Perfumes have been used by both sexes for over 4 000 years. Once a sign of wealth and a means to cover less fragrant whiffs, today perfumes are a must-have accessory. Perfume needs to be carefully chosen and matched to personality and occasion. Familiarity with types, ingredients and the jargon of the parfumier’s art will help you choose amongst the many hundreds of brands on the market.

Perfumes consist of aromatic compounds dissolved in ethanol (alcohol), sometimes diluted further with water. They are described according to their dilution:

 Parfum extrait (perfume extract): 15–40%
 Eau de parfum: 10-20%
 Eau de toilette: 5-15%
 Eau de cologne < 5%

Like music, fragrance is described in terms of ‘notes’. Middle and base notes combine to give the principal scent of a perfume. The parfumier is an expert in creating harmonious compositions, as skilled as any artist.

 Head notes, or top notes, are the smells you smell first in a perfume (because they evaporate first).
 Heart notes, or middle notes, are the next to emerge.
 Base notes may take up half an hour or longer to appear, which is why you should never spray and buy in a hurry.

For the last twenty-five years fragrances have been classified into five main families:
floral, oriental, woody, fresh and fougère. Many masculine fragrances belong in the family ‘fougère’, meaning ‘fern’ in French. Fresh fragrances include citrus and ‘green’. Gourmand fragrances are those with the ‘eat-me’ factor, with notes that may include chocolate, vanilla or other edible substances.

Plants are the main sources of organic or natural perfume essences, and include flowers, resin and even roots and bulbs. Some sources are no longer used because the species is endangered (such as sandalwood) or because of cruelty to animals (civet, musk oil, ambergris).

Synthetic compounds are commonly used in perfumes today, in some cases because they are cheaper but also because chemists have created fragrances not found in nature.

Essential oils are distilled from plants instead of being extracted by dissolving in alcohol or by other chemical processes.

Storage of perfume is important if you want it to last. Heat, light and air cause perfumes to degenerate. Ideal temperatures are less than 10 degrees Celsius. Spray bottles are best because they prevent exposure to air every time the cap comes off the bottle.

Perfumes, especially those with higher concentrations of aromatic compounds, can trigger allergies, asthma attacks and rashes. Because the ingredients of perfumes are closely kept secrets, the industry has been under-regulated but is increasingly being required to comply with regulatory guidelines. If in doubt, stop and switch.

Understanding perfume helps you match scent to scenario. A concentrated perfume with heady oriental notes is for evening, a fresh, green eau de toilette ideal for daily use. The number one rule of perfume use is that less is more. The old chestnut about spraying perfume into the air and then walking through the mist is not such a bad idea. If the whole room smells like you, you’ve overdone it and are probably quite literally getting up people’s noses. Just the right amount suggests a person of elegance, taste and sophisticated femininity.

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