What is it about fragrance and having a signature scent?
Everyone has a so-called scent print, experts say. According to the Fragrance Foundation, 'each of us has an odour identity, which is the sum total of our heredity, skin type, hair colour, diet, whether we're on medication, under stress and so on'. Michael Edwards (below), author of Fragrances of the World, says on his website: 'A great perfume is a work of art. It is silent poetry, invisible body language. It can lift our days, haunt our nights and create the milestones of our memories.'
Edwards has an online fragrance wheel (basenotes.com) that shows you the relationship between different fragrances.
What's a scent personality?
Cosmetic store Sasa says sporty girls prefer citrus (lemon, lime, bergamot), romantic women opt for floral orientals (exotic flowers and herbs), those with a strong individual streak favour eclectic scents (freesia and iris mixed with musky notes), ultra-feminine girls choose individual flower notes and younger girls prefer fruity fragrances (green apple and a hint of lemon).
How should you apply scent?
Scents rise and slowly disappear, says the Fragrance Foundation, so it's important to apply it to different parts of the body.
How can diet or medication affect perfume?
'What you eat on a regular basis can affect the way a perfume smells and lasts,' the foundation says. 'If one is on a high fat, spicy diet, fragrance will be more intense. If you have recently changed your diet dramatically, skin chemistry may change, causing fragrance to smell differently on you. Smoking can dull the sense of smell and make us less aware of odours, good or bad. Body heat and perspiring can intensify fragrances.'
What's the history of perfume?
Perfumeconnection.com says the word comes from the Latin per fumus (meaning through smoke), and fragrances have been used for thousands of years. From about 1000BC, Egyptians used perfumed balms in religious ceremonies and as part of love-making preparations, the site says. The modern type of perfume extract was created about AD1000 when the process of distilling oil from rose petals was invented.
What's new this year?
The foundation lists Armani Code for Women, Delices de Cartier, In Love Again by Yves Saint Laurent and Shanghai Butterfly by Nanette Lepore/Riviera Concepts. New men's releases are Cannabis Santal, LVMH, Original 1910 by Clarins and Voyage by the Nautica/Lancaster Group.
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