Perfume facts

Perfumes have been used by humans to improve their scent since early days. Perfume is made up of alcohol, water & perfume (fragrance) oil. Perfume comes from Latin word per fumum, which means "through smoke" (per means through, fumum means smoke).  The making of perfumes is known as perfumery. Fragrances are classed-and priced-by their alcohol content. The highest proportion of scent is found in true 'perfume' - anywhere from 25 to 40% is pure scent.

History: The Egyptians were the first to incorporate perfume into their culture, and the first to place perfume into glass bottles. Further refining and development was done by Romans and Arabs. Up to some extent, Eastern Asia had also supported perfumes and perfumery. At that period no chemicals were used for perfumery. In the beginning, the fragrances were based on incense and essential oils of aromatic plants. History is evident that the modernization of perfumery began with the ancient Islamic culture. During that time the spices and herbs were used in perfumery. Steam distillation process was used to extract the fragrance from the aromatic flowers and plants.

The western communities especially France further started cultivating these raw materials and became the first to introduce the chemical based perfumes. After eighteenth century, France began to harvest the aromatic plants to provide accommodation in the growing demand of spiced and fragranced perfumes. Almost all the rulers and emperors in the history were fond of perfumes. Cleopatra, one of the major rulers of Egypt was well known for creating and using the perfumes. Perfumes were highly valued in history of every culture.

Some famous brand names of perfumes include

• Eau de Cologne (1709)
• Chanel No. 5 (1921)
• Opium YSL (1977)
• Azzaro Pour Homme (1978)
• Anais Anais (1979)
• Poison Christian Dior (1985)
• Eternity Calvin Klein (1988)
• Envy Gucci (1997)
• Nu YSL (2001)  
• Rose 31 (2006)

Types of perfumes:

• Floral: As the name suggests fragrances of this category have strong tinge of flowery fragrances. The floral fragrances are created by the extracts of different flowers such as jasmine, roses, lavender, carnation etc. There can be different types of floral perfumes also like a single flower or can be a delightful mixture of different flower fragrances. Floral perfumes have been the most celebrated types of perfumes. Examples of some floral perfumes are "Escape" by Calvin Klein, Cacharel's Anais-Anais and Elizabeth Arden Sunflowers.

• Woody: The fragrances in this type include all sort of earthy tones. Sandalwood, cedar and patchouli are some usual scents of this category. These fragrances are mostly worn or liked by the mature ladies who wishes to feel and smell fresh as well as want to hold on to air of sophistication. Men also like wearing these earthy fragrances. The beauty of woody fragrances is that although there are few takers, but those are ardent fans. Some examples of woody perfumes are Sarah Jessica Parker "Lovely", Chanel no.19 by Chanel and Givenchy Organza.

• Fruity: Fruity perfumes symbolize verdure and freshness. These fragrances are generally fresh and spicy. It is quite youthful and is suitable for all types of weather. Again like floral perfumes these can have a dominant single fruity fragrance or can be a mixture of more. Few examples of fruity perfumes are Cheap and Yves Saint Laurent's "Champagne", Be Delicious by DKNY and Moschino's Chic.

• Greens: They are very funky and chic perfumes that can be worn by sportier and youngster on any occasion. Green perfumes smell green like fresh leaves, tender grass so on. The fragrance is best suited for casual as well as business evening wear. As it is considered as neutral aroma, therefore are best for gifting to anyone. Some examples of green perfumes are Versace Metal Jeans for her, Charlie by Revlon and Christian Dior's Diorissimo.

• Oriental: As the name suggests Oriental perfumes are more towards the spicy and warm side. These fragrances are strongest as compared to other fragrances. It includes rich undertones and sensual overtones that make it a heavy blend. This is considered best for the evening events, corporate environments and special events. Examples of oriental perfumes are Fendi by Fendi, Chance by Chanel and Intuition by Estee Lauder.

Types of Women's Perfume Strengths:

• The most basic type of women's perfume strength is a true perfume. A person who wears true perfume will have an expensive small bottle of the strongest concentration of the scent.
• Perfume is concentration of aromatic oils that will be at least twenty percent. By using the true perfume a person will have the full essence of the fragrance offering an unmistakable aroma.
• For the average person on the average day a less expensive, lower concentration of a perfume will be completely appropriate.
• The eau de perfume, eau de toilette, and eau de cologne will all be reduced concentrations in order of listing. These concentrations can be bought in larger quantities for less money making them affordable types of women's perfume strengths.

Facts about perfume:

• Eau de - means "water of" in French.
• Eau de cologne- Contains about 3-5% perfume oil. Used by men.
• Aftershave lotions & splash colognes- contain about 0.5-2% perfume oil. Used by men.
• Eau de perfume - contains about 15-18% perfume oil. Used by women.
• Eau de toilette - contains about 4-8% perfume oil. Used by women.

(Sources: beautyfeast.com, ezinearticles.com, jurgita.com, essenceofperfume.com)