Perfume and Cologne Guides

What is the best fashion style that suit me most?

Wearing a perfume is like mixing and matching your clothes, bags and shoes that requires a little bit of artistic sense in making the right decision. However, before you can put your artistic sense into mixing and matching your clothing, bags and shoes, you definitely need to know a little bit more about fashion styles and what is the best fashion style that suit you best before you can make a good choice or decision. Once you are aware and out your knowledge into use, you will be able to come up with different combination to represent different themes or moods that you would like to portray for different occasions. Selecting the correct perfume to go with your theme of the day is also very critical, if care is not taken to match it, you may be in for a big surprise.

The types of fashion style and color a person wear is very much related to the body shape and facial feature of the person. When care is not taken, having a wrong match is totally disastrous. Wearing perfumes is also the same, each and individual of us have a different body chemistry that reacts differently to different types of perfumes. If we choose the wrong fragrance to wear, the resultant chemistry between the body odor and the perfume may also be disastrous. Therefore, we need to know our own body chemistry and the different types of perfume and cologne in market in order for us to select the perfect scent for our theme.

So how do we differentiate between perfumes and know how they react will our body chemistry. Perfumes are classified under 4 main categories depending on the amount of fragrance oil essence concentration in the perfume. The most concentrated of all is the Parfum, the Parfum normally contains about 40% concentration of oil essence in the mixture. The next in line is the Eau de Parfum that has a concentration level of about 15% to 20% of oil essence in the mixture. The most commonly found perfume on the market id the Eau de Toilette that has a oil essence concentration of about 5% to 15% in the mixture. And the least concentrated of all is the Eau de Cologne that contain about 3% to 8% essence oil content in the perfume mixture. Different body chemistry is suitable for different types of perfume concentration, if you use the wrong perfume on a wrong day or body chemistry, you may turn peoples off from a mile away.

Therefore selecting the types of perfume to use on any day and must be suitable to your body type requires a lot of studies and trial. One good example is the perfume that is tested good on a cold chilly winter day is totally not suitable for use during the hot summer day as it may seem to be overpowering. The second factor that differentiate between perfumes is their Olfactive families. Although we may not be able to correctly classify a perfume base solely from their Olfactive families, however it will be a good starting point to get to know a perfume better. The classification of perfumes under their Olfactive families has been practiced for the past century since 1900.

The traditional classification separate the perfume into several main families and some of them is as follows;

1. Single Floral – perfume classified under this familiy often is dominated by a single flower scent.
2. Floral Bouquet – perfume classified under this family contains a mixtures of different types of flower scents.
3. Amber – is a huge class that contain a sweetness of animalic scents of ambergris or labdanum and is often mixed with vanilla, floral or woods.
4. Wood – perfumes that are dominated by woody scents such as sandalwood, cedar and agarwood.
5. Leather – perfumes that smell like leather normally presence in the middle or base notes of a perfume that contains scents of honey, tobacco, wood or wood tar.
6. Chypre – perfumes that contain fragrance from different family but group under a similar class because of the common scent that represent them.
7. Fougère – a class commonly found in the base note of a perfume that mainly forms from ferns like oakmoss, coumarin or lavender.

However through the years, the method used in the manufacturing of perfumes has progressed with technology and because of this in 1945 a new Olifactive Families classification of the perfumes is introduced.

1. Bright Floral – is a combination of the traditional single floral and floral bouquet families.
2. Green -  is a lighter and more modern represention of the traditional Chypre.
3. Acquatic, Oceanic or Ozonic – is the newest classification introduced that represent the modern scents of androgynous perfumes.
4. Citrus – is one fo the oldest classification used till today that often represent the freshness in a perfume through its fresh and non-tenacity citrus scents.
5. Fruity – used to describe perfumes that contain fruits other than those specified under the citrus family.  Normally fragrance that is fruity in nature is often perceive as a sweet scent.
6. Gourmand – describes scents like vanilla, tonka beans, etc that portray an edible like scents.

If you want to correctly differentiate a perfume from the different families, I suggest you get hold of a fragrance wheel that will assist you in determining the correct Olfactive families of the perfume and how they work with each other.  The third thing you should look at is the combination of the different Olfactive families within a perfume itself.  The correct description of a perfume is often related to the way a perfume react and linger on your body that often happen in three stages.  The three stages of head, heart and drydown are represent in the fragrance as the top note, middle or heart note and the base note.  How a perfume perform when applied depends greatly on the mixtures contain with each notes.  And it takes a lot of the skill of the perfume designer to come up with a perfect formulae that represent the uniqueness of individual perfumes.

After reading this articles, you should be able to differentiate between perfumes and understand the mechanics that determine the uniqueness of a perfume and will be able to select the perfume that suit you most.  I hope that through this article, I have answered your question on how to differentiate between perfumes and able to provide you with the relevant references for you to continue to advance in your knowledge on perfumes and colognes.

How should I wear Perfume the right way?

This is the question I encountered whenever I deliver a perfume or cologne to a customer of mine.  Looking back into the history of perfume and cologne, there are probably hundred of ways where cologne or perfume can be applied.  I have put together some interesting ways where fragrances can be applied effectively.

The 1-2-3 Method – This method of application requires you apply it three times.  You first apply it at arms length on your left shoulder, then on your right and finally above the head.

The Walk-through Method – The walk-through method is where you spray some cologne or perfume into the air and then walk into it.  Letting the fragrance settle evenly over the top half of your body.

The Spray ‘n Spin Method – Similar to the walk-through method, this method requires you to spray into the air and walk into it and spin around.  The fragrance will be evenly apply to the whole top half of you body and back.

The Naughty Mist Method – This is method is cheeky and good when you are going to get intimate with someone and want to smell fresh down there.  What you need to do is simply to spray the cologne or perfume down your pants into your private areas.

The Gentlemen Method – This method is most commonly practiced by most people.  The perfume or cologne is apply about 1 to 2 inches away from your wrist(s) and neck.  These are considered the pulse points (your neck your wrists, your elbows, behind your knees and in your cleavage).  In these areas, the blood flows closer to the surface of your skin, and this creates heat, which makes the scent of the fragrance more intense.  

Perfume or cologne is best applied before you get dressed, as perfume and cologne can stain your clothes.  If you do unknowingly get any on your clothes, there are a couple of things you can do to clear the stains.  Firstly, soak the stained area with warm water, and wash as soon as possible.  If this doesn’t loosen the stain, try applying some stain remover, but for stubborn stains try using a bit of ammonia to treat them.  If those clothes are due for dry cleaning, be sure to physically point out the stain and let them know that it was caused by perfume.  They can then treat it accordingly.

These are a few ways where perfume and cologne can be worn.  Most of these are tried and true ways, so get out there and try some of these yourself and see which one works best for you.

When buying fragrances, it will be good if you start with a basic understanding of perfume and cologne. That will definitely help in the buying decision later. There are many top brands in the market where we can choose from, such as Dolce & Gabbana, Giorgio Armani, Bvlgari, Versace, Hugo Boss, and many others. I always found it confusing over the right brand to buy until I learn from a friend of mine, the tips to buying the perfect perfume. Here are the tips I am going to share with you today.

1. Understanding your own needs – When we are buying perfume or cologne, it is all about buying the right fragrances for the right occasion. In order to select the perfect perfume and cologne, the first thing we must do is to take stock of our activities. Our own needs will assist us in determining the type of fragrances we can chose from.

2. Understanding the difference between Perfume and Cologne – Believe it or not, many people still do not know how to differentiate between perfume and cologne. Some even think that cologne is only for men. When wearing a fragrance, it is easily observed that perfume fragrances last longer than cologne. And of course the most prominent difference between a perfume and cologne is their pricing.

The following are some suggestions for your reference when buying fragrances for your friends, loved ones and family.

Fragrances for  your lovely Wife

When you are getting fragrance  for your lovely wife, you want to feel romantic, sensual and loving.  Find something that is exotic, floral herb fragrances in the form of Eau de Parfum or Perfume that will give you with a ever lasting scent.

Suggestions: Tsi-La Organic mini, Thierry Mugler Angel, Gucci Rush, Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue.

Fragrance for your Mother, Grandma or Aunty

When you are looking for fragrance for a family loved one, a classic feminine fragrance will be able to project your feelings of love and respects toward this person.  Fragrances with a floral bouquet such as, rose, jasmine or lily are definitely the choice to go, especially in the form of Eau de Toilette or Eau de Parfum that are loving yet not intimate.

Suggestions: Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue, Joop Femme Perfume, Lili Bermuda Petals.

Fragrance for your Daughter, Granddaughter, Niece

When looking for a fragrance to give to a younger member of the family or friend, try looking for something that is citrus, floral as it embody youthfulness, freshness and vitality.  Fragrance of choice should be in the form of Eau de Toilette or Eau de Parfum that has recently been launched and is fashionable.

Suggestions: Britney Spears Curious Perfume, Lacoste Touch of Pink Perfume, Madonna Nudes 1979, Diesel Plus Plus Perfume.

So next time when you are standing at the counter trying to choose a fragrance, take a minute to consider what is driving your decision.