Fragance Guide

Perfume History

Having its origin in the Latin words per-fumus (meaning ‘through smoke’), perfume has been used for thousands of years. Dating back to around 1000 BC Egyptians used perfumed balms in religious ceremonies and as part of love making preparations.

Although commonly used in many ancient cultures in aromatic waters, the contemporary type of perfume extract was 1st created around 1000 AD when the process of distilling oil from rose petals was invented.

Throughout the 1600’s scents were applied to many objects including gloves, bath essence, mouthwash and even furnishings. In fact the court of Louis XV was known as ‘the perfume court’ for this very reason.

In the 1700’s Paris became the world centre of perfume and due to its flower and herb growing trade, Grasse province in France become the central hub of raw materials for the perfume industry.

The 1st real era of perfume as we know it was during the late 1800’s as knowledge in chemistry and organic sciences was advanced.

The 20th century has seen the explosion of designer perfumes and mass produced brand name fragrances.

What is the difference between After Shave, EdT, EdP and Parfum?

Fragrances are made from water, alcohol and perfume oil (fragrances). Eau de, a French word meaning water of, are the least concentrated perfume types. The higher the concentration of perfume oil in a product, the longer it will last. The perfume types and the abbreviations used on this site are:

  • After Shaves (AS), lotions & splashes: the least concentrated of all perfume types containing 0.5% – 2% perfume oils and will last 2-3 hours.
  • Eau de Toilette (EdT): contains between 4% – 15% perfume oils and will last 2-4 hours.
  • Eau de Parfum (EdP): contains between 15% – 22% perfume oils and will last 3-5 hours.
  • Parfum: the highest concentrate of perfume with approx 22% oils and will last up to 6 hours.

People with dry skin usually find their fragrance holding time shorter than those with oily skin because oily skin has more natural moisture to hold in the fragrance. PH levels (amount of acidity in our skin) also vary slightly from person to person. Our individual levels of PH will determine how each ingredient in a fragrance will react.

What is the difference between After Shave Lotion, After Shave Gel and After Shave Balm?

The three of them are used after a man shaves. The After Shave Lotion usually stings as well as helps close the pores after shaving. After Shave is meant to sooth to the skin. After Shave Gel also soothes the skin, but in addition it cools the skin and relieves the burn caused by shaving.

Why do fragrances contain alcohol?

Alcohol makes the fragrance emanate from your skin. Without alcohol, you would be only person who knew you were wearing any fragrance at all.

What is the difference between ladies and men’s fragrances?

The processing of making both ladies and men’s fragrances is exactly the same. Typically ladies fragrances have more floral notes and men’s perfumes are inclined to contain more wood and citrus notes.

Many perfume houses have now recognised that gender lines have blurred and unisex perfumes are becoming increasingly popular.

What are Top, Heart and Base Notes?

The Top notes are the scents that are perceived immediately on application of a fragrance. Top notes create the scents that form a person’s initial impression of a perfume. The compounds that contribute to top notes are strong in scent, very volatile, and evaporate within a few minutes or applying a fragrance.

The Heart notes or Middle notes are the scents of a perfume that emerge after the top notes dissipate. The heart note compounds form the “heart” or main body of a fragrance and act to mask the often unpleasant initial impression of base notes, which become more pleasant with time. Not surprisingly, the scent of heart note compounds is usually more mellow and “rounded.” Scents from this note class appear anywhere from 2 minutes to 1 hour after the application of a fragrance and last for one to two hours. Top notes and heart notes are sometimes described together as Head notes.

The Base notes are the scents of a fragrance that appear after the departure of the top notes. The base and middle notes together are the main theme of a fragrance. Base notes bring depth and solidness to a fragrance. Compounds of this class are often the fixatives used to hold and boost the strength of the lighter top and heart notes. The compounds of this class of scents are typically rich and “deep” and are usually not perceived until 30 minutes after the application of the fragrance or during the period of perfume dry-down and last several hours.

What are fragrance families?

You may assume that there is no logic in your choice of fragrance but it is likely that at least two of your favourite fragrances belong to the same ‘family’. The fragrance families hold the key to your likes and dislikes. To make it easy for you to find new fragrances you’ll love to wear o’connellchemist.ie has used the classification system of fragrance expert Michael Edwards. His Fragrance Wheel, an internationally recognised classification system, divides the 4 major fragrance groups – Floral, Oriental, Woody and Fresh notes – into 12 distinct families.

Citrus: From the zest of lemons, mandarins, bergamot, oranges and grapefruit come the citrus oils that lend these fragrances their distinctive, tangy aroma. Floral, spicy and woody notes transformed the light, refreshing eau de cologne into real fragrances. A new generation of musk and tea accents adds an interesting dimension to the oldest fragrance family.

Green: Green fragrances capture the sharp scent of fresh-cut grass and violet leaves. Despite the outdoors imagery, the impact of the classic resinous galbanum accord is so potent that many green fragrances have a formal rather than sporty personality. In recent years, a palette of softer, lighter green notes has given this fragrance family fresh appeal.

Water: Redolent of the scent of soft sea breezes, the marine notes were created in 1990. The early water notes captured the ozonic aroma of wet air after a thunderstorm. Today, the water notes are more often used as an accent to enliven florals, orientals and woody fragrances.

Floral: Florals remain the most popular fragrance family. Their repertoire is vast, ranging from concertos on the theme of a single floral note to mighty symphonies of heady mixed bouquets. Headspace technology has given perfumers an avalanche of exciting new floral notes: it allows them to identify and clone the scent of blooms from which no oil can be extracted by traditional methods. Each year, unusual new notes are found, revitalising the traditional floral theme.

Soft Floral: The marriage of sparkling aldehydes and delicate flowers creates a family of soft, often powdery, abstract florals. Aldehydes are found naturally in rose and citrus oils, but in such minute amounts that they have to be re-created in the laboratory. Their natural scent is not pleasant: some have a sharp, metallic fragrance, others the burnt, waxy aroma of a just-snuffed candle. Add them to flowers, however, and their subtle magic makes the blossoms sing. Their soprano notes are muted by the powdery accents of iris and vanilla to create a fragrance that is both soft and flowery.

Floral Oriental: Soft, spicy orange flower notes meld with piquant aldehydes and sweet spices to create the heart of a Floral Oriental fragrance. Born in the 1900s, Floral Orientals came back to life again in the 1970s. In the past decade, lively, fruity interpretations dominated the Floral Oriental category, but recent fragrances have developed a more subtle, muted personality.

Soft Oriental: Incense adds sensual overtones to fragrant flowers, spices and amber to create a softer style of Oriental. The base notes of a modern Soft Oriental are not as sweet or as heavy as a true Oriental and the result – a mélange of flowers and spices – is distinctly softer.

Oriental: Orientals are the exotic queens of perfumery. Sensual, often heavy, blends of oriental resins, opulent flowers, sweet vanilla and musks are introduced by refreshing citrus, green or fruity top notes. The new ‘sheer’ Orientals gained some ground in the late 1990s, but the appeal of the full-bodied, take-no-prisoners Orientals endures.

Woody Oriental: The liaison of rich Oriental notes and the potent scents of patchouli and sandalwood produced some of the most original perfumes of the 1990s. This family emphasises the woody character of Floral Orientals. The key difference is that their flowers and spices play second string to the dominant sandalwood and/or patchouli notes. The Oriental influence is more noticeable, too, and balances the deep wood notes.

Mossy Woods: Perfumers call these forest notes of oak moss, woods and citrus Chypre fragrances. The family takes its name from the first significant mossy-woody fragrance, Chypre de Coty, created by François Coty in 1917. Chypre is the French name for the island of Cyprus, birthplace of Venus, the legendary goddess of love. From Cyprus, too, comes the oak moss that is at the heart of all Chypre fragrances.

Dry Woods: A mossy-woody fragrance takes on a drier character with the addition of cedar, tobacco and burnt wood notes. The Dry Woods family is often called Leather, after the dry, smoky scent of Russian leather. Fresh citrus notes play an important role in most Dry Woods fragrances, lightening the deep, almost animalist heart notes.

Aromatic: This is the universal fragrance family, with sexy cool-warm notes of citrus and lavender, sweet spices and oriental woods. It takes its name from a fragrance long since discontinued: Fougère Royale introduced by Houbigant in 1882. Men grew up on Fougères. Most of the key men’s fragrances developed since the mid-1960s have come from this family; their zesty, masculine character makes men feel comfortable. Most women, too, find the blend of Fresh, Floral, Oriental and Woody notes appealing. It is a winning combination.

Woods: Lately, perfumers have rediscovered woody notes in a big way, so it makes sense to distinguish them from the chypre or mossy woods fragrances. Classic woody scents are dominated by harmonies of cedar, patchouli, pine, sandalwood and vetiver but a new palette of exotic wood notes – often cloned from headspace technology – has stimulated greater creativity in this neglected fragrance category.

How do I choose the right fragrance?

Just like clothing, a fragrance wardrobe provides variety for different occasions, moods and climates. Soft floral, citrus and water based fragrances are usually lighter and are generally recommended for daytime or casual wear. Classic floral, woody and oriental fragrances are heavier and suit evenings or special occasions.

Using the Michael Edwards’ Fragrance Wheel, we have been able to recommend fragrance brands from the same fragrance families (those in the same family contain similar fragrance notes). This means that if you are already enjoy using a particular fragrance brand but feel like a change, or want to buy a gift for somebody and know which fragrances they enjoy, you can find similar fragrance brands from the same fragrance family. For example, your partner uses and Calvin Klein’s Contradiction for Men which is a Fresh Woody Oriental, he therefore would enjoy Chanel’s Allure Homme.

How can I make my fragrance last longer?

To make your fragrance last longer consider a layering technique using various products of the same perfume. Use the fragrance bath or shower gel, then the fragrance body lotion or body cream (body creams are richer and more long-lasting) and this body treatment could even be completed by using the fragrance talc or body powder. Once the body treatments are completed the EdT, EdP or Parfum can be applied, remembering that the Parfum, having the highest level of perfume oils will last the longest.

Where should I apply my fragrance?

Use the heat from your body to help emphasize your perfumes. Apply them to your pulse points like your wrists, cleavage, neck and elbows. You can also try spraying some in the air and walking through – this will disperse the scent over your entire body. A Light spray on the hair can last all day.

How should I store my fragrances?

Keep all fragrance in a cool, dry area, and away from windows as sunlight can unbalance the various ingredients. An opened bottle should be kept in its box to insure a longer shelf life.