CALECHE
BY HERMES (EAU DE TOILETTE SPRAY 1.6 OZ)

Price : $36.05

There are many different kinds of resin used in making perfume. Labdanum, a sticky dark brown substance from a species of rockrose shrub, has a complex scent profile. Woody, smoky and earthy, some say it has slight marshy undertones that aren’t unpleasant but very different. Others think it smells like honey or hints of leather. Its very complexity makes it valuable in perfumery, as each person seems to smell a different aroma. This makes one perfume smell different to and on each person. In Crete, it is still harvested by driving goats into forests overgrown with labdanum bushes then combing the beards of the animals when they return from grazing. Harvesters also drag a mop-like collection of leather strips mounted on a pole across the bushes to gather the resin.

Benzoin resin, a balsamic secretion from tree bark, is a common ingredient in perfume because of its fixative properties and its aroma. Further, there are two different kinds; benzoin Siam and benzoin Sumatra. Benzoin Siam is found in Thailand, Laos and Cambodia while benzoin Sumatra is found in the country of the same name. Both are very fragrant and drastically slow the evaporation of perfume properties.

Frankincense, another prized ingredient in perfumes, comes from the Boswellia tree that thrives in Somalia and the surrounding country. Slashing the bark of the scrawny but hardy tree results in “tears” leaking out which are allowed to harden before being collected. The best resin is the last of the two or three harvests per year, the quality determined by its opacity. Yemen and Somalia produce wonderful frankincense although the resins collected in Omani is said to be the finest. Frankincense supplies are dwindling, however, due to over-tapping trees that in turn produce seeds that are unable to germinate properly.

Other resins include myrrh, Peru balsam and pine, all with their own unique contributions to make.

Tim Walt

But where is musk found and how is it harvested? Originally, it came from the musk deer, a creature distantly related to deer but weighing only 20-40 pound with no antlers and large tusks. In order to get the musk glands, the animal had to be killed and this resulted in their population dwindling so drastically that they are now protected by laws in the countries they live. Other sources of musk include the American beaver and other animals, the musk flower, wood and seeds. It can also be made synthetically; most of the musk used in this generation of perfume is synthetic as companies become increasingly interested in preserving wildlife.

DESIRE BLUE BY ALFRED DUNHILL (EAU DE TOILETTE SPRAY 3.4 OZ)

Price : $20.79

But why has musk always been in such demand, even as far back as ancient Egypt? Simply put, musk is a sexual attractant and aphrodisiac! Secreted only by male vertebrates, it is a natural pheromone specifically meant to attract a mate. Because of this, musk is the most expensive ingredient used in perfumes and other products, costing up to $45,000 per kilogram!

Alfred Dunhill manufactures Desire Blue for men, using synthetic musk to support and bolster the elements of bergamot, orange flower water, amber and tonka bean. While orange flower water may seem an odd ingredient for a man’s cologne, it gives it a sparkle that adds a bit of mystery to the impression of strength. Azzaro makes a more serious creation in Onyx, combining apple, lemon, coriander and other spices, cedar wood and bergamot with musk for a defined statement of being in charge, decisive and adventurous.

ONYX BY AZZARO (EAU DE TOILETTE SPRAY 3.4 OZ)

Price : $20.14

When the process of synthesizing musk was discovered, it began to be used more liberally in perfume and other products in which scent was an important marketing concept. Today it is used in household products, bath soaps and shampoo as well as fine perfumes.

Tim Walt

LAGERFELD BY KARL LAGERFELD (COLOGNE / EAU DE TOILETTE 8 OZ)

Price : $37.95

Lagerfeld by Karl Lagerfeld is a good example of what tobacco essence can do for perfume. Combining the oils of spices and tobacco, Lagerfeld produces the smoky ambiance of a fine cigar spiked with spices that lend a slightly sweet, fresh note that evokes the very essence of masculine strength and luxury.

Tobacco’s bittersweet aroma makes it a perfect companion to cedar, citrus and spices. Some perfumers have added femininity to it by mixing it with honeysuckle, lemon or ambergris. A touch of coffee or cocoa makes it androgynous yet sensuous.

In fact, tobacco is so versatile that it can be added to nearly any perfume to elicit a variety of emotions or impressions. A scent with tobacco notes can bring to mind anything from dried fruits or gingerbread to the sharp impression of fine whiskey or the fresh scent of freshly cut hay.

Most of us remember the sweet odor of burning leaves in the fall and crisp autumn winds with the sharp bite of winter barely creeping in. Tobacco captures these smells and emotions so perfectly that you don’t realize your nose is enjoying a leaf that is so despised for its commercial use of smoking. Tobacco is also used in the leather family of fragrances as a base or middle note to compliment the scent of leather; in the right combination of scents, it can allude to aged, supple leather to create a warm and rich feeling of winter nights by a fire with a good book and a glass of fine wine.

Of course, there are synthetic versions of tobacco aroma that are being used more frequently in fine perfumes. The environmentally friendly synthetics are very precise and the quality is consistent enough that each batch of perfume maintains the exacting standards of the perfumer.

Regardless of natural or synthetic origin, or whether you deplore the use of tobacco aside from perfume, there’s no doubt that tobacco leaves provide a warm and sensual note to scents for both men and women. The person who wants their presence remembered for an uncommonly delicious fragrance should seek out those unique creations that contain tobacco.

Tim Walt

Most flowers are fragrant but some are exceptional enough to be used in perfumes. The best known and one of the most popular throughout perfume history is the rose, generally known as the queen of flowers. Perfumes made of roses were favorites in Greece and Rome. By gathering the flowers at night they would be at their best since they begin losing their scent after sunrise. Cristalle by Chanel uses roses as the chief ingredient along with aldehydes to enhance the bouquet, amber and patchouli.

CRISTALLE BY CHANEL(WOMEN)

Price : $103.19

Jasmine is another flower used in perfumes, also harvested just before dawn. Processed immediately before their fragrance fades, special care must be taken to keep the fragile petals from bruising and affecting the balance of the bouquet. Special baskets for just this purpose are kept for transporting them. Jasmine is used with vanilla and bergamot by Guerlain in the manufacture of Shalimar Light perfume, a refreshing feminine fragrance that is airy, pleasant and light.

SHALIMAR BY GUERLAIN (PURE PERFUME SPRAY REFILLABLE 1/4 OZ)

Price : $88.85

Violets are also favorites but produce so little essential oil that they’re rarely used these days. Instead a synthetic replacement is used, usually combined with oils that resemble that of the violet.

Flower of fruit are also used in many perfumes. Those who know the heavenly scent of orange and lemon blossoms will understand why they are a popular ingredient in many floral perfumes. Jasmine, mimosa and lily blossoms as well as lily of the valley are also quite common in perfumes. Unopened flower buds of clove add spice to perfume concoctions and a member or the orchid family, vanilla, also is a favorite ingredient.

A few terms may come in handy for understanding floral perfume descriptions. When you hear a perfume referred to as a “single floral” it means that the fragrance is dominated by one particular flower such as rose or lily. “Floral Bouquet” means it contains the scent of several flowers and “bright floral” is a combination of the two.

Tim Walt

The most commonly known scent derived from animal resources is musk, a basic ingredient in many perfumes. Because of its intensely earthy odor, it makes an excellent base that accentuates other notes in a perfume. In the hundreds of years it has been used in human manufactured scents, it has always been popular because of its subtle aphrodisiac properties. Originally, people got musk from the musk sacs of the Asian Musk deer which, unfortunately, demanded the life of the animal. Modern musk is synthetic due not only to protected status of the formerly over-hunted deer but to enlightened perfume manufacturers that are increasingly more concerned about preserving wildlife as well as the environment.

Civets, a relative of the Mongoose, also produce musk that can be harvested without harm to the animal. The North American Beaver also contributes musk to perfume called Castoreum. Luckily, we can harvest the musk from both these animals without causing them harm or upsetting their glandular balance thanks to advanced and humane harvesting techniques.

Even honeybees contribute to the olfactory enjoyment of fine perfume! Their honeycombs, when distilled, produce a unique scent that has been used by perfumers for centuries. Ambergris, a digestive excretion of the Sperm Whale, is also used for cologne and perfume, particularly in amber-based scents. Rendered animal fat is used less often in solid perfumes than it was in centuries past

Tim Walt

In the middle ages, leaves were a very important source for the perfumers of the royal courts, for the flowers were often allowed to be harvested only at the pleasure of the ruling monarch. The flowers would grace the tables and halls of nobility until they wilted, rendering them useless for scents, while the leaves still retained much of the essential oils that perfumers needed to make their creations.

Leaves have continued to be used in perfumes, particularly the leaves of herbal plants. Basil leaves are not just for cooking, but is included in many perfumes including Dune by Christian Dior. Dune combines the leaves of basil, mandarin and sage with moss and cedarwood for a truly unique and delicious scent that definitely doesn’t smell like a kitchen!

DUNE BY CHRISTIAN DIOR(WOMEN)

Price : $58.43

The leaves of herbal plants are very aromatic due to the oil that the plant manufactures. They are very easy to cultivate and quite inexpensive, making them a favorite ingredient of many perfumers. Oil from the leaves is usually recovered by crushing or grinding, strained for impurities and decanted for later use. The process is very simple and had been done by hand for hundreds of years before the age of machines.

Many people are surprised when they learn how many varieties of leaves are used in the scents that they love. Coriander, for instance, isn’t just a prominent ingredient in your favorite salsa but when Moschino perfumers mix it with rose, gardenia, carnation and vanilla it becomes the popular perfume Moschino. If you think you aren’t familiar with coriander, that’s because it’s more commonly called cilantro.

MOSCHINO BY MOSCHINO (EAU DE TOILETTE SPRAY 1.5 OZ)

Price : $30.23

Wormwood has also been used, particularly in France where the plant thrives. Its aromatic leaves have been used as a base for many years, imparting a fresh herbal scent and pleasing consistency to both liquid and solid perfumes. In the Middle East, jasmine and myrtle leaves as well as cinnamon leaves were and still are used in perfumes. Other leaves used in prominent perfumes on the market today include lavender, rosemary, sage, caraway and thyme.

Tim Walt

The essential oils of seaweed is call choya nakh and is so strong that it must be diluted before being added to the aroma palette of a perfume. The most common type of seaweed that was has been used is Fucus Vesiculosus, also referred to a bladderwrack, that is found in the waters and on the shores of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans in the United States and abroad.

More often you will find kelp, a form of seaweed, as an ingredient in perfumes. In the late 1970’s, two German scientists found that female kelp plants release a pheromone that direct the male kelps to the proper place to fertilize the microscopic kelp egg, thus ensuring the propagation of the species. The discovery was made quite by accident when they thought that someone had smuggled a bottle of gin into the lab; on further investigation they found the culprit and published their findings regarding the sexual pheromone.

Of course, pheromones are often used in perfumes and perfumers began experimenting with kelp and other forms of seaweed. Since the whole idea of perfume is to make one attractive to the opposite sex as well as pleasing one’s self, pheromones are a very important ingredient when they can be added to the mix. The unusual odiferous qualities of kelp and seaweed were intriguing to creative perfumers, sparking quite a bit of research and experimentation.

However, you will rarely find a quality perfume that features genuine seaweed notes.
The prohibitive cost of extraction has made it a scarcity, a classic example of irony when one thinks of the miles of beaches strewn with this ocean bounty. Most “seaweed” essences are actually a form of kelp which is referred to as seaweed.

Tim Walt

Expression is one such process employed in the extraction of aromatic compounds. In this method, the raw materials used are squeezed, pressed, or compressed to extract the oil from it. This is a technique which is frequently employed in the extraction of oils from fruit peels, especially of those which fall into the category of the citrus family. The peels from such fruits contain a large amount of oil and hence expression is one method where all the oil can be taken out in the most economically viable manner. Normally, the peels are cold pressed or expressed mechanically for the maximum benefit.

Expression, as a method of extraction is a comparatively low cost method and when combined with the easy availability of raw materials, it is generally seen that citrus oils are cheaper in the market than other aromatic oils. Examples of such oils are lemon and sweet orange oils that are among the low cost oils in the aromatic industry.

The method of expression has been in use since very ancient times, as can be found in traditional Egyptian practices. It came into the picture long before distillation. Conventionally, the ancient Egyptians used to press the raw plant material and bury it in the dessert for a few months in unglazed ceramic utensils to dry out the water content which naturally used to get diffused through the pores of the ceramic vessel. What would remain inside the pot was the oil, which used to be taken out. It can be seen that scents obtained in such a manner still managed to retain its fragrance even after 3000 years, as can be proved from the lotus oil found in sealed alabaster vessels which were found in Tutankhamen’s tomb.

Tim Walt

Composing perfumes that has the power to entice customers is the job of a perfumer who is often referred to as ‘the nose’. With their fine sense of smell and the in depth training obtained in the principles of perfume aesthetics, they are able to create delicate compositions which successfully convey a variety of moods and feelings. A good perfumer should have the essential knowledge in differentiating between different fragrances as well as the individual quality of each ingredient used.

The initial step in the composition of perfumes is very important though extremely tedious. The client gives a brief to the perfumer about the specifications required for a particular perfume which they have in mind. Accordingly, the concerned people start their work by researching on various aspects like the description of the smell of the perfume, the feelings that the smell is able to arouse in them, the desirable time of the day the perfume can be worn, the pricing factor, etc which can ultimately lead to the required aromatic ingredients which can be used in its composition.
The next step in the composition of the perfume is the blending of various ingredients so that it meets the specifications arrived during the brief. This process is time consuming and may take months or years, since it is very essential that the perfect blend is arrived at. Once it is achieved, the composition is used either in the manufacture of consumer products like shampoos, soaps, or other household goods, or sold directly as a perfume.

A main thing to be noted is that there is never a ‘perfect technique’ that can be used while formulating perfumes, even though several guidelines are available to this effect. Other than the base ingredients, a lot of perfumes make use of other substances like colorants, anti oxidants, etc with the purpose of enhancing the shelf life of the perfume as well as to influence the marketability of the product in a positive manner.

It is also to be seen that a lot of contemporary perfumers employ the technique of creating perfumes and colognes by making use of fragrances bases like aromatic chemicals and essential oils. There are various techniques employed to create such fragrances, but largely it is seen that ethyl alcohol and water are used to blend the fragrance oils which are left to age in large tanks for a specific period. This is later filtered and marketed as perfumes.

Tim Walt