| recise formulas of commercial perfumes are kept | | | | era imagery of the Middle East and Far East. |
| secret. Even if they were widely published, they | | | | •Woody: Fragrances that are dominated by |
| would be dominated by such complex chemical | | | | woody scents, typically of sandalwood and cedar. |
| procedures and ingredients that they would be of | | | | Patchouli, with its camphoraceous smell, is commonly |
| little use in providing a useful description of the | | | | found in these perfumes. |
| experience of a scent. Nonetheless, connoisseurs of | | | | •Leather: A family of fragrances which |
| perfume can become extremely skillful at identifying | | | | features the scents of honey, tobacco, wood and |
| components and origins of scents in the same | | | | wood tars in its middle or base notes and a scent |
| manner as wine experts. | | | | that alludes to leather. |
| The most practical way to start describing a perfume | | | | •Chypre: Meaning Cyprus in French, this |
| is according to its concentration level, the family it | | | | includes fragrances built on a similar accord consisting |
| belongs to, and the notes of the scent, which all | | | | of bergamot, oakmoss, patchouli, and labdanum. This |
| affect the overall impression of a perfume from first | | | | family of fragrances is named after a perfume by |
| application to the last lingering hint of scent. | | | | François Coty. |
| Concentration levels | | | | •Fougère: Meaning Fern in French, built |
| Perfume oil is necessarily diluted with a solvent | | | | on a base of lavender, coumarin and oakmoss. |
| because undiluted oils (natural or synthetic) contain | | | | Houbigant's Fougère Royale pioneered the |
| high concentrations of volatile components that will | | | | use of this base. Many men's fragrances belong to |
| likely result in allergic reactions and possibly injury | | | | this family of fragrances, which is characterized by its |
| when applied directly to skin or clothing. | | | | sharp herbaceous and woody scent. |
| By far the most common solvent for perfume oil | | | | Modern |
| dilution is ethanol or a mixture of ethanol and water. | | | | Since 1945, due to great advances in the technology |
| Perfume oil can also be diluted by means of | | | | of perfume creation (i.e., compound design and |
| neutral-smelling lipids such as jojoba, fractionated | | | | synthesis) as well as the natural development of |
| coconut oil or wax. The concentration by percent | | | | styles and tastes; new categories have emerged to |
| volume of perfume oil is as follows: | | | | describe modern scents: |
| •Perfume extract: 20%-40% aromatic | | | | •Bright Floral: combining the traditional Single |
| compounds | | | | Floral & Floral Bouquet categories. |
| •Eau de parfum: 10-30% aromatic compounds | | | | •Green: a lighter and more modern |
| •Eau de toilette: 5-20% aromatic compounds | | | | interpretation of the Chypre type. |
| •Eau de cologne: 2-5% aromatic compounds | | | | •Oceanic/Ozone: the newest category in |
| Traditional | | | | perfume history, appearing in 1991 with Christian |
| The traditional classification which emerged around | | | | Dior's Dune. A very clean, modern smell leading to |
| 1900 comprised the following catego ries: | | | | many of the modern androgynous perfumes. |
| •Single Floral: Fragrances that are dominated | | | | •Citrus or Fruity: An old fragrance family that |
| by a scent from one particular flower; in French called | | | | until recently consisted mainly of "freshening" eau de |
| a soliflore. (e.g. Serge Lutens' Sa Majeste La Rose, | | | | colognes due to the low tenacity of citrus scents. |
| which is dominated by rose.) | | | | Development of newer fragrance compounds has |
| •Floral Bouquet: Containing the combination of | | | | allowed for the creation of primarily citrus fragrances. |
| several flowers in a scent. | | | | •Gourmand: scents with "edible" or |
| •Ambry: A large fragrance class featuring the | | | | "dessert"-like qualities. These often contain notes like |
| scents of vanilla and animal scents together with | | | | vanilla and tonka bean, as well as synthetic |
| flowers and woods. Can be enhanced by camphorous | | | | components designed to resemble food flavors. |
| oils and incense resins, which bring to mind Victorian | | | | |