Tuesday 3 May 2011

PERFUME TIPS





Choosing Perfume
  • In choosing the right perfume you need to consider the time of day, the season, the occasion and your own skin type.
  • Choose perfume that you like and follow your intuition, taste and personality. The only test you should do to find out if you like the scent by spraying a bit of perfume on your skin.
  • Do not decide to buy the best-known brand of perfume or the one which is "on top" at the moment. This may not be a good idea at all.
  • Do not think what you like on a friend will necessarily suit you. Perfume responds differently to different types of skin.
  • To make a good choice, you should go to the perfume store early in the morning when you can smell things better. However, if you have a cold or you are tired, you should put off your visit till another day.
  • It is best to try only four Perfume in one session, say two on each arm, then leave the perfume counter with its confusion of fragrances and make your decision as the perfume develop on your skin.
  • Try perfume on clean, non-perfumed skin. During one test you should try only up to two different fragrances on each arm because your nose will not be able to recognize more scents.
  • Do not smell the top of the bottle or its cap because the scent you smell is not the real one. You may smell an odor of alcohol instead. You should not also try perfume on the piece of paper but on your skin.
  • When you spray perfume on your skin for the first time, wait for about thirty seconds until alcohol evaporates. Then you will be able to find out what the top notes of perfume are. The top notes are highly volatile, evaporate quickly and do not last very long. The Base notes have a profound influence on the blend. They are very long lasting (come out 20 minutes to 2 hours later) and at the same time, fix other essences.
  • Different fragrances are suitable for different age groups or for different occasions. As for the evening meetings or dates you should wear heavier, more sensuous types rather than light ones which, in turn, are suitable for daylight use.

About Fragrance Notes

Perfume is described in a musical metaphor as having three sets of 'notes', making the harmonious scent accord. The notes unfold over time, with the immediate impression of the top note leading to the deeper middle notes, and the base notes gradually appearing as the final stage. These notes are created carefully with knowledge of the evaporation process of the perfume.
  • Top notes: The scents that are perceived immediately on application of a perfume. Top notes consist of small, light molecules that evaporate quickly. They form a person's initial impression of a perfume and thus are very important in the selling of a perfume. Also called the head notes.
  • Middle notes: The scent of a perfume that emerges just prior to when the top notes dissipate. The middle note compounds form the "heart" or main body of a perfume and act to mask the often unpleasant initial impression of base notes, which become more pleasant with time. They are also called the "heart notes".
  • Base notes: The scent of a perfume that appears close to the departure of the middle notes. The base and middle notes together are the main theme of a perfume. Base notes bring depth and solidity to a perfume. Compounds of this class of scents are typically rich and "deep" and are usually not perceived until 30 minutes after application.
  • The scents in the top and middle notes are influenced by the base notes; as well the scents of the base notes will be altered by the type of fragrance materials used as middle notes. Manufactures of perfumes usually publish perfume notes and typically they present it as fragrance pyramid, with the components listed in imaginative and abstract terms.

Perfume Application 

When it comes to perfume application there is no right or wrong way, but it is generally followed the three common practices. Depending on the occasion, the fragrance, and your personality, one of these methods is sure to suit your needs.

 

Pulse Points

When you apply eau de cologne, eau de toilette, or eau de parfum perfumes, applies them to pulse points such as the folds in the crook of your elbow and back of knees, wrist, neck and cleavage. Make sure you do not rub wrists together as this crushes the smell.

Spray Perfume Into The Air

By spraying perfume into the air is an action often associated with the application of perfume. Once you ve sprayed a little into the air, walk straight into the perfume, allowing it to diffuse itself evenly over your body. It is best to apply the fragrance starting on your lower body working your way up to the top.However, you need to be prepared to clean up the oily patch beneath you, after all a tiny amount of perfume will descend onto the floor.

 

Layering

Layering perfumes is the process of using products from the same fragrance line together in such a way as to retain their natural scents, making for a fuller and better scent experience. You might begin with shower or bath gel and then rub in body lotion or spray with a matching after bath spray. Finally apply the scent preferably as perfume or EDP. I find that the use of body lotion makes you feel really scented and it is probably to do with starting at the feet and applying the scent all over allowing the scent to rise. It also makes you feel extra special and much pampered.

Wearing Perfume
  • Apply perfume on your skin preferably after a bath/shower since your skin is nice and clean and can absorb your favorite fragrance more thoroughly.
  • Less is definitely more. Your fragrance should attract people to you, not the other way around. Discretion is the key regarding amount. If you are using a splash, moisten your fingertips and dab perfume lightly on your pulse areas. These are your wrists, d collet (neckline in French), behind your earlobes and neck, on your chest, elbow area, behind your knees and in your inner thighs. Why these areas? Since blood is closer to the surface, skin is warmer causing the scent to be more rapidly diffused.
  • If your favorite perfume comes in a spray, you may want to squirt some on pulse areas from one foot away to get an even distribution. You could also spray it into the air 2 or 3 times, form a perfume cloud and walk right in.
  • Heat does rise, so you should perfume yourself from the bottom up. This allows the scent to last longer throughout the day.
  • It is a fact that men and women with dry skin don t retain scents as long as people with oily skin. This is due to the fact that oils in the skin join with the perfume oils thus making it a slower process of evaporation. Solution: reapply your preferred scent once or twice a day or use a good moisturizer before applying your fragrance.
  • Allow the scent to dry. Many people put on perfume and immediately dress, which rubs some of it off and prevents the fragrance from really being absorbed. It takes about an hour for the perfume to develop with your natural scent.
  • Many men and women are not conscious of the different scented body products they use - shampoo, conditioner, body wash, body lotion, deodorant, after shave balm, etc. - they use them all at once which causes a mess of smells. It is almost impossible for the perfume to really stand out or even last long when it's mixed with everything else. To make your perfume to last longer, apply the layering method.
  • Never perfume with clothes or jewelry on. Some fragrances do tend to stain cloth, metals and pearls, ruining your favorite apparel.
  • Never spray perfume directly into your hair. Some hair products might react to the fragrance negatively causing strong odors
  • Be aware of the weather. On hot summer days, scents tend to last longer whereas cold weather has the exact opposite effect. So, vary the amount of perfume you wear with each season.


Points To Remember
  • Never perfume with clothes or jewelry on. Some fragrances do tend to stain cloth, metals and pearls, ruining your favorite apparel.
  • To avoid rubbing your wrists together when applying perfume because the scent does change considerably.
  • Never spray perfume directly into your hair. Some hair products might react to the fragrance negatively causing strong odors.
  • If you did all the right steps and you still don t smell like you want to, don t reapply your favorite scent. It is most likely that your olfactory glands are already used to the fragrance, therefore not recognizing it. Solution: Vary your scent from time to time. Expand your perfume wardrobe.
  • If you did all the right things and the scent does not turn up the way you want, avoid reapplying the perfume. It is mostly likely that your olfactory glands are adapted to the fragrance therefore, not distinguishing the fragrance. The alternative is to vary your fragrances from time to time by expanding your perfume collection.
  • To find out whether you are allergic to a fragrance, you can spray the perfume gently on your wrist or inner part of your elbow. Wait for an hour and
  • To determine whether you are allergic to certain fragrances, you can spray it gently on your wrist or inner part of your elbow and wait for about an hour. If you notice some reaction and that means the perfume is not right for you. We suggest you should seek medical professional advice for your allergy to perfume.