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The word “perfume” actually comes from a Latin word that means “through smoke.” The people of Egypt and Mesopotamia often burned incense to placate the gods. Aromatic oils were a crucial part of ancient religious rituals. As the Persians and Romans began to improve their fragrances, perfume steadily became something that was not just reserved for ritual practices, but for pleasure as well. Egyptian women began to use women’s perfume on their face and hair. The Greeks would include scented oils into their baths. Of course many cultures used perfumes to bury their departed. It helped to hide the smell of decomposing flesh and honored the gods as well.

Some of the main ingredients that were used in producting perfumes in ancient times were myrrh, juniper, pistachio, fenugreek seeds, and the resin of the Matsic tree. Today women’s fragrance are derived from a quantity of different sources–roots, seeds, leaves, twigs, resins, bulbs, woods, bark, fruits, honeycomb, musk, seaweed, lichens, flowers and blossoms. Depending on the ingredients utilized and the concentrations thereof, the classification of a perfume falls into a specific type. The main categories are Floral Bouquet, Single Floral, Wood, Amber, Leather, Fougere, Chypre, Aquatic, Bright Floral, Green, Citrus, Gourmand, or Fruity.

Perfumes have different concentrations. This intensity is based on the ratio of aromatic compounds to solvent (a blend of water and ethanol). Perfume extract has the strongest smell because the concentration of scented compounds utilized is 15-40%! Eau de Parfum or Parfum de Toilette has 10-20% of the scented compounds. Eau de Toilette is the next step down with 5-15% scented compounds. Eau de Cologne is only 3-8% aromatic compounds and body splashes or aftershave only contain 1-3% of fragrance. The less significant the concentration, the lighter the fragrance.

The majority of body products contain some fragrance, from shampoo to deodorant. However, there are many goods whose single purpose is aroma. Perfume oil is the most intense and thus a more perfume smell than anything else. A little dab goes a long way. Body sprays and splashes are at the opposite edge of the spectrum with very little fragrance and a very light odor. Many body lotions also contain fragrance so that you can moisturize and cleanse yourself in pleasing aroma at the same time. Make sure that you put on a perfume that compliments the fragrance of your lotion if you plan to wear them together at the same time.

Dissimilar fragrances react differently to various body chemistries. Just sniffing a perfume container cannot let know you whether it will smell good on you. To see if a actual scent will work for you, spot just a little spot on your wrist and let it set in. Once the pheromones of your body have mixed with the scent of the perfume, you should be able to tell if it’s going to work for you or not. You should also take your personality and likes and dislikes into consideration when purchasing the right perfume. Everything about you will play a role in this selection, especially if you plan to make it your “signature” fragrance.

Since so many emotions can be triggered by a specific aroma, make sure that the scent you pick creates pleasing ones. Long after you leave the area, that sweet fragrance will linger reminding everybody that you were there. Choose that women’s fragrance wisely.

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