Choosing a perfume

By Catalogs Editorial Staff

Finding the right scent for your body

Choosing a perfume for special occasions or for everyday wear is one of my favorite girlie-type things to do. I love sampling new scents and testing new releases. I even enjoy being a dare-devil at times and mixing scents to make one fabulous one!

Yes, choosing a perfume is fun to do, but you have to make sure that you choose the right one. What may smell amazing on one woman might not smell the same on you. Because there are so many variations on different scents available on the market, choosing a perfume that is pleasant to the senses and that coincides with your own body?s chemistry can be a little daunting.

How many times have you sampled a perfume on a little card at the mall, purchased it, taken it home and used it only to discover that you were either 1.) allergic to it or 2.) that your significant other absolutely hated it? This is why it is so important when choosing a perfume to know exactly what will and what might not work for you.

~

Perfumology

The use of perfume or scented herbs dates back many years when herbs and scented flowers were used in the form of worship to Greek gods. They would gather wild herbs and flowers to bundle together as sacrificial materials and offerings. When these herbs and flowers were burned, they would release strong aromas that were inviting and appealing scents to the original Grecian natives. They were so appealing that they sought a way that this scent could be captured and used over and over again.

While burning these herbs and flowers, the Assyrian?s and the Egyptians developed a process of compression and pulverization to extract the oils from the herb and plant materials where the scent originated. The process was not very complicated, but was quite tedious so as not to disturb the natural process of the oils duplication in the flowers.

Scented Oils and Materials

There were also other components that were used in the formulation of perfumes that included leaves, tropical plants, twigs, roots, rhizomes, bulbs, seeds, fruit, wood and bark. These materials, once they?re reduced to a workable solution and mixed with the right complementary ingredients, can make a substantial and pleasant mix of odiferous fragrances that are quite pleasing to smell.

After this process, the oils would be mixed with other essential oils, aromatic blends and compounds to produce a desired scent. Since this process is so dated, the compound to make perfume has been perfected over and over so many times that it is literally possible to concoct thousands if not millions of combinations of perfume scents for your own preferences.

Which Scent to Choose

Perfumes are typically chosen for the occasion or event that they?re for. Everyday perfumes are generally light, airy and clean and include gardenias, roses and violets. Evening perfumes usually contain more musk oils and cottonwood oils that give them a deeper, more romantic fragrance in line with evening, nighttime events. Scents are meant to create a lasting impression, therefore matching them with certain outfits and with certain events are bound to leave that impression.

Another tremendous help in choosing a perfume that work’s with your body?s chemistry: know exactly what the makeup of ingredients is in the perfume?s composition. Read the ingredients carefully, taking note of the first two to three items on the list. This will give you the ingredients in the compound that are of the highest and most pronounced concentration’s. This will also help you in determining what your allergic reaction might be (if any) and whether or not the mixture will help you achieve your desired results of day or evening compatibility.

Have fun when you go perfume shopping and test new scents or liven up old ones. Experiment and find what works best for you, your tastes, preferences and your body?s compatibility.