Perfumery compositions and their types. Perfumer's Dictionary

28 laws of perfumery:

Fragrances enhance your personality. Your scent will be influenced by many factors: your skin type, your eating habits, your body chemistry, the climate you live in, the time of year, the time of day, and even your personality type! That's why it's so important to apply fragrance to your skin before you buy it.

It is believed that the sense of smell is most acute in the morning, and in the evening the ability to perceive odors is dulled. However, this is not true. The receptors work the same way throughout the day. Just immediately after waking up, after the olfactory silence of the night, smells are perceived brighter purely psychologically. So you can buy perfume at any time of the day, guided solely by the opening hours of the store.

Age can play a cruel joke with our sense of smell. However, a constant load on all the senses will help keep them in good condition until old age. As for the sense of smell, it can be stirred up with a new aroma. After 50 years, the ability to deeply and fully perceive the surrounding odors begins to gradually become dull. And although modern research suggests that this applies to women to a lesser extent than men, it has been observed that all older people prefer strong, intense aromas. It requires special care not to apply too much, especially in warm weather.

You should not choose a perfume immediately after suffering a cold or flu. These diseases can permanently reduce our ability to perceive aromas.

In cold weather, the skin dries out, making it impossible for the perfume to stay on the skin, they evaporate faster. Therefore, heavier fragrances can be used in winter. Sweat and heat cause a stronger and more distinct perfume scent, so try to use a weaker form of your chosen fragrance in the summer and when you are exercising. sports.

Pregnancy, menstruation and birth control pills change chemical composition sweat, and perfume may smell differently on the skin.

At one time in the store you can try no more than three fragrances. The rest will either not be perceived at all, or will not be perceived correctly.

You can't make a final decision to buy a fragrance until at least 10 minutes have passed after you've applied it to your skin. During this time, the alcohol, which misleads the sense of smell, should evaporate.

Don't pick a fragrance because you liked it on someone else. Perfume is never the same different people. The reason is individual chemical processes that make the scent special, unique and just right for you.

Perfume bottles are usually labeled: Parfum, Eau de Parfum, Eau de Toilette. The difference lies in the concentration ratio aromatic oils and alcohols and, accordingly, in the persistence and intensity of the aroma. The highest content of aromatic oils - from 20 to 30% - in perfumes. This is followed by eau de parfum - from 15 to 25%, then Eau de Toilette- from 10 to 20%. That is why the price of the same fragrance depends on the form of release.

How to apply fragrance? It seems the answer is obvious: splashed and went. An no. Everything is much more complicated. Many men, for example, very often complain that eau de toilette irritates their skin when they use it as an aftershave cologne. This is natural - eau de toilette or perfumed water contains a lot of alcohol (up to 80 percent), and it is impossible to apply it to the skin, especially if it has been razored. To do this, there is an aftershave lotion - a product specially designed for facial skin and therefore contains absolutely a small amount aromatic oils to avoid irritation and burning during application.

Applying perfume begins with a daily morning shower. Always use a soap that matches the scent of your choice, or use an unscented soap. Scented soaps can destroy or weaken the scent of a perfume.

The best "place" for toilet water - hair. But only if they are clean. Grease and dirt that accumulate on the hair and scalp enhance the fragrance and can distort it. Also, don't spray perfume on extremely dry or brittle hair.

When spraying perfume, be careful with jewelry! Perfumes can ruin pearls, the brilliance of amber and other stones.

Not everything is so simple with applying fragrance to clothes. Eau de toilette can be applied to fabrics, after checking whether it leaves stains. Fur and wool are the most friendly to toilet water. And here synthetic fabrics can change the smell beyond recognition.

If we are talking about perfume, that is, a product in which the aroma is most concentrated, then you need to apply it only on your own skin. It is she who will allow the composition to reveal itself as brightly as possible.

If you are using cosmetics, apply lotion or cream first, then powdered powder and only then perfume, eau de toilette or cologne.

The aroma always "moves" from the bottom up. Therefore, if a woman applies a drop of perfume only behind her ears, and a man restricts himself to a fragrant aftershave, then the smell, rising up, will quickly disappear.

To constantly fragrant beloved toilet water, you need to apply it approximately every three to four hours. For those with dry skin, the fragrance should be "refreshed" even more often.

Apply your perfume 10 to 15 minutes before your special occasions. This is necessary so that the smell of perfume is established and becomes more gentle.

Remember that the scent of perfume will be stronger if applied to those parts of the body where the pulse is most felt - behind the ears, on the throat, in the creases of the elbows and knees, on the wrist and on the chest.

Being high above sea level reduces the duration of the perfume on the skin, so you will need to apply it more often. Also, the fragrance will be perceived as weaker, so you can use the stronger form of the fragrance.

Separation perfumery products on "smells for blondes", "for brunettes" and "for redheads" is not without reason. The skin of blondes is usually dry, so it does not "hold" the fragrance well. It intensively fills the space, actively influencing others. So heavy oriental saturated smells on the skin of a blonde act like a "weapon of mass destruction." Therefore, fair-haired ladies are recommended floral fragrances. Brunettes usually have less fair and more oily skin, which allows the fragrance to last longer (sebum seems to “preserve” the fragrance on the skin), it spreads more slowly and imperceptibly in space. Because oriental fragrances emanating from brunettes do not cause a feeling of rejection in others. Soft skin redheads may be incompatible with smells that are dominated by green notes.

What we eat affects how the fragrance will be on our skin. For example, high-calorie spicy foods make the smell of perfume much more intense. Changes the aroma of smoking, the use of drugs, as well as a change in body temperature. If it rises, the smell will intensify.

The official shelf life of perfume is 3 years. However, unopened spirits can last longer. The main enemies of aromas are light and heat. Perfume should be stored in a cool, dry place, away from direct light, but not in the refrigerator (an exception can be made only for cologne and toilet water).

Each person has a personal "circle of aroma" - its radius is approximately equal to the distance outstretched hand. Others should not smell your perfume if they are not included in this "circle". These are the rules good manners. Plus, fragrance is one of the most subtle, personal messages you send to those you interact with.

If you notice that fragrances become more pronounced when applied to the skin, try to use low scents, such as citrus, oceanic or low floral, or use eau de toilette instead of perfume, especially if you prefer not too low scents.

If you are creating your own scents, always write down the formula and make a small amount of perfume first to decide if it suits you or not.

Those who constantly use perfume, probably noticed that some fragrances have amazing durability and can be felt even a week after they were applied. The smell of other perfume compositions disappears after one or two days, and some aromas disappear after a few hours, leaving no trace. What is the reason for such an ethereal inconsistency in perfumery?

The solution to the mystery lies in percentage aromatic oils, thanks to which perfume is divided into five main classes:

They have the highest saturation with aromatic oils - from ten to fifteen percent. This provides them with the stability of the aromatic composition and its saturation - it is enough to apply only a few drops of such a perfume to the body so that its fragrance envelops the owner of the perfume from head to toe, leaving behind a thick plume. As a rule, the aroma of natural perfumes lasts from three to five days, and this type of perfumery is preferred by brands specializing in the production of heavy deep fragrances - Clive Christian, Guerlain, Christian Dior.

  • perfumed water

The content of aromatic components in eau de parfum, which is usually labeled "eau de parfum" or "parfum de toilette", also ranges from ten to fifteen percent, but it includes specially softened water, which makes the smell of this type of perfumery less persistent. . Perfume water is a favorite type of product of all manufacturers without exception, including Lancome, Givenchy, Hugo Boss, Lacoste. And it is this type of perfumery that the vast majority of consumers prefer today.

  • toilet water

Issued with the mark "eau de toilette". It contains from four to ten percent of aromatic oils. The smell of such a perfume, as a rule, is quite light and discreet, so the products of this class have long been calling card brands such as Salvatore Ferragamo, Hermes, Giorgio Armani releasing strong aromas.

  • Cologne

As for colognes, there is an opinion about their strength and durability, as well as about belonging exclusively to male type perfumery. However, this is not true. Content aromatic oils in this type of perfume is only one and a half to three percent. Therefore, colognes are usually chosen by men and women who do not tolerate harsh saturated aromas. Today, this class of perfume can be found in the collection of brands such as Paco Rabanne, Marina de Bourbon and Chanel.

  • scented water

The lowest content of fragrant oils - less than one percent - has fragrant water, which is often marked by the manufacturer with the inscription "eau parfumee". That is why it can often be found in children's and teenage collections of fragrances from Bvlgari, FM Group, Biopha Laboratories.

Quite often, perfume manufacturers, wanting to satisfy the demand of all categories of users for a particular fragrance, release it in several categories. So, "Incanto" from Salvatore Ferragamo can be purchased both in the form of perfume and in the form of toilet water, "Yujin Amore" from Ella Mikao are available in the form of perfume and toilet water, and famous fragrance"Coco" by Chanel is represented by perfume, eau de parfum and cologne.

Aroma concentration - important concept in perfumery. So, it is in it that lies the answer to the question of how toilet water differs from perfumes and eau de parfum. This refers to the concentration of aromatic components in a solution, which is usually ethanol or a mixture of standard and water. In the perfume industry, it is customary to distinguish four main categories of fragrances, but there are also secondary concentrations.

Perfume (Extrait de Parfum)

Perfumes with the highest concentration of aromatic substances - from 15 to 40 percent - belong to the category of perfumes. According to the International Fragrance Association (IFRA), more often the concentration of pure aroma in perfumes is closer to 20 percent, not 40. Perfume brands produce perfumes in very small bottles, they cost more than perfumes and eau de toilettes of the same type. High concentration is the key to the durability of the fragrance - despite the slightly muffled sound, the perfume stays on the skin longer than other perfumes.
Historically, fragrances were produced in the concentration of perfumes: perfumers mixed aromatic substances, checked the final sound, and then diluted to a lower concentration.

Eau de Parfum (EDP)

This is the most popular type of perfumery products. The concentration of aromatic components in eau de parfum is from 10 to 20 percent (usually about 15), the aromas sound very intense and have good durability. The category Eau de Parfum appeared in the perfume industry quite recently - in the 80s of the last century. The first eau de parfum, originally released in this concentration, and not in the form of perfume, was Chanel Coco, created by Jacques Polger. Fragrance Polzhe developed specifically for younger generation, longing for an intense, bright, noticeable perfume from afar.

Toilet water (Eau de Toilette, EDT)

The Eau de Toilette category includes perfumes with a concentration of aromatic substances of 5-15 percent. Eau de toilette appeared before perfumed and was originally intended for people who could not afford expensive perfumes, that is, it was a "budget" version of fragrances. However, over time, toilet water almost surpassed the original perfume in popularity.
Perfume houses began to produce bottles of different sizes, thus facilitating the choice, the convenient design of bottles with a sprayer also played a role, making the use of perfumes more convenient. Today, Eau de Toilette is primarily a light daytime version of Extrait de Parfum, cheapness is usually not a fundamental factor for perfume lovers.

Eau de Cologne

Cologne was born after the perfume revolution of the late 19th century, associated with the beginning of the use of synthetic ingredients. Encouraged by the breakthrough in the industry, perfume brands have started producing new, lighter versions of their fragrances. The concentration of aromatic components in Eau de Cologne traditionally does not exceed 5 percent. Colognes come in large bottles and are usually more affordable than more concentrated perfumes.

Other concentrations

In addition to the four main types of perfume and cologne, there are other concentrations, but they are much less common.

Esprit de Parfum. A very rare category, average between perfume and eau de parfum. The concentration of aromatic substances in Esprit de Parfum is almost 30 percent. The term was used mainly by Christian Dior during the 1980s.

Perfume Mist, Eau Sans Alcohol, Voile de Parfum, Brume de Parfum, Eau Parfumee. All these terms refer to the same type of perfume products - the so-called "perfumed haze". This is the most easy option perfumes with a concentration of aromatic substances of 3-8 percent. Perfumed haze usually contains no alcohol.

Favorite toilet water - important element wardrobe modern girl. On the dressing tables of Parisians flaunt luxurious bottles containing enchanting smells. Many of them strive to assemble an individual collection of perfumes - after all, expensive premium brands of eau de toilette can instantly improve mood and give self-confidence.

Choosing the perfect toilet water is a pleasant experience, which, however, can sometimes be confusing. Indeed, it is very important to choose "your" smell, which will not get bored later. a short time. Standing in a perfume shop, it can be difficult to decide which of these beautiful bottles will become the best decoration female image. To understand what is the difference between eau de toilette and eau de parfum and which flavor is better - chypre or floral, our article will help.

What is the difference between eau de toilette and perfume water

In order to figure out what is more resistant - toilet or perfumed water, you need to know the classification of perfumed products. This information will surely come in handy when choosing the best perfumery for yourself or as a gift.

All perfumery products consist of water, alcohol and aromatic substances. Depending on the ratio of these ingredients, perfumery is divided into the following groups:

    perfume - Parfum or Perfume- this is the most concentrated type of perfumery. The content of aromatic essences and essential oils in them reaches from 20 to 40% in alcohol 90%. Perfumes have a pronounced rich and persistent aroma with bright notes of the plume, which lasts for several days, so it is customary to use them in the cold season, mainly in the context of evening events. In hot weather, the fragrance of perfume may seem too heavy;

    eau de parfum - Eau De Parfum (EDP)- contains 15-20% aromatic substances in 90% alcohol. This tool is also called day or toilet perfume. This concentration allows you to focus on the pronounced notes of the heart. Eau de Parfum is suitable for use in daytime with gentle light application;

    toilet water - Eau De Toilette (EDT) is a light spray that was originally used as an affordable alternative to perfume. Today, this tool is considered the most popular type of perfumery products. Eau de toilette contains 8-15% essential oils and other aromatic elements dissolved in 80% alcohol. Such a tool has bright top and middle notes, but the plume nuances are felt only slightly. Good eau de toilette is versatile, it can be used in winter and summer, day and night, it is suitable even for hot climates or outdoor activities;

    cologne - Eau De Cologne (EDC)- an even less concentrated type of perfumery. This product contains up to 5% odorous substances dissolved in 70-80% alcohol. As a rule, colognes are designed for men and have appropriate scents with fresh, marine or woody notes;

    perfumed products body care products, which include the whole variety of body care cosmetics, citing the basic scent of eau de toilette - shower gel, moisturizing milk, nutritious cream and others. These products are usually sold in gift set with a bottle of perfume. Their purpose is to support the fragrances of eau de toilette for women and increase the durability of your favorite scents. High-quality care cosmetics do not contain alcohol at all, so as not to dry the skin, and the concentration of fragrant components in it is about 1%.

Types of toilet water

Sometimes it is very difficult to understand which toilet water to choose for a young girl, and which smell better fit elegant adult lady. To resolve this issue, it is necessary to have an idea about the existing classifications of aromas. This knowledge will give you the opportunity to choose your ideal scent for life or, conversely, to conduct successful experiments by choosing a new perfume or toilet water within your favorite family.

Create single system odors, perhaps impossible. Today, perfume companies sometimes invent synthetic fragrance ingredients, and scent connoisseurs seek to fit them into existing schemes or rethink them. In this article we will tell you about the system proposed in 1990 by the French Perfume Committee (Comite Francais De Parfum), the whole set of smells used in perfumery is divided into seven large groups or families:

    citrus- the basis of these fragrances are essential oils obtained from the peel of citrus fruits - orange, bergamot, mandarin and many others. Light and energetic, citrus eau de toilette for girls will perfectly complement the morning look and give the image freshness and vigor;

    floral- for them, essences extracted from natural flowers are used: roses, jasmine, lilacs. Such a gentle and romantic fragrance will create a seductive look, ideal for a first date;

    woody- warm rich notes created on the basis of essential oils of various tree species: cedar, sandalwood, vetiver. These nuances are often used to create unisex perfumes, they will also organically complement a discreet office wardrobe;

    Eastern- spicy and tart scents created using animal notes - musk and amber, or classic spices - cinnamon, cloves, coriander. Such smells are more suitable for luxurious exits in evening dresses;

    leather- a relatively small family, consisting of dryish tart aromas. These notes are used to create masculine and women's perfumes. Leather scents pairs well with casual clothing men's style - business suit or, on the contrary, a rocker leather jacket;

    chypre- this group got its name in honor of the Mediterranean island of Cyprus and the perfume of the same name, created in 1917 by perfumer Francois Coty. In such spirits, you can catch notes of incense, oak moss and patchouli. Relaxed chypre perfumes will perfectly complement the casual look;

    fougere- complex aromas with notes of tree moss, lavender and coumarin. These warm scents are ideal for the cold season as well as for Everyday life and work.

Of course, this classification is highly arbitrary. Most of the existing perfumes can be attributed to several families. For example, the good Lancome Tresor eau de toilette is considered an oriental floral fragrance, while its popular flanker Tresor Midnight Rose is a fruity floral fragrance.

Which is better - toilet water or perfumed

So, whose fragrance is more persistent - eau de toilette or perfumed? On the one hand, it can be argued that eau de toilette is less resistant due to the lower concentration of aromatic essences. However, it happens that the smell of ordinary cologne lasts much longer than the scent of perfume. It can be argued that it is not easy to unambiguously determine the resistance of toilet water.

Firstly, durability depends not only on the concentration of aromatic substances, but also on the ingredients used. It has been proven that the most stable notes are oriental and woody, but light fruity nuances fade much faster.

Secondly, even the best toilet water for women is revealed differently on different people. This applies not only to the expressiveness of the sound of individual notes, but also to durability in general. Sometimes it is impossible to predict how a perfume will behave on the skin - therefore, before deciding on a purchase, you should listen to the fragrance of the product on yourself.

But even if you no longer feel the smell of perfume on yourself, you should not be upset - perhaps your nose has just got used to the aroma. Ask friends or loved ones to rate the smell a few hours after application - it is quite possible that other people can still smell it.

Composition of toilet water

It's no secret to anyone that expensive perfume or eau de toilette sound different throughout the day. Barely perceptible nuances, mixing, create a unique composition with a delicate aftertaste. The best eau de toilette for women has a wonderful scent that gradually changes and reappears after some time after application.

For the first time, the concept of a pyramid of aromas appeared in the 19th century, when, with the development of perfumery, mono-aromas were replaced by more complex compositions of several ingredients. Soon, master perfumers developed the theory of the fragrance pyramid to help compose perfect perfume and guess how the smell will change after some time after application. This concept is based on knowledge of the rate of evaporation of various essential oils and essences.

Traditionally, the aroma pyramid includes three steps:

    top notes ("head"). The top notes are the introductory chord, the first thing a person will feel upon opening a bottle of eau de toilette. They open instantly and set the tone for the fragrance during the first 10-20 minutes. As a rule, they make up about 20% of the total fragrant substance. As top notes, citrus or fruity smells are used - grapefruit, raspberry, honeysuckle;

    middle notes ("heart"). The middle notes are revealed in all their glory after the evaporation of the upper chords. The heart notes are also called the "core" of the fragrance, as they represent its main character. These smells have a fairly long duration of sound - up to 5 hours. As a rule, the heart scale is very soft, it includes delicate flowers or tart oriental spices: rose, jasmine, coriander;

    base notes ("loop"). The middle notes gently help to sound the trail of the fragrance, which makes up 40-50% of the entire aromatic composition. Mixing with the heart basic nuances reveal the fullness of the smell and remain on the skin for up to 8-10 hours, being responsible for the "aftertaste" of the perfume. As a rule, the plume notes are heavy saturated smells - ambergris, musk, vanilla, leather, as well as various resins.

Modern perfumers sometimes create innovative fragrances by experimenting with the traditional pyramid and forcing smells to sound in an unusual sequence. However, most toilet and perfumery waters yet have a classic structure. For example, La vie est belle eau de toilette for girls, created in 2012 by perfumers Olivier Polge, Dominique Ropion and Anne Flipo, boasts the following pyramid:

    top notes are fruity: blackcurrant and pear;

    middle notes are iris, jasmine and orange blossom;

    trail - patchouli, tonka bean, vanilla and almond praline.

Such a complex expressive composition sounds great on tender and dreamy young girls who love flirty dresses and sweet desserts.

How to use toilet water

By choosing your perfect flavor, you should figure out how to properly apply eau de toilette, because the inept use of perfumed products can not only spoil your thoughtful image, but also harm the aromatic agent itself. To prevent this from happening, you must follow a few simple rules:

    do not forget about hair and body hygiene - toilet water should be applied after a shower on clean and dry skin;

    if you want to perfume clothes, it is better to apply perfume from the wrong side to avoid stains;

    do not spray toilet water on jewelry - an alcohol solution can harm your favorite earrings or chain;

    do not apply too much perfume - two or three presses on the sprayer are enough.

What is the difference between perfume and cologne? their manufacture given by the author I-beam the best answer is Perfumery manufacturers most often produce each fragrance in several versions. As a rule, this is:
perfumes (parfum, extrait);
perfumed water or toilet perfume(eau de parfum, parfum de toilette, esprit de parfum);
toilet water (eau de toilette);
cologne (eau de cologne);
perfumed haze (body mist, voile, brume, parfume pour le corps), etc. All fragrant products consist of a fragrant concentrate (fragrans), alcohol, water and dyes and differ only in their proportional ratio.
Perfume contains the largest percentage of aromatic composition. The share of odorous concentrate is from 20 to 30 percent, and sometimes more. It is dissolved in very pure alcohol (96% vol.). High content extract provides the perfume with much more durability and strength compared to other types of perfume products. But this is the most expensive type of aromatic liquid.
Eau de parfum or toilet perfume is the most popular type of perfumery products today. It ranks second in terms of strength, the share of odorous oils is from 15 to 25 percent.
As a rule, eau de parfum is always in a spray bottle, which is convenient for use and transportation. This is the best perfume replacement. For example, this group includes all women's fragrances perfume house
Ulric de Warens.
Toilet water has a share of odorous substances from 4 to 20 percent. She is in great demand and her smell is more discreet and light. Many fragrances only exist in this concentration (L Eau par Kenzo, Cool Water Woman, Panuzh products and many others).
Men's perfumery almost all of it is represented by eau de toilette. Under this heading, they often release man perfumes. A good illustration of this is the men's perfume collection from Ulrik de Warens and Panouge.
Cologne in the traditional sense of the word is the least concentrated perfumery goods. Fragrant fragrance is 3 - 10 percent and is dissolved in 70 percent alcohol. Sometimes, under the brand of cologne, they mean the same thing as toilet water, but this term is used to highlight products for men.
Now it is clear what is common and what differences exist between products that at first glance differ only in price, but have the same packaging.

Answer from light fox[guru]
perfume - for women, the highest concentration of odorous substance is 10-25%
cologne, respectively - for men, the lowest concentration, about 5%


Answer from reroll[guru]
perfume for women and cologne for men


Answer from Yulia Yulia[guru]
difference in alcohol percentage


Answer from squint[newbie]
Unlike perfumes, the composition of cologne includes only one base, so its smell disappears much faster.
Fragrant water contains from 8 to 15% pure aromatic substances and has a durability of 4 to 6 hours.
Fragrant water is very expensive, has a number of amazing qualities and advantages of its own in comparison with pure perfumes. In particular, it allows you to create a more subtle flavor.
Eau de cologne is the weakest of all aromatic compositions, contains from 1 to 3% fragrant oils and retains the smell from 1 to 4 hours.
The word cologne was often used jokingly or quite seriously, in order to emphasize purity, coquetry, sophistication, or claims to it.



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