08-30-2017, 07:31 PM
Perfume is a mixture of fragrant essential oils and aroma compounds, fixatives, and solvents used to give the human body, objects, and living spaces a pleasant smell.Perfume comes from the Latin per meaning through and fumum, or smoke. Many ancient perfumes were made by extracting natural oils from plants through pressing and steaming. The oil was then burned to scent the air. Today, most perfume is used to scent bar soaps. Some products are even perfumed with industrial odorants to mask unpleasant smells or to appear unscented. Aroma VocabularyAccord: An accord is the perfumery equivalent to a chord in music. It s a blend of 2 or more smells that produce a third and distinctive smell. An accord may be a simple mixture or consist of many components and applies when each component material is in balance and harmony with each other material so that no single component can be detected. Aroma Chemical: Any chemical compound created and used for its aromatic properties. Aroma chemicals could be isolates of essential oils, the chemical modification of those isolates, or synthetic compounds from petrochemicals Body: The main fragrance theme the middle note or heart of a perfume, it is also used to describe a fragrance that is well-rounded or full. Balanced: This is when a fragrance has been so carefully blended that no single aromatic body or effect is readily identifiable. Bottom (base) Note: The underlying components of a fragrance, responsible for its lasting qualities, often referred to as fixatives. Bridge: The ability of a scent (single oil or accord) to connect two notes of a fragrance and thus smoothing the transition from one phase to another Character: The distinct impression that the fragrance gives (fresh, fruity, floral etc ) Diffusion: The degree in which the fragrance radiates from the product or the user after the application of the product Dry down: The final phase of a fragrance the bottom note, the character which appears several hours after application Perfumers evaluate the bottom (base) notes and the tenacity of the fragrance during this stage. Fixative: A material used in a perfume to fix the perfume or make it last longer. Fixatives may be simply materials that are relatively longer lasting than the other components or they may have some physical or chemical effect of forming bonds with the other materials. Lift: The impact of fragrance highly diffusive fragrances has a good lift . Middle (heart) Note: The core of a perfume composition which gives it its character the middle or heart note makes up the main part of a fragrance and determines the classification or fragrance family. Note(s): One of three distinct periods in the evaporation of a perfume, (see: top note, middle note, bottom note). This also indicates an olfactory impression of a single smell. Strength: The intensity of the fragrance Thread: The term common thread describes a fragrance s ability to flow from one phase to another in a cohesive rather than a discordant fashion. Top Note: The impression of a fragrance when first smelled or applied to the skin usually the most volatile ingredients in a perfume the materials in the formulation that show themselves in the first stages of evaporation Volatility: The degree in which a component freely diffuses into the atmosphere
How Fragrances are CreatedFragrances are compounds added to products to improve their odor and create an aesthetic impression. The structure of a fragrance is like that of a pyramid with the base being larger than the top. Top notes of the fragrance are the smallest part and make up 15-25% of the fragrance. These notes are those that you smell when you first open the bottle or use the product. Middle notes make up 30-40% of the total fragrance and become noticeable after the top notes have faded. Base notes or bottom notes comprise of 40-55% of the total fragrance and tend to be long lasting. They don t appear until after the dry down . Top Notes: Basil, Bergamot, Cardamom, Clary Sage, Coriander, Eucalyptus, Grapefruit, Juniper, Lavender, Lemon, Mandarin, Neroli,
Orange, Peppermint, Petit grain, Pine, Tea Tree, and Thyme. Middle or Heart Notes: Cedar wood, Cinnamon, Clove, Geranium, Jasmine, Marjoram, Frankincense, Palma Rosa, Chamomile, Rose, Ylang Ylang. Base or Bottom Notes: Benzoin, Patchouli, Sandalwood, Vanilla, Vetiver.
Blending TipsInitially consider the oil s note and the other oils which it may blend well with. There are many aromatherapy books on the market and information on the internet that give you indications of which oils blend well together. First: decide what heart note(s) you want to use (i.e. body, middle note). Be clear about what you are trying to achieve and what type of product this will go into. What is the purpose of the perfume and what is the mood that you want to create. What age group will be using it? Second: choose your complementary base note(s). A couple of ways to find out what compliments your heart note might be to cut strips of paper and put your scent on the papers. Combine the strips and see how they smell together. Another method is to take the tops of the bottles and hold them together. Mover the bottles through the air under your nose and sniff Third: add the heart note to the selected base note (not the other way around). Fourth: finish off with your complementary top note(s). Last: add the modifier.
A modifier is a scent added to give the fragrance that gives it its uniqueness. Modifiers are use sparingly. Start with just a touch and keep adding. If you can smell the modifier in the blend then you have used too much. If this happens increase your heart note. Always take notes as you work! It would be tragic to come up with that incredible scent and not know how you came about it. Start by blending just two to three oils. Your scent should contain a top and middle note, or a top, middle or base note. In simple blends they may be just single oils. We have supplied a few formulas for you to get some ideas where you can start. A well constructed blend will smell like one fragrance. In a balanced blend you should not be able to distinguish its different parts. It may be soft and floral, woody, spicy or fruity. Scents change and develop as they age, revealing the top, middle, and bottom notes respectively over time. It should not change from one scent to another to another during this time.
