Making Sense of Scents: The Essentials of Perfume

Scent has a language all its own, which is why it evokes such deep memories in us. The tendrils of scent’s patois reach into the primitive, emotional part of our minds. This explains why the odour of diesel fuel picks the author up and plops him down in a train station, where he’s waiting for his grandmother to arrive.

It just so happens that fragrances are the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde of nature because the same aroma can either attract or repel. The difference lies in strength. At high potency, some combinations remind us of an outhouse, yet at a lower level the same combination smells like violets.

Pheromones are of particular interest. For pheromones are chemical body language; they are invisible to the eye, but instantly signal our noses, changing our physical responses and our behaviour toward members of the opposite sex. Our hormones respond to the hormones around us.

Research has proven that women are more sensitive to smell than men, which is why women adore perfumes. Ironically, though, perfumes contain male animal pheromones, which repel most men. Perfumes, then, are not bait for men. Rather they are to please the senses of the woman, relaxing her and thus making her more responsive and more confident. This explains why women have been fascinated by perfumes for the last 4,000 years.

Aha! This means the selection of the proper perfume for a woman is crucial both for the woman and her admirers. With that principle in mind, let’s examine the concept of fragrance.

The cost of a fragrance ranges from a few dollars to a few thousand dollars. Natural ingredients cost more, and artificial ingredients, usually aldehydes, cost less. But more and more commercial fragrances are using artificial constituents. Chanel No. 5, for example, is totally artificial. But the scent is profound and whispers secrets to many women.

This means that selecting the proper perfume takes time and patience.

First, the fragrance must be applied to the body because perfumes respond to individual hormones, and hormones are as different as fingerprints. Do not simply smell the sample swabs, for the bouquet will alter when applied to the skin. Spray the inner elbows and the back of the knees. This will keep the molecules damp, and hormones love humidity.

Second, once the fragrance is applied it will take about 15 to 20 minutes before the scent matures. And do not rub the perfume once it is on the skin, as this mutilates the molecules and distorts the bouquet. If the scent remains subtle, elegant, and pleasing after the time limit, then you have a decision to make.

Since no two women are the same, do not expect to choose the scent your mother or sister or friends adore. As women age their hormones change, so the choice of perfume will change accordingly. Once a decision is made, remember to store your perfume at room temperature.

Gentlemen, if you find yourself motivated to purchase perfume as a gift, a little detective work is necessary. Discover what your lady already prefers to wear, then select a gift set of the same fragrance. The next safest alternative is to select a perfume made by the same house.

There are seven basic types of fragrances: florals, floral bouquets, spicy, mossy, oriental, fruity, and blends. Some of the most cultivated perfumes are described below.

Guerlain L’Heure Bleu: A consummate blending of bergamot and vanilla; fresh and subtle. This scent attempts no pretense of stoic resignation. Instead, it presents a curious field of suppressed energy.

Flowerbomb by Viktor and Rolf: Despite the incendiary name this perfume is designed for chic aristocrats who do not shy from conferring an assertion. Its scent is redolent of roses, and it is muscular. Apply with discretion.

Bulgari Blu Notte: A scent that shimmers at night. Among its constituents and subtle hallucinogens are galanga, iris and bittersweet, dark chocolate. The effect is vicarious elegance along with suggestive implications.

Acqua di Parma’s Blu Mediterraneo: This scent infers that paradise cannot exist without the serpent. Which explains why it’s a favourite of so many celebrity femme fatales. Mandarin and bergamot shimmer in proximity to one another. The effect is impulsive and reckless.

Moschino Couture: Musk and spice blends make a connection too tenuous to be defined, but the result is serene beyond words. The effect is that of a rich voice, under exquisite lilting control. This scent is guaranteed to garner favourable comments.

Pink by Nanadabary: An oriental scent combining the arch, piquant features of nutmeg, coriander and smooth bourbon vanilla symbols. Just the right amount of elusive familiarity along with the virtue of inscrutability.

Envy Me by Gucci: A peony and pomegranate scent that is ascetic, austere, and devout to an astonishing extreme. The effect is an idle yearning for the unattainable.

Hermes’ Un Jardin Sur le Nil: The remote nuances of green mango, lotus blossoms, and cassia leaves pile variables upon variables. The effect is delightful and superb, if somewhat irascible.