The Basic Technical Knowledge on Perfume : summarized from the scientific works of Edmond Roudnitsk
Aromatic chemical raw components
The growing list of chemically defined odorous substances allowed man to enrich simple recipes and to create real " formulas", which gave way to original olfactory " forms" invented by perfumers- formulators.
The olfactory composition
Perfumers – formulators, had worked with odorous materials of natural or synthetic origin much in the same way that musicians work with tones, or painters with colors .
They had combined specific properties of their materials to create completely new form and not a mere addition to existing forms.
With their material, they had composed the olfactory composition. This stage represents the beginning of perfumery as it is known today, it has existed for just one century.
Perfume : The stages of the evolution
Of course, perfumery industry passed through various stages
during the past 100 years : craftsmanship, industrialization and commercialization.
It had to modernize and evolve under the diverse forces of a changing world . These factors need to be mentioned here in order to understand better the current situation in perfumery worldwide.
Perfume : The Olfactory Classification
The perfumer has references to the odorous of nature : herbs, flowers , woods , musky, animal scents, etc.
However, when a perfume is said to be fresh, it generally contains products such as bergamot , lemon and mint which give an impression of freshness.
A light perfume is rich in volatile products which seem to fly away because they are so light .
A green perfume evokes the greenery of prairies, more lawns, leaves crushed between the hands.
A heavy perfume taking time to diffuse itself because it includes several tenacious components like vanillin,musk ,or essential oils such as patchouly, sandalwood, labdanum which are related to crystals, gives an impression of compactness and heaviness.
Flowery perfumes obviously evoke flowers but it is not always easy to distinguish which ones .
As example, Chanel No. 5, the first of a series of strong aldehydic perfumes.
EDMOND ROUDNITSKA
" The art of Perfumery "
pages 12-15
In I. Muller and D. Lamparsky
PERFUMES : ART , SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY "
Chapman & Hall Publishers, London 1994
