Perfumes not only add glamour to the whole persona, they also enhance the mood and make for great gifts as well.
We all have at some time or the other taken digs at the socialites who
flit in and out of parties wearing expensive designer togs and leaving
behind a waft of the most heavenly perfume casting disdainful looks at
mere mortals like us. How we wish we could also don designer stuff and
walk about in a cloud of pricey perfumes!
I don`t know about the designer clothes, but good perfumes are
something which all of us can afford in some form or the other. Not
only do perfumes make you smell good but they also act as great mood up
lifters. Perfumes come in many varieties of strength; so, before you
splurge your hard-earned money, do recognize the various types of
perfumes available in the market.
Perfumes get their fragrance from perfume oils which determine the
strength of the perfume and its lasting power. Obviously, the higher
the concentration of the perfume oil, the longer-lasting will the
perfume be.
The after-shave has the lowest concentration of the perfume oil,
containing about 0.5% – 2.0%, making it ideal for daily use by men to
use as a salve after shaving. Then comes the eau-de-cologne with 3.0% -
5.0% of perfume oil concentration and is most commonly used after a
bath during summer-time.
Both these categories are affordable for the average person and does
leave a lingering fragrance even if the concentration of the perfume
oil is less. Eau-de-toilette with its 5.0% – 8.0% concentration of oil
is the most popular as it is obviously stronger than the eau de cologne
and stays on much longer. The price, of course is much higher than the
above two categories.
The next higher category is the eau de parfum which is at the second
top rung of the perfume ladder containing within it a concentration of
almost 8.0% – 15.0% of perfume oil. Perfumes now start becoming
expensive from this category onwards and in fact, most of us can
actually afford only an eau de parfum as our most expensive perfume.
The fragrance is strong and the effect long-lasting. For most of us
even this category of perfume is to be used carefully.
The top honors belong to `parfum` itself which is totally undiluted and
contains the intense concentration of the perfume oil ranging between
15% – 30%. Even a drop of this `parfum` will be enough to leave you
smelling heavenly. This is exorbitantly priced and frankly, not many of
us can really afford this category of perfume unless it is a very, very
special gift or indulgence.
Now, that we are set with the basic knowledge of the different
categories of perfume, it is now time to select one judiciously. The
important tip to bear in mind is that not all perfumes suit everyone;
every individual has her own characteristic body chemistry which reacts
differently to each individual perfume. So, the perfume which may smell
good on someone else may just evaporate in thin air on your body.
Light floral scents suit some better than strong, intense ones and
the opposite is also true. So, before purchasing perfume, always test
it on the wrists and wait for sometime to allow the fragrance to
develop fully before deciding on whether it suits you or not. Limit
your perfume sampling to two or three fragrances at a time so as not to
overwhelm the senses. Sniffing coffee beans in between each sampling
will help you distinguish them better.
So , go right ahead and indulge in at least one good perfume to begin with and then you can build up your perfume wardrobe also!
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