At first I wasn’t sure about writing on this series but after the few emails I’ve received and approximately 6 phone calls from readers of the blog, I’m thrilled that wrote on this. With that said, in the past few days, you have your scents straight, (Perfume Etiquettes; Part One), you have a sence of the different notes in your perfume (Perfume Etiquettes: Perfume Notes), Now the big question is, how do you wear your perfume?
Well, believe it or not, the application of perfume is somewhat of an ancient art. Yes, I said an ancient art… and no, I’m not being dramatic (well, maybe just a little tad bit). The best way to get the most out of your perfume, whether it’s an oil base, a daytime perfume, a liquid spray, a rich perfume, a budget perfume, or an evening perfume, it’s to be applied to your pulse points.
Pulse points? Yes, pulse points. Pulse points are parts of the body that heats up the fastest. The most common pulse points are the throat or on the sides of the throat, behind the ears, inside of the elbows, inside of the wrists, under the arms, and the most unexpected places which are at the belly button and behind you knees. All of these areas are the areas where your pulse is the most close to the skin, the most visible, and the heat from your blood coursing through your body will warm up your skin the most quickly. These are the best places to apply your investment in these fragrances because when your skin is warmed by your blood’s natural flow, the oil or the alcohol in the perfume begins to evaporate into the air around you. When you apply perfume to all of your pulse points, you walk around with a very slight but significant aura surrounding your body which allows other to smell that lovely perfume you’re wearing.
Even though, this may seem a bit much, but I’ve found the best way to apply perfume and really end up using less of the perfume is by getting an entire set which contains the skin lotion and shower gel. When using the shower gel and the skin lotion, you’ve already prepared your body to receive the perfume as both the lotion and shower gel already contained a little bit of the fragrance. I also would recommend applying the perfume to the bare skin and not on your clothing (remember the pulse points). As well, you should spray a dab of the perfume on at least 3-5 of your favorite pulse points. If you choose to apply the perfume on your wrists, I wouldn’t recommend rubbing your wrists together after you’ve applied the perfume as this breaks down the scent. I’ve also found that is you spray lightly on the hair, the scent can last all day which I absolutely love.
Now, one perfume might smell amazing on another and it carries a completely different smell on you. This is because PH levels (amount of acidity in our skin) also varies slightly from person to person. Our individual levels of PH will determine how each ingredient in a fragrance will react. If you experience this, I would recommend going to a custom made perfume shop to test your PH Levels and see what kinds of oils will blend with your PH Levels. This can be on the expensive side, but it’s well worth it. I had this done a few years in Manhattan and I love the results which enabled me to choose several different perfumes base on my PH Levels.
Designing your perfume wardrobe in my opinion is just as essential as designing your clothes wardrobe. Putting this wardrobe together requires at a minimum 4 different perfumes. My personal perfume wardrobe includes 6 different perfumes. I’m a die hard 100% perfume fan but I do have an Eau de Toilette in my perfume wardrobe.
This wardrobe is complimented with a bottle of Chanel No 5 which to me is a must have perfume. Because this is the most expensive bottle I have, I really only wear this perfume on special occasions. Prada Tendre Eau de Parfum with a to die for Atomizer is also for a special evening out with my husband. Now, for those of you who do not know me on a personal level, I love, love and love this Atomizer! And for those of you who knows me on a personal level, stop laughing! Vera Wang, The Fragrance is worn on a rare occasion when I didn’t plan an evening and I just want something fresh but still amazing to wear. J’adore by Dior and Trésor are my signature scents. I refer to them as my signature scents because I’m often told by people that they know if I was in a room because I leave my “signature” scent behind. Last but not least, is my every day perfume which is an Eau de Toilette by Bvlgari called Rose Essentielle.
Now, you know I have to leave you some pictures from my personal wardrobe. Well, what do you think? I know it’s been a long series but it’s my hope that it was informational to you. What do you think of a Perfume Wardrobe? What kinds of perfume are in your wardrobe?
Always thinking of you,
Violaine Diogene
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Yesterday, we discussed the several different concentrations of perfumes and how different versions of the fragrances are created (Perfume Etiquettes: Part One). A perfume’s scent depends upon its combination and type of ‘notes’. Each note is categorized into a scent family. Just like the individual notes of a song make up the melody, the notes in a perfume produce the final, blended scent. These notes must blend well together and in return, we have a masterful scent.
Just as there are different types of note family categories, perfume notes are also classified according to their lasting power. In the perfume world, there are three notes of this type. According to Angela Harris, the top note in a perfume is its first impression. The top notes are sometimes called head notes or “notes de tete”. This is the scent that you smell when a perfume is first sprayed or applied. The top note scent is the first scent, but it also lasts the least amount of time. Top notes usually last less than fifteen minutes. Citrus type scents are most commonly used for top notes.
Middle notes are the scents in a perfume after the top note has evaporated. Middle notes are also called heart notes, central notes, and “notes de coeur”. Middle notes in some perfumes may take an hour or longer to develop, but usually start to emanate in just a few minutes. Most middle notes last an hour or longer. Middle notes are usually floral scents.
Base notes, or “notes de fond”, are the last notes in a perfume to become apparent. Middle notes and base notes comprise the ‘essence’ of the perfume. After the top notes have disappeared and the middle notes have started to fade, the base notes become more prominent. Base notes last longer than other perfume notes, usually several hours. Base notes tend to be more rich than other perfume notes. Base notes tend to be from woodsy or earthy fragrance families.
When shopping for new perfume, keep these notes in mind. Don’t buy a perfume right away. Apply the scent to your skin. Wait for the top note to evaporate. Leave the store. Experience the middle note in about an hour. If you like the middle note, wait for the base note. This is the most important note to evaluate. If you like the base note as well, you’ve found a winner
My sweet darlings, I promise you, a brilliant perfume is a bit like an abstract painting; It takes time to understand it and appreciate the true beauty of the fragrance. But with the right information, you will appreciate having such having it in your collection. Tomorrow, we’ll discuss the proper way to wear your perfume and storing your perfume and that will be the end of the series. Below are some of my favorite perfumes containing some amazing notes.
So, you know you have to let me know your thoughts on this post. I know it’s a long series but I’m hoping that I’ve shed some light and given you some knowledge on perfumes.
Hoping to inspire you,
Violaine Diogene
Top Notes: Lilly of the Valley, Rose (white), Apricot Heart Notes: Iris, Lilac, Heliotrope, Peach Base Notes: Sandlewood, Vetiver, Amber, Musk and Vanilla
Top Notes: pink pepper, pear, ruby red grapfruit, peony, rose, geranium, vanilla, creamy musk and tonka
Top Notes: Mandarin, Champaca Flowers, Ivy, African Orchid, Rose, Violet, Damascus Plum, Amaranth Wood, Blackberry Musk.
Top Notes: Lemon notes, mandarin, neroli, and Italian bergamot. The heart introduces Guatemala cardamom, tea leaves, Indian jasmine, and Haitian vetiver, while the base reveals Indonesian patchouli, Indian sandalwood, benzoin and Virginian cedar.
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One of my favorite things or should I say accessory is a nice bottle of perfume. I love the way perfume adds to my femininity and simply how it makes me feel. So, with all the different versions of fragrances, I thought it would be a great idea to educate those whom perhaps are not as familiar with how the different versions of the fragrances are created.
After I wrote the original post and read it, the post was overwhelmingly long and with that, I’m thinking it would be better to break it down into series and I’ll post everyday to accommodate the lengthy series. In the first series, we’ll discuss the different kinds of perfumes and how they’re formulated, shelf life, how to apply the perfumes which will maximize use of the perfume and we’ll also feature the different designers whom impacted this 10 Billion Dollar Industry.
What are fragrances made from?
Most fagrances are complex combinations of natural materials, such as plant and flower extracts, and these oils and extracts determine how intense the scent is and how the perfume will last when sprayed on the skin. In order to stretch the scent, alcohol is an essential ingredient in the fragrance as it is used as a liquid base for perfume and the ratio of alcohol to scented perfume concentrates determines what the final concoction is labeled.
From highest concentration to least, the different forms of perfume are:
• Perfume, also called extract or extrait perfume, can include 15-40% perfume concentrates. This is the purest form of scented product and is the most expensive as a result.
• Eau de parfum contains about 7-15% perfume concentrates. This is the most popular and common form of perfume. It provides a long-lasting fragrance and generally doesn’t cost as much as extract perfume.
• Eau de toilette has around 1-6% perfume concentrates. This makes for a light scent that doesn’t linger as long as the more intense versions. It was originally intended to be a refreshing body splash to help people wake up in the morning.
• Eau de cologne is sometimes used interchangeably with the term eau de toilette. However, the concoction began as the name of a light, fresh fragrance mixed with citrus oils and was made popular by Napoleon. Some perfumers today have a version of this called eau fraiche.
Famous Early Perfumes:
Ernest Beaux, born in December 8, 1881, in Moscow Russia, had the honor of creating what became perhaps the most famous perfume in the world; Chanel No. 5 for Coco Chanel in 1921. According to Osmoz, Chanel No. 5 is a mythical perfume and the undisputed leader of creative fragrances, Chanel N°5 is the number one seller in the world. Mademoiselle Chanel, whose haute couture business was very fashionable in the 20’s asked Ernest Beaux, a Russian perfume creator to develop a “woman’s perfume that smells like a woman.”. He showed her two series of creations numbered 1 through 5 and 20 through 24. She chose the ”fifth sample”. For the first time Ernest Beaux had incorporated synthetic substances, aldehydes, in his formula – Blended with may roses and jasmine from Grasse, they formed a mysterious and indefinable scent. A work of genius! No-one had ever dared to deviate from single flower scented perfumes before. A superstitious woman, Chanel introduced her new collection on the fifth of May, the fifth month of the year, with the fifth sample as selected, and she named it N°5.
I must onfess to you, Chanel No. 5’s superb quality and undeniable sexy scent truly intrigues me. This sexy fragrance is for the true classy lady who’s not afraid to follow her own scent. The lady who wears Chanel No. 5 has a fragrance wardrobes of at least six different perfumes, rather than a single signature perfume, adoring one exquisite perfume for evenings and special occasions. And this, my dear is certainly an evening and special occasions perfume.
Below are some of my absolute favorite Chanel perfumes. Tomorrow, we’ll discuss how to wear your perfume and we’ll also feature another designer who’s engraved their names in the industry. Well, what are your thoughts on this post? How much do you know about perfumes? Let me know your thoughts on the post.
Inspired by you,
Violaine Diogene
The now and forever fragrance. The ultimate in femininity. The most powerful, concentrated and long-lasting form of fragrance; the fullest expression of the perfumer’s art. The classic bottle signifies personal luxury and is an attractive addition to any dressing table.
Sexy, fresh oriental fragrance recalls the irrepressible spirit of the young Coco Chanel. An elegant, luxurious scent in a classic signature bottle, perfect for the dressing table or for travelling.
Clean and sheer, warm and sexy. Difficult to define; impossible to resist. An elegant, luxurious spray closest in strength and character to the parfum form. The sleek, portable signature bottle is perfect for the dressing table or for travelling.
A decidedly young scent . . . for those who dare to dream. The most powerful, concentrated and long-lasting form of fragrance; a constellation of orbiting scents. Floral notes merge with sensual, sweet and spicy elements for a hint of sexiness and delicious naughtiness.
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