ON PERFUMES AND PERFUME TYPES

One way or another, perfumes have become mainstay beauty essentials in contemporary society as items that augment a “wearer’s” presence by enticing the olfactory senses. As the sense of smell is widely credited to be the sense that’s closely tied with memory and recall, the scent of an individual is attributed to be part of one’s personality, and this, in effect, characterizes a person’s scent as part of his or her identity.

As such, perfumes hold a special place in the roster of beauty essentials and accessories in the way it emblemizes a person’s scent as a distinct.

A Brief History of Perfumes

Though the procedures and processes entailed in modern perfumery began in the 19th century, historians note that people have been using perfumes throughout ancient times, as evinced in findings in ancient texts and archeological expeditions.

The earliest record of a perfume is widely cited to date to 2nd millennium BC in Mesopotamia, wherein a woman identified as “Tapputi” was mentioned in a cuneiform tablet to have distilled flowers, oil, and calamus with other aromatics.

In terms of its etymology, the word “perfume” stems from the Latin “per” – which means “through” – and “fumus” – which means “smoke”. The French are ascribed to have tied the conjugation of the terms to smells that’re produced by burning incense, which was later used to identify perfumes as contemporary society knows of them today.

The late 19th century saw to the formulation of modern perfumery, which established the use of synthesized aroma compounds like vanillin and coumarin to make perfumes whose scents couldn’t be blended and be done solely from natural aromatics.

The development of modern perfumery is attributed to have substantially contributed to the development of some of the methods, systemic classifications and theories involved in the field of organic chemistry, with the 1939 Nobel Laureate for Chemistry Leopold Ruzicka noted to have said so in 1945.

Types of Perfumes

Today, perfumes come in different conventions that’re generally classified on the basis of their fragrance oil concentration and on how long their scents last when “worn”.

Here are breakdowns on these what these are.

Eau Fraiche

“Eau Fraiche” translates to “fresh water”. Considered to be an “entry level” type perfume, eau fraiche scents generally contain 1 to 3 percent fragrance oil, with their scents cited to last for two to four hours.

This type of perfume is ideal for those who want to maintain an everyday scent without being over the top, yet still “wear” a fragrance that sets them apart from others.

Eau de Cologne

“Eau de Cologne” translates to “water from Cologne”, with Cologne being a type of perfume that originates from Cologne in Germany.

With a slightly higher fragrance oil content at 2 to 5 percent, the scents of eau de cologne fragrances lasts for around four to six hours.

This type of perfume is often marketed for men, but it is largely characterized as ideal for anyone who wants to “wear” a scent that’s light and refreshing.

Eau de Toilette

Arguably the most well-known of perfume types, eau de toilette fragrances contain around 4 to 15 percent fragrance oils, and are attributed to last for around six to ten hours – which is more than enough for most social gatherings and celebrations.

It is often recommended for those on the lookout for light but distinct scents, and is also often described as an ideal perfume formulation for those who wish to “wear” and establish a personal signature scent. Its name loosely translates to “grooming water”.

Eau de Parfum

With an average fragrance oil content set at around 15 to 20 percent, eau de parfum fragrances last somewhere between eight to twelve hours.

It is quite popular among women owing to how long it lasts when “worn”, and its name translates to “perfume water”.

Parfum

What’s generally known as “perfume” is formally referred to as “parfum”. This type of fragrance is made of a 20 to 40 percent fragrance oil content, with its scent rated to last for more than twelve hours.

It is the ideal perfume type for those who want to “wear” a scent that lasts all day, but owing to its price, it has been typified as a type of perfume that’s “worn” for special occasions.

Terracotta jars that date to the third century BC from Ancient Egypt are cited to be among the earliest examples of perfume containers. These perfumes were used for a variety of purposes, some of which involved religious practices and rituals at the time. Like perfumes, advances in technology and manufacturing standards have elevated perfume bottles standards to different tiers, with some makers gilding their perfume bottles with rare metals and precious stones on Avant Garde bottle themes and designs.