Initiation

The nose, the bouquet, the top notes, the body...Just like wine, perfume has its jargon, its mysteries, its rules and its exceptions. Without going into all the details, here are a few tips and terms that will allow you to better orient yourself…or at least give you a new subject for dinner party conversation.

A perfume, or juice, is categorized above all by its concentration. The parfum or extract is the most concentrated: from 15 to 40% of total volume, the rest being a special ethyl alcohol. Eau de parfum, less concentrated, contains between 10 and 20% of the pure scent, and the eau de toilette between 5 and 15%. There are also eaux de cologne (3-8%) and, recently introduced, the eaux légères, with barely 3%. The scale therefore ranges from powerful and enveloping down to light and playful, barely perceptible. You may choose differently depending on whether, for example, you are headed to the beach or to an intimate dinner.

Perfume ingredients have infinite variations, but the principal sources remain flowers, fruits, the essence of precious woods and other organic materials such as roots, grains, mosses and leaves. Ingredients of animal origin such as musk were used in the past, but have been replaced by synthetic materials.

Finally, there is the very heart of perfume – the scent itself. Just like a woman, a perfume is not simple and does not reveal itself all at once. It is multi-faceted and changeable. The top notes, middle notes, and bottom notes of the fragrance will harmoniously build on one another to create each unique scent.

Nonetheless, each perfume has a dominating characteristic, through which it belongs to a family. We can distinguish between the floral, woody, oriental, green, mossy, chypre, and leathery families.

The florals are built around the scent of one or several flowers, such as iris, rose or jasmine…When one flower dominates – like lily of the valley in Diorissimo – we speak of a single note, otherwise it is a bouquet. Floral perfume is full of light and grace. The lovely Flower by Kenzo, Arpège by Lanvin, J’Adore by Dior...

Woody fragrances, as their name indicates, are dominated by the scents of woods such as vétiver (tropical lavender), ceder or sandalwood. Drier and deeper than the florals, warm and powerful, these are most often masculine scents. One emblematic example: Vétiver by Guerlain.

The oriental is the epitome of a sensual perfume. With its opulence, it evokes the feeling of silks, spices, and dark starry nights. Used in both masculine and feminine fragrances, it may have elements of incense, balms and resins, as well as notes of flowers, spices and woods. The legendary Shalimar by Guerlain is considered one of the classics of this type. This family is large, and sub-divides into several branches, such as woody orientals (Allure by Chanel), spicy orientals (Opium by Saint Laurent), and gourmet orientals (Angel by Thierry Mugler)...

Green fragrances are fresh and light, based on citrus and herbal scents. A classic for both men and women, these include Limes Extract from Penhaligon’s and L’Eau d’Orange Verte by Hermès.

Mossy fragrances are similar to woody ones, but a bit more delicate. Constructed on a base of lavender, geranium, or oak moss, this is a sensual but sober family. It includes many of the great perfumes for men, such as Azzaro pour Homme or Kouros, but also the legendary Jicky by Guerlain.

The chypres are named in homage to Chypre, created in 1917 by Coty. Chypres are built around a center of bergamot and flowers, and evolve to a woody base of oak moss and patchouli. These include Mitsouko by Guerlain and Polo by Ralph Lauren as well as, more recently, Chance by Chanel and Diamonds by Armani.

The leathery perfumes evoke, as you may have guessed, the odor of tanned leather mixed with tobacco, honey and wood. This is a small and very particular family, worn by both men and women. These are perfumes with a certain animal nature, more torrid than sensual. Cuir de Russie by Chanel, Bandit by Piguet, and recently – with a new subtlety – Daim Blond by Serge Lutens.