Perfume is an aromatic chemical compound based on the fragrance of plant or animal materials. A variety of processes are used to produce perfume, including steam distillation, which involves placing flowering plants in boiling water to release their fragrant essential oils.
The first step in making perfume is gathering and transporting the raw ingredients, which include plant substances such as eucalyptus oil, citrus fruit extracts and apricot kernel oil, along with fatty substances, such as shea butter or palm kernel oil, to the manufacturing center. Once at the perfumer’s facility, a combination of essential oils are combined with ethanol or a combination of ethanol and water to create the desired scent profile.
Top notes, which are the ones you can smell immediately after applying a perfume, are usually the most prominent. Middle notes emerge over time and the base notes start to emerge as the perfume dries down.
Depending on the perfume, some top notes can last up to 30 minutes or more after application. Other scents, such as floral or woody scents, can remain for longer periods of time, resulting in a more complex and sophisticated aroma.
A perfumer’s ability to detect specific notes is akin to learning to hone your nose. They must learn how to distinguish delicate scents from harsh and unpalatable substances.