A perfume is a mixture of fragrant essential oils or aroma compounds, fixatives, and solvents in liquid form that is used to give the human body, animals, food, objects, and living spaces an agreeable scent. The earliest recorded uses of fragrant oils date back to ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. Today, perfume is a beloved product that makes an excellent gift for any occasion. It is an exquisite blend of science, art, and personal expression. Understanding its history, creation process, different concentrations, and categories can deepen your appreciation for this alluring fragrance.
Fragrance makers use natural aromatic raw materials derived from plants, flowers, grasses, herbs, spices, fruit, woods, resins, roots, and flowers. These are extracted from plant parts using extraction, distillation and expression techniques. Natural oils and extracts are then blended with synthetic chemicals to create a wide variety of perfumes.
The most common method is steam distillation which uses boiling water to separate the oil from the plant material. Thousands of kilos of flowers, or other plant material, may be needed to produce just one kilo of oil, which explains why perfumes are so expensive. The oil is then diluted with alcohol, which acts as a fixative and helps the fragrance last longer on the skin. The result is a fragrance that is an exquisite mixture of top, middle, and base notes.
Top notes (also known as head or heart notes) are small molecules that emit a burst of fragrance immediately after application. These are often citrusy, fruity or floral. Middle notes are a more complex combination of a series of aromatic notes that combine to produce a smooth, long-lasting fragrance. They are a combination of herb, floral and spice oils. Base notes, which are the longest-lasting and most intense scents, are typically composed of woods, amber and musk.
Research has shown that perfume can affect people’s mood and self-image. For example, some women reported that they chose a perfume depending upon their mood (emotional or calm), the occasion for which they were wearing it, or even what type of job interview they were going to have.
The aroma of a perfume is an intimate experience that can be as captivating as a beautiful piece of jewelry or the smell of someone’s hair. A perfume can be as romantic as a kiss or as sensual as an elegant dinner. It is an art that has been in existence for thousands of years, and its appeal is timeless. Whether it is a classic, exotic or modern scent, we all have our own special fragrance.