Perfumes: we spend hours choosing them, we wear them, we
adore them, they are an essential part of our images. We know all new scents
that appear, we know how much they cost and where to buy them, we know what kind
to wear at daytime or at night – looks like we know everything about them! Or at
least it looked like that till yesterday, when my 6 year old
niece watching me put on Dior’s J’adore asked a simple question: “And who
invented perfumes?” I realized that except for vague ideas about Ancient Egypte
and Rennaissence France I could say actually nothing on the matter! After a
short investigation on perfumes’ origins I found out the
following:
It turnes out that products that enhanced the smell of the body have been
used since ancient times! The ancient Egyptians used many
scented creams and emollients during their ritual baths. Aromatic gums
from China were in great demand in Europe. And burning of
incense was a religious ritual followed in many cultures. Egyptians anointed
their dead with scents of honey and cinnamon. Persia, India and Arabia
also used herbs and flowers as an integral part of their culture.
Perfumed oils served as cosmetics and were also used for their medicinal
properties. Soon perfumery became an industry with various olfactory categories
such as floral, woody, aromatic and oriental.
Perfumes differ from eau de
toilettes and colognes in the amount of concentration of oils in them. Perfumes
have the highest levels of concentration. Since the oils are the most expensive
ingredients, higher levels of concentration mean more expensive products.
These days synthetic ingredients are being widely used to
create an array of fragrances heady and mesmerizing. A sizeable chunk of
perfumes are created with synthetic chemicals and natural oils are added in
miniscule proportions to add to the richness of the product. Perfumes are made
of perfume oil, alcohol and water. Perfumes are created with care by
‘noses’, who are skilled in the art of blending different
essences.
As for French Perfume Industry, its history goes back to a
French town of Grasse which has been historically known for its
perfume industry. Located close to the French Riviera, the town saw the birth of
the French perfume industry in the 16th century.
Perfumers and apothecaries
were established aplenty. The flower fields of Grasse provided the perfumers
with jasmines, roses and orange trees. French perfumes still remain the choice
of most connoisseurs. L’Oreal is one of the premier French perfume companies
along with brand names such as Lancôme, Ralph Lauren, Cacharel, Guy Laroche,
Giorgio Armani, Paloma Picasso and Lanvin (a vast vatiety of original products
of these top brands U can find at
StrawberryNET.com
. The
Louis-Vuitton-Moët-Hennessy group owns French perfume brands such as Christian
Dior, Guerlain, Givenchy and Kenzo (for these brands go to Perfumes America)
Another major group in the French perfume industry is Elf Aquitaine Group with
brands such as Yves Saint-Laurent, Nina Ricci, Van Cleef and Arpels, Oscar de la
Renta.
Classic and new fragrances of world top brands U can
find at:
FragranceNet.com
