Did you know that Cleopatra’s and queen Nefertiti’s perfumes contained at least 15 ingredients? I found out about this in my recent trip to Egypt, the place where it all started... I had a fascinating talk with a perfume expert who told me so many interesting things that I thought I should share them with you.
History. Perfume can be documented as far back as the antiquity. It first began in Ancient Egypt, than developed by Arabs, Persians, and Romans. After some time it gradually conquered the other parts of the world. Originally, it was a mixture of scented oils, used to present the beauty, to establish the connection between deities and pharaohs. One of the legend says that Cleopatra, had the sails of her boat slicked with fragrant oils before setting out to sea, so that Mark Antony would feel that she's there before seeing each other – what a strategy!
Weird fact. King Louis XIV was terrified of bathing(no question why he’s said to have taken only 3 baths in his life ) and he replaced soap and water with…perfume His court was called "la cour parfumée"(the perfume court) and he demanded a new perfume everyday applied daily on the skin, furniture, clothing, basically on everything.
Main Perfume types.
The same scent can smell different on two individuals. When applied, perfume is mixed with our skin chemistry and these chemical reactions change the smell.
Where to apply perfume? The main places to apply the perfume(pulsing points of our body which will make it last longer) are: in our hair, behind the ears, around the neck, inside the elbows, on the ankles, behind the knees.
Interesting fact. Perfume is used by different companies to market their products The idea is to apply perfume in hotels, airplanes, cars, shops to link a certain scent with the company, to make it more appealing, memorable and generate sales.
There is so much to talk about fragrance, for example places to buy a perfume, how to pick a favourite scent. I will develop this topic in my next blog posts, so stay tuned
If you have questions or suggestions, please write them in the comment section below Until next time, you may check www.fragrantica.com. It is the perfume encyclopedia which will tell you everything about your perfume: notes, lasting power, history, reviews and much more!
Warm hugs so that my perfume will be staying with you
History. Perfume can be documented as far back as the antiquity. It first began in Ancient Egypt, than developed by Arabs, Persians, and Romans. After some time it gradually conquered the other parts of the world. Originally, it was a mixture of scented oils, used to present the beauty, to establish the connection between deities and pharaohs. One of the legend says that Cleopatra, had the sails of her boat slicked with fragrant oils before setting out to sea, so that Mark Antony would feel that she's there before seeing each other – what a strategy!
Weird fact. King Louis XIV was terrified of bathing(no question why he’s said to have taken only 3 baths in his life ) and he replaced soap and water with…perfume His court was called "la cour parfumée"(the perfume court) and he demanded a new perfume everyday applied daily on the skin, furniture, clothing, basically on everything.
Main Perfume types.
- Parfum, also known as extrait de parfum or pure perfume, 100% concentration. Of all scents, parfums are the most expensive ones and last the longest, six to eight hours.
- Eau de parfum has the next highest concentration of fragrance. It will last for four to five hours and it is also generally less expensive that parfum.
- Eau de toilette, cheaper than eau de parfum and is one of the most popular types of fragrance available. This fragrance will normally last for two to three hours.
- Top notes are the lightest and evaporate sooner: citrus(for example lemon, mandarin), aromatics(for example lavender).
- Middle notes are stronger than top notes, they are considered the core of the perfume: floral(rose, jasmine), green(grass, leaf), fruity(pear, peach), spices(cinnamon).
- Base notes create a lasting impression and will stay on the skin for many hours long after application: wooded(patchouli), balsamic(vanilla).
The same scent can smell different on two individuals. When applied, perfume is mixed with our skin chemistry and these chemical reactions change the smell.
Where to apply perfume? The main places to apply the perfume(pulsing points of our body which will make it last longer) are: in our hair, behind the ears, around the neck, inside the elbows, on the ankles, behind the knees.
Interesting fact. Perfume is used by different companies to market their products The idea is to apply perfume in hotels, airplanes, cars, shops to link a certain scent with the company, to make it more appealing, memorable and generate sales.
There is so much to talk about fragrance, for example places to buy a perfume, how to pick a favourite scent. I will develop this topic in my next blog posts, so stay tuned
If you have questions or suggestions, please write them in the comment section below Until next time, you may check www.fragrantica.com. It is the perfume encyclopedia which will tell you everything about your perfume: notes, lasting power, history, reviews and much more!Warm hugs so that my perfume will be staying with you