In order to have the best result, it is very important to choose and use your perfume correctly. A fastidiously chosen perfume will never fail you. Here is everything you wish to learn about perfumes.

When you spray a perfume to your skin, a wave of scent surrounds you. In time, you identify with your scent.   Emotional, cool... childlike or seductive...mystic or frantic! Whoever you are, a fastidiously chosen perfume will never fail you in defining you character. Let the scent and object of art bottle of your perfume reflect your lifestyle on your skin.

The word perfume derives from the Latin word “perfumum” which means a scented smoke. Its history goes way back.
Approximately 5000 years ago, the Egyptians used to burn scented grass from dusk till dawn for their Sun God, Ra. They mummified their dead loved ones by using scented oils and put perfume bottles and scented creams in their tombs. As a matter of fact, at the excavations, perfume bottles and vases of cream were discovered in Pharaoh Tutankhamen’s tomb. In their daily life, the Egyptians used scented oils and pomades. They mostly preferred scented oil they used to call “kyphi”. Kyphi was a combination of honey, wine, rice, myrte, saffron, ulex europeaus and juniper essence. Nefertiti used have her bath with jasmine and after her bath used to rub her body with amber, sandalwood and other rarely found flower essences.

The first contemporary perfume was produced in 1370 and was dedicated to the Hungarian queen who was renowned for her beauty. A combination of rosemary oil, essence and alcohol enriched by lavender was named “Hungarian Water”.
In the 16th century, as the art of glassblowing developed, perfume’s advancement process accelerated. At those years, the most perfume produced and consumed country was France. However, at those times, it was believed that applying perfume on body could cause one to get sick, therefore it was only used to mask undesirable odors. The clothes, the gloves, the handkerchiefs, and even the jewelery were sprayed a perfume.

In the 17th and 18th century the perfume industry improved, rapidly. Especially the Grasse region in France became the center, the heart of perfume industry.

In the 20th century, perfumes became works of art with their sumptuous bottles. They were now used to highlight one’s character and not to block body odors. They became an indispensable part of modern life.

Perfumes are categorized according to their concentration types based on alcohol’s refinement ratio, intensity of essence oil and notes composing the combinations. Concentrations are the factors that determine a perfume’s diffusion effect and permanence.

The most used concentrations are “perfume”, “eau de perfume” and “eau de toilette”. Aside from these three, “eau fraiche”, “eau de cologne” and by-products such as deodorants, soaps, body lotions, body talk powder, shower gels are other concentrations.

It forms the essence of a perfume. It is the scent source which perfume creators work on.  Among other concentrations it has the longest lasting scent. Without any retouch its scent lasts for 4-6 hours. Warning! Perfume essences are very greasy. They can stain. Concentration breakdown: Essence oils: 20-40 % Alcohol refinement ration: 96% Breakdown of notes: 20% top notes, 30 % middle notes, 50 % base notes

It is very much like perfume essence. It has less permanence than perfume. Concentration breakdown: Essence oils: 7-14 % Alcohol refinement ration: 90% Breakdown of notes: 40% top notes, 30 % middle notes, 30 % base notes

It is the mildest type of scent. Its effect does not last long. It has the lowest percentage of essence oils and alcohol refinement ratio. Concentration breakdown: Essence oils: 3-10 % Alcohol refinement ration: 80% Breakdown of notes: 50% top notes, 30 % middle notes, 20 % base notes

A perfume, eau de perfume and eau de toilette in one line does not necessarily have the same composition. Perfume creator may not use a powerful note which he/she uses in perfume, in eau de toilette.

It is also possible to spray oneself with perfume’s by-products. Lotions, perfume oils also offer permanence for 3 to 8 hours. They diffuse within a 1.5 m. radius. Especially by-products designed for baths are the most important complementary products for perfumes. Bath foams and perfumed body talcum powders are the most scented and permanent by products.

Floral It is the largest scent family. They include fresh and cheery aromas. Their main ingredients are flowers, flower leaves, oil and seeds. Usually, musk, wood, fruit, green plant notes and aldehydes accompany these ingredients. Fruity They are fresh and mild scents. Their main notes are citrus, lemon, orange, tangerine, grapefruit and orange flower. Usually, flower and chypre notes accompany these ingredients. Chypre They are a combination of powerful essences. Their effect lasts long and they have a rich content. Their main notes are wood, oak moss, musk and patchouli. Usually, they are accompanied by floral and fruit notes. Oriental They are a combination of strong and seductive essences. Their main notes are musk, vanilla, amber and other valuable woody notes. Usually they are accompanied by exotic flowers and spices.

Aromatic They are dynamic and mild scents. Their main notes are sage, rosemary and other scented herbs. They are enriched by sea and floral notes. Fruity They are fresh and mild. Their main notes are citrus, orange, lemon and tangerine. They are enriched by wood  and spice notes. Woody They are hot and bitter scents. Their main notes are sandalwood, patchouli, cedar tree, and vetiver. They are enriched by spices, sea and aromatic notes. Oriental They are strong and exotic scents. Their main notes are spices, wood, and vanilla.

• Buy a fragrance which will suit the time and place you will be wearing it.
  
• Try not to test more than 3 scents at once. If you try more, your nose will lose its sense of smell. You may end up buying a perfume which won’t appeal to your taste when you get home.
  
• Do not judge a perfume by sniffing it from its bottle. The real scent of a perfume surfaces when it contacts your body chemistry. Spray a small amount on your wrist, wait for a while and then smell.
  
• Before buying the perfume you just tested, wait at least for 10 minutes for the scent to sink in. During this time, the alcohol will vaporize, the perfume will complete its conformity with your body chemistry, and the real scent will reveal itself.
  
• What smells good on your friend may not smell as nice on you. Therefore, do not ever buy a perfume without trying it on your own body. Everyone has different skin chemistry.
  
• Do shop for perfume in the afternoon when your sense of smell is at its peak.
  
• When choosing, prefer scents that complement your body scent. Do not stick to one perfume all year long. Warm humid conditions will intensify a fragrance.

• If you are wearing the same perfume everyday, it should not be hard to preserve it. All you have to do is close the lid of the bottle tightly and keep it at away from hot spots.
  
• If you are wearing more than one perfume, at the same time, prefer small bottles.
  
• Keep your perfume in dry, cool and clean places. Sun and warm weather may destroy your perfume’s scent.
  
• Perfumes with spray dispenser are better preserved. Bottles without spray come into contact with air and this causes the perfume’s scent being destroyed.
  
• If you want to use your perfume longer, store it in your refrigerator. The cold will help yoru fragrance to stay fresh.