Perfumes When you think of them, the first thing that comes to mind is a pretty cloud of smells headed your way. Or the thought of catching a whiff of the delicious perfume worn by your beloved. Perhaps you imagine going out with friends and taking a stroll around the mall — stopping from time to time to give some samples a quick sniff. Then you find one that fits your personal style and takes it home with you. But what about the fragrance? What do we really smell when something is “perfume”?
What is perfume?
Perfume is a common personal item that people use every day. On average, a person will purchase ten bottles of perfume in their lifetime. However, there is a lot of confusion about the origins, ingredients, and uses of perfume. Perfume is usually thought of as an ancient product. Original recipes were found on clay tablets from Mesopotamia (now Iraq) and suggested mixing oil from gopher wood with blood from animals such as deer or wild boar and then adding perfume to the mixture for a perfume base. This became known as kyphi fragrance. Most people are quite shocked to learn that the Ancient Egyptians used scented oils and unguents early as 4000BC, but didn’t actually start manufacturing perfume until around 2700BC.
Why do people use perfume?
Why are people so stoked about smelling like vanilla? It might be more common than you think. When developing a new fragrance, perfume makers draw from past experience and market research. The smell of vanilla has always been appealing to people, but it’s also the most difficult scent in perfumes. The reason is that it’s an oxidizing agent and changes easily when it’s exposed to oxygen.
Perfume is said to be one of the most complex art forms. There are so many varieties of scents and combinations requiring the perfumer to think up novel blends that target specific kinds of people.
The history of perfume?
Everyone knows people wear perfume to smell good… or do they? This is a question that has fascinated me since a friend of mine got addicted to insect repellent. But I’m also interested in how we perceive things, so as I researched this I wondered if there was more to it than just scent. I wasn’t at all prepared for what I would discover…
Perfume, or the scent of flowers, as it was known anciently, is one of the oldest weapons used in seduction. In fact, it is believed that Cleopatra had a special scent made just for her by Mahairas, a perfumer and inventor who is often credited with creating perfumed oils.
What are the Top, Middle, and Base notes in a Perfume?
Have you ever wondered what are the middle, base, and top notes in a perfume? Your perfumes may smell great on the first spray, but what happens after several hours? You may love the perfume when you first apply it, but several hours later, something isn’t quite as pleasant. This happens due to the top notes disappearing and making way for the middle notes. The middle notes are usually a smooth transition from the initial application of perfume to the final stage of base notes.
Conclusion
Some of us love perfume, and some of us love scented candles. Fortunately for both parties, there is a whole world of DIY perfumes and associated resources on the internet. To make things easy for you, I have put together a collection of some of the best tutorials available online. Perfume making is an amazingly satisfying and inexpensive art form, so why not try it out? You will be hard-pushed to find another hobby that involves so much creativity and little cost. Have fun!
