What are the different concentrates?
There are many repetitions and names for the different concentrations of perfumes. The main groups can be listed as follows:
3-5% cologne
8-15% Eau de Parfum
25-30% Intense
5-8% Eau de Toilette
15-25% Perfume
The concentrations have not been standardized industrially so that the percentages are only approximate.
It is worth noting that the level of concentration of aromatic components is related to the intensity of a perfume and how long it lasts.
What are fragrance notes and accords?
Perfumes are complex mixtures of chemical, synthetic and natural ingredients. Their actual recipes are closely guarded secrets. Even if they are made available to the public, they mostly remain incomprehensible.
In short, notes are considered as indications and descriptions of individual scents in each perfume. Then when they work together to create a unique result, they are considered as chords, much like a musical composition.
The volatility of scents and their circles of life
Have you ever noticed how a perfume can smell different during the day?
That's because you can't smell all the different ingredients at once.
Another reason lies in the respective skin temperature and how a perfume dries and evaporates on it. The different components of a perfume evaporate at different rates rather than all at once. Because this is done in this way, perfumes reveal themselves in different forms to each user.
The first notes one perceives are said to be those that evaporate the fastest. When they have evaporated, the next note takes its place.
This process continues until all of the notes have dissipated and the last note persists for hours. This is often referred to as the life circle of fragrances.
A circle of life is quite simply the degradation process of the individual scents in the life of a perfume. It is the sequence of notes until the entire perfume evaporates completely.
There are certain perfumes whose notes are broken down one by one according to a certain pattern. Then there are other perfumes whose functioning is very complex, since some of their notes overlap to form different accords.
What is a perfume pyramid?
A fragrance pyramid represents a concept to explain the life circle of a perfume.
The different notes are divided according to their degree of volatility in order to make a clear distinction between the individual phases visible.
These phases are divided into three groups, from highest to lowest volatility:
top notes
These are the first notes perceived after applying the perfume. They consist of components that evaporate the fastest. Top notes are short-lived, but very severe and sharp. They introduce the wearer to the perfume and give a first impression.
heart notes
After the top notes have dissipated, the heart notes emerge. These are fickle notes that linger as the base becomes perceptible. These are usually created to hide the base notes, which take a while to mature and can be off-putting at first.
base notes
Base notes are the basis of a perfume. These are long-lasting aromas that usually form chords with the heart notes. Base notes give a perfume its longevity, which can last for hours.
The notes are then stacked in layers, indicating the chronological circle of life of the perfume. This results in the shape of a triangle, which is colloquially referred to as a pyramid.
