French women say that there are three things that make a woman a woman: an elegant scarf, a fancy bag and a drop of favorite perfume. But if you don't want such powerful female weapon to turn against you, follow experts’ advise to learn your body chemistry and follow some simple rules.
Don't use too much, applying perfume on your clothes, hair, and neck without thinking. Business manager for Etro Fragrances at Bergdorf Goodman, Tom Crutchfield, who has 20 years of experience in perfume business told iVillage: "French perfumer Annick Goutal always said a great fragrance is the secret between one's self and one's self."Once it goes beyond your two-foot to three-foot personal space, perhaps you put on a bit more than you want to."Also remember that after using your favorite perfume for many years you may not be able to feel the smell of it the way people around you do, which makes it easy to overdo the fragrance. It is recommended to apply one spritz per pulse zone – on your neck and cleavage, in the crook of your elbow, behind the wrist and ears. Some magazines advise to spray perfume in the air and walk through it, but Crutchfield says that doesn't really work: "They're just walking through air."You should also differentiate between fragrances that should be used during the day and those applied at night time and for special occasions. Go for light floral or citrus notes for the office and chose more rich and glamorous scents for evening. And here is the last simple rule that Mr. Crutchfield can give you: "Wear something you love."
Perfume is made from about 78% to 95% of specially denatured ethyl alcohol and a remainder of essential oils.
Perfume is the costliest form of fragrance with 22% of essential oils.
Eau de Parfum (EDP), comes next with between 15 and 22% essential oils.
That's followed by Eau de Toilette (EDT) with 8 to 15% oils.
The weaker Eau de Cologne has just 4% essential oils.
For those who crave super subtlety Eau Fraiche with 1 to 3% essential oils, is the lightest dilution of fragrance.
Many new perfumes are promoted as EDPs and an EDT is not always produced as there has been a vogue for Eau de Parfum as individuals want a more lasting signature.
There are major fragrance categories - Floral, Oriental, Floriental, Chypre, Green Marine and Fruit. Typical plant products include anise, bay leaf, bergamot, cardamom, cedar wood, eucalyptus, frankincense, gardenia, geranium, iris, jasmine, lavender, lemon, lilac, lily, lily of the valley, magnolia, moss, neroli, orange, orris, patchouli, pine, raspberry, rose, sage, sandalwood, tuberose, vanilla, violet and ylang-ylang.
Typical animal products used in perfume include musk from the male musk deer, ambergris from sperm whales, castoreum a secretion of the beaver and civet from the civet cat. All are used as fixatives and add an indefinable mystery to the smell at the same time.
There has always been a trade in scents and by the year 2002 perfume had become a $10 billion industry. Today women have fragrance wardrobes of at least six different perfumes, rather than a single signature perfume, keeping one special perfume for occasion moments.
People have used perfume, oils and unguents on their bodies for thousands of years in lesser or greater amounts dependant on fashion whims. The early Egyptians used perfumed balms as part of religious ceremonies and later as part of pre love making preparations. Myrrh and Frankincense were exuded gums from trees used to scent the atmosphere in rituals. Other plants such as rose and peppermint were steeped in oils until a perfumed unguent formed. The unguent was then rubbed into the skin. It's interesting to note that perfume has come full circle today as more and more of us seek out high quality aromatherapy perfumed oils to use in exactly the same way as our ancestors did.
Products that enhance the feel of skin and the smell of the body have been highly valued in every culture. Trade routes introduced spices to other parts of the world and a wider range of scents could be made. In the past people often mixed their own potions using home methods creating their own aromatherapy products. Many homes had a still room where essences were steeped out of flowers and herbs.
DESIGN HOUSE - Alexander Mcqueen Parfums
YEAR INTRODUCED - 2003
FRAGRANCE NOTES - Exotic flowers and spices blended with aromatic woods, very womanly.
RECOMMENDED USE - evening
