Down through the centuries, fragrances have been used in religious and cultural ceremonies. For hundreds of years, the use of fragrance on the body was a sign of wealth and breeding due to the expense of the components that made up perfumes. Fragrance was used to mask unpleasant odors in everyday life. Those that could afford to purchase perfumes often wore copious amounts and carried articles to help them avoid the pungent odors of unwashed bodies and lack of sanitation.
In the latter part of the 18th century, the perfume industry discovered ways to manufacture fragrances more quickly on a mass scale. Consequently, more people could begin to use the scents on a daily basis. Today, the perfume industry reports over $1 billion in annual sales in the US. Fragrances are an important component of personal care items as well as dedicated perfumes, colognes and body sprays. Major retailers offer many feet of important counter space and display cases to the numerous brands of perfumes and colognes available.
The fragrances in perfume are described in a similar fashion to music. The various components of the perfume scent comprise a top note, a middle note and a bottom note. The notes are designed to swell and retreat as the alcohol in the perfume evaporates. The top note of the fragrance, which is the scent that is first detected when the perfume is applied, is usually very light. As it evaporates, the middle note emerges. This scent is the signature of the perfume by which it is generally identified. Finally, as the middle note evaporates, the base note comes to the forefront. The base note is usually a rich component of the perfume’s scent. It generally doesn’t appear until about 30 minutes after the fragrance has been applied.
Fragrances used in perfumes usually fall into one of several categories. Woodsy scents feature the fragrance of moss and musk. Fruity and floral scents are sweeter and lighter. Oriental fragrances offer a hint of incense and camphor oils. Finally, fougere scents combine many of the other fragrance categories.
Perfumes can be purchased at sales counters in department stores, or online through shopping websites or eBay. Purchasing fragrances at a department allows for testing to determine which scent works best with specific body chemistry. Online perfume purchasers have to be careful of sites that sell fake perfumes. Shopping through a trusted website can alleviate that concern.