We have broached this subject in various ways in previous articles and we continue to do so because I believe that it is important for the consumer to be educated as much as possible about the product that he or she wishes to purchase. When you are aware of the processes that the perfumer and the manufacturer must go through to create the finished product you will have a greater appreciation for the product. In addition, you will be able to make better decisions when you seek to make your purchase.

When the perfumer is given a task to create a fragrance he or she is provided with the buyers specifications with respect to the statement that the product is to make. Some considerations which will be addressed are: the target group that the fragrance is to appeal to, the personality characteristics of the fragrance itself, the time of year when it is to be used, and the type of events where it is to worn. These are only a few of the considerations which must be addressed but I mention them here to give you an idea of what the process entails.

The perfumer must have experience in creating fragrances. He or she must also have a keen sense of smell and an in depth knowledge of the effects of various fragrances on peoples emotions, and moods. He or she will then use this knowledge to create a fragrance suitable to the specifications of the manufacturer. The perfumer has to be familiar with the fine nuances of the fragrance, the effects of individual ingredients, and the effects and nuances of combinations of ingredients. He or she must also be familiar with changes in the various ingredients over time and how they will affect the overall bouquet of the fragrance.

After considering all of these things and more the perfumer needs to come up with the exact combination of ingredients to obtain the desired effect. This is a process which may take months or even years to accomplish. A perfume fragrance can conceivably have hundreds of different ingredients is various combinations. This is what makes it virtually impossible for another perfumer to imitate it.

There are several types of effects which different ingredients are used for. Primary scents are the basic scents used to compose fragrances. They are the base. They can be added to or modified to create different effects.

Modifiers are used to enhance or add character to a primary scent. For example, a modifier will cause the difference between coconut, French coconut, black coconut, or Sudanese coconut. Modifiers are what will be used to change the character of a fragrance from sweet to citrus and so on and so forth.

Blenders are used to help to make the transition between different levels of fragrances. The perfumer must have an intimate knowledge of the subtle effects of blenders and must be able to apply them in the correct amount and composition to get the desired effect.

Fixatives are probably the most important because they are used to enhance and support the primary scent. The fixative gives the boost so to speak. For example, we have many different natural oil fragrances on hand but the oil fragrance is much stronger than the natural fragrance in every instance. This is because of the effects of the fixatives which were used when the fragrance was created.

We have given you a snapshot of the complicated process of producing fragrances for your pleasure. We certainly hope that this information will assist you in your future selections of your personal use fragrances.