L8: Perfume Creation – Part 2: Styles in Perfumery; Examples of Perfumed Products

Question 1

What are the main styles of perfume before the 20th century?

Answer 1

• Hungary water
• Lavender water
• Eau de cologne

Question 2

How are toilet waters prepared?

Answer 2

• Commonly prepared with weak alcohol
• Diluent: typically rose water or orange flower water
• Relatively simple blends of distilled and expressed oils diluted in alcohol + fixatives

Question 3

What is the main perfumery style in the early 20th century?

Answer 3

Shalimar

Largely retains the traditional perfume structure (essential oils + fixatives), but with the addition of new synthetic and derived materials

Question 4

What is the main perfumery style in the mid-20th century?

Answer 4

L’Air du Temps

• Use of synthetics
• Natural materials as modifying notes and to give richness
• Uses the pyrimidal perfume structure by Poucher

Question 5

How did L’Air du Temps “evolve”?

Answer 5

• Fidji

- Trickle-down effect

Question 6

What is the main perfumery style in the late-20th century?

Answer 6

Tresor

• Linear perfumes, where odours remain more or less unchanged

Question 7

What are the three main types of skin perfumes?

Answer 7

1. Alcohol-based perfumes (Fragrance + hydroalcoholic solution)
2. Perfume oils (Fragrance + jojoba oil)
3. Solid perfumes (Fragrance + jojoba oil + beeswax)

Question 8

How should highly-concentrated perfumes (eg. parfum, perfume oils, solid perfumes) be worn?

Answer 8

Applied onto pulse points

Question 9

How should eau de parfum or eau de toilette be worn?

Answer 9

Can be sprayed over body

Question 10

What is the scent circle?

Answer 10

Area around an individual whose scent can be perceived; about an arm’s length from one’s body

Question 11

What does aftershave lotions contain typically?

Answer 11

• Fragrance
• Cider vinegar (to provide acidity)
• Diluent (eg. distilled water, rose water, orange flower water, dilute alcohol)

Question 12

What is an important instruction for use of aftershave lotions?

Answer 12

Shake well before use to ensure that the aqueous and oil phases are well-mixed before application

Question 13

What does it mean that room scents always smell “true”?

Answer 13

Means that the scent will not change over time;

As opposed to skin perfumes, which may change as it reacts with the chemicals on the skin