Parfums

The holiday season is at hand, have you found a gift for the lady (femme) in your life? Well, you are probably here because you have not, and are looking for an idea. I’ve got a few, but what’s it worth to ya? I’m just joshin’ ya. Give it a good hard think, what are some of the things that all women love? Teddy Bears? Sure, all women love teddy bears, but that’s more of a side gift. How about jewelry? Yea, they love jewelry, but I’m sure she has enough, and if not can you afford it? Ah, I know, perfume!

Perfume has been around since the ancient days of Babylon and the Egypt. The skill was later refined by the Romans and the Persians into a rudimentary process not unlike the process used today. The art of perfumery was brought to Europe sometime around the 14th century, probably due to the spread of Islam. The cultivation of various types of flowers for the utilization of their fragrances in perfumes caught on at this time, and as we all know became a staple industry in the South France. Back in the renaissance, perfumes were used in lieu of bathing to mask body odor in social situations, as bathing and keeping good hygiene were not as prevalent. This led to the rise of the perfume industry as we know it today, as in those ancient times it became very popular among the wealthy.

The perfume industry has seen many leaps and bounds since it first blossomed in the renaissance, and has made some talented in the field of perfumery very famous and wealthy. With such esteemed perfume labels such as Dolce & Gabanna, and Channel which have been staples in the perfume and fashion industry for sometime, along with some more recent newcomers such as Giorgio Armani, Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, and Ed Hardy. While the exact recipes to each of these big names most famous fragrances remain a closely guarded secret, the general process remains the same.

From there it’s up to the perfumer, or the “Nez” (French word for “nose”). They are usually hired by an outside source such as a fashion designer to compose a fragrance. This is done by blending different combinations of scents from flowers and such. The perfumer then hands over the formula to the buyer who commissioned the scent.

The way a perfume is described is like that of a piece of music. They are described in note. the Top Note, the Middle Note, and the Base Note. The Top Note is the first scent let off by the perfume, and is often used to mask the unpleasant initial scent of the Middle Note. The Middle Note, which is a deeper scent, is often described as the heart of the perfume, as this is the scent that is most prominent. The Base Note usually only surfaces about a half hour after application, and is what you could call the final measure. The different layers of notes are achieved by precisely determining how long it takes each part of the note to evaporate.

So, now that you’ve had a crash course in perfuming, you should have a good idea what to look for when searching for the right perfume for your lady. And not to mention you’ll impress her when she opens it and you start throwing out the lingo.