Perfume is a blend of aromatic materials dissolved in a carrier — usually alcohol — so that it can be sprayed on skin and evaporate slowly into the air around you. Because its materials evaporate at different speeds, a perfume changes as it wears: bright at first, fuller after half an hour, softer and deeper by the end of the day. Almost everything else about fragrance — the notes, the families, the words on the bottle — is a way of describing that blend and that change.
This guide is a starting point. It explains the basic ideas in the order most people need them, and links to a fuller article on each one.
What is perfume, exactly?
A finished perfume has two parts.
- The perfume concentrate — the composition itself: anything from a handful to several hundred aromatic materials, some taken from plants and resins, many made by chemists. It is the part a perfumer designs.
- The carrier — most often perfumer’s alcohol, sometimes with a little water. It dilutes the concentrate to a strength that is pleasant to wear and helps it lift off the skin.
Some fragrances use oil instead of alcohol, and some are solid balms; we compare the two most common forms in Perfume Oil vs Spray. For what goes into the concentrate, see What Is Perfume Made Of?, and for how it is put together, How Is Perfume Made?.
Why perfume changes as you wear it
The single most useful idea in fragrance is volatility: how quickly a material evaporates at skin temperature. Light, volatile materials — citrus peels, many herbs — reach your nose first and fade first. Heavy ones — woods, resins, musks, vanilla — are there from the start but come forward only as the lighter ones leave.
That is why perfumes are described in three stages:
- Top notes — the first impression, usually minutes to half an hour.
- Heart notes — the main character, for several hours.
- Base notes — the long, quiet end, sometimes called the dry down.
We explain the model, and where it simplifies, in Top, Heart and Base: Reading a Fragrance, and the final stage in What Is the Dry Down of a Perfume?.
The first spray is an introduction. The perfume you will live with arrives later.
What the words on the bottle mean
Concentration
Eau de toilette, eau de parfum, parfum and extrait describe roughly how much concentrate is in the bottle. More concentrate usually means a richer, longer-lasting fragrance, but the ranges are approximate and houses vary. Most of these words are French; French Perfume Terms, Translated translates them. Start with Perfume Concentrations Explained, then the two most common comparisons: Eau de Parfum vs Eau de Toilette and Perfume vs Cologne.
Notes
A note list — "bergamot, rose, sandalwood" — describes what a perfume smells like. It is not an ingredient list, and a note does not promise that a particular natural material is inside. Are Perfume Notes Real Ingredients? explains the difference, and How to Read the Ingredient List on a Perfume covers the legal list printed on the box.
Family
Floral, woody, amber, fresh, chypre, fougère, gourmand — fragrance families group perfumes by their overall character. They are the quickest way to describe your own taste. Fragrance Families Explained introduces them all.
How long perfume lasts, and how far it travels
Three words describe a perfume’s performance, and they are often confused:
- Longevity — how long it remains noticeable on skin.
- Projection — how far it radiates from you while you wear it.
- Sillage — the trail it leaves in the air as you move.
They are separate qualities, and a perfume can be strong in one and modest in another. Sillage, Projection and Longevity, Explained defines each one, and How to Make Perfume Last Longer collects the practical advice.
Your skin, the weather and your own nose all play a part. The same perfume can smell different on two people (Why Skin Changes a Perfume), and you will often stop noticing your own fragrance long before others do (Why Can’t I Smell My Own Perfume?).
How to choose your first perfumes
A few principles save a great deal of money and disappointment:
- Smell on skin, not only on paper. Paper shows the opening clearly; skin shows the perfume you will actually wear.
- Wait. Give a fragrance several hours before deciding. The opening is the least representative part.
- Try two at a time, at most. One on each wrist. More than that and your nose tires and the scents blur.
- Start with a sample. A small vial costs far less than a bottle you do not finish. See Perfume Samples and Decants.
- Notice families, not just names. If you like two fragrances, find out what they share; it points you towards more.
Our full method is in How to Choose a Perfume and How to Test a Perfume Before You Buy It.
How to wear it
Apply to skin — the neck, the inner wrists, the chest — from a short distance, and let it settle without rubbing. Start with one or two sprays; you can always add more. The details, including clothing and hair, are in Wearing Perfume With Intention.
How to keep it
Light, heat and air are what age a perfume. Keep bottles closed, out of sunlight and away from heat — a cupboard or drawer is better than a bathroom shelf. See How to Store Perfume and, if a bottle has been waiting a long time, Does Perfume Expire?.
Common beginner questions
Is a more expensive or more concentrated perfume better?
Not necessarily. Price reflects many things — materials, presentation, distribution — and concentration describes strength, not quality. A well-composed eau de toilette can be more satisfying than an unremarkable extrait.
Are some perfumes for men and some for women?
Perfumes are marketed that way, but smell has no gender. Many people wear fragrances from either side of the shop. We discuss this in What Makes a Fragrance Unisex?.
How many perfumes do I need?
One you love is enough to begin. If you want more, think in roles — everyday, evening, warm weather — rather than numbers, as described in Building a Fragrance Wardrobe.
Where to go next
If you want to understand what you are smelling, read about the fragrance families and what perfume is made of. If you want to buy well, read How to Choose a Perfume. And if you are curious about how a perfumer works at the bench — formulas, dilutions and the arithmetic behind a concentration — our sister site RUŌOD Lab has a practical guide to perfume formulation.
