Base notes, or the longest lasting elements of perfumes, are usually dominated by the scents of wood. There are many different kinds of woods used for perfumes including cedar, rosewood, juniper, pine and agarwood. The oils and distilled essences from these and other woods are very important even to perfumes where you don’t detect their fragrance. In many scents, the woods are used to accentuate other aromas.

Sandalwood, perhaps the best known of all these fragrant woods, grows in India and other parts of Asia. Synthetics are often used for sandalwood, as the forests have been severely decimated from over-harvesting for perfumes and many other wood products. It not only serves as an important note in perfume, it is an excellent fixative that can anchor other scents. B-United by Benetton uses sandalwood as a base note as well as elements of citrus and floral notes.

Agarwood is another Asian tree that grows mainly in Laos and produces a very fragrant oil and resin that perfumers love. Only the smallest bit of the oil is necessary to scent a room and it can take up to twelve hours to unfold. It will last on a person’s skin for more than a whole day and when applied to a porous material such as wooden boxes or cloth the scent can actually last for months. It is also said to have spiritual qualities and to improve access to hidden memories. Perfumers prize its deep and complex aroma. Yves Saint Laurent and Amouage perfumers both use agarwood as a base note in their premium fragrances.

Oudh oil resin, from the Aquilaria tree in Asia, is produced from trees infected with a parasitic fungus. The growth causes them to produce a resin in the heart of the tree over a period of, sometimes, hundreds of years before the infection kills the tree and leaves the resin behind to be chipped away. This resin, called Aloeswood, is very rare and considered the most sacred oil on earth. Its delicious aroma is used only in the finest, most premium perfumes. The lower quality resin is shredded and distilled then dried and used for incense. 

Cedar is another wood valuable in perfumery. Besides the wood’s decay-resistance, its aroma is so fresh and rich that it was used in building the famous temple of King Solomon. Onyx by Azzaro combines spices with citrus and apple, using cedar wood ad juniper to give the scent a refreshing, carefree aroma with delicious lingering signature.

Without aromatic woods, perfumes would lose much of their personality. Synthetic versions of some of these woods have seen increasing use as the forests become decimated from harvesting. Synthetics are often longer lasting than natural oils and give forests time to regenerate, allowing us to enjoy the fragrance of our favorite woods.

Tim Walt

Patchouli, originally native to Asia, is now cultivated in tropical areas throughout the world. 
A bushy herb of the mint family and distantly related to lavender and
rosemary, it is reluctant to flower and is propagated by cuttings. 
Patchouli rocketed to popularity during the hippie movement of the 60’s
when people began challenging traditional ideas. 
Trying different scents that weren’t widely accepted or even known
about was par for the course in that particular era. 
Once Patchouli caught on, however, it eventually became a common
ingredient in perfumes, soaps and incense.  Its
rich exotic scent reminds one of earth and wood, making it a popular ingredient
in perfume. 

 BOGART
POUR HOMME BY JACQUES BOGART(MEN) – Price : $21.02

Patchouli is also very useful to
perfumers as a fixative that blends well with other ingredients, substantially
slowing their evaporation and allowing the scent to last longer. 
It is usually harvested by steam distillation and has very good yields,
the leaves producing 3.5% of their weight in oil. 
Patchouli leaves are said to be best if processed as quickly as possible
after harvesting but some producers prefer to bale dried leaves and allow them
to ferment a bit to encourage their earthy scent. 
Aging is an important part of processing the leaves, as they have a
rather harsh aroma when first picked.  The
oil mellows with time, becoming sweeter and richer-much as fine wine does as it
ages. 

 

Both men’s and women’s perfumes use
patchouli for its rich, warm fragrance redolent of nature and sunshine. 
High quality oil is demanded by the best perfumers; patchouli that has
been altered by additives to stretch its quantity has a cedar wood or clove-like
scent and its fixative powers are severely impeded. 
The best patchouli oil is fruity, sophisticated and has a wine-like
richness. 

 CRISTALLE
BY CHANEL – Price : $44.95

Patchouli is ideal for men and women who
like to wear fresh scents inspired by nature. 
Bogart Pour Homme by Jacques Bogart, a men’s cologne first marketed in
2004, uses patchouli as a base to preserve and compliment its other notes of
vanilla, bergamot and water lily tempered by tonka bean. 
Cristalle, a women’s fragrance by Chanel, combines patchouli with rose
and amber with an aldehyde fixative for a fresh scent of summer days full of
sunshine and cool, breezy evenings with a hint of dew. 
As you can see, patchouli is very versatile and allows other components
to shine while subtly lending its own unique and earthy bouquet to the formula.  

 

Tim Walt

A perfume is a material which produces an aromatic odor. It is a volatile liquid that is either created by making use of flower extractions or manufactured synthetically. Whichever the way of manufacture, perfumes have always been a favourite of mankind down the ages and is considered to be in a heady world of its own. Worn to impart a pleasant smell to the body, perfumes are an infusion of fragrant oils, solvents and aroma compounds in specific proportions.
The word perfume is a derivation from the Latin word “per fumum” which simply means ‘smoke’. Although the creation of perfumes, or perfumery as it is known, originated as an art in ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt, it became more refined and underwent great development in the hands of the Romans and Persians, and to a certain extent, the East Asians too.
Today, perfumes have formed an integral part of our daily life and we all tend to use it in one form or the other. Some of the most common perfumes that are extremely popular today are:
Creed perfumes- this is a special favorite among the male world. Most of the fragrances targeted towards the males, make use of this making it the most well-liked male fragrance at the moment.
Chanel perfume- this is considered to be one of the best perfumes at any time. Its popularity has never ever decreased and even today, it can be seen that it is really sought after by the world market.
Forever perfumes- This is one perfume that is well known for its meticulous quality, value and style, thanks to its creator, Alfred Sung who is known for his clean and straight creations.
Curious perfumes- This is a perfume which has been rapidly gaining grounds over the years and is considered as an innovation from Elizabeth Arden and Britney Spears. It is expected to grow in popularity in the future chiefly due to its heady scent that is sure to attract women.
Blueberry perfumes- These perfumes are considered to be very popular among its consumers. The main perfumes catered to by this are brut, weekend, London and Touch. The brut perfume especially, is considered to be a great favorite among people.
Guerlain Perfumes- Founded by Pierre-Francois Guerlain in 1828, this is a well known perfume house which has over 300 perfumes to its credit. ‘Jicky’, Mitsouko, Shalimar, Samsara, etc are some of the most famous fragrances brought out by this perfumer.
Molinard- This is a famous French perfume house which has been in the limelight since 1849. Its clientele included Queen Victoria and several other dignitaries. One of the famous fragrances brought about by this prestigious perfume house was Habanita and Molinard de Molinard.

Tim Walt – Jan.2009

The study of perfumes through the ages is indeed an interesting subject. The word ‘perfume’ is a derivation from the Latin word ‘per fumum’ which literally means ‘through smoke’. Perfumery has evolved down the ages and its travel through history is indeed an interesting subject.

The art of making perfumes can be traced back to ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia according to available records which mention the name of Tapputi, a perfume maker. But the art was made finer and more consistent by the Romans and the Persians. East Asia also contributed much to the development of perfumes although much of their hand work was based on incense sticks.

The Arabian expertise in making of perfumes was revealed through the ‘Book of the Chemistry of Perfume and Distillations’, which was written by the Arabian chemist Al-Kindi as early as the 9th Century, where he lists more than a hundred recipes for the creation of aromatic oils, fragrant waters, salves, etc. He has also given in detail all the equipments required for making perfumes as well as a hundred and seven methods of perfume making!

Later on, Avicenna or Ibn Sina, the Persian chemist and doctor invented the method of distillation for the extraction of fragrant oils from flowers. This became extremely popular and it must be said that this method proved to be very successful and is used even today.

As the religion of Islam spread to Europe, the knowledge of making perfumes too was introduced to the continent by the 14th century. But due credit should be given to the Hungarians who were responsible for the creation of the modern perfume which was a blend of fragrant oils and alcohol. Known all over Europe as ‘Hungary Water’, this was created at the command of Queen Elizabeth of Hungary in 1370.

Gradually, the art of making perfumes spread to Italy and by the 16th century, the Italian perfumes were introduced in France by Rene le Florentin, the personal perfumer of Catherine de’ Medici. The whole process was kept a secret and the formulas were closely guarded against theft.

France rapidly evolved to be a major hub of the perfume world especially due to the farming of aromatic plants in its Grasse region, mainly to meet the enormous raw material need. This gradually became an important industry in the South of France. To this day, France is considered to be one of the major centers in Europe which concentrates on the manufacture of world class perfumes and cosmetics.

Tim Walt – Jan.2009