SCENT OF A WOMAN........OH AND A MAN TOO.

You are standing at the train station and a stranger rushes past. Immediately you are mesmerised with their scent that lingers behind. Sounds like an Impulse (body spray) commercial doesn't it? But that smell, takes you back to your overseas trip to Hawaii. Notes of frangipanis and hibiscus excites your senses and reminds you of the hot balmy nights; overlooking the still ocean under the moonlight!

Ok, so I may not be a great writer when it comes to romance. But I do have a wild imagination and the memory I have talked about is in fact my honeymoon - 21 years ago. Let me assure you that each time I smell these tropical scents of the island, I am whisked away to another era. (That would be the one where I was ummmm 20 and a size 8).

It amazes me how the sense of smell is so powerful and reminds us of another time, place and even emotions. The smell of freshly cut grass takes me back to when I was 5 and I was playing in the garden (cause there was no Facebook), whilst my dad was cutting the grass. That smell reminds me of summer.

Wikipedia defines PERFUME as a mixture of fragrant essential oils or aroma compounds, fixatives and solvents used to give the human body, animals, food, objects, and living spaces "a pleasant scent."^[1]              

If we could capture our sense of smell and bottle it forever, that would be cool. No need though. We have perfumeries that create these for us. The process of smelling the essential oils and botanicals in perfumes falls under the Olfactory System. We smell the contents and the message relayed to our brain (known as the limbic system - see I did listen in class when I studied Aromatherapy) takes us to the memories saved in our filing system - formed in our brain.

THE BRAIN
Pictures courtesy of Google Images. 

Perfume makes us smell great. It can make a woman feel sensual and sexy; not to mention when a man smells great - he becomes masculine and sexy. I love smelling good. I have so many perfumes and I still can't get enough. But there are cheap perfumes that can also make you smell rancid and 'OLD' - think of sweet pea and Taboo.

Do you know the difference between a cologne, perfume and eau de toilette? This can make a difference in winning over your loved one.

COLOGNE

Eau de Cologne or simply cologne (German: Kölnisch Wasser, “Water of Cologne”) is a perfume originating from Cologne, Germany. Originally mixed by Italian-born Johann Maria Farina in 1709, it has since come to be a generic term for scented formulations in typical concentration of 2%–5% and also more depending upon its type essential oils or a blend of extracts, alcohol, and water. In a base of dilute ethanol (70%–90%), eau de cologne contains a mixture of citrus oils including oils of lemon, orange, tangerine, bergamot, lime, grapefruit and neroli. It can also contain oils of lavender, rosemary, thyme, petitgrain (orange leaf), jasmine, and tobacco.  as per Wikipedia definition.

PARFUME or PERFUME

PERFUME is a mixture of fragrant essential oils or aroma compounds, fixatives and solvents used to give the human body, animals, food, objects, and living spaces "a pleasant scent."^[1] 
as per Wikipedia definition.

EAU DE TOILETTE

Eau de toilette is also referred to as "aromatic waters" or "flower waters" and has a high alcohol content. It also has essential oils added to the mix. Usually in the form of 'after shave'.

So basically it depends on the chemical ingredients that determines the heading it falls under and of course the price you pay.

Some examples of amazing scents I love are:

All pictures are Courtesy of  Google Images.

Some awesome fragrances worn by my man.

Pictures courtesy of Google Images.    

TIP: When trying to pick a perfume for someone, try and smell the coffee beans they have available to neutralise the scents ~ or you will have perfume overload.

Enjoy and smell good peeps!

SK x