Perfume is a combination of fragrant essential oils or aroma compounds, fixatives and solvents in liquid form used to give humans, animals, food, objects and living-spaces an agreeable odor. Using the right perfume for you can add an instant boost of confidence and make you smell great. Perfumes are available in a wide range of prices, bottle sizes and fragrance concentrations.
Choosing the perfect perfume is an exercise in balance and discernment. You want to find a scent that fits your personality, but is also subtle enough not to be overwhelming. You’ll also have to decide if you want a scent that smells like a ripe lemon or a valley of flowers, or if you prefer spicy over sweet or deep over light.
The earliest perfumes were simply concoctions of flowers and oils, and the art of perfumery is believed to date back as far as ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia in the 2nd millennium B.C. Various extraction methods have been employed since then, including enfleurage where petals are immersed in oil to collect the aroma; and steam distillation. More recently, chemicals have been employed to recreate natural scents and create original fragrances.
Whether you use perfume to amplify your personal olfactory palette or as an accessory to accentuate your outfit, there’s a scent out there for everyone. These 46 perfumes for women range from light and fresh to intoxicatingly floral and sensual. Some contain ingredients known for their aphrodisiac properties, which Cleopatra reportedly relied on to seduce Mark Antony.