WHAT ARE PERFUMES?

Perfumery is an art involving a higher level of inspiration and aestheticism as its pervasive impact not only delights the mind and body but also goes deep into the soul. The fragrances raise memories, open up the vista of the past and present and take the mind into nostalgia. The most beautiful aroma comes from the dry soil when the first drops of rain fall on it as no one can capture that captivating fragrance in the bottle.

Perfumes like wearables are a form of self-expression and show how much refined the personality is. The perfumes also infuse confidence in the behaviour of the wearer and help in improving the mood as certain perfumes have mood-boosting properties such as lavender. It is said that the perfumes improve health, alleviate stress, anxiety, restlessness and tension as these help in bringing a peaceful sleep. The perfumes also act as moral booster and a strong allurer as their fragrance gets attention of others, Exuding fragrance turns heads and rolls eyes and everyone looks at the wearer with awe and inspiration.

PERFUMES IDENTITY

The concentration of fragrance determines the classification of the perfumes. The aromatic compounds are dissolved in a solvent like ethanol or combination of ethanol and water. The classification of the perfumes relates to the amount of the essential oils and thus are named after the concentration percentage of the fragrant oil. The concentration of essential oil also governs the longevity of the fragrance on the skin. The more the concentration is, the longer the fragrance exists.

FRAGRANCE WHEEL

The fragrance wheel, aroma wheel, fragrance circle, perfume wheel or Edwards wheel has been developed by Micheal Edwards. It helps retailers and consumers in identification of the perfumes. The wheel is based on primary scent family which can be divided into woody, floral, amber, fresh and are also divided into subfamilies such as floral amber, soft amber, aromatic and citrus. 

The types of perfumes can be defined as;

• PARFUM OR PERFUME

Parfum is the synonym of perfume and is also termed extrait de perfume. It has the highest level of fragrance concentration and longevity. Parfum usually contains 15 percent to 40 percent fragrance but generally it is kept between 20 percent to 30 percent. Parfum lasts the longest among all the scents as it takes six to eight hours to fade away. Chanel 5 can be found as the preferred parfum in the form of eau de parfum and eau de toilette. The body is sprayed with the parfum to have a pleasant scent representation as it goes on giving aromatic note for a longer period. It displays a person’s emotions and style.  

EAU DE TOILETTE (EDT)

Eau de toilette is a French term which refers to water of the toilette. It is aromatic water used to perfume the body and hair. It is normally applied to body after bathing or shaving. It is, like other fragrances, a combination of highly scented oil, alcohol and some water. It is intensely scented perfume having various volatile oil with essential perfume oil concentration of 5 percent to 15 percent.  EDT usually lasts in 4 to 7 hours. Calvin Klein (CK), Dolce & Gabbana, Versace Eros are some of the well-known Eau de Toilette.

• EAU DE COLOGNE (EDC)

Eau de Cologne means water from Cologne, Germany and first mixed by Johann Maria Farina in 1709 and thus becomes a generic term for the scent making with concentration of 2-5 percent. It is based on type of essential oils or combination of extracts, water and alcohol. In a base of diluted ethanol, eau de cologne has a mixture of citrus oil. It can also contain rosemary, lavender, thyme, oregano, petitgrain or orange leaves, jasmine, oleaster, olive and tobacco. Dior, Armani and Gucci are famous brands which produce eau de cologne.

• EAU FRAICHE

Eau Fraiche (fresh water) has one of the lowest concentration levels that hovers around 1-3 percent. The concentrated oil is largely mixed with water as it contains smaller amount of alcohol. Its longevity is limited on skin and tapers down in 1-3 hours but it is very popular among the consumers and is considered as aromatic masterpiece exhibiting sophistication and refreshing presentation. Eau Fraiche possesses Mediterranean characteristics having woody notes and top notes includes lemon, bergamot, rosewood and roses. Lacoste and Revlon are famous brands of eau Fraiche.

WOODY FRAGRANCE

Woody fragrances contain aromatic or citrus notes and basically these fragrant scents have crispy and dry woody notes and their base notes are characterized by resin or wood which add warmth, richness, elegance and depth to the fragrance. The woody quality of the perfume makes it more unique, soothing and warmer with balanced composition. The woody fragrance with its pleasant and refreshing aroma attracts the attention of whosoever comes close by. The well-known brands of woody fragrance are Tom Ford, Dior, Dolce & Gabbana among others.

FLORAL

Floral perfumes or scents are based on the extraction of the aromatic flowers and woody substances. The floral scents have been the attraction and preferred choice of the aroma lovers through the human history. These are characterized by sweet, strong and romantic fragrance. The women-specific floral scents have the notes such as rose, lily, jasmine, peony and others while scents for men contain notes like orange blossom or lavender.

The sub-categories are fruity, soft floral, floral oriental, soft oriental among others. Chanel and A La Rose are famous brands having floral scents range.  

• ORIENTAL

Oriental or eastern scents have the unique aromatic influence and mesmerizing effects and their unique smell casts a kind of spell on the people. They usually originate in Middle East, Asia and Africa. The base of these scents is extracted and derived from spices, flowers, wood and resin. The smell life of these fragrances is also longer than other perfumes. Natural and synthetic ingredients are combined to produce these scents on industrial scale. The most common extracts used in these fragrances are taken from oud, amber, musk, vanilla, sandalwood, rose, jasmine and orange flowers. The extracts from these sources are blended by the experts to make unique and exquisite aroma. Al Haramain, Armaf, Khadlaj, Lattafa and Maison Alhambra are some famous brands of Oriental. 

• FRUITY

The fruity fragrances are usually based on the extracts from the actual fruit. These perfumes are characterized by the juicy, emotional, sentimental and mawkish aromatic whiffs. Some of the fruity fragrances are based on synthetic fragrance prepared on the sweet smell of the original fruits. It is particularly done in case of an exotic fruit fragrance. The refreshing, sweet, sentimental captivating fruity notes are inspired by citrus fruits, their leaves and flowers, apricot, blackberry, cherry, cranberry, guarana, lychee, mango, melon, passion fruit, peach, peer, pineapple, plum, apple, tamarind flower, raspberry, strawberry and others. Hugo Boss, Tim Ford and Aerin are well known for the fruity fragrance. 

GOURMAND

Gourmand perfumes are based on the aroma of fruits and desserts. These usually have notes such as vanilla, caramel, chocolate, coffee, honey and other such eatables.

SPICEY

The aromatic characteristics of the spices have been in use for perfumes and scents since man developed inclination towards fragrances. Still these notes have wide range of acceptability and preference throughout the world. The oil is derived from the spices for complex and intriguing fragrance. These aromatic substances have therapeutic significance as these can give solace, relaxation and reduce stress and better mood. The spicey perfumes are prepared with extracts of cardamoms, cloves, cinnamon, coriander, elemi, ginger, pepper, red chili, saffron, turmeric, nutmeg etc.

As a bottom line, the fragrance is a powerful reflection of personality. Many people having aesthetic taste choose a particular aroma that becomes an introduction without uttering a word. It is true that fragrance comes first than the wearer gives a show-up. A person with sweet, pleasant and exquisite aroma is welcomed everywhere and every time. The lighter aromas are meant for women as these fragrances represent an air of delicacy, softness and lighter feelings.

Perfumes meant for men have strong fragrance but created so artistically that they leave a lasting and pervasive impression.       

FAQs (Frequent Asked Questions)