Perfume Concentration

The most practical way to start describing a perfume is according to its Concentration Level, the Fragrance Family it belongs to, and which all affect the overall impression of a perfume from first application to the last lingering hint of scent.

Perfume oil is necessarily diluted with a solvent because undiluted oils (natural or synthetic) contain high concentrations of volatile components that may result in allergic reactions and possibly injury when applied directly to skin or clothing. Solvents also vaporize the essential oils, helping to diffuse them into the air. By far the most common solvent for perfume oil dilution is ethanol or a mixture of ethanol and water. Dilutions of the perfume oil can also be produced using solvents such as jojoba, fractionated coconut oil or wax.

Different perfumeries or perfume houses assign different amounts of oils to each of their perfumes. Therefore, although the oil concentration of a perfume in eau de parfum (EDP) dilution will necessarily be higher than the same perfume in eau de toilette (EDT) form within the same range, the actual amounts can vary between perfume houses.

The cost of a perfume is directly related to its concentration, with the least diluted being the most expensive formulation of the scent. The following chart summarizes how the concentration by percent/volume of perfume oil relates to its strength (approximate, in hours) and price range:

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Your Perfume Selection

Knowing the difference between these categories helps you to choose fragrances that fit and put the cork on perfume selection confusion. Seven basic types of fragrances are as follows.

Floral: These are flower based notes. They are associated with naturalness and smoothness. This is the largest and most popular category which is created mainly from flower based notes, such as jasmine, rose, gardenia, orange blossom and carnation. They are often blended together in order to create a distinctive floral bouquet.

Fougere: Fougere is French word for “Fern”. Fougere fragrances use the fern or forest-like note of oakmoss which is combined with other herbal notes like lavender, and coumarin. Fougere is very popular structure for men’s fragrances.

Chypre: Chypre represents a perfume structure where fresh notes, (mainly Citrus) are combined with the rich woody-animalic characters of Patchouli and Labdanum and Oakmoss. The fresh notes of modern Chypres may be modified or even completely replaced with green or fruity combinations. Many men’s colognes are usually based on the basic Chypre structure. Chypres frequently display a leather character.

Leather: Pungent animal smokiness characteristic of the ingredients used in the tanning process of leathers. Achieved in perfumery with castoreum, labdanum, phenols, and quinolenes

Woody: An odour which is linked to the aroma of freshly cut dry wood such as Cedarwood Oil, Virginian, Sandalwood or displaying these notes such as of vetiver or Patchouli.

Oriental: Fragrance family or style based on balsamic notes with vanilla, oakmoss and animal notes. Examples are Shalimar, Obsession, Opium, Samsara. Now frequently also applied more generally to perfumes that are heavy, full bodied and tenacious.

Citrus: They are derived from citrus fruits such as Pomello, Bergamot, Grapefruit, Orange, Lemon. This fragrance type projects a sharp, tangy aura. They are naturally refreshing and uplifting. Citrus blends are among the oldest known scents, first worn by men and now popular with women as well.

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Why We Like Perfume So Much

Think of perfume and pleasant thoughts float to your mind. The mention of perfume brings a different smell and memory to each person. Just about everyone wears or owns perfume or cologne of some kind. In the United States, many children are introduced to perfume by the time they are three or four years old.

Perfume is like an olfactory photograph. The fragrance of perfume attaches itself to you and your memories. When you smell the perfume of a close friend or relative, you automatically think of the person. Although you can’t see their features, their essence is captured in the lingering fragrance of their perfume.

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Perfume Base Components

Natural Perfume Scents:

Many plants exude a natural fragrance, which comes from the part of the plant that has been broken down to its essential oils and compounds. Several parts of a plant may be used to extract the scent for a perfume. Flowers and blossoms are obvious plant parts used in making perfume, but leaves, twigs, roots, bulbs, seeds, fruit, bark, wood, resin, and even lichens can be used as well. Other organic fragrances, such as musk, civet, castoreum, ambergris, and honeycomb, come from animals.

Synthetic Perfume Fragrances:

Creating perfumes from organic substances, such as plant and animal scents, is an expensive process that results in very pricey perfume. The use of chemical compounds to create perfumes allows designers to develop similar scents for a fraction of the cost, making perfumes affordable and favorite fragrances readily available to everyone in the world.

Synthetic aromas in perfumes normally aren't found in the environment, but are common in many of today’s perfumes. Synthetics come from combinations of some of the chemicals found in petroleum and pine. One such example is the pale yellow liquid ionone, with its woody, dry, fruity, raspberry, and violet aromas. Another is linalool, a naturally occurring terpene alcohol chemical with a floral scent with pleasant hints of spice.

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What is perfume made from?

Perfume is usually made of a mixture of fragrances, either man-made (synthetic) or organic which, when combined, creates a pleasant scent or aroma. As well as on our persons, perfume fragrances are used in air fresheners for homes and cars, and many other everyday commodities.

Perfume fragrances are the ways we identify with our surroundings, people, and memories. Perfumes and perfume scents surround us, but perfume is more than just a pretty scent. Perfume design is a science.

When we first smell a perfume, our brain tries to identify the origin of the aroma. Perfume developers have categorized perfume scents into seven different categories, used to create both synthetic and natural perfumes. The perfume categories include Chypre, Citrus, Floral, Fougère, Leather, Oriental (Amber), and Woody. In addition, perfume designers sub-categorize these scents even further by whether the perfume is designed for men or women.

• Chypre has a base of bergamot, jasmine, or oak moss with a scent similar to apricot or custard.
• Citrus is based on the distinctive smells of citrus fruits like oranges, limes, and lemons.
• Floral perfumes are the scents of a single flower variety or a group of flowers.
• Fougère (aromatic) is usually men’s cologne and tends to have a woody smell mixed with herbs.
• Leather is another usually masculine scent with a focus on honey, aromatic wood, or tobacco smells.
• Orientals are based in camphorous oils and incense resins.
• Woody fragrances come from natural woods and other aromas you’d find in the forest such as patchouli and sandalwood.

Although you may be familiar with the distinct aromas of each of these categories, what many people don’t know is the perfume note classifications of their perfumes.

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Introduction

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.

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The Definition

Perfume is a liquid with a pleasant smell, usually made from oils taken from flowers or spices, which is often used on the skin.

A hoax is a misleading trick to con naive individuals and groups into believing something that is not true or a ruse. Hoaxes can be anything between a good-hearted practical joke out and out right scandalous swindle.

The perfume hoax comes by various ways, such as online emails that make the rounds from time to time telling about some poor soul who is exiting some type of business, such as department stores and gas stations. You will find that these types of hoaxes seem to change the location and the name of the place where the so-called perfume hoax takes place. These usually involve a story about a person being approached by an individual or a group who ask them what perfume they are wearing and try to sell them bogus perfumes. Alternatively, they may have them sniff a perfume and then the target person becoming unconscious by smelling what is in the perfume bottle or sample, only to awaken to find them robbed or raped.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jessica_Bradbury

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