Perfume is one of those products that may influence our emotions. People’s sense of smell influences their behaviour and sets different moods. may even bring up memories of the past. As a marketing tool, perfume is also present in our everyday lives and it can be found in lots of consumer products. Besides the fact that perfume is so popular, have you ever wondered how it came to be what it is today? What’s the history of perfume?
Key Points
Some anthropologists say that perfume was used by primitive man through the burning of gums and resins for incense. Richly scented plants, animal and fatty oils of olive and sesame are thought to have been combined with fragrant plants to create original pointments between 7000 and 4000 BC.
Three thousand years ago in ancient Egypt, historians believe that perfum was first used in rituals as part of their religious ceremonies, creating a pleasant smell. These scents came from gums,
resin trees, oil, and from a variety of plants, resulting in a perfumenguent that was rubbed into the skin. Hundreds of years later, women in Egypt were using perfume for its cosmetic qualities.
It is believed that the Egyttian queen Cleopatra had her own exclusive balms and scents used as cosmetics and aphrodisiacs, which helped her to conquer Julius Caesar and later Mark Anthony. Also from this same era, it is believed that perfume was used in Mesopotamia for ritual ceremonies. And farther east, in China, aromatic herbs were used for medicinal purposes.
Later on, as trade routes expanded, perfume became very popular and demand for scented products increased trade among different civilizations.
Africa and India started to supply Middle Eastern civilization with spikenard and ginger. The Syrians sold fragrant goods to Arabia.
Cymbopogon and ginger from South Arabia were imported by Mediterranean civilization. As the trade of scented goods continued, fragrance perfume was eventually introduced to several civilizations such as Hindus, Israelites, Carthaginians, Arabs, Greeks, Romans, and finally reintroduced hundreds of years later in Italy and France.
By the 13th century, Italy was doing major trade in spices and perfumes with Eastern civilizations. Portugal and Spain were also trying to establish important trade routes for spices by having exclusive routes to the East. Thats how the new world of America came to be discovered.
As Italian perfume influence swept over neighbouring countries, France began expanding the use of perfume by first offering perfumed gloves,
which were most often perfumed with neroli or animal scents such as ambergris and civet. From then on, French perfume has become famous worldwide and today sets the standard for excellence.
Also, France played a major role in reestablishing the use of perfume for therapeutic purposes in the western world. It has been reported that during World War II, therapeutic perfume was used in the treatment of wounds and burns, and later in the treatment of psychiatric problems.
Perfume has brought different people together in the past through the trade of aromatic scents. It also played a major role since its trade meant economic power for the nations. And so the history of modern man has been greatly influenced by this special product, enabling new worlds to be discovered. On a personal level, perfume is capable of influencing people’s behavior, and that by itself sets perfume in a class by itself. Perhaps this is what makes it so appealing to all of us.
Perfumes For Men And Women
If you want people to think that you are beautiful, attractive, and good, then the easiest way to do it is to select the right perfume.
Cosmetics have always played a different role in making people presentable since their inception in human history.Perfumes have been one of the most used cosmetics since then, even though they are not made of synthetic ingredients as of today. But the fact remains that in ancient times, perfumes were used as part of ritual cerimonies. Back then, aromatic grasses, wood, and spices like cinnamon, cardamoms, and fenugreek were squeezed into fluid to produce perfume.
The word “perfume” originated from the Latin word “parfumare”, meaning “through smoke”. Archeological research says the concept of perfume came from Egypt. Of course, followed by other Chinese, Indians,
Romanians, and Greeks before the whole world made it daily-essential in their lives.
Even though perfumes were considered a womanly affair in ancient times, there are now as many male perfumes as female ones.Some of the famous brands of male perfume are: Dolce &
Gabbana, Hugo Boss, Jean Paul Gaultier, Tommy Hilfiger, and Weekend for men, among many others.
Beware that brand perfume by itself is not considered a fragrance. There are style-conscious men who wear perfume according to their moods.
There are perfumes that go with their schedule, for instance, corporate, semi-casual or casual perfumes. Some of the corporate brands of perfumes for men are Sean John, Armani, Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, and HugoBoss, which are the most chosen perfumes internationally for corporate getup. While Armani has a few corporate fragrances with woody flavors, together with Calvin Klein perfumes, they are supposed to be the most luring with their heavy masculine touch.
Also, Hugo Boss has been a famous brand for both its cost and class.
You don’t have to earn like a CEO to wear Hugo Boss, but it certainly does make everyone smell good!
There is a range of must-wear perfumes for party freaks, avid bikers, and those who want to smell great even on weekends: Weekend for men, though a new brand, does have a whole range of fragrances to make one’s weekend sensual. Hugo Boss’s new collection with aqua elements is always recommended for casual wear. For bikers or car race fans-Ferrari, DKNY, or Tommy Hilfiger are among great choices.
Where should a woman wear perfume? The answer is simple: wherever they want to be kissed! We cannot talk about perfumes if we don’t talk about women. Perfumes play a great role in women’s sensuality.
Christian Dior’s collection has two all-time favourites for any woman when it comes to perfumes: Dior’s Jadore and Addict, which have been on the market for a long time. For women who want to smell a bit sweet and yet want to leave a whiff of scent behind, it is suggested to try the latest collection of Burberry perfumes. And if sensuality is something your partner is looking for, go for Nina Ricci’s spring-summer collection. The others that you can pick are Escada, Gap, or Tommy Hilfiger’s exclusive girl’s collections when you want to accompany him on a race.
Apparently, a perfume is bottled to blend with natural odours to create a distinctive fragrance for your personality. So, you must use a single brand of perfume to make your signature style perfect over days and nights. Last but not the least, you must not wear perfume over sweaty clothes to cover bad body odor; it makes the area around you intolerable. Perfumes were used as an attribute to Gods, so they must be sprayed when you are clean, as the saying goes.
Perfumes and Fragrances
Mankind has been using perfume for quite a long time. Some people say it was first discovered in ancient Egypt and used by different civilizations such as ancient Chinese, Hindus, Israelites, Carthaginians, Arabs, Greeks, Romans, and finally reintroduced hundreds of years later in France. Ever since, French perfume has become famous worldwide and today sets the standard for excellence.
The word “perfume” derives from the Latin root “smoke,” which means “through smoke.”Perfume came into being in the early days, through the burning of incense and aromatic herbs. Ever since, it has influenced mankind to the point of becoming a product of desire.
For those purchasing perfumes, it is wise to become familiar with basic fragrance groups, which will help to find the perfect perfume one might be looking for.
The citrus fragrance category derives from different fruits such as lime, lemon, tangerine, mandarin, and others, creating a sort of refreshing aroma. It is mostly used during the summer. Appropriate for office
wear, day or evening wear.
The floral fragrance category derives from large varieties of flowers such as vanilla, jasmine, roses, and others. It is the most popular and used fragrance group. The scent of romance and starry nights
The oriental fragrance category derives from mixtures of spices, resins, amber, balsams, and other exotic essences, creating a warm and exotic feeling. It is widely used during the winter season in the evening.
The chypre fragrance category derives from different wood-moss mixes, providing earthly aromas such as oak moss and other types of wood.
Chypre fragrances smell slightly dry, not very sweet. Chypre perfumes are rich and tenacious, usually for those who tend to prefer slightly out of the ordinary fragrances.
The green fragrance category derives from scents of pine, leaves, herbs, juniper, and others, providing a sharp outdoor scent. Good day wear and occasional evening wear in warmer weather.
The Fougere category of perfume scents derives from bergamot, oakmoss, and geranium, and is mostly used by men. It has a classy style. greatfragrance choice for a distinguished gentleman.
These diversified fragrances will evoke different feelings, and people seem to enjoy that very much. Now that the basic fragrance groups have been explained, it’s up to one to make the most of his next perfume purchase and make use of the perfume fragrance that best suits his lifestyle.
However, while purchasing perfumes, one should beware that famous brand name perfumes are fairly expensive. If one is looking for genuine perfumes, he must be willing to spend a fairly large amount of money. However, evoking memories of romantic moments through fragrances may just be priceless and the expensive perfume price may just become fair.
