Contents for the below sections.1. How Can I Pick Perfect Perfume For Myself?Know Your ScentsThe Main Scents:
- Aromatic
- Citrus
- Floral
- Leather
- Woody
- AquaticIt’s important to also note the 4 Seasons (Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter) Matter In Perfumes.
2. Why Should I Wear Fragrance/s?
- No One Likes To Smell Bad.
- “Perfume is the art that makes the memory speak.” – Francis Kurkdjian
- Chez Pierre’s story about “signature scent”
3. How Should I Wear Fragrance/s?
- Technique 1, Skin Type 2, Flavored Oils 3!
- Always Look To Perfect Your Spraying Technique.
- Remember, Not Every Type Of Perfume Will Stick To Your Skin!
- Not All Flavored Oils Are Created Equal!
4. Are Chez Pierre Perfumes Safe To Use On Skin?
- Yes, but read it
5. What Are Ratios and How Do I Pick Them?
- Different type of ratios
- Eau de Parfum vs Extrait de Parfum
6. Cost to produce vs Sale PriceThe big brand pricepoint of creating the fragrance
7. How Is My Order Made and Do I Need To Mature My Perfumes After Receiving Them?
- How we make our fragrance
- Macaration
8. Why Does The Perfume Smell Different From The Bottle vs On Paper vs On My Skin?Different type of skin resulting different smell
9. Glossary of Commonly Used Terminology
- Accord
- Atomizer
- Body spray
- Blend
- Clone Houses
- Cologne
- Decant
- Designer Fragrances
- Dry-Down
- Eau de parfum
- Eau de toilette
- Eau Fraîche
- Essential Oil
- Extrait de parfum (pure perfume, perfume, parfum, parfum extrait or simply extract)
- Layering
- Maturation
- Maceration
- Niche Fragrances
- Notes
- Over spray
- Perfume oil
- Projection
- Pulse Points
- Reformulate / Reformulations
- Signature Scent
- Sillage
Now, onto the learning! === How Can I Pick Perfect Perfume For Myself? ===
1. Know Your Scents
The first few steps to choose your signature scent is to understand what are the notes inside the perfumes. Men’s cologne have different categories that describe the ingredients and therefore the scents they create.
Once you understand the categories you will understand what notes are for you and what you’d rather avoid. Do you like to smell flowery? Aquatic? Woody?
Be sure to consider your personality and style as well as the time of year and the occasion. They matter more than you think.
It sounds a lot of stuff to keep in mind to just smell nice but it’s worth every second of effort.
2. The Main Scents
AromaticAromatic scents are rich in benzene and notes found in organic matter. Aromatic fragrances commonly have rustic scents with a certain freshness, often coming from herbal notes, and are commonly indicated for men. The most common are rosemary, thyme, mint, tarragon, marjoram, fennel, basil, sage, ansine cumin, and grassy spicy plants.
CitrusCitrus scents are created after hesperidin fruits. Think about Verbena, lemongrass, pomelo, yuzu as well as typical citrus fruits like lemon, orange, grapefruit, and mandarin. One of the most common is Bergamot (The Earl Gray smell). Citrus properties let these oils peak as top notes and sparkle on just about any blend.
FloralThe largest group of scents is self-explanatory. These scents add a romantic touch and remove the heaviness of more tenacious ingredients. Some flowers are used in their natural state like rose, jasmine, tuberose, lavender, osmanthus, immortelle, ylang ylang, and marigold while others need to be recreated in labs like freesia, peony, lily of the valley, heliotrope, violet, jonquil, narcissus, hyacinth.
LeatherHistorically speaking leather is one of the earliest notes used in perfumery. In the past, oils, musk, and ambergris were used to mask the odor of the animal skins. Nowadays these notes are both natural (birch, styrax, cassie, castoreum, myrtle) or recreated in labs (quinolines, safraleine, aldehyde and synthesized suede nuances).
WoodyWoody fragrances are dominated by wood scents. They add a sensual touch to the perfumes and empower other scents. This varied and versatile category includes oakmoss, amber, rosewood, guaiac, oud, vetiver, patchouli.
Smokey
Traditionally created with notes of incense, birch tar, tobacco, and various woods, including cedar and cypress, a smoky perfume is your ideal winter-warming fragrance.
AquaticAquatic notes in a perfume is not a specific note but more of a fragrance composition that conveys freshness and purity. An aquatic note captures a sensation of the sea, fresh mountain air and freshly washed sheets and can be found in many modern and “clean” scents.
Why Do The 4 Seasons (Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter) Matter In Perfumes?Much like putting on a sweater during the winter and a sundress in summer, you can think of perfumes as a seasonal part of your routine. You should choose the perfect amount of scent according to the weather outside. Warm weather brings out the best in fragrances. When the weather heats up we can smell so many scents in the air: flowers blooming, fruits ripening, we are bombarded by so many scents!
Keep this in mind and adjust the amount of perfume you’re going to use. Don’t be afraid to “wear” a fragrance but be aware of its impact because when the temperature heats up the scents will be intensified and it’s a good idea to choose a lighter scent. Citrus and floral accords are perfect for this time of the year because they project a light, refreshing scent and blend well with other scents that occur naturally in the environment.
On the opposite side we have cold weather that is great for perfumes with amber accord. When it’s cold outside, rich and spicy scents give you a feeling of warmth. Lower temperatures can really lessen the impact of a scent!
Spring and fall are transitional seasons and the weather may change rapidly. Be ready to bring out floral notes during spring and choose warmer scents when summer turns into fall.
Whether you stick with one signature or many based on your mood or the seasons, always learn how fragrances interact with your body chemistry and the temperature.
=== 2: Why Should I Wear Fragrance/s? ===No One Likes To Smell Bad!It is instinctive for people to shun those who smell bad by either talking less with them or physically avoiding them. Think of how many times you have shunned someone just because of their smell?
Perhaps you are looking to expand your social circle or get a date (or two), wearing a fragrance that is suitable for the weather will allow you to smell good and attract more social interactions. Wearing Fragrances in addition to your clothes so as to both look and smell good to other people will surely enhance the social interaction and more compliments are always a good confidence booster! Not to mention, it can be a good ice-breaking conversation starter!
“Perfume is the art that makes the memory speak.” – Francis KurkdjianIt’s not uncommon for a scent to invoke a specific memory, like a magical deja vu moment.. I’m sure some scents do the same for you!
When you wear a specific fragrance to a special event or if you wear a specific fragrance while creating a memory, you will be in control to an extent. Why not create memories that you can remember when you smell a scent?
Here is a little story about the funny memory linked to my “Signature Scent”.
I was sleeping in a hostel (which is something I love to do as you meet different people) and I planned to go out. Always before going out I go to a hotspot in the hostel where everyone is gathering. I had so many fragrances in my suitcase because I was delivering the customers that I forgot to bring my fragrances (ironic).
One of the customers during my flight told he won’t make it and I should return the scent.
Since I forgot mine, I decided to use it for myself. Oh boy I was lucky! It was ‘Hint of Vanilla”. I applied only 1 spray since my skin projects crazy with it (will talk more about it later) and the Brazilian girl in the lobby was immediately hooked up.
She was sitting the whole night before going out next to me and giving me compliments about the fragrance and how it reminds her of her home.
Let’s just say, that night was crazy! Moving on.
Life is short. Be in control.
=== 3: How Should I Wear Fragrance/s? ===Technique 1, Skin Type 2, Flavored Oils 3!
- Always Look To Perfect Your Spraying Technique
Find out which part of your body is most reactive to the perfume!
Try 3-4 sprays of your desired perfume on each individual pulse point and get a friend to smell you from your desired distance (up to 2 feet away) in order to determine which of your pulse points will project the scent better. Some pulse points you can try: ….
Layer the perfume!
In order to get the perfumes to last longer, you can layer it. Just spray multiple layers of the perfume on top of your desired pulse point to optimize the projection.
Spray and Layer on multiple pulse points!
For maximum projection, spray 3-4 layers on multiple pulse points and you will smell like a champ all day everyday!
Advanced: Mix up the Layers!
You can blend your own type of fragrance just by layering 2 different types of fragrances on top of each other. For example, if you find that Leathery Path is too strong for your liking and feel that it needs to be a little sweeter, you can add a few layering sprays of American Dream on top of it!
The possibilities are endless!
2. Remember, Not Every Type Of Perfume Will Stick To Your Skin!
Everyone has a different skin chemistry, something that might work for someone might not work for you! Keep that in mind and don’t be too quick to blame the product if it doesn’t stick!
3. Not All Flavored Oils Are Created Equal!
Every perfume is a mixture of an alcohol base and a blend of flavor oils!
Not all oils are the same, some flavor oils oxidize faster than the others, after oxidizing, they lose their aromatic properties. This is why perfumes smell different in the start and smell different when they enter into the dry-down stage. It is important to know that some oils (like citrus) will always oxidize faster than others (like woody and smokey). Always try the perfume on your skin and try to find out which one lasts!
4. Are Chez Pierre Perfumes Safe To Use On Skin? #
We at Chez Pierre only source quality ingredients from European and Arabic origins.
Our perfumes have all the required EU certificates certifying and complying to all Health and Safety standards.
In addition to that, our source ingredients comply with IFRA standards. The IFRA Standards are rigorously developed by designer fragrance houses and their various downline stakeholders so as to ensure that the consumers can enjoy certified fragrances with confidence without worries.
After all, we are a company registered in Europe (Serbia) and we ship from Serbia so we must comply with all EU regulations.
Because of the rigorous standards that we comply with, Chez Pierre fragrances are absolutely safe for your skin. We even encourage people to spray fragrances on neck and pulse spots and to avoid clothes.
Spraying on the clothes can actually leave stains and to be honest, no one wants that.
5: What Are Ratios and How Do I Pick Them? #
A fragrance is usually a mix of a concentrate (containing fragrant oils) and an alcoholic base. Some fragrances can also contain a bit of water and additives like liquid UV filters, stabilizers or colorants. Therefore, fragrances with a higher fragrance concentration contain more perfume oils and less alcohol, and vice-versa.
Usually, a higher perfume oil concentration means an increased performance of the fragrance (particularly longer-lasting scent) – but the impact of oil concentration is much more complex and varies depending on each formula.
We use a mix of Eau de Toilette and pure perfume oil to create our “ratios”.
This means nothing to you? Yes I know so let’s keep it simple.
The main difference is the amount of perfume oil in the perfumes.
Here is an example of what most of the industry uses and what you might have seen in stores:
Eau de Cologne (EDC) 3% – 10% oils
Eau de Toilette (EDT) 5% – 15% oils
Eau de Parfum (EDP) 15% – 20% oils
Parfum / Extrait 20% – 35% oils
Eau de Parfum (1:4) is the most common ratio you will find in stores, it’s not too oily and it stays on the skin for 4-8 hours depending on the fragrance, weather, and your skin. This is really important as every skin is different and absorbs fragrance differently. Fragrance cannot be the same on each skin as everybody is different. 2-3 sprays are enough to last thru the day.Extrait de Parfum (1:2) is a stronger version of the fragrance which contains almost double the amount of pure oil. Projection lasts from 4 to 12 hours but again as written above, many factors depend on it. We advise taking this ratio if your skin doesn’t hold the fragrance great. 1-2 sprays will be enough.
We think personally that EDC and EDT are too weak and therefore we don’t want to sell it.
We offer fragrances in EDP ratio (1:4) and Extrait ratio (1:2)The main difference is that we use 20% pure perfume oil for Eau de Parfum (1:4) and 35% for the Extrait de Parfum (1:2).
6: Cost to produce vs Sale Price #
The cost to produce a ROLEX watch is actually only $500… Why are you paying $10,000 for it?! Marketing, Manipulation, and Mania!
Market the product through all social media channels, influencers, physical billboards, and shopping malls! Make sure everyone’s eyeballs are on it. Put the products on thought leaders like celebrities, influencers, sports stars.
Manipulate by capping or reducing its supply
How much does that fancy $100-a-bottle department store perfume you wear really cost to make? You will be surprised that the liquid in it is the cheapest part of the fragrance while everything else drives the price up
If perfumes were priced like sausages, they would cost about the same: roughly $2.50.
Your butcher will tell you that sausages, just like most consumer goods are priced using the
cost-plus approach. In other words, you add up the cost of making the product and mark it up to cover your overhead and your profit.
Why am I telling you this? Well in the fragrance world liquid costs only 2$ if you produce it in tones like big brands. Yes, you read it right, only 2$ for 50ml liquid.
Here is a rough table of how much it costs to make a “100$ fragrance”
We don’t have the purchasing power of a large designer brand. Hence, we can’t get volume discounts when buying ingredients. Volume drives the cost per unit down because it forms a bigger base over which the manufacturer can spread their fixed cost.
On the other hand that’s why we are here to offer an alternative to people. We cannot produce in large quantities like others but we are here to cut the middleman and other aspects in the cost by offering liquid that we created with our partners in France and by using the most basic bottle that is not expensive to source.
After all, everything was made by a family business that’s been doing it for almost 30 years!
7: How Is My Order Made #
…and Do I Need To Mature My Perfumes After Receiving Them?
One thing people don’t know about us is that every order that you guys make is actually custom-made.
How you may ask?
Well, each fragrance is poured down and made once you place the order. The fragrance is “fresher” but it takes more time to dispatch the order.
We do it every day, nothing is pre-made and poured down, we don’t like doing that.
Maturation is a huge topic and it depends on so many things. First of all it depends how long has fragrance company held their creations before releasing and when it was mixed.Hot and cold temperature can make changes but so many things can happen during the transport and some perfumes can be too much exposed to the sun while transporting.
Chez Pierre’s fragrances in 99% of the time don’t need to maturate as we are always pushing them on the side to maturate before selling them.
If you receive a fragrance and you think it needs more time, keep it in a dark place and let it sit for some weeks/months testing them from time to time until the smell appeals to you.
Imagine you are sitting down in your room with your friends (This never happened to me, I don’t have friends /s) and one of your friends is sweating more, the other has more pimples, one has softer skin while you have more fat or muscle under their skin.
Do you think fragrance will stay the same on everybody’s skin and will project the same?
Actually NO! Like the unique humans we are, we are all different and so is our skin.
Some fragrances project crazy good on one skin and smell wonderful, while on another skin it won’t smell the same.
This is the sad truth. I was so sad when I tested “Bakar”, It didn’t smell as how I had imagined it to be on my skin. I gave a fragrance to my friend to try it and it was a completely different story.
It was projecting 12+ hours and it smelled amazing.
We have to face it that not every fragrance will fit us.
That’s why when you smell the fragrance on the paper, it might not smell the same as on your skin.
Smelling the fragrance in its liquid form means smelling the oils suspended in alcohol. The oils are unable to oxidize fully while in the alcohol suspension and therefore when smelling it in its liquid form, the fragrance does not smell ‘full’.
This is why shops make you spray it on the tester strip paper as a baseline for smelling a fragrance.
