Needle and thread
Perfume and fashion
The fashion and perfume industries are virtually twins having been created in the early twentieth century when, thanks to social and economic changes, privileges such as fine clothes and sophisticated perfumes began to be mass produced.
Gabrielle Chanel was the first one to seize this opportunity, not only making clothes for the independent woman at the turn of the century, but also perfumes that could express this new femininity. Such as the famous Chanel N°5 created by Ernest Beaux in 1921.
Try our women’s fragrance inspired by Fashion world F2927
Roman lamp
Studying smoke
We can learn about the history of a word from its etymology. “Perfume” most likely comes from the Latin, pro fumus, literally meaning “in front of smoke”. Imagine you’re in an ancient Roman temple dedicated to the worship of an important god: in front of his statue, you find dozens of lamps containing oils scented with resins – incense, for example – spreading their smoke with its intense smell high up into the air.
Try our fragrance Black New PFI0047200
Wine
Not just flavour: the bouquet in a wine glass
A few hundred odour molecules are developed by wine, and each individual grape variety has its own very particular smell. The aromas of wine are mainly divided into 3 categories: primary, or the aromas found in the grape skin, which are then imparted into the wine during maceration and fermentation; secondary, which are created when the wine is being made and come directly from the pressing; and finally, there are tertiary aromas, which are formed during the wine’s ageing and maturing process.
Try our fragrance Uva Mirtillo PFI0048951
Hourglass
Time to remember
The area of the brain that processes smell is linked to the limbic system, which is incredibly important in recalling memories: just smell a familiar scent and it will immediately bring back a memory and, even more importantly, the emotion connected to it. Sayings such as “I’m going by my nose” show the importance of our sense of smell: our olfactory memory leads us to certain choices that go beyond our own rational thinking, such as our preference for a partner, avoiding a food with an unpleasant smell or, on the contrary, being attracted by an irresistible faint aroma because it reminds us of home cooking.
Try our fragrance Ambre F8734
Diamond
The most expensive raw material
The most expensive raw material in the world is actually iris “absolute”. This term means a special extraction technique which lets you obtain an incredibly pure and highly concentrated essential oil. Extracting iris absolute is a long, arduous process which starts with the roots, which are peeled and processed before they are “aged” for up to 4 years. The storage period determines the percentage of irone in the roots, which gives iris absolute its rich woody, floral and slightly fruity scent. The “iris butter” you get from properly processed roots, and which is used to extract the absolute, can cost over €60,00 per kilo.
Try our iris absolute in the fragrance F11084 Iris Bianco
Dummy
Opening your nose up to the world
Even though it may seem a minor sense to us, smell is the first sense that we develop after birth. In fact, it is a very good way to find our way around and to start recognising our surrounding world and, first and foremost, our parents. As we grow up, our sense of smell continues to develop. In fact, an adult nose contains about 10 million olfactory receptors, which we use to potentially distinguish between up to 10 trillion smells. It is so important that every 28 days our olfactory cells regenerate, pretty much giving us a new “nose” every 4 weeks.
Try our fragrance featuring a milky note Talco Baby F5496
Lipstick
Beauty’s best friends to be looked after carefully
Lipstick and perfume are considered some of the main weapons of female seduction, but to make sure they remain so, they should be stored smartly. High temperatures and humidity change the texture of lipstick; and those with natural oils and waxes can break down more easily. While perfume’s enemies are excessive light and high temperatures, which can cause chemical changes inside the fragrance, changing its smell. This is why both these beauty products keep their characteristics for longer if they are stored in the fridge.
Try our fragrance Orchidea PFI0022822
Coffee
How to revive a tired nose
Sensing and decoding smells is a really big job for our brain, which launches certain defence mechanisms to avoid overloading, i.e. it stops sensing things. For the same reason, when we test lots of perfumes, they all seem the same. So, what do our master perfumers do to keep their nose receptive? One small trick: they smell ground coffee because, due to its “neutralising” odour, it resets our sense of smell.
Try our fragrance Caffè F15055
Orange
One single plant with many different essences
Essential oils can be extracted from flowers, leaves, roots, bark or wood, rhizomes and fruits. The various parts of the same plant sometimes contain different essential oils due to their concentration of one component or their different chemical compounds. For example, this is the case with oranges: you get the neroli essential oil from their flowers, which contains methyl anthranilate; you get the petitgrain essential oil from their leaves and twigs, which is rich in linalyl acetate and linalool; while you get the orange essential oil from the fruit peel.
Try our fragrance Arancia 69007 F6241
Comb
The trend of hair perfume
The temptation is to overindulge and, while leaving a considerable sillage, to spray perfume directly onto your hair, thinking that it will increase its pervasive effect. In actual fact, the alcohol in perfume is very bad for your hair, causing it to dry out.
However, there are types of perfumes formulated to be used directly on hair.
Try our fragrance Black Silk PFI0023914
The world of fragrances is complex yet fascinating: this is why we offer our customers training courses, so they can hone their skills and knowledge in this field. Here you will find a little taste of the history of perfumery and how our nose works.
