The Perfume Chaperon
Smelling is, despite the fact that we undermine it consistently, a sense that we utilize more frequently than we envision. We don't notice smells so much intentionally (unless somebody in proximity has been consuming acidity causing agents or has been believing in the 'Axe' fiddledeedee), however we recognize them unconsciously. Thence, if you do not think that perfumes are a very important part of grooming, you sire, are an indubitable and sluggish neophyte.
Perfumes have been around for thousands of years; constantly evolving in terms of smell and constituents. Having encountered a fellow being with claims of finding my smell 'familiar', I realized that it is of utmost importance that you choose a unique smell for yourself, or maybe more than one - each for different occasions. Please know, your smell should go beyond the abyss of brand names and advertising campaigns.
I strongly beleive that the perfume you choose should vary strongly by the occasion and by how thy wants to portray oneself. The parameters for choosing your scent should be based on: * Personality Types * Presence Intensity * Ocassion
People from the 'Analyst' personality types(Architect, Debaters, Actors) may go for perfumes from the Chypre, Floral or Oriental families, people from the 'Diplomat' peronality types(Advocates, Capaigners, Leaders) may go for perfumes from the Fougère family, 'sentinels' types(Excecutives, Consuls) may go for the Marine family and the 'Explorers' may go forthe citrus family. It is totally possible that you may fall for more than one personality types, under which circumstance, you could use the types which compliments the occasion you are headed to.
Analogous to clothes, different perfume types may go for different occasions. Remember that heavier scents are more appropriate for the outdoors or evening occasions, while lighter scents are better suited for places like work or school. Stronger perfumes go for more formal occasions, while at work, where you go several days a week you might want to wear something that’s not very strong. It’s never good to smell from a long distance away so people may feel uncomfortable up close or know that you're closing up without any line of sight.
The Fragrance Wheel courtesy Michael Edwards
Some examples of perfumes based on family types:- Fougère (pronounced ‘foo-jer’): Perfumes in this category usually contain Lavender and Oakmoss. You can find this in examples such as Platinum Egoiste by Chanel, Polo Sport by Ralph Lauren or Paco Rabanne pour homme.
Floral: The majority of feminine fragrances are floral. Some are a bouquet of different flowers, where the smells complement each others. Some use just a flower, some use a flower and complement it with other notes and accords. You can find such fragrances for men too, for example: Agua Lavanda by Puig and Insensé by Givenchy.
Oriental: These fragrances come both in male and female fragrances. These are often warm, spicy and sweet and contain ingredients like Vanilla and Tonka bean. Sandalwood is also a common ingredient in these fragrances. If you are looking for such a fragrance, you can check out Obsession for Men by Calvin Klein, Joop! Homme by Joop!, Le Male by Jean Paul Gaultier or Equipage by Hermes.
Chypre (pronounced ‘sheep-r’): are fragrances that contain woody, mossy, and floral notes. This kind type will also contain Sandalwood, Bergamot, Patchouli,Vetiver and Oakmoss. Perfumes in this category are Givenchy Gentleman, Quorum by Puig, Vetiver by Guerlain, Aramis, Van Cleef and Arpels, Fendi Uomo, Chypre de Coty, or Antaeus by Chanel. Marine: The Marine fragrance family is kind of new and is describes scents that evoke a feeling of the sea air. To obtain this, an ingredient called calone is used. In this family, we can include L’Eau D’Issey pour Homme by Issey Miyake, Kenzo Pour Homme and New West for Him by Aramis.
Citrus: The oldest family is the citrus family. Citrus scents are usually fresh. Some perfumes that are on today’s market that are part of this family are D&G Masculine by Dolce & Gabbana, Eau Sauvage by Dior and Happy by Clinique.
These notes also usually have sub notes:-
Top notes provide the first scent impression of a fragrance the moment it has been applied to the skin. These are usually lighter, and more volatile aromas that evaporate readily. Their scent usually lingers from 5 to 30 minutes.
Middle notes are also known as “heart notes.” These make up the body of the blend. They may be evident from the start, but normally it will take 10 to 30 minutes to fully develop on the skin. Middle notes are the notes that classify the fragrance family which we discussed earlier (floral, oriental, chypre, etc).
Base notes are notes that have the greatest molecular weight. They last the longest and are also important as fixatives and slow down the evaporation rates of the lighter notes, offering the fragrance holding power. Common base notes are oakmoss, musk, patchouli, woods, and vanilla. Base notes bring depth and solidity to a perfume.
CHANEL - BLEU DE CHANEL (EAU DE TOILETTE) is amazing
Another importan thing to know is that the retail bottles do not contain only perfumes, they are diluted for human use (and also to maximize profits). To know how much perfume oils a bottle has by concentration, look out for the folowing 'keywords' on the bottle:
Parfum: 15%-25% perfume oil dissolved in alcohol.
Soie de Parfum: 15%–18% perfume oil.
Eau de Parfum: 8%–15% perfume oil.
Eau de Toilette: 4%– 10% perfume oil.
Eau Fraiche: 3% or less perfume oil.
Eau de Cologne: 2%–5% perfume oil.
A few great perfumes for men and women are:-
- Costume National Scent Eau de Parfum
- Acqua di Parma Colonia Eau de Cologne Natural Spray
- Hermès Eau de Narcisse Bleu Eau de Cologne
- Tom Ford Oud Wood
- Creed Royal Oud Perfume
Also, I currently own and am a fan of:-
- John Varvatos: Artisan Black and USA
- Dunhill: Edition
- Hugo Boss: Just Different, Man, Red and Bottled Night
- Giorgio Beverly Hills: Red 2
- Guess: Seductive Homme Blue
- David Beckham: Homme
So, finally I hope that this guide may breathe in some odor sense into all of you. It's always wise to know what you want and what you're ending up with. Not saying that the expensive-most perfumes are the best and not believing that rotating your perfumes is a bad idea, I shall now bid you adieu with this wonderful quote:
“A woman’s perfume tells more about her than her handwriting.”