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The Smell Of Sweet Perfume
Wearing perfume is a very feminine indulgence, a custom that's been used throughout the centuries for two very different purposes.
One reason a woman wears perfume is to excite the senses of the man (or men) in her life, making herself more desirable in the process. But on a more personal level, a woman wears perfume to please herself - to enhance her sense of femininity, and to associate herself with a signature scent that lets people know, “Hi, this is me”.
How Perfume Becomes Unique
The interesting thing about perfume is that it has the ability to become unique to the wearer. A perfume will smell a little different on each woman who wears it, because the perfume mingles with the natural, idiosyncratic scent of her skin, creating a combination of scents that is uniquely her.
Perfume – Luxury Or Necessity?
You could consider perfume a luxury item because we really don't need it to go about our daily lives. Or do we?
Throughout history, and probably prehistory as well, women have pampered their bodies with perfume, from Cleopatra through to the present day. In the period before commercial perfume was available, women rubbed flower essences on their skin to create a pleasing scent.
As always, the wealthy had access to better sources of perfumed products, because they had the money to pay for both products and people to prepare and process them. This helped create the association of perfume with luxury, wealth and privilege. Today, many designer perfumes continue the tradition of being so outrageously expensive that they are beyond the range of the average working woman.
However, many experts argue that the ready availability of inexpensive light, fresh perfumes for daily wear suggests that women should wear some kind of perfume any time they engage in social interaction. It's the rare person who can stay fresh all day by relying on a shower, shampoo and antiperspirant.
So if women wear perfume to feel fresh, attractive, sexy and confident, it stands to reason that this frame of mind is desirable in any social encounter.
Choosing A Perfume
Most women, at any one time, will have one or two perfumes that they identify with. And this is subject to change, depending on their personal circumstances.
Perhaps at a certain time in her life, a woman will discover a perfume that she absolutely falls in love with. She wears it everywhere and it becomes her signature scent. But as her circumstances change, she perceives herself as a different person and begins to experiment with new perfumes, along with new clothes, apartments, partners and so on. Several major transitions in a woman's life, from teenage years though university to first job and marriage, will trigger an impulse to redefine herself, and her choice in perfume will be one of the aspects that changes.
Perhaps a young woman has just graduated from university and is applying for her first job. She may look for a scent that says, “Look out, World! Here I come!” Career girl, potential business tycoon - whatever her image is of where she's going, she wants a perfume that reflects her new self.
Another young woman decides to purchase her first apartment. Perhaps the perfume she wears is a sweet, flowery, young girl scent, but now she sees herself as a woman of responsibility. She decides she needs a more mature scent, one that projects a more adult image.
Which brings us to another important consideration. A woman will often wear different perfumes at different times of the day, or depending on her mood. The bright, breezy scent she wears at the office or doing errands is not what she'd choose for a romantic dinner in a beautiful restaurant. Or the sexy fragrance she wears with her lover is not what she chooses for a business lunch with a male colleague.
Rules For Buying Perfume As A Gift
So when you're buying perfume as a gift, you need to know some facts about the person you're buying for. Firstly, you need to know her favorite perfume or perfumes at the moment. Or you need to know the name of a perfume that she wants but doesn't own yet.
Because you don't want to get it wrong. Women are very particular about the perfumes that they wear. They won't wear a scent that their senses tell them is too sweet, cloying or heavy, or unattractive in some other way. And often they'll be too polite to tell you that you've chosen badly.
If you don't know someone's preferences, ask her mother or her best friend. Or admire her perfume and ask for the name. When you choose the right perfume, you'll be giving a gift that's guaranteed to please.
For information of cologne and aromatherapy, visit these pages:
Recommended Perfume Sites
The following sites offer a wide range of perfumes for purchase online:
USA
- Fragrancex.com
Offers thousands of products from all of the top designers such as Perry Ellis, Versace, Gucci and Fendi
- Attar Bazaar
Offers a range of fragrant oils for all purposes
- FragranceNet
Provides access to a large inventory of genuine brand name fragrances, skincare, candles and aromatherapy
Europe
- The Body Shop®
Produces assorted fragrances, beauty & cosmetics products
- Perfume4u
Offers a full range of perfume, aftershave and fragrance
Australasia
- StrawberryNET.com
Japanese web site stocks all major cosmetics, skin care products, make up and fragrance brands. Offers free shipping worldwide
- Perfume.com.au
This Australian site features brand name fragrances for men and women
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