Deep Fragrances

Fragrances can often reflect our mood and personality. A certain scent on a good friend may smell quite differently on you as each fragrance reacts differently according to our own chemical makeup.

When testing a perfume in a store, be sure to wait about 10 minutes to allow the fragrance to react to your body chemistry before buying it. Smell it after the first application and then smell it again after waiting. This allow you to sample both the top and middle notes of the scent and give you a good sense of how the fragrance will linger throughout the day.

Be sure to limit how many fragrances you try at one time at the store - stick to just 3 or 4 at a time. Otherwise your olfactory senses may become overwhelmed and you may not be able to tell one perfume from the other!

If you are concerned about an allergic reaction, wait about an hour or so after sampling the perfume. If no reaction occurs by that time, it is probably safe to go ahead and splurge on that new perfume!

Always apply fragrances directly to your skin or hair, as some fragrances (especially parfums and eau de parfums which have a higher concentration of oils) may cause discoloration on certain fabrics. Never spray fragrances directly on silk - it will damage it!

If you like to spritz a bit on your clothing, be sure to test it first on hidden area such as an inner lining before spraying it all over yourself! This is especially true for delicate fabrics and “dry clean only” clothing.

I suggest changing your fragrance depending upon the season. In other words, go for lighter scents during the hotter weather and keep the stronger scents for the drier, cool weather. Heat intensifies the scent, so there is no need to douse yourself in a heavy scent during the summer. And if you are outdoors, be aware that bees, wasps, hornets, and other flying bugs are attracted to flowery fragrances (which is another good reason to stick to light, clean scents!)

Speaking of heat, if you want to keep that favorite perfume as fresh as the day you bought it, keep the bottle in a cool, dark place. Keep the bottle in it’s original box, if possible. You may even want to keep it in the fridge, so you can have a refreshingly cool spritz of your perfume before heading out for the day!

Fragrances have been used for a very long time to make someone smell good or better. It has also been used as an aromatherapy for those who may suffer from some sickness or ailment. Through the years, fragrance has developed into several types that include perfumes, eau de parfums, eau de toilette and eau de cologne. The difference among these types of fragrance is in the concentration levels of essential oils that are mixed into them.

Perfumes have the highest concentration of perfume oils (around 20 - 40 percent), followed by eau de parfum, eau de toilette and lastly eau de cologne, which have around 2 - 5 percent perfume or essential oils. Perfume oils are usually derived from plants and other organic or natural sources such as animals or lichens. Synthetic scents are also readily available. Perfumes last longer and are stronger than all the other fragrances. Eau de cologne on the other hand needs to be applied several times a day if you wish to maintain the scent because they do not last long and the fragrance can be fleeting.

The Fragrance Wheel

The fragrance wheel is a method of classifying the different scents available in the industry today. In this particular wheel there are five main or standard classifications namely, floral, oriental, fresh, woody and fougere. As their name imply, the main fragrance in a scent falls in one of the classifications. Fougere is a combination of two or more of the other standard scents in the wheel.

In the said wheel, floral, soft floral and floral oriental fall under the floral classification while soft oriental, oriental and woody oriental are under the oriental classification. Wood, mossy woods and dry woods fall under the woody classification of fragrances and citrus, green and water are under the fresh classification.

Uses of Fragrance

We use scents to basically improve the smell of an area or enhance a person. Fragrance is also used to improve a person’s well being in the form of aromatherapy. A person’s sense of smell can affect the overall attitude and personality of an individual. Aromatherapy ha long been used to promote a relaxed atmosphere or to induce energy and spirit in a person.

Fragrance has also been used to mask a particularly bad smell. In cases like these, you would need a stronger scent or perfume to be able to fully mask an odor that is undesirable. Many people have aromatherapy candles in their homes and also scented potpourri to add to the ambience of their homes.

Professional women can impress their clients, customers, colleagues and associates with their charm, intellect and scent. Wearing perfume or fragrance in the workplace is becoming increasing common and can reinforce your image. But, it is important to be sensitive to how you wear your fragrance so that you are not being offensive to those around you. Listed below are tips that professional women can use to promote a healthy sense of aromatherapy in the business arena.

Cologne, Eau de Toilette and Eau de Parfum

There are usually three forms of fragrances that women can use on their bodies to enhance their natural body scents. Cologne is the least concentrated of the three and therefore the smell is does not last as long. It is typical to re-apply often during the day. Cologne is great if you work in an environment where you are in constant contact with others. The smell is faint and will not disturb others that may have allergies to fragrances. Eau de Toilette is a little more concentrated than cologne and lasts longer through out the day. The smell of the fragrance is more intense so you are instructed to use less of the fragrance on your body. Eau de Parfum is the most concentrated of the three and more expensive. Eau de Parfum has a stronger smell and lasts almost all day where there is no need to re-apply.

Points of Contact

When applying fragrance to the body, it is best to apply to the pressure and heat sensitive points on the body. This will ensure that the fragrance will last longer and will send out a soft and natural like scent that is not over powering or distracting to others. Points of contact include the back of the neck, behind the ear lobes, in the chest/cleavage area, the wrists and behind the knees. Only one or two squirts are necessary for each section of contact. When spraying the fragrance, make sure that the spray is a few inches away from the body. Another good idea is to spray the fragrance into the air and walk into it.

Layering Effect

The best time to apply fragrance is after you finish showering. The scent tends to last longer and it would reduce the amount of times that you re-apply the fragrance during the day. A soft and subtle way to apply fragrance can be by layers. For example, if your favorite scent has a soap or deodorant, you can use them as well as spraying the fragrance. You can also apply the lotion or powder form of the fragrance before spraying the fragrance. The layering effect allows the smell of the fragrance to remain consistent and subtle without being too loud or strong. It produces a soft scent and enhances your natural body scent.

Perfume oils, or the “juice” of fragrance composition, are diluted with a suitable solvent to make the perfume more usable. This is done because undiluted oils either natural or synthetic contain high concentrations of volatile components that will likely result in allergic reactions and possibly injury when applied directly to skin or clothing. Dilutions of the fragrance oil can be done using solvents such as jojoba, fractionated coconut oil, and wax. The most common solvents for fragrance oil dilution is ethanol or a mixture of ethanol and water. The percent of perfume oil by volume in a perfume is listed as follows:

Perfume: 20%-40% Fragrance compounds

• Eau de parfum (EDP) : 10-30% Fragrance compounds

• Eau de toilette (EDT) : 5-20% Fragrance compounds

• Eau de cologne (EDC) : 2-3% Fragrance compounds.

As the percentage of fragrance compounds decreases, the intensity and longevity of the scent decrease. It should be noted that different perfumeries or perfume houses assign different amounts of oils to each of their fragrances. As such, although the oil concentration of a fragrance in eau de parfum (EDP) dilution will necessarily be higher than the same fragrance in eau de toilette (EDT) form, the same trends may not necessarily apply to different perfume compositions with different perfume houses. To further complicate things, some fragrances with the same product name but having a different concentration name may not only differ in their formulas, but actually use different perfume oil mixtures altogether. For instance, in order to make the EDT version of a fragrance brighter and fresher than its EDP, the EDT oil may be modified to contain slightly more top notes or less base notes. In some cases, words such as “extreme” or “concentrate” appended to fragrance names might indicate completely different fragrances that relate only because of a similar fragrance content.

A lot of people have the misconception that perfume is nothing more than perfume. The fact is there are lots of different fragrance perfume varieties available and the quality standards that go into them can vary greatly. Fragrance perfume styles are not one type fits all kind of purchases.

Perfume itself, or parfum, as it’s known in French is the strongest variety of scent available. This is perfume in its purest form and is typically the kind of fragrance that costs a small fortune. Parfum is known for having up to 40 percent pure fragrance oils in its composition.

With this in mind, scents that are true parfums tend to be not only expensive, but also very strong. Most people who purchase this type of perfume use it very sparingly for a reason. The scents of parfums tend to stick with a person for hours and hours on end, which is why it is favored by many despite its higher price.

Eau de parfum is a step down from the stronger parfum variety. These perfumes will contain up to 18 percent fragrance oils. This variety of perfume remains fairly strong and can still be quite costly to purchase. Some of the biggest designer names come in this style, but it’s possible to find some great fragrances at lower prices that fit this composition. It’s a good idea to use this composition sparingly at first to test its actual strength.

Eau de cologne is for men, it’s a fragrance composition that involves about three to five percent fragrance oils. This is the standard for men’s cologne, but aftershaves might use even less oil in their mix.

Eau de toilette is a very common and often affordable type of perfume. Using up to eight percent fragrance oils, this type of perfume is stronger then cologne, but might require a few applications for all-day scent. This fragrance perfume composition is favored by many because it tends to not overpower, no matter the fragrance, and does dissipate faster than stronger mixes.

As the compositions for fragrance perfume styles varies, so too do the different scents. Perfumes can range from heavy musk fragrances to softer, sportier varieties. While there are only three major classifications of perfume scents, there are literally hundreds of different fragrances within these classes. Hitting on the perfect scent for a person will likely take a little time.

Selecting just the right fragrance perfume can be a very personal undertaking. Where one buyer mind find the stronger musk scents in true parfum to die for another might enjoy the wispier, soft fragrances that can be found in lower oil compositions. Inasmuch, it’s not a bad idea to try on different scents for size before buying them.

If a particular scent is liked, but it seems too strong, consider checking to see if it comes in a lower percentage of oil variety. Some of the major brand names offer scents in parfum and even eau de toilette varieties for this reason.

Fragrance perfume choices can be wonderful for helping set a tone about a person. From strong and bold to frilly and feminine, the choices of fragrance perfume styles are many. If one doesn’t fit, it’s likely many others will.

Even the most expensive perfume is not formulated to last all day. Perfume may last up to five hours, while cologne lasts only one to two hours, so any form of fragrance requires refreshing for a day-long effect. Since fragrance rises, a quick dab behind the ears is not enough to get the most mileage from your perfume or cologne.

Perfume should be applied, preferably with an atomizer, at all the body’s pulse points, where the body’s heat will help to release the fragrance-behind the ears, inside the wrists and elbows, at the temples, the base of the throat, the bosom, behind the knees, and inside the ankles.

Eau de parfum and toilet water may be sprayed lightly on the entire body, from the feet up, before dressing to create an aura of fragrance around the body. Then apply it to the body’s pulse points, or use perfume of the same scent. If you’re worried that you may be overdoing it, use the rule of thumb that your fragrance should extend more than an arm’s length from the body. Eau de parfum and toilet water can also be sprayed on clean hair, but no fragrance should be applied to clothes, since the fibers can change the smell of the fragrance and the fragrance product may stain the clothing.

Cologne, as typically the lightest form of fragrance, may be applied like eau de parfum and toilet water and may also be used as an after-bath refresher, as a rubdown for sore muscles or aching feet, or to keep your hands cool and dry (an astringent effect of the high alcohol content).

Colognes and toilet water can be kept in the refrigerator for a cool pick-me-up, but extreme temperatures and dampness can change the delicate balance of perfume. However you choose to apply the various types of fragrance, don’t hoard them for the Christmas party or your fiftieth wedding anniversary. Once opened, fragrance products deteriorate with time and exposure to heat, air and sunlight.

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