2. Egyptians were responsible for the origin of perfume. They utilized scents in everything from
religious ceremonies to burial preparations and even daily wear.
The Persians took over the use of perfume as a sign of political status.
It wasn't until the Greeks and Romans became acquainted with it that it began to be viewed as
a form of art and produced en masse and in consistent quality.
Perfume slowly spread throughout the globe, and for a while, scents were reserved mainly for
use in religious ceremonies.
In 1190 perfume began to be produced commercially in Paris, and from there, it blossomed into
a massive industry once more
.
Today many perfumes utilize synthetic scents. Historically scents are derived from the
essential oils of plants, animals, and even seaweed.
History of perfume
3. Different types of perfumes
The desired scents, in specific quantities, are combined with either ethanol
or ethanol and water. The concentration of the scent depends on what
kind of perfume is being made.
True perfumes may have a composition of up to 40% of scent material.
Eau de Parfum will only have up to 20% of scent material in its mixture,
resulting in a lighter, more subtle aroma. It all depends on the desired
perfume profile and the scents that the perfumer wants to include
Esprit de Parfum is comprised of up to 30% of aromatics
Eau de Toilette will never have more than a 15% concentration. As to
whether a scent appeals more to a male or female demographic, the
identifier is in the fragrance notes
4. Ingredients & materials
• Test tube
• Round-bottomed
flask
• A non-pungent
base oil
• Essential oils *
• Pure alchohol
• Distilled water
* good quality essential oils can be
very expensive as they are pure
distilled plant essences (Rose
Maroc, Sandalwood, Violet leaf and
Oakmoss); relatively inexpensive
pleasant oils include Sweet Orange,
Ginger, Grapefruit, Lemon,
Geranium, Ylang Ylang, Cedarwood,
Jasmine, Chamomile, and Lavender
In the end the scents are
added depending on what
you want to create (Eau
de Toilette, Perfume, Eau
de Cologne)
5. The scents of a perfume can be classified into what’s called notes.
There are three types of notes:
Top notes: they are light and evaporates quickly. Examples include lemon, orange,
grapefruit, lime, tangerine, bergamot, eucalyptus, lavender, lemongrass,
peppermint, spearmint
Middle notes: these form the real “heart” of the fragrance and are commonly floral,
imparting warmth and fullness. Common heart or middle notes include Jasmine,
Orange flower, Geranium, Rose, Violet leaf, Melissa, Myrtle
Base notes: they are heady, thick, sometimes mysterious, and often derived from
barks, resins, saps and grasses. Some common base notes are Sandalwood,
Vanilla, Musks, Oakmoss, Cedarwood, Ginger, Glove, Rosewood, Clove, Patchouli
Different types of notes
English fragrances are commonly floral, fresh
and woody aromas.
6. Bluebell (Eau de Toilette)
Created in 1978, this is the pure and
unadulterated distillation of the scent of
bluebell woods. Tremendously evocative of wet
earth, moss and rain, it instantly transports you to
the woodland, surrounded by dripping leaves, skin
tingling with spring.
The telltale earthy sweetness of hyacinths rises
through the soft citrus Head Notes and mingles
with rose, lily and jasmine at the heart. As it settles
the flowers give way to spicy clove and cinnamon
and the unique textural base note of bittersweet
galbanum.
Head Notes
Citrus
Heart Notes
Hyacinth, Lily Of
The Valley,
Cyclamen, Jasmine
And Rose
Base Notes
Galbanum,
Clove And
Cinnamon
7. Artemisia (Eau de Parfum)
Artemisia is a beautifully silky fragrance, inspired
by romantic tales from Greek Mythology and
named in honour of Artemis, the Goddess of the
hunt whose symbol was the Moon.
At the base of Artemisia is a creamy, almost
caramel sweet blend of vanilla and amber,
which unfolds underneath a lunar veil of jasmine,
violets and lily of the valley and delicate top notes
of orchard fruits and crisp green foliage.
Head Notes
Nectarine and
Green Foliage
Heart Notes
Green Apple, Lily
Of The Valley,
Jasmine Tea, Violet
And Vanilla
Base Notes
Oakmoss,
Sandalwood,
Musk, Amber
And Vanilla