Beauty Tips Guides

The only time I have ever bought perfume for my loved one is in the airport duty free. The reason for this is that I never have the time or inclination to visit a dedicated perfume shop in town. If I were to go into to town to buy a present for my loved one I would probably spend time to pick something a bit more imaginative than perfume. However perfume is still a great option as a gift especially if your loved one appreciates how busy you are.

I have recently come across a number of websites from which you can buy perfume. This is a great alternative to traipsing through a shop and having to select something that I have no idea about. The great thing about these websites is that they often provide testimonials from previous customers. These rate the perfumes and give you a great idea about what to buy. Fantastic if you want to surprise your loved one but have no idea about what to buy.

I find that some of the marketing literature written for perfume can be somewhat overwhelming and that these personal testimonials are much more reassuring. Many sites also have reviews written by the staff that work on the site. These can also be a great resource that will help inform your decision. After all these people work with perfume everyday of their life and have a real knowledge of the whole of the perfume market.

Another great way of choosing a perfume is to pick one that is endorsed by your loved ones favourite celebrity. This can be a difficult decision. The minefield that is celebrity can catch out any unsuspecting bloke that doesn’t know any better. It is very important that you pick a perfume that is endorsed by a celebrity that your loved one also likes. For example you may think that Katie Price is wonderful but your loved one may feel that she would not want to be either compared with her or associated with her.

Many of the celebrities that endorse perfume could be considered both positive associations as well as negative ones. For example Jade Goody has endorsed a perfume. Apparently it sold well. I can’t imagine her being someone that people want to emulate. Kate Moss is another example of a model that receives both good and bad press. She is both unbelievably beautiful but at the same time is associated with drug use. So many people might want to be associated with her but an equal number may not. The same applies to celebrities such as Paris Hilton. She is undoubtedly beautiful but many people may think she is vacuous and will not want to be associated with her.

Fortunately many of the online perfume shops will offer a service that will help stupid blokes like me pick the right perfume for their loved ones. They often invite customers that are not sure about what they are looking for and invite them to contact the store. If you tell the online perfume shop of your situation they will endeavour to help. Tell them what kind of perfume your loved one likes (if you know) and how much you are looking to spend and they will no doubt find you something fabulous that will make you look like a hero.

Shaun Parker is an expert on perfume and uses his expertise to help people choose the right perfume shop at which they can purchase perfume.

Perfumery, that is the art of making perfume, is quite an ancient art that was first started in Mesopotamia as well as in Egypt, sometime during the 2nd millennium, BC.

During those days, perfumes were mostly made using spices such as coriander, almond, bergamot, etc and various kinds of herbs too. Surprisingly, they did not use flowers to make perfumes during the early days of perfume making. The use of flowers for perfume making was discovered by a Persian chemist and doctor, who first experimented with roses, to manufacture perfume. Rose water was an instant hit among the perfume users, owing to its more delicate nature, and since then there has been no looking back for perfumes using flowers.

However, nowadays with the commercialization of perfume making, and with the development in the technology, the production techniques have undergone a massive change. Perfume making has now become a job that requires great expertise and knowledge. Though most commercial perfume makers do not like to reveal the secret behind their perfumes, we know for sure that perfume comes from various sources, including plants (including flowers, fruits, leaves, seeds, resins, etc) , animals (such as musk, honey comb, civet, etc), and various other natural sources. These days the benefits of using genetically modified plants for perfume making is also being realized by manufacturers.

These days it is not very uncommon to find perfume makers using synthetic sources to make perfumes. Though there are very few manufactures who use synthetic chemicals to produce perfumes, they are nevertheless gaining popularity among the perfume lovers.

Though there are various methods of making perfumes, and each perfume producing unit adopts a different way suitable to their choice and style, some of the basic techniques still remain the same.

The first step comprises of understanding the organization of typical various ingredients present in the perfume oil. These ingredients are primarily divided into four categories on the basis of the specific roles they play. These include the primary scents, the modifiers, the blenders and the fixatives. Different primary scents as well as supporting ingredients may be found in the base, middle and top notes of fragrance.

In the next step, the fragrance oils then need to be blended with water and ethyl alcohol that have been aged in specific tanks for at least fourteen days, and well filtered off from all unnecessary sediments. These days most perfume manufacturing units, instead of building their perfumes from the `ground-ups`, prefer the use of bases for the same purpose, owing to the various benefits it provides.

However, once a perfume has been manufactured, it is difficult to understand its composition. This is obviously due to the presence of various kinds of oils that makes the structure of the perfume all the more complicated to break up and understand. However, an expert may use reverse engineering techniques to understand the nature of the perfumes. Reverse engineering is particularly helpful for understanding a perfume that is not too complex in nature. Nevertheless much also depends on the GC/MS equipments being used for the purpose. Customers as well as competitors often use this tool to understand the formula used in manufacturing a perfume.

Perfume making industry is a big one, employing a number of experts to experiment and devise new concepts for perfume making. One of the most amazing features of this industry is the maintenance of secrecy, and the hard work that is put into the making of each and every perfume, so that each bottle contains a unique combination in itself. Thus next time you spray perfume all over yourself, just recollect the hard work gone into it so that you keep smelling sweet the whole day long and say a silent thanks to the creator!!

This article can also be accessed in portuguese language from the Article section of page www.polomercantil.com.br/perfume-fragrancia.php
Roberto Sedycias works as IT consultant for www.PoloMercantil.com.br

The Latin translation of perfume derives from the phrase ‘per fumum’ which means ‘through smoke’. Nowadays the phrase has developed and generally refers to scents that are manufactured to smell good. But the art of making perfume began thousands of years. The techniques for making perfume were initially developed in ancient Mespotamia and ancient Egypt. The techniques that were developed in these civilisations were refined by the Romans and Persians. The making of perfume has been refined and improved consistently ever since. Modern perfumery has made incredible lasting scents that have become popular with men and women.

In ancient times perfumes were also created by people in Far East Asia but unlike conventional perfumes these were typically incense based. So in that respect they are closely related to the Latin derivation of the word perfume that involves the word smoke. Much research has been made into who was the first person to make and sell perfume and the general consensus is that a person named Tapputi was the first. Tapputi reputedly lived in Mesopotamia in the second millennium BC. Archelogists have found perfume that is over 4000 years old in Cyprus.

In Pyrgos , Cyprus the archaeologists have found remains of a perfumery factory that used to produce perfume on a relatively large scale. The scientists and archaeologists have found around 60 distilling stills that were used to treat the mixes of natural ingredients that were used. The archaeologists also found numerous, funnels, mixing bowls and perfume bottles that were used in the process. Perfumes were traditionally made out of natural products sourced from local areas. Evidence has been revealed that shows that perfume was produced using a wide variety of herbs and spices. For example almond, myrtle, coriander, and bergamot were used. However it is said that in these earlier types of perfume flowers were not used. The use of flowers in perfume is a more recent development.

Another famous name in the world of perfume is the Persian doctor Avicenna. He was a chemist and a doctor and he spent a great deal of time developing a process that extracted the scented oils from flowers and can therefore be seen as the founder of modern perfumery. He used distillation which enables subtle tones to be extracted from plants. In the past the perfumes were much stronger and less subtle because the plants had to be crudely crushed and mixed. The scents were therefore much stronger. The distillation technique means the scents can be more delicate and the principles of this technique are still used today. Nowadays the perfume industry utilises a mixture of distillation and the use of raw materials to produce perfume.

Perfume does not originate in Europe. Some of the earliest written evidence on perfume notes that it initially came to Europe via the Hungarian queen Elizabeth in 1370. She commanded that a mixture of scented oils and alcohol solution be produced. This was known throughout Europe by people as Hungary Water. The Italian renaissance saw a development in perfume and perfume became a very popular product. Perfume secrets were kept close and during the French renaissance one perfume producer connected his laboratory to the apartment of Catherine de Medici so that no secrets would be stolen on route.

Shaun Parker is an expert on perfume and fragrances. To find out more visit DM Fragrances

A perfume shop is a great option for people that are looking for perfume but don’t quite know which one to opt for. The perfume shop helps people pick between the options by giving you the opportunity to smell and try a wide variety of perfumes all in one place. The added bonus of the perfume shop is that it often has a solid base of knowledgeable staff that can offer you advice and help as to which perfume you should choose. Staff in these places spend every day sampling perfumes and are kept up to date on all of the latest releases so if you are looking for something a little bit special they are able to help you. Furthermore they can offer some great advice. If you are particularly fond of a particular brand or type of perfume they will be able to advise you as to which other fragrances might be to your taste.

The perfume shop is great for offering you the opportunity to see the product and smell the perfume. The perfume shop also lets you peruse the latest special offers and deals that are available. It is a great option for people that need there perfume in a hurry and don’t want to wait for delivery or for those people that want to buy perfume as a gift but have left it a little bit too late and need the perfume in a hurry.

The advent of the internet has made buying perfume both cheaper and easier. Online perfume shops provide enormous databases of the different types of perfume that are available. This can make buying perfume extremely easy. Often online sites will let you browse online and you can click straight through to pay and submit your shipping details. Many sites also offer a very quick delivery service so that it can often be delivered within a day or two. This can help save your blushes if you are looking of a present for a loved one and have left it to the last minute.

The major downside to buying online is that you cannot physically test the products for yourself. It has to be said that a lot of products are given extensive written reviews so that you can read testimonials on the products you are searching for. The sites that offer feedback from genuine customers are the best for feedback. I find that the reviews written by the people that produce the perfume are often extremely pretentious. The language you here is extremely flowery but then again it is really difficult to explain smells.

The language used to explain perfume can be quite daunting to the uninitiated. Some of the traditional scents use the following to describe the smells they induce. Single floral are fragrances that are predominantly made up of a single scent of an individual flower. The French call this soliflower meaning solo flower. A floral bouquet refers to a scent that contains a number of different scents in one cohesive perfume. Ambery refers to a large class of fragrances that utilise scents such as vanilla and animal scents as well as scents from the woods. These scents tend to be reminiscent of an association with the Middle East and can be enhanced through incense resins. Woody fragrances, as the title suggests, are dominated by woody scents like sandalwood and cedar. Many of the modern perfumes contain patchouli which is part of this group.

Traditional perfumes also include Leather, Chypre and Fougere smells. Leather smells include scents such as honey and tobacco. Chypre or Cyprus smells consist of fragrances such as bergamot, oakmoss, patchouli and labdanum. Fougre means fern and refers to scents that utilise plant matter such as lavender, coumarin and oakmoss.

Shaun Parker is an expert on perfume and helps manage a perfume shop. To find out more visit DM Fragrances.

The perfume caters to our smell - olfactory sense. Our five senses are - touch, hearing, seeing, tasting and smelling. Corresponding to these are the five sense organs - the skin, the ears, the eyes, the tongue and the nostrils. Over and above these gross physical senses is another - the sixth sense that is something intangible which, leads to a feeling of wellbeing upon inhaling a delicate perfume.

In animals smell is very strong. The predators mark their territory with urine, which by the way each one has a distinctive odour. The pet in the house knows about our individual perfume more than we know ourselves. Perfumes have two functions, negative and positive. It covers up stale smell of sweat and on the other hand it exudes intoxicating fragrance.

Perfume is from Latin `per fume` meaning `through smoke`. It goes back 4000 years to Mesopotamia and Egypt before being improved upon by Romans and Arabs. In Europe it came in the 14th century. Hungary produced the first modern perfume in 1371. Renaissance Italy saw a burst of activity in perfume making. France became the centre of perfumes made from aromatic plants being grown from the 18th century in Grasse.

Man wants to pocket everything - from the diamond in dark caverns to pearls in ocean depths. The perfume is the victory of man over Nature - capturing the cream of her scent spread all around. The perfume is a mixture of oils, aroma and fixatives blended with solvents. The industry is shrouded in secrecy. Not everybody can understand the language of perfume making. Each perfume belongs to a family.

Perfume making starts with dilution of the oil with a solvent. Ethanol mixed with water is the most common solvent. Others are coconut oil, wax and jojoba. The increase or decrease of aromatic compounds relates to scent`s intensity and longevity. The amount of oil used varies from one perfume family to another.

From 1900 perfumes were categorized in groups - single floral, floral bouquet, ambery (admixture of scents from animals, flowers and woods), woody (mainly sandalwood and cedar), leather (honey, tobacco, wood and wood tars), chypre (cyprus) and fougere (fern).

Since 1945 perfumes have been divided into bright floral, green, oceanic, citrus and gourmand. From 1983 the fragrance-wheel is being used to simplify classification - floral, oriental, woody, fougere and fresh. Each are divided into subgroups.

Perfumes are metaphorically said to contain three musical notes - top, middle and base. Top notes are the scents that are immediately perceptible. Middle notes emerge after the first effect dissipates. The base note persists in combination with the middle after the top goes. Perfumes can be dissipated due to exposure to heat, light, oxygen etc.

The sources from which perfume is drawn are plants, animals and synthetic bases. Plants are the largest sources - its bark, fruits, flowers, leaves, twigs, roots, seeds and bulbs. In the animal world perfumes are extracted from whales, beavers, civets, honeybee and musk deer. Synthetic perfumes are cheaper but not quite so fine and delicate. In the case of the latter there are health risks connected to rashes, asthma and even cancer.

Perfume is extracted by soaking the raw material in a solvent for any length of time from few hours to months. In distillation the process of condensation is used, while in destructive-distillation method the raw stuff is heated directly. Squeezing and pressing are also common methods. Another method is absorbing the aroma in wax. Perfumes are part of industry and used for the food and chemical business.

The person who makes perfumes is known affectionately as The Nose. Next time you go to buy a bottle of perfume give a thought to the efforts that go behind creating that exquisite bottle for you!

This article can also be accessed in portuguese language from the Article section of page www.polomercantil.com.br/perfume-fragrancia.php
Roberto Sedycias works as IT consultant for www.PoloMercantil.com.br

The word `perfume` is derived from the Latin `per fume` which means through smoke.

Perfume making began in ancient Egypt; later, it was improved by the Romans and the Arabs. The process of distilling oils from flowers was discovered by an Iranian doctor, and this is the process still used in perfume making today.

Modern perfume was first made in 1370 in Hungary, by blending scented oils in an alcoholic solution, and was known all over Europe as Hungary water. Perfume making continued to be developed in Italy during the Renaissance, and in France from the 16th century onwards. Growing of flowers for perfume making became an important industry in southern France; and France is still the center of perfume making in Europe.

The designer houses famous for their perfumes keep their formulas of the fragrances a closely guarded secret. But there are perfume experts who can identify the origins and components of the scents much like wine testers.

Perfumes are classified by their scent and concentration levels. The oils used in making perfume are diluted by ethanol and water, because the undiluted oils can cause damage to the skin or to clothing, or can cause allergic reactions. Accordingly, there are Pure perfume, Eau De Parfum, Eau De Toilette and Eau De Cologne, with Pure perfume containing the largest percentage of aromatic oils, and Eau De Cologne the smallest amount.

The fragrance designer houses use different levels of concentration for the same category of perfume; for instance, the Eau De Parfum belonging to one house, may be much stronger than one from another house. There are also three different perfume classifications according to scents; the traditional scents were created in the early 1900`s; the modern scents date from 1945; the Fragrance wheel was created in 1983, there being five standard fragrance categories: the Fougere family, Floral, Woody, Oriental and Fresh.

Perfumes are also known by their top, middle and base notes, which unfold gradually; the top notes can be sensed immediately, next, the deeper middle notes, and the base notes appear gradually in the last stage. There is an evaporation process in perfumes, and this knowledge is used in carefully choosing the notes. Top notes are important in selling the perfume as they can be perceived immediately; the middle and the base notes make up the perfume`s main theme.

The aromatic oils used in perfume making are obtained from various sources. Barks of cinnamon, sassafras and cascarilla are used. Flowers are the largest source; rose, osmanthus, jasmine, tuberose, mimosa and blossom of citrus trees are widely used. Odors from fresh fruits like cherries, strawberries and apples cannot be extracted well and synthetic substances are used. The exceptions are vanilla, juniper and oranges, grapefruit and limes. Among leaves and twigs, lavender, patchouli, rosemary, violets, sage and citrus leaves are used. Resins are obtained from frankincense, labdanum, myrrh, gum benzoin, Peru balsam, fir and pine.

Roots, Ambergris, woods, honeycomb, musk (synthetic), lichens, civets, seaweed are some of the other sources of aromas.

Organic synthetics are created from petroleum and pine resins for scents which cannot be obtained from nature. There are really hundreds of ingredients that are contained in perfume oils. The modern fragrance houses have developed their own fragrance oils, which are blended with ethyl alcohol and water for fourteen days; these are then filtered and unwanted particles removed; they are then filled into beautiful perfume bottles.

These days, we find well known celebrities signing contracts with perfume houses to lend their names for promoting famous perfumes. Some of the most popular ones are David Beckham for Instinct, Antonio Banderas for Spirit, Elizabeth Taylor for White Diamonds, Passion, Forever Elizabeth, and many more.

This article can also be accessed in portuguese language from the Article section of page www.polomercantil.com.br/perfume-fragrancia.php
Roberto Sedycias works as IT consultant for www.PoloMercantil.com.br