Sunday, November 26, 2006

Fragrance Foundation Offers Fragrance Tips


The Fragrance Foundation offers a wealth of information related to the world of perfume. In their Fragrance Tips, we read:

  • Everyone has a personal "scent circle": approximately an arm's length from the body. No one should be aware of your fragrance unless he or she steps inside your "circle." Fragrance should be one of the most subtle, personal messages you send to those with whom you come in contact.

  • For a long-lasting effect, fragrance should be layered all over the body, starting with toilet water or eau de parfum...
    Click here for the rest of the tips and follow the link at the bottom of the page to Press/Consumer Info and then locate Fragrance Tips.


I really like this idea of the scent circle. It has been my experience that an arm's length of scent radiation is just about right, but it is not easy to achieve. How many of us have had the unfortunate experience of being in the presence of someone with a scent circle MUCH larger than an arm's length? As in the size of a room? Conversely, sometimes a fragrance clings so closely that we are not aware of it on others even when sitting next to them.

What do you consider to be the perfect size for a scent circle? And what fragrance have you found that achieves this goal?
image source: fragrance foundation

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

My scent circle is less than the arm's length, as I only like to share the scent with people that I am close to, hanging out with, I guess you could say. I don't much like strangers asking me about my scent, no more than I'd like them to ask about my eye makeup or shampoo or shoes. I just prefer to be a whole package, not parts. I am not a name dropper, fashion wise at all.
For me, perfume is something I need everyday, and I like it to stay close, something I can breathe in from time to time like a treat. It isn't a "show-offy "
"Oh smell me I'm wearing expensive ExCLUsive stuff here!" thing for me. Often people don't realize I am wearing perfume at all, and I prefer this quiet way of wearing it.
But yes, I layer and use the matching lotions, and I carry perfume in my handbag to re-spritz. I love perfuming myself, but not broadcasting it. I never really like smelling perfume on men and women unless I am close to them, say a foot away or closer.
the nicest thing about perfume is that it can be shared in a quiet private way, like a secret.

Anonymous said...

Part two: The scents I have found to stay close are warm scents, chypres, or very soft warm florals. notes of honey, vanilla, rose...
My husband says he has always been amazed since he was in High school, how he can SEE a beautiful woman and then she gets close and is wearing a LOUD FLORAL and all her beauty seems to evaporate in the awful SMELL . Jacques Guerlain said something similar, how the most beautiful well dressed girl can just become intolerable when wearing a perfume that stinks. (Yes, Jacques said STINKS.)
as in P.U. with all the perfumes out there, couldn't you find a good one?

christine said...

Hi, anonymous!
I love your expression of sharing perfume in a quiet way, "like a secret."

And yet, I must confess, when a stranger does happen to compliment me on my fragrance, I can't help but feel a little perk of happiness.

I agree that the soft warm florals tend to stay closest. Do you have a particular fragrance in mind?

And good for Jacques in calling it as he saw (or smelled) it! Sometimes a perfume does just stink! lol!
Christine

Anonymous said...

I asked three men what they thought were sexy perfumes. (They all agreed that they disliked obvious florals) They basically listed scents that their wives wear.
B: Likes all of the Bulgari tea scents, esp. Omnia.
G: Likes Shalimar, Emeraude, Sun Moon Stars and Lolita Lempicka. (Note: his daughter wears big florals and her perfumes make him ill.)
M:Likes sweet things like Hypnotic Poison and Butterfly.
Female friends who despise huge florals recommended the following:
Blu Notte Pour Femme, Allure, Ta'if, Angel,
New Haarlem and Rush as "sexy" scents.
So much more out there to sample, too.
I only have one friend who loves super fruity super florals and she says "Can't get enough Gardenia and Citrus!" You can smell her coming and going, too, but she wants you to know, she likes that.

christine said...

Anonymous,
I agree with your female friends who despise huge florals. Rush and Allure have been in my top rotation for many years now. And Ta'if is pretty beyond words. It is at the top of my list for sheer elegance and wearability.
Christine

Anonymous said...

This scent circle is an interesting concept. I think 20/20, Oprah, 60 minutes, 48 hours, Judge Judy, Megan Mulally, Bill O Riley and Andersen Cooper should all do a segment on this on the same day/night. I'm not a fan of having my personal space invaded by someone's scent, floral or otherwise! There is this person at work who wears something that smells like roach killer to me, and it lingers and wafts making my face cringe and my stomach turn... similar to the way diesel exhaust makes me feel. I'm not sure what is worse, her scent, or the well dressed petite Indian woman on flight from Chicago to New York who took her jacket off and knocked over about 8 rows of passengers! Regardless, this scent circle is a good idea to spead around!

Anonymous said...

The history of perfume goes back to Egypt, although it was prevalent in East Asia as well. Early perfumes were based on incense, not chemicals, so aromas were passed around through fumes. The Roman and Islamic cultures further refined the harvesting and manufacturing of perfumery processes to include other aromatic ingredients.

Thus, the ancient Islamic culture marked the history of modern perfumery with the introduction of spices and herbs. Fragrances and other exotic substances, such as Jasmine and Citruses, were adapted to be harvested in climates outside of their indigenous Asia.