Creating Perfume And Cologne Fragrance: The Journey Of A Perfumer - By: Patricia - The perfume Lover

Perfumers are chosen in various ways, each company having a different procedure. Of course, the major criterion is a good nose and this is determined by a series of odor evaluation tests. Prospective perfumers are given a series of identified chemicals, numbering from 20-30 and is asked to study them for a short time. These perfumers are then given the coded form of the chemicals and are then held accountable by how they identify them. Their score is determined on how many they get right. Their are many disagreements on how many a prospective perfumer must identify correctly but none-the-less should be above 75%.

The candidates remain apprentices for a minimum of 6 years and may never make the grade at all but, if they do, they become full-fledged perfumers and then can move up the ranks, depending on the success of their creations.

The creators of fragrance including all the perfumes and colognes we love, Perfumers, who are the ones with the nose, are held in the highest regard in the fragrance industry and what they say goes. Whether or not a perfume or cologne gets produced us strictly up to them. Its the olfactory sense in your nose thats the primary requisite for becoming a perfumer. It is not enough for the perfumer to be able to distinguish blindfolded between the fragrance of a rose and a tulip, but his or her nose must be so acute that heor she can detect in a mixture of 100 or more ingredients the precise amount of the various substances that have contributed to the formula. He or she must not only be able to recognize various raw materials but must have the capacity and artistry to blend them harmoniously. The perfumer must be able to tell, for instance, whether a certain lot of labdanum is from Greece or Corsica; whether the oil of ylang-ylang comes from Madagascar or Manila; tell the difference between oils of the same species of plant cultivated in different countries, and which type will achieve a particular result. Lavender oil, for example, can have a top note that is floral, balsamic, sharp, sweet, green or nut-like. The Nose has his counterpart in the wine industry where the skilled expert can tell in an instant the region, type of grape, and vintage of the wine they're sampling.

It takes time to create a great designer perfume. This method is never rushed. Mass-produced fragrances may be blended from a standard formula in a short time, but the original creation of a beautiful perfume may take years to accomplish. If the artist has a picture in mind that he wishes to translate into the scent he will spend many weeks and months over it. Surrounded by a myriad of bottles like an artist in a park or a writer when they are hunting for ideas, vials & jars each filled with precious essential oils and other materials help the perfumer goes to work. During the blending he is constantly tweaking his formula. As he works, he dips long slender blotters, called mouilettes (pronounced moo-yetts), into the solution and sets them aside to dry. At intermissions these strips are sniffed, to determine what should be added to perfect the composition and to round out the perfume.

Just as a painter spreads paint over his canvas and then steps back to view it critically checking upon whether more light is needed in an area, or a bit more blue needs to be added to the purple, so does the perfume artist make their tests. Perhaps a minute quantity of jasmine to give smoothness, or a slightly heavier note to add more character to an otherwise too light perfume.

During the building of the perfume, it is tested frequently, and under varying conditions. Is it the same in the early morning as it is in the dusk of the evening? Is the scent altered by weather conditions? These and many other checks are made before the discount perfume is considered a finished product.
line horizontal

F.Y.I. - The perfume apprentice learns to compose fragrances at an "organ", small laboratory that contains the majority of aromachemicals and natural oils used in the day-to-day work of a creative perfumer.

F.Y.I. - Perfumers use sophisticated instrumental methods to analyze the components of perfumery materials in discount fragrances. A Gas Chromatographer(G.C.) breaks down a fragrance into its individual components which allows the perfumer to identify all of the individual ingredients and chemicals in the fragrance Occasionally there are materials in a fragrance which are especially difficult to identify. When this occurs the G.C. is linked to a Mass Spectrometer(M.S.) which helps the perfumer further identify even the most minute quantity of perfumery material. To become a perfumer one must absoulutely have a love for fragrance and all the different smells that are out in the world. Having to apprentice for the first 6 years, a perfumer has to be serious about what they are doing and study and memorize thousands of smells. The designer houses are counting on them as are we all.

About the Author

I love to write reviews and shine a little light on some of the questions most people have on fragrance I have been around perfume and cologne for over 20 years. A great company I've found and used many times to purchase discount perfume and cologne is YourNewFragrance.Com.

Article Directory: http://www.articlerich.com

Additional Articles From - Home | Health & fitness | Beauty