Written by Amy Phillips
Autumn is well and truly here, and the smell of Halloween is in the air… oh no sorry, that’s my Coveted Duchess Rose perfume (but I mean it’s basically the same thing). Whether you prefer sweet and fruity scents, or if something more musky and woody tickles your fancy, we’re here to talk all things perfume.
The history of perfume
The history of perfumery is traced centuries back to the Arabs, Romans and Persians. These products were mainly incense based. It wasn’t until Hungarian royalty, Queen Elizabeth, introduced the first modern style of perfume in 1370AD – scented oils merged in an alcohol based solution.
This method prospered in Renaissance Italy before the French took a crack at the craft in the 16th century. They would soon become European centre of perfume. French godfather of perfume, Rene le Florentin, became such a successful personal perfumer at this stage that his laboratory was linked to the Queen of France, Catherine de Medici’s apartments via secret tunnels so nobody could nab the secret formulas.
It was also the French who incorporated flowers into perfume formulas. Over time, various creations were tested (like a bizarre perfumes glove – not ideal) which led to different smells, scents and notes being created.
So how is it made today? Well it’s not as simple as crushing some flowers into tepid tap water (I’m looking at five year old me in shame right now). It’s made in huge volumes using natural ingredients such as flowers, spices, fruit, wood, and sometimes animal secretions (kinda gross). There are also resources such as alcohol and petrochemicals used in the manufacturing of perfume.
The science of smell
Perfumes are designed to give off three different types of notes, or scents: top, middle/heart and base. The difference between cheap and expensive perfumes is often the lack of middle and base notes in the more affordable perfumes.
Top note is what you smell immediately and lasts roughly 30 minutes
Middle note is what develops after 30 minutes and lasts for between two to four hours.
Base note is what clings to the skin afterwards.
We’ll look at some popular perfumes that you can test for these notes.
What’s Hot:
Jo Malone: Poppy and Barley (30ml) €54
Chanel Gabrielle : Essence (50ml) €99
Thierry Mugler: Alien (30ml) €36
Okay, perfume can be expensive. But here are some seriously sought after dupes and alternatives:
Marks and Spencers: New York (25ml) €11.50 (dupe for Chanel Allure)
Avon: Eve Truth (50ml) £15 (only available in sterling from website) (dupe for Marc Jacobs Daisy)
Anything from Zara is worth a place on your dresser. It’s affordable (€3 – €15) and there’s definitely a scent for everyone.