Beauty: More on Perfumes (Calvin Klein One Summer)

I'm not a big fan of perfume, but when you need it, you need it. I would rather smell like a fruit cake than a smelling foot. You know it can happen in summer time.

I never buy my own perfume though, I get them as gifts, and I like them! So far, I have got two, and both of them belong to the Calvin Klein One series. CK One is designed to suit both men and women, in another word, unisex. And this makes it even better because if I cannot finish using them, I always have ladies who can help me out.

Perfume has another word equivalent, and that word is fragrance. Since the last time we have learnt the terms Top note, Middle /Heart note and Base note, let's look at another way to describe perfumes:

Let's look at an example from CK One Summer:

Details from BeautyEncounter.com,

3.4 oz Eau de Toilette Spray 2009 Limited Edition

Fragrance Notes: Mint, Cucumber, Lemon, Bergamot, Green Apple, Lotus, Rosemary, Rum, Woods, Sea Moss, Sandalwood

Fragrance Family: Aquatic

Fragrance Style: Laid Back

Recommended Use Summer

Launch Date: 2009

Our focus here is the Fragrance Family.

From Wikipedia, modern fragrance family can be categorized into the following: (descriptions rephrased by me after my understanding)

Bright Floral: flowery smells,

Green: grassy, planty smells, fresh and natural

Aquatic, Oceanic or Ozonic: clean, water-like smells, liquidy

Citrus: Acidic fruity smells, with Vitamin C

Fruity: Non-acidic fruity smells

Gourmand: Scents with edible or dessert-like qualities.

Then there is the Fragrance Wheel which is an even newer classification method with 5 standard families which consist of Floral, Oriental, Woody, Fougère and Fresh, with each of them having further subgroups which might be a little too detail to go on.

Can you find the fragrance family for your favourite perfume(s)?

Then it is the Fragrance Style, which is the general feeling that the fragrance offers you, for CK One Summer, it is laid-back, meaning relaxed and not worried.

Picture Resources:

http://www.zappos.com/n/p/p/7543190/c/1.html

http://www.elblogalternativo.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/we-are-one1.jpg

Resources:

http://lockyep.blogspot.com/2010/01/beauty-lockys-guide-to-choosing-your.html

http://lockyep.blogspot.com/2010/01/beauty-parfam-or-toilette.html

http://www.beautyencounter.com/0031655727202.html

http://www.perfume.com/calvin-klein/ck-one/unisex-fragrance

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=44418&dict=CALD

Beauty: Locky's Guide to Choosing Your Perfect Perfume (DKNY Be Delicious Fresh Blossom)

Locky's Guide to Choosing Your Perfect Perfume

-- "sounding-like-an-expert" version

After learning about the classification of perfumes, it is about time for me to do some recommendation.

Choosing perfume is like choosing red wine, only you will know which kind of tastes you like. As long as you like it, it is a good perfume!

In my super self-centred opinions, it doesn't matter what your boyfriend or husband like or think, it is what you want that matters most. You can get opinions from them, but never put them above your own.

Not so long ago, I was looking for Eau de Parfum for my girlfriend and so I took her to the department store to try out the fragrance. Since all perfumes have 3 notes, you can only be completely sure if you like the perfume if you have experienced all 3 of them.

My suggestion is:

1. go to the store in the morning, spray a few on separate test papers,
2. select ONLY the ones with the best top notes and chuck the rest,
3. then go window-shopping,
4. smell the test papers again for the middle notes every hour after that and keep repeating 2 ( and 3 maybe, I can hear the girls cheering already),
5. after 5 to 6 hours, check to see if you like the base notes,
6. allow yourself at least 24 hours to ponder things over,
7. if you have already narrowed it down to one or two choices, then go to the store again. This time, apply the perfume on your body* as you should see if your body scent (or body odour) matches with the perfume.
8. if you have singled out one, you shouldn't wait any more!

* Lower arm is preferred because you might be tempted to check the smell often; applying it on the hand and you will wash it away easily; applying it on the neck and the sales lady will give you a bad look.

If everything goes well, you should be able to find your perfect perfume. Nonetheless, even if you do often apply the perfume, I suggest that you still go for 50 ml. No matter how tempting it is for the more economical 100 ml or 150 ml, it is likely that a new version will come out in less than 3 months, which you might find it even better, so keep your options open.

One of the perfumes I eventually bought is the DKNY Be Delicious series, Fresh Blossom. From the official website, the descriptions are as follows:

Inspired by the beauty of the Apple Blossom, this new fragrance is lighthearted, intensely feminine, and radiant. A blend of sparkling grapefruit, cassis and sun-kissed apricot, blended with sheer muguet, petally rose and jasmine.

List of notes from StrawberryNET:

Top notes:

grapefruit, cassis (French) /kasi/= blackcurrant , apricot

Middle notes/heart notes:

muguet (French) /mygɛ/= lily-of-the-valley , rose, jasmine

Base notes:

apple blossom, blonde wood = wood of golden colour, smooth skin accord

Valentine's Day is next month guys!!!! You know what to look for!

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Vocabulary

chuck -- [T often + adverb or preposition] informal to throw something carelessly

ponder -- to think carefully about something, especially for a noticeable length of time

body scent -- a smell produced by an animal which acts as a signal to other animals

body odour -- an unpleasant smell on a person's body that is caused by sweat

lighthearted -- happy and not serious

intensely -- very strongly

feminine -- having qualities which are traditionally considered to be suitable for a woman

radiant -- obviously very happy, or very beautiful

sparkling -- shining brightly

sheer -- describes clothing or material which is so thin, light and delicate that you can see through it

petally -- of any of the usually brightly coloured parts that together form most of a flower

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Picture resources:

http://slimages.macys.com/is/image/MCY/products/0/optimized/513060_fpx.tif?bgc=255,255,255&wid=327&qlt=90,0&layer=comp&op_sharpen=0&resMode=bicub&op_usm=0.7,1.0,0.5,0&fmt=jpeg

Resources:

http://www.dknyfragrances.com/templates/products/sp_nonshaded.tmpl?CATEGORY_ID=CATEGORY21488&PRODUCT_ID=PROD14584

http://www.strawberrynet.com/perfume/dkny/be-delicious-fresh-blossom-eau/89562/?CatgId=17

http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll299/cozycotter/DKNYFresh.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grapefruit

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apricot

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassis_(disambiguation)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muguet

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rose

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jasmine

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_blossom#Apple_production

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=13470&dict=CALD

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=61427&dict=CALD

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=70255&dict=CALD&topic=smells-and-smelling

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=8544&dict=CALD&topic=smells-and-smelling

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=46104&dict=CALD

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=41334&dict=CALD&topic=lacking-humour

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=28452&dict=CALD&topic=gender-related-attributes

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=65127&dict=CALD

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=76192&dict=CALD&topic=the-qualities-of-light

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=72642&dict=CALD&topic=very-and-extreme

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=59190&dict=CALD&topic=flowers-general-words

Beauty: Parfum or Toilette?

Have you ever wondered what do the words "Eau de Parfum", "Eau de Toilette" or "Eau de Cologne" on your perfume bottles mean? Why are the prices of these perfumes so different? What language are they in? How do we pronounce these words?

Let's study my findings.

Quoting from Wikipedia, "the word perfume used today derives from the Latin "per fumum", meaning through smoke. Perfumery, or the art of making perfumes, began in ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt and was further refined by the Romans and Persians."[1]

Today, France is "the centre of the European perfume design and trade."[1]

Eau, in words such as "Eau de Parfum", "Eau de Toilette" or "Eau de Cologne" (or "Eau de vie", a colourless fruit brandy), refers to "water"[2] and it is a commonly used permutation of vowels in French words which yields a sound similar to the letter "O" in some languages[2], while de means "of", thus Eau de means "water of"[3], the IPA of it is /ˌəʊ.də./[4]

General classification of perfumes follows the concentration by percent/volume of perfume oil[5]:

Perfume extract (Extrait):

• 15-40% (IFRA: typical 20%) aromatic compounds

Eau de Parfum /ˌəʊ.də.paʁˈfœ̃m/ (EdP), Parfum de Toilette (PdT):

• 10-20% (typical ~15%) aromatic compounds. Sometimes listed as "eau de perfume" or "millésime".

Eau de Toilette /ˌəʊ.də.twaˈlet/ (EdT):

• 5-15% (typical ~10%) aromatic compounds

Eau de Cologne /ˌəʊ.də.kəˈləʊn/ (EdC):

• Chypre citrus type perfumes with 3-8% (typical ~5%) aromatic compounds

Splash and After shave:

• 1-3% aromatic compounds

Click here to see the IPA symbols which you haven't learnt and here for French Phonology.

Perfume is described in a musical metaphor as having three sets of 'notes', making the harmonious scent accord.[5]

Top notes: The scents that are perceived immediately on application of a perfume.Also called the "head notes".

Middle notes: The scent of a perfume that emerges just prior to when the top notes dissipate. They are also called the "heart notes".

Base notes: The scent of a perfume that appears close to the departure of the middle notes.

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Vocabulary:

harmonious -- (adj.) having a pleasant tune or harmony

accord -- (n.) (a formal) agreement

dissipate -- (vb.) to (cause to) gradually disappear

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Wish you all a very fragrant 2010!!!

Picture resources:

http://ultimatescent.com/files/2013747/uploaded/Beautiful_Perfume_Bottle_Image2.gif

http://www.freefoto.com/images/1351/04/1351_04_9---Eiffel-Tower--Paris--France_web.jpg

http://www.istockphoto.com/file_thumbview_approve/6928800/2/istockphoto_6928800-3d-music-notes.jpg

Resources:

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perfume

[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eau

[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eau_de_vie#Etymology

[4] http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=24665&dict=CALD&topic=toiletry-and-perfumes

[5] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perfume#Concentration

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_phonology

http://74.125.153.132/search?q=cache:YoYpFP0eYhMJ:en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:IPA+eau+de+parfum+IPA&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=35886&dict=CALD&topic=describing-qualities-of-sound

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=522&dict=CALD&topic=accepting-and-agreeing

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=22627&dict=CALD