The Essential Perfume Guide To Select And Wear A Perfume
Celebrated every year on March 21, International Fragrance Day marks the first recorded perfume creator Tapputi, in the Mesopotamia civilisation. The world of fragrance has since, progressed to form an enticing and lucrative industry.
Modern perfumery, credited to France, has also evolved over the years, first with the discovery of synthetics, and now by a wave of artisanal perfumers. As common perfume may be in our everyday lives, it has been a subject that is in equal measure intriguing. What makes us react to scent the way we do? How is smell measured? What is the connection of fragrance with nostalgia? A lot remains unanswered. Here, we make a small attempt to decode the more practical aspects of fragrance. How do you select and wear perfume?
What is a perfume?
The textbook definition of ‘perfume’ is from Latin ‘per fume’ or ‘from smoke’. It comes from its usage as incense. Having said that, it came initially through incense, followed by aromatic balms and pastes. The oldest form of perfume was the ‘kyphi’, recorded by Egyptian priests that used a lot of balms and resins. It was used to embalm the walls and pillars of the Egyptian temples. Over the next few centuries, it was used by royalty and passed on to noblemen.
The true birthplace of perfume is between Arabia and India. Noor Jehan used to put rose petals in her bath and an aroma would emanate from it. The distillation process was discovered in Arabia. The essential oils distilled at the time is what we now know as ‘attar’. Every perfume starts as an attar. After that, you add water and alcohol. Overall, a tool used to fragrance is a ‘perfume’. The medium or type has evolved over the years.
Tips to selecting a perfume
1>Trust of the retailer and brand counts.
2> Never pick a fragrance by smelling it on someone else.
3> Try it on a blotter first, if you like it, don’t make the purchase immediately.
4>Try it on your skin.
5> Wear them on different parts of your arm, but don’t exceed four.
6> Give yourself an hour or two and see how it evolves.
7> What lasts through the day is the base note. The top notes last an hour, the heart between an hour to two.
8> You want to evaluate the base.
Wearing a perfume