Christian Dior had once said:
“A woman's perfume tells more
about her than her handwriting.” Why just women, even
men qualify. Here's how to get your signature scent and smell fresh this
coming summer.
The most practical way to
start describing a perfume is according to the elements of the fragrance notes
of the scent or the “family” it belongs to, all
of which affect the overall impression of a perfume from first application to
the last lingering hint of scent.
First, How It Works
Perfumes have three sets of
notes. The notes unfold over time, with the immediate impression of the top
note leading to the deeper middle notes, and then the base notes gradually
appearing at the final stage. While formulating a fragrance, the notes are
created keeping the evaporation process of the perfume in mind.
THE TOP OR HEAD NOTES
These are the scents you get
when you open a bottle or spray from it. Top notes form a person’s
initial impression of a perfume and thus are very important in the selling of a
perfume.
THE MIDDLE OR HEART NOTES
These are the scents that
emerge just before the top notes dissipate. The middle note compounds form the
main body of a perfume and mask the initial impression of base notes.
THE BASE NOTES
The base and middle notes
together are the main theme of a perfume. Base notes bring depth and solidity
to a perfume and are actually not perceived until 30 minutes after initial
application.
Then, What Is It
EAU DE TOILETTE
Eau de toilette is a lightly
scented perfume used as a skin freshener. It has high alcohol content and is
usually applied directly to the skin after bathing or shaving.
AFTER SHAVES
An aftershave is a lotion,
gel or balm used mostly by men after they have finished shaving. Most
aftershaves contain an antiseptic agent to prevent infections from nicks and
cuts.
FRAGRANCES
This is where labels and
brand names matter. They are sharp, distinct and long lasting. Applied on the
wrists, neck and body. For Men and Women
While fragrances don’t
have a distinct gender, they are divided into masculine and feminine. Generally
speaking, masculine fragrances are deeper and stronger, with a hint of citrus,
spice, wood and musk.
Feminine fragrances are
generally floral, sometimes fruity and occasionally acidic.
Some scents (though not very
popular and seldom in use) border on being unisex and can be used by either
sex. The Verbena EDT by L’Occitane for instance has a rosy base of geranium and
lemon tree with a strong undercurrent of Mediterranean Verbena.
Interestingly, even with the
same formulation — fragrances can smell distinctly different on each
person. Therefore before you buy a new formulation, its important to test it on
yourself.
Do not make impulsive decisions
when buying fragrances. It normally takes a couple of minutes, if not longer
for the scent to react and activate itself. Most ‘Duty
free shoppers’ end up with the wrong bottle because by the time the
base notes are evident, they are either strapped on to their seats or almost
halfway to their destination.
Always ensure the bottle you
are buying is fresh. The more recent the date of manufacture, the safer you
are. Heat, humidity, power cuts, storage conditions, mode of transportation and
weather extremities can play havoc with the scent, often resulting in a stale
and rancid odour that cannot be masked, camouflaged or hidden.
At the risk of annoying
shopping portals, I don’t recommend online purchases for fragrances, for the
simple reason that you will never be able to test them or know the date of
production and expiry (unless of course, it is clearly mentioned). A friend who
recently splurged on a popular fashion website was disappointed to receive
stock which was just a few weeks from the date of expiry. I had picked up the
same make on a trip to Europe and when we compared our purchases not only did
his smell different but the colour was evidently lighter and paler as well.
Point made and to be noted.
There is no prescribed way to
use a perfume, even though many self-proclaimed experts will argue and tell you
there is one.
Fragrances
are meant for the skin — nothing more and nothing else. Areas where fragrances
can be applied are the wrists (but never rub them together) upper hand or
forearm, behind the ears, below the neck or by simply walking through a spray
mist of the fragrance. To put it simply — spray where it works
for you, as long as it’s on the skin.
Mood Lifters
A well-stocked dresser needs
to have an assortment of scents and brands. You need a variety to choose from.
Always pick the bottle to use based on the occasion, time of day, weather and
your mood.
It’s
also important for you to regularly change your brand. Very often we get type
casted by the fragrance we wear or for that matter, the brand we choose to
endorse. Until I discovered the art and educated myself in the science of
fragrances, I did not know better either. While growing up, I associated my dad
for instance with Brut, one of my uncles with Old Spice and another with
Dunhill. Today you have a lot more options to choose from.
NIGHT Scents for the evening
are stronger and more long lasting like the powerful Armani Code by Giorgio
Armani (a blend of lemon, aniseed, tobacco, leather & wood). Some night
fragrances have a sensual edge — fragrances that
arouse the senses and have aphrodisiac properties
SPORTY Sporty fragrances are
active and energetic quite like the Allure Sport Eau Extreme by Chanel (a
refreshing formulation of Mandarin rind, cypress, clary sage, black pepper,
white musk and cedar wood)
EAST IS EAST The East is the
flavour of the year — quite literally, as more and more brands are making
formulations with an exotic old (not third) world accent. Case in point: Nomad
by Crabtree & Evelyn (a heady mix of sandalwood, teak, green ginger and
bamboo)
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