Fragrance is a pleasant-smelling liquid which people put on their skin to make themselves smell nice. It is a class of cosmetics which also includes hair care products and some soaps. Fragrance can be made with a variety of natural and synthetic materials. Many perfumes and colognes are formulated from fragrance bases which are modular perfume ingredients that a perfumer can build upon with their own unique combinations of fragrance oils and aromatic chemicals. A basic perfume can contain 30 to 50 different chemicals.
A material used to retard the volatilization of a fragrance so that it remains on the skin for an acceptable length of time. These materials are typically derived from natural sources, such as resins or tree sap, but are also frequently produced by chemical synthesis. Fragrance fixatives are usually designed to have a neutral odor so that they do not interfere with the other components of a perfume.
An aroma that is reminiscent of fresh cut grass or the tanginess of an apple. These nuances are very important to a perfumer and are often added as top notes in a fragrance. The top notes are the first part of a perfume to be noticed and give it its personality.
The heart of a perfume contains middle note accords which are more complex than those found in the top and base notes. These are typically floral in nature, but can be herbal, fruity or even woody. The most popular family of fragrances is the floral bouquet, which includes the most well-known flowers such as jasmine, rose, ylang ylang and tuberose.
A rich and deep fragrance material that is considered to be the foundation of a perfume. These materials are often referred to as base notes and are typically a combination of woody, musky and powdery fragrance compounds. Some examples include tobacco, amber and musk.
Fragrances that evoke memories of specific places or situations. Those memories are generally associated with happy or positive emotions. These perfumes are referred to as evocative and can be very powerful for some people.
The term fragnance can also be applied to the natural scents of some animals and plants. These natural fragrances may trigger a response in other members of the same species, for example, sexual attraction. The fragrances of some flowers are also thought to have a libido-enhancing effect.
A perfumer can create a perfume by blending together the individual fragrance materials in the order which best reflects their nuances. The perfumer then tests the composition on strips of odorless white blotting paper to see how it responds to the various body olfactories. The perfumer then fine tunes the perfume to the client’s preferences and specifications. Fragrance is a very versatile ingredient that is added to a wide range of consumer products from shampoos and body lotions to soaps and deodorants. It can even be added to laundry detergents and fabric softeners to help make clothes and rooms smell good. Fragrance is regulated by the International Fragrance Association and the Research Institute for Fragrance Materials to ensure that the fragrance ingredients are safe to use.