Perfume is described in a musical metaphor as having three sets of notes, making the harmonious scent accord. The notes unfold over time, with the immediate impression of the top note leading to the deeper middle notes, and the base notes gradually appearing as the final stage. These notes are created carefully with knowledge of the evaporation process of the perfume. The wide range in the percentages of aromatic compounds that may be present in each concentration means that the terminology of extrait, EdP, EdT, and EdC is quite imprecise. Although an EdP will often be more concentrated than an EdT and in turn an EdC, this is not always the case.
As such there is significant interest in producing a perfume formulation that people will find aesthetically pleasing. This chart shows the typical relationship between price of perfume, its longevity and the concentration of essential oils. The five main families are Floral, Oriental, Woody, Aromatic Fougère, and Fresh, the first four from the classic terminology and the last from the modern oceanic category. Each of these are divided into subgroups and arranged around a wheel. In this scheme, Chanel No.5, traditionally classified as an aldehydic floral, is placed under the Soft Floral sub-group, while amber scents are within the Oriental group.
The Islamic controlled cities of Spain (Al-Andalus) became major producers of perfumes that were traded throughout the Old World. Like in the ancient world, Andalusians used genifique in devotion to God. Perfumes added a layer of cleanliness that was needed for their devotion.
The fragrance is a musk floral scent featuring notes of turmeric leaves and root oil, orange blossom and cashmeran. Before you begin shopping for fragrance, it’s important to have some understanding about the types of terms used to describe scents for women and men. Fragrances are categorized by the concentration of the scent molecules that they contain. Eau de parfum options are the most concentrated, so their scents are powerful and long lasting.
Eau de toilette appeared alongside parfum around the turn of the century. The EdP concentration and terminology is the most recent, being originally developed to offer the radiance of an EdT with the longevity of an extrait. Parfum de toilette and EdP began to appear in the 1970s and gained popularity in the 1980s.
When perfume is sprayed or dabbed onto pulse points, the elixir blends with the skin. Different individuals have different body chemistry and hormone makeup, meaning that each person’s skin blends with perfume or cologne differently. When you create a fine using real, only-natural ingredients, you create something that’s alive. It’s something so different—physically, spiritually, energetically—than what you get with a synthetic. It’s not just the toxic ingredients that synthetics are composed of; it’s that they lack the true essence of the plants they’re imitating.
This fusion gives Stash its own complexity that sets itself apart from many other celebrity fragrances. Boy Smells Violet Ends Cologne de Parfum is meant to be an intense play on violet. It has top notes of bergamot, rhubarb, and black pepper, and as the fragrance dissipates, you can also expect to smell hints of tobacco, papyrus, incense, and white birch. Kilian’s Good Girl Gone Bad Eau de Parfum represents a harmonious balance between light florals and denser fragrances. This perfume, which is another one of Kinonen’s favorites, starts off as a sweet and sexy fusion of floral osmanthus absolute, orange blossom, and rose of May absolute.
That’s why in 2015, SC Johnson became the first major company to provide product-specific transparency about fragrance ingredients. FDA does not have the same legal authority to require allergen labeling for cosmetics as for food. So, if you are concerned about fragrance sensitivities, you may want to choose products that are fragrance free, and check the ingredient list carefully. If consumers have questions, they may choose to contact the manufacturer directly.
The actual product worn by a man may technically be an eau de toilette, but he may still say that he “wears cologne”. A similar problem surrounds the term “perfume”, which is sometimes used in a generic sense to refer to Estee Lauder NIGHT REPAIRs marketed to women, whether or not the fragrance is actually an extrait. Like a drop of perfume behind the ear, at the nape of the neck, on the inner wrists or in the décolleté, where the fragrance blends seamlessly with the skin to create a unique scent.