- Perfume, The Essence of Woman
There are not many women who do not like the smell of perfume even though everyone has their own taste. Also, judging from the advertising we are saturated with everyday, it seems that most men cannot resist the smell of perfume on ladies either. Perfume is designed to attract the opposite sex; it is made to enhance the females natural body odour, not to try and mask it. Musk has been used in many different perfumes as it has an essence that reminds us of sexual arousal.- Hundreds of years ago in places like Egypt it was believed that fragrance could heal the body of many ailments and also helped to improve the body’s looks. This was probably the reason for the start of perfume and essential oils. As trade developed many new plants and flowers came from exotic far away places such as the Orient. Once the Europeans discovered alcohol and distillation, it was added to plant essence from these new imports to preserve the scent. Paris is where perfume as we know it started, but mainly as fragrant baths. The main ingredients being vanilla, clove, cardamom cocoa and even pepper.
Perfume and romance go hand in hand. We will always have memories of smells and the people they remind us of (mother, lover, teacher). These smells are vivid and stay with us forever and last a lifetime. The best way to maintain a perfumed smell is to layer. This is achieved by using body washes, bath oil, body creams, and dusting powder in the same fragrance as your perfume. It also means that you will not have different contradicting smells fighting for supremacy. When we choose a fragrance, we’re consciously sending out a message so make sure you are sending the right message. To understand more about perfume the best place to start is aroma essence. Read up about all the different essential oils and what each essence is renowned for. Make that your starting point and then find a perfume that has those ingredients.
Perfume is made up of alcohol, water & perfume (fragrance) oil.
Eau de - means, "water of" in French.
Eau de cologne - used mainly by men. Contains about 3-5% perfume oil.
Eau de parfum - Contains about 15-18% perfume oil.
Eau de toilette - Contains about 4-8% perfume oil.
Parfum (perfume) is the strongest of them all as it contains the most perfume oil. This amount varies with different perfumes but is normally a very high concentrate.
To test if your skin is allergic to a perfume, apply a small amount on your wrist, or the inner elbow. If there's a reaction after 1 hour, then the perfume is probably not for you. This is another reason why it is important to apply for an hour before you buy. Perfumes can have other allergic reactions, such as asthma and migraine.
There are many types of perfumes. They tend to fall under different groups such as: oriental, floral, woody, musky, aquatic, spicy and fruity. A perfume contains many different ingredients sometimes into the hundreds. Most of them being natural products and preservatives.
People with oily skin tend to have stronger fragrance as compared to those with dry skin. So perfume will last longer.
To prolong a bottle of perfume, place it in a cool dry place. In hotter climates keep it in the fridge as exposure to sun can lead to smell alteration and evaporation.
What makes a good perfume?
It should have a long shelf-life, and not require a large amount to maintain its
scent, it should enhance your own natural oils and not repel them, you should not be able to smell the perfume yourself after a short period of time, everyone else should be able to, you should not need to reapply for at least five to six hours if at all, and of course it should smell great. This last fact about it smelling great can sometimes be a problem, as the man in your life might prefer a different perfume to you, as my husband does, so I comprise and wear both at different times.
What makes a perfume popular?
Sometimes it is down to fashion, most of the time it will stand the test of time because it has all the qualities I mentioned earlier.
Perfume should always be dabbed on, not poured on the pulse points, (behind the ears, wrist, back of the knees, middle of the breast, etc). It should always be applied about five to ten minutes after bathing and before dressing. Rose is a very popular ingredient that is found in a lot of good perfumes, it is the most expensive essence available.
Different countries have different ideas on perfume. Vanilla oil is very popular with the African American ladies. In Namibia they use a natural bush leaf which admits a very strong sweet smell. In some African countries body odour is the best perfume.
Today natural essence from plants massaged into pulse points has become very popular such as ylang ylang, orange essence, lavender, and patchouli.
The most popular brands are normally expensive unless they are unisex which will always be cheaper because they use less plant or flower essence.
When buying a new perfume always go to a shop where you can try before you buy. The perfume should be applied to a small piece of blotting paper, so you do not end up smelling like a lady's boudoir. When you have decided on the scent that you like apply it to the under side of your wrist. Here is the important bit: you should go away and do other shopping or go for lunch to see how the smell wears on your skin, and then if it smells good to you, buy it.
The reason for time-lapse after applying and before buying is very important. All perfumes have top middle and bass notes. The top note in a perfume will last about 15 to 20 minutes. The middle note of a perfume will last up-to- an hour. And the bass note will last for hours. So a perfume might smell good to start with then not so good after 20 minutes, then smell just right after an hour. Never buy it on first smell always wait about an hour before deciding.
Perfumes smell different on each of us. We have all fallen into the trap of smelling a perfume on a friend or an acquaintance, then rushed off to buy it, only to find that it smells dreadful on us, ending up as another bottle gathering dust on the dressing table.
Perfume should be worn seasonal just like clothes; this is because some perfumes are too heavy for spring or summer but just great for autumn or winter. Don’t forget that perfumes are mood enhancers, they can lift your spirit and put a spring in your step and all the people around you who have the pleasure of smelling your beautiful scent.
Perfume is a very personal accessory and time and a little effort should always be taken when purchasing. After all it is reflecting you on an important level of sense and smell which plays a very big part in our attraction, so make the effort to get it right.
