I’m obsessed with perfumes!
My most recent perfume-crush is My by Burberry. I’ve gone into to Debenhams a million times already just to spritz a tiny bit on my wrist and pick up a sample. I just wish it was cheaper, urgh!
Anyway, I was reading an article in a magazine this week called ‘A Scent Glossary’ and thought it was so useful I just needed to share it!
5 Need To Know Tips
1. Where to wear
Heat intensifies the scent, so apply to wrists, neck and the inside of elbows. Spritz scent behind your knees, above your hip bones and in the small of your beck, too.
2. Settle in
Rubbing your wrists together after spraying perfume will bruise the scent. So let it settle.
3. Seasonal scents
Some scents suit warm weather, while others are better in the cool. Choose citrus, fruity, aquatic and floral scents in spring and summer, and oriental, spicy and woody in autumn and winter.
4. Layer by layer
Using the body wash and lotion versions of your fave scent before spritzing your perfume will help make it last longer on your skin.
5. Makes scents
Store in a cool, dark place to make sure perfume retains its freshness.
Notes
The top , middle and base notes are different parts of the scent journey. Top is the first scent you smell, followed by the middle and base notes as the perfume dries on your skin.
Top notes: the first impression of the scent when it’s spritzed on to the skin. Usually the most volatile of ingredients.
Middle (heart) notes: these are the core of a perfume, which give the scent its character and tend to dilate the family group.
Base notes: the final notes of the perfume, which mingle with the middle (heart) notes to create the body of scent. They linger the longest after the other notes have disappeared.
Strength
The concentration of a scent is determined by its ration of base. The higher the concentration, the longer lasting and more intense it will be.
Perfume: highly concentrated and with the highest percentage of base – so just a dab or two will do.
Eau de parfum: should be applied more frequently than perfume. Adds depth and lasts longer on the skin than EDT.
Eau de toilette: a lighter scent that can be spritzed throughout the day to keep its intensity
Aftershave: for use after shaving. Aftershaves generally have antiseptic properties.
Families
Scents are grouped into families according to the major characteristics they exhibit. Sub-families are the blending of two families.
Citrus: scents characterised by the fresh elements of lemon, orange and grapefruit, bergamot or pomelo.
Floral: has the characteristics of a specific flower or blend of flower notes, such as jasmine, lily and rose.
Fruity: where the scent has a noticeably fruity element linked to berries, apple blossom or lychees.
Oriental: often using spices associated with the Orient.
Woody: with an odour linked to the aroma of freshly cut dry wood or grasses with fibrous roots.
Techy
Accord: a blend of three or four notes that lose their individual identities and creates a new scent
Evaporation: the process of changing from a liquid to a vapour.
Layering: the use of two or more scent forms, usually starting with a fragrant product in the bath or shower.
