Monthly Archives: May 2018

About Fragrance and Perfume

Why do perfumes smell different on different people?

Perfumes smell different on different people because our body has different reaction on our own skin based on our personal PH levels. Furthermore, there some external factors such as stress, hormonal changes, nutrition, skin type and so on can effect the smell of the perfume on us.

How can I make my perfume last longer on my skin?

The best way to last longer is try not to use in dry skin. So, you can use some moisturizing lotion, oil or cream to prevent from dry skin. Generally speaking, fragrance lasts longer time in oily skin than dry skin.

What are Eau De Toilette, Eau De Parfum, etc?

This is the definition of the strength of the fragrance. Moreover, it shows the grade of the alcohol and water concentration to the fragrance oils. Basically, perfumes are combination of natural products of essential oils from plants and other products that can increase the smell. Alcohol is the base liquid for perfume. Moreover, the ratio of that alcohol and the scented oils defines the final perfumes such as perfume, eau de parfum, eau de toilette, eau de cologne. There are four main categories of perfumes.

Perfume – 15% – 35% of perfume oil
Eau de parfum – 7 – 15% of perfume oil
Eau de toilette – 4% -10% of perfume oil
Eau de cologne – 2% – 5% of perfume oil

What are the “fragrance families”?

There are 7 major families: Greens, Florals, Aldehydics, Chypre, Oriental, Fougère & Tobacco/Leather.


It is also known as natural which can give a clean and fresh fragrance. It is more suitable for the women who like the natural aroma. Examples of this Green family are Burberry London, Calvin Klein Escape for women, Elizabeth Taylor White Diamonds, Poison by Christian Dior.


This is one of the most popular category which consists of one or various different flowers. Some examples are Chanel No. 22, Estee Lauder Pleasures, Safari for women by Ralph Lauren.


This is the first synthetic material that used in Chanel No. 5. Aldehydics are organic compounds which consist of various natural materials like citrus essences, rose oil and so on.


Chypre is the fresh citrus top which consists of Citrus, Oak moss, Patchouli and Musk. Some examples are Estee Lauder Knowing and Aliage, Clinique Aromatics Elixir, Calvin Klein CK One and so on.


Oriental is a blend of animal scents and vanilla mixedwith flowers and woods. It portrays the courageous and glowing. Some example are Obsession by Calvin Klein, Youth Dew by Estee Lauder, Magic Noir by Lancôme, Organza by Givenchy and so on.


This name was derived from the perfume Fougere Royale for Houbigant by the perfumer Paul Parquet. It mainly consists of lavender, oak moss and coumarin. Fougere is mostly well known as fragrances for men.


These fragrances are designed for men.

What are the measurements of the perfume bottles?

100 ml = 3.3 or 3.4 oz
50 ml = 1.7 oz
30 ml = 1 oz
15 ml = 1/2 oz
10 ml = 1/3 oz
7.5 ml = 1/4 oz
5 ml = 1/6 oz
3.7 ml = 1/8 oz

Do fragrances expire? How do I increase their life?

Yes, it can expire around 6 months after opening, a perfume’s alcohol can evaporate and the aroma can change. To keep longer life of perfume, always keep containers away from the natural light and keep them in the constant temperature.

Difference Between Eau De Parfum

Nowadays, it is common for a person to wear good and sweet fragrance. This is traditionally true because everybody is interested to eliminate bad body odors. The most popular and common thing that every people should use is the perfume. Basically, perfume is composed of different essential oils and aromatic compounds. The fragrance is maintained. It has also a mixture of solvent that allows in giving the body pleasurable scent. The beauty of perfumes varies. So, it is best that you chose for the ones that has a great mixtures of fragrances.

For the information of everybody, perfume comes in different variations. These are Eau de Parfum (EDP) and Eau de Toilette. Cologne is also one of these. These names are derived from French words that have been a common term in English. Let us differentiate the two. Read on and find out interesting facts about these two types.

Eau de Parfum

Eau de Parfum (EDP) is a perfume that is made from ethanol and water. It has a medium to high concentration of perfumed oil compared to water that is the content of the solution. This contains 10% – 20% fragrance oil. But the typical content is around 15%. This is considered to be the highest composition content of all the types of perfume. Generally, you can find this perfume in many of the stores. EDP can provide you a long-lasting fragrance. If your skin is dry, EDP last from morning until night.

Eau de Toilette

On the other hand, eau de toilette has a medium to low concentration of perfume oil. It contains 5% – 15% fragrance oil. It contains more water than ethanol. This is considered to be less expensive. This is because it has a less concentrated solution. This means that it does not have the ability to lasts long.

In conclusion, Eau de Parfum and Eau de Toilette are the common types of perfume that has different characteristics. It does not matter if you will choose one of them. As long at it attracts your taste and suits your personality, then you can go for it. You can research more about the types of perfume. In this way, you can properly recognize the characteristics of each one of them. Perfume has been one of the traditions for many people. Remember that you have to be very observant in choosing for the perfume you want to use.

Wearing Parfum

Fragrance Application

When applying a scent apply it to your pulse points such as the fold of your elbow and knees, wrist, neck and cleavage. Don’t rub your wrists together by doing so you may crush the scent. Try spraying some in the air and allow the fragrance to fall onto your body instead. Consider layering your fragrances for optimal effect by using all variations of the products offering. Begin by using the shower or bath gel and then put on the body lotion or matching after bath spray. Lastly apply the scent preferably as perfume or eau de parfum applying as stated above. Using the body lotion allows optimal scent and it is probably has to do with starting at the feet and applying the scent all over allowing the scent to rise. It also allows you to feel extra special and pampered.

Keeping bottles tightly closed and covered, and away from direct heat and sunlight allows optimal safeguard. You will be able to tell when your fragrance has gone bad as you’ll notice it doesn’t give that lovely aroma when you spray or dab the fragrance, and it will appear darker in its bottle. Many fragrances come in dark or opaque bottles due to these bottles ability to store your fragrance well.

Try to choosing perfumes or parfums that suit you as an individual, not your friends or relatives. Test a fragrance while in the store and then walk around for at least of ten minutes or more. Some fragrances take up to a half an hour to an hour to truly develop its actual scent on your body. Place a few drops of parfum onto an oil burner to scent your home or maybe just your bedroom.

The Right Time to Purchase a Fragrance

Fragrances are most often sold during the holidays as a set at a less expensive price. Which means it’s often possible to buy at an eau de parfume price and get a body lotion and a shower gel in a smaller than usual size included in one basket or box. This is a great way to sample a new fragrance without breaking the bank. If you can wait until after the holidays you will often find great deals at even lower prices. Always check the sell by date to make sure you’re not purchasing an aged product. Always ask the assistant if they have fragrance samples during the holidays or whenever you buy fragrance because that usually do and this is when they are most likely to have them available. Please remember when purchasing your fragrance of choice that it is from reputable dealer especially when using the internet to make your purchase. There are many well known sites available with good reputations.

Just a little warning to buyers – some may find that these specially produced fragrance sets are not as good as the single bottle and that the smell is not as fragrant as the regular stock. One perfume marketer wrote that samples offered at perfume counters are always of eau de parfum quality. Meaning you may get confused and not fully be aware at the time of the sale that the fragrance set may contain eau de toilette, gel and lotion, but at the price of eau de parfum. Just a little to think about, when searching for your fragrance of choice. There are plenty of scents available, and you may find it difficult to choose which to buy. A good rule of thumb is to choose the ones that you love the absolute best. Always remember that you will be the one wearing this scent after all!

Making Your Own Parfume

It is very important when wearing fragrance to keep in mind that everything doesn’t smell good on everybody. Also a scent that I may love others may find repulsive. With that in mind it is crucial when mixing and making parfume you use what works best with your own natural scent. Every individual has a natural body scent, no I don’t mean smelly body odor but we all have a natural essence. Scientists have shown that natural body scent plays a key role in determining whether we find somebody attractive. For a whole lot less money and a few ingredients, you can make your own customized parfume that will compliment you as an individual.

All parfume/perfume’s start with a basic formula of 15 to 30 percent of essential oil, 70 to 80 percent of pure grain alcohol, such as vodka, and 5 percent of distilled water. The essential oil can be replaced with fragrance oil for a less pricey scent. Essential oils can be found very easily in a craft stores, health food stores or even vitamin stores. It is a good idea to store your fragrance in small glass or plastic container. Most craft stores will have containers with a spray top option that you can purchase. You might also be able to actual perfume bottles at thrift stores or flea markets.

To begin, I recommend mixing together ¼ cup of straight vodka to about 5 drops of essential fragrance or oil of your choice. Determine how robust you want the scent, let the mixture mature anywhere from 48 hours up to a month. The longer it sits, the stronger it will be. After your fragrance has sat for your chosen amount of time, add 2 tablespoons of distilled water. If you find that the parfume is too strong, you can then add more water to get your preferred fragrance strength. A trick to making your scent last longer, add a about a tablespoon of glycerin to your mixture. Glycerin is a neutral, sweet-tasting, colorless, thick liquid that freezes to a gummy paste and has a high boiling point. Glycerin can be dissolved into water or alcohol. It can be found at health stores and vitamin shops as well. When glycerin is added to water and alcohol, it will remain liquid and assist all of the ingredients to meld together faster and efficiently.

Once you are ready to begin blending your fragrance/essential oils to build your unique scent, be aware of these 3 important stages of scented oil. The very first is the base stage, this level will last the longest on the skin. The base level will include oils like vanilla, cinnamon, and sandalwood. The second level is considered the middle stage, this stage adds to the scent for a good amount of time; however it won’t last as long as the base stage. The middle stage includes oils such as lemongrass, geranium, neroli, and ylang-ylang. The final stage is the top level, which is exactly what it says it is, and that is the top scent. The top levels lasting point is not a long as the other two levels, but it does add to the over all scent considerably. Top level stage can include oils like rose, lavender, jasmine, bergamot, and orchard. When putting together your unique fragrance and you’re combing more than one scent, add the base level oil first, followed by the middle level oil, and finish it off with the top level oil.

The mere smell of something can completely alter your mood. Jasmine and lavender tend to cause calm and help in sleeping. The smell of orange and ylang ylang have the ability to ease anger, and sandalwood and grapefruit can help when it comes to fighting fear. If you simply need a boost of confidence, try cypress or rosemary. Frankincense, rose, and bergamot help relieve depression and grief, and to increase memory powers give black pepper and peppermint a try.

What Is Eau De Parfum

Not many people realise that eau de parfum is not technically the same as perfume, although the terms are often used interchangeably. Perfume is a pure substance, whereas eau de parfum is a lighter, more diluted version. The term perfume is derived from the mysterious and romantic latin term per fumus, meaning ‘through smoke,’ and what we think of as perfume was invented as far back as the ancient Egyptian and Mesopotamian societies.

Ancient perfumes were very different to the perfumes, eau de parfums and eau de toilettes we have today, however. Before the method for extracting the ‘essence’ of flowers was discovered, early perfumers had only herbs, spices and woods to work with. The earliest perfumes would probably have smelled like something we would have wanted to eat rather than cover ourselves in, with almond, coriander, cinnamon, vanilla and other herbs all commonly used.

It was only when the Persian chemist Ibn Sina invented the process of extracting oils from flowers that the intricate palate of perfumery was really born. His first triumph was rosewater, a substance that was much lighter and more delicate than the other perfumes of its day. Because of its feminine delicacy, it became popular as a perfume for women immediately. Flowers quickly became very popular in perfumery, and by the 14th century a whole industry had grown up involving the cultivation of flowers for their oils.

As the perfume industry advanced, so did our means of talking about it. Soon we had names for the different ‘notes’ involved in a perfume, all of which related to the wide spectrum of ingredients that were now used. A single floral note was when a specific flower was identifiable, while floral bouquet denoted a multitude of different flower essences. Perhaps strangely, during the nineteen century materials like tobacco and leather became popular scents to include in perfumes, and are still often used today.

Nowadays, perfumes for women are even more complex than they ever were with the invention of synthetic scents. It isn’t uncommon for an eau de parfum spray to include synthetic scents that are purposely designed to smell like the cut grass or a certain type of food. Perfume makers have realised that a smell can be a powerful way of activating certain memories and moods in the wearer, and have purposely tried to include scents that come with the pleasant memories of summer days or freshly baked cookies.