Perfume and Cologne, Fragrance Through the Ages

Since recorded history -and probably before-women and men have anointed themselves with scents. It has been said that Egypt’s ruling queens Cleopatra, Nefertiti and Hatshepsut had extensive vats of exotic perfumes. History also notes that during the reign of King Charles II men often carried pomanders, or “nosegays” of scents as accessories. Perfumes through the years were not only used as alluring adornments, but also to dissipate body odor; by today’s standards, personal hygiene of the past was significantly lacking!

In our time, women’s perfumes and men’s colognes are considered to be an essential part of grooming. Heady, beckoning, and elegant ladies’ perfumes can be purchased in retail stores, specialty stores that carry only fragrances, on the Internet, through catalogues, or in duty-free international airports’ shops. Every perfume is built around “notes,” or specific scents; most fine fragrances have upper (the strongest), middle and lower notes all combined to form a single perfume. The top notes may be floral, earthy, musky, grassy, or citrus-based. The great parfumiers of France immortalized top-note fragrances like Chanel #5 by the House of Coco Chanel, Je Reviens from the House of Worth, Shalimar from the House of Guerlain, and Joy from the House of Jean Patou. In fact, Joy is the most expensive perfume in the world at $100 USD for half an ounce.

Men’s fragrances are primarily musky, earthy and citrus-based. Since most men object to the notion that they wear perfume as women do, these fragrances are usually referred to as colognes. Many fine colognes come from designers of men’s clothing such as Ralph Lauren, Versace, Chanel for men, Tommy Hilfiger, and Davidoff. In a recent US poll, Guerlain’s Vetiver, a citrus-based cologne, and Cool Water by Davidoff were top-ranked by men who use fragrances.

When you purchase fragrances, it helps to understand the difference between perfume and cologne, especially in women’s fragrances. Perfume is 100% fragrance-oil based, and very concentrated. Cologne, or eau de cologne, has been diluted with water; it’s smell doesn’t last nearly as long as women’s perfume. To locate fine perfumes, it’s necessary to shop in a specialty store or on-line. Much cheaper colognes are found in drug and discount stores. While a woman may lavishly spray herself with a less-costly cologne, only a small amount of perfume will endure for up to ten hours.

Even the bottling of fine perfume makes a difference in its enduring quality. Since the best perfumes are most often bottled in colored glass or crystal, they stay more fresh and retain their fragrance better than fragrances bottled in clear glass. Colored bottles prevent the essential oils in perfumes from becoming rancid. Many men and women store their fine fragrances in a cabinet to prevent too much exposure to light. Caring for the best fragrances is much like caring for fine jewelry; care must be taken to preserve your perfumes that can last many years!

Alicia Gonzalez loves the allure of a fine fragrance. Check out her hubs on fragrance oil and the fragrance lamp.

Paul Smith for Men Eau De Toilette Spray 50ml £13.60 …

COLOGNE SPRAY Fragranced Perfume ENGLISH Norfolk Lavender 100ml …

Tommy Hilfiger Tommy Girl Cologne Spray 30ml £13.98 Tommy Girl is a declaration of independence. Refreshing,energetic and spirited, Tommy Girl is inspired by wildflowersgathered from the American landscape.The effervescent floral scent combines clarity with energy,freshness with spirit, and floral notes with a fresh sexiness.Tommy girl is REFRESHING – distilled from the freshness ofcamellia flowers, bright floral notes of apple blossoms and crispbl…

Polo FOR MEN by Ralph Lauren – 60 ml EDT Spray £45.51 A masculine blend of tobacco, wood, and leather, energized with the refreshing scent of brilliant herbals. Discover the classic men’s fragrance by America’s foremost designer, Ralph Lauren. Created in 1978, Polo cologne is a fresh, clean citrus fragrance. It is the result of the following top fragrance Notes: basil, juniper and cumin. The middle notes are: thyme, pine and carnation and the base of…

Vol. 1-Hifi Felix £17.95 It begins with top notes of mandarin, watery pear, melon, and cassis. Heart notes of passion fruit, peony, freesia and muguet rest atop creamy base notes of vanilla, peach, sandalwood, vetivert and cedar….

Shrek the Third [DVD] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC] £10.83 It’s not easy being an ogre, but Shrek finds it doubly difficult for an ogre like himself to fill in for a king when his father-in-law King Harold of Far, Far Away falls ill in this third Shrek movie. Shrek’s attempts to fulfill his kingly duties play like a blooper reel, with boat christenings and knighting ceremonies gone terribly wrong, and to say that Shrek (Mike Myers) is insecure about his n…

Kiss Him Eau De Cologne Spray for Men 100ml £2.71 You never forget your first KISS. Kiss Him cologne is a spicy scent, with a warm and modern oriental fusion that is distinctive and boldy masculine. This cologne is known to last all day long….

Travalo Easy Refill Travel Perfume Atomizer Spray Bottle in Sleek Silver £5.48 …

Revlon Fire & Icecool Femme Eau de Cologne Spray 100 ml £4.95 …

Johnson’s Baby Cologne 6.6 oz (200 ml) £2.50 Johnson’s Baby Cologne has a gentle, fresh fragrance with a pleasant combination of floral and citrus hints. It leaves your baby smelling clean and fresh. This clinically proven mild formula is alcohol free, making it just right for your baby’s delicate skin….