600’s scents were applied to many objects including gloves, bath essence, mouthwash and even furnishings. In fact the court of Louis XV was known as ‘the perfume court’ for this very reason.
In the 1700’s Paris became the world centre of perfume and due to its flower and herb growing trade, Grasse province in France become the central hub of raw materials for the perfume industry.
The 1st real era of perfume as we know it was during the late 1800’s as knowledge in chemistry and organic sciences was advanced.
The 20th century has seen the explosion of designer perfumes and mass produced brand name fragrances.
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Different Types of Perfumes
Perfumes are made from water, alcohol and perfume oil (fragrances). Eau de, a French word meaning water of, are the least concentrated perfume types. The perfume types and the abbreviations used on this site are:
- Aftershaves (AS), lotions & splashes: the least concentrated of all perfume types containing 0.5% - 2% perfume oils
- Eau de Cologne (EDC): is usually used interchangeably with eau de toilette and contains 3% - 5% perfume oils
- Eau de Toilette (EDT): contains between 4% - 15% perfume oils
- Eau de Parfum (EDP): contains between 15% - 22% perfume oils
- Parfum: the highest concentrate of perfume with approx 22% oils
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The Difference Between Ladies and Men’s Perfume
The processing of making both ladies and men’s perfume is exactly the same. Typically ladies perfumes have more floral notes and men’s perfumes are inclined to contain more wood and citrus notes.
Many perfume houses have now recognised that gender lines have blurred and unisex perfumes are becoming increasingly popular.
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Fragrance Notes
Notes are not just something you write. The top note is the 1st scent you smell, the middle notes will last for around 4 hours and the bottom notes will keep you smelling sensational all day.
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Different Fragrance Families
You may assume that there is no logic in your choice of fragrance but it is likely that at least two of your favourite fragrances belong to the same 'family'. The fragrance families hold the key to your likes and dislikes. To make it easy for you to find new fragrances you'll love to wear, perfumeconnection.com.au has enlisted the help of fragrance expert Michael Edwards. His Fragrance Wheel, an internationally recognised classification system, divides the 4 major fragrance groups – Floral, Oriental, Woody and Fresh notes - into 12 distinct families.
Citrus: From the zest of lemons, mandarins, bergamot, oranges and grapefruit come the citrus oils that lend these fragrances their distinctive, tangy aroma. Floral, spicy and woody notes transformed the light, refreshing eaux de cologne into real fragrances. A new generation of musk and tea accents adds an interesting dimension to the oldest fragrance family.
Green: Green fragrances capture the sharp scent of fresh-cut grass and violet leaves. Despite the outdoors imagery, the impact of the classic resinous galbanum accord is so potent that many green fragrances have a formal rather than sporty personality. In recent years, a palette of softer, lighter green notes has given this
fragrance family fresh appeal.
Water: Redolent of the scent of soft sea breezes, the marine notes were created in 1990. The early water notes captured the ozonic aroma of wet air after a thunderstorm. Today, the water notes are more often used as an accent to enliven florals, orientals and woody fragrances.
Floral: Florals remain the most popular fragrance family. Their repertoire is vast, ranging from concertos on the theme of a single floral note to mighty symphonies of heady mixed bouquets. Headspace technology has given perfumers an avalanche of exciting new floral notes: it allows them to identify and clone the scent of blooms from which no oil can be extracted by traditional methods. Each year, unusual new notes are found, revitalising the traditional floral theme.
Soft Floral: The marriage of sparkling aldehydes and delicate flowers creates a family of soft, often powdery, abstract florals. Aldehydes are found naturally in rose and citrus oils, but in such minute amounts that they have to be re-created in the laboratory. Their natural scent is not pleasant: some have a sharp, metallic fragrance, others the burnt, waxy aroma of a just-snuffed candle. Add them to flowers, however, and their subtle magic makes the blossoms sing. Their soprano notes are muted by the powdery accents of iris and vanilla to create a fragrance that is both soft and flowery.
Floral Oriental: Soft, spicy orange flower notes meld with piquant aldehydes and sweet spices to create the heart of a Floral Oriental fragrance. Born in the 1900s, Floral Orientals came back to life again in the 1970s. In the past decade, lively, fruity interpretations dominated the Floral Oriental category, but recent fragrances have developed a more subtle, muted personality.
Soft Oriental: Incense adds sensual overtones to fragrant flowers, spices and amber to create a softer style of Oriental. The base notes of a modern Soft Oriental are not as sweet or as heavy as a true Oriental and the result - a mélange of flowers and spices - is distinctly softer.
Oriental: Orientals are the exotic queens of perfumery. Sensual, often heavy, blends of oriental resins, opulent flowers, sweet vanilla and musks are introduced by refreshing citrus, green or fruity top notes. The new ‘sheer’ Orientals gained some ground in the late 1990s, but the appeal of the full-bodied, take-no-prisoners Orientals endures.
Woody Oriental: The liaison of rich Oriental notes and the potent scents of patchouli and sandalwood produced some of the most original perfumes of the 1990s. This family emphasises the woody character of Floral Orientals. The key difference is that their flowers and spices play second string to the dominant sandalwood and/or patchouli notes. The Oriental influence is more noticeable, too, and balances the deep wood notes.
Mossy Woods: Perfumers call these forest notes of oakmoss, woods and citrus Chypre fragrances. The family takes its name from the first significant mossy-woody fragrance, Chypre de Coty, created by François Coty in 1917. Chypre is the French name for the island of Cyprus, birthplace of Venus, the legendary goddess of love. From Cyprus, too, comes the oakmoss that is at the heart of all Chypre fragrances.
Dry Woods: A mossy-woody fragrance takes on a drier character with the addition of cedar, tobacco and burnt wood notes. The Dry Woods family is often calledLeather, after the dry, smoky scent of Russian leather. Fresh citrus notes play an important role in most Dry Woods fragrances, lightening the deep, almost animalic heart notes.
Aromatic: This is the universal fragrance family, with sexy cool-warm notes of citrus and lavender, sweet spices and oriental woods. It takes its name from a fragrancelong since discontinued: Fougère Royale, introduced by Houbigant in 1882. Men grew up on Fougères. Most of the key men’s fragrances developed since the mid-1960s have come from this family; their zesty, masculine character makes men feel comfortable. Most women, too, find the blend of Fresh, Floral, Oriental and Woody notes appealing. It is a winning combination.
Woods: Lately, perfumers have rediscovered woody notes in a big way, so it makes sense to distinguish them from the chypre or mossy woods fragrances. Classic woody scents are dominated by harmonies of cedar, patchouli, pine, sandalwood and vetiver but a new palette of exotic wood notes - often cloned from headspace technology - has stimulated greater creativity in this neglected fragrance category.
* The Michael Edwards Fragrance Wheel and Fragrance Families are Copyright © 2006 Michael Edwards
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Making Perfumes Last Longer
To make your fragrance last longer consider a layering technique using various products of the same perfume. First start with the bath or shower gel and then rub your body with the scented body lotion. Finally apply the perfume, preferably using either a Parfum or Eau de Parfum (EDP).
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Where Should I Apply Perfume?
Use the heat from your body to help emphasize your perfumes. Apply them to your pulse points like your wrists, cleavage, neck and elbows. You can also try spraying some in the air and walking through - this will disperse the scent over your entire body.
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Choosing the Right Perfume
Just like clothing, a fragrance wardrobe provides variety for different occasions, moods and climates. Soft floral, citrus and water based fragrances are usually lighter and are generally recommended for daytime or casual wear. Classic floral, woody and oriental fragrances are heavier and suit evenings or special occasions.
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