Beauty Tips and Tricks

Choosing the Gift of Fragrance – How Hard Can it Be?

The fragrance you wear often says a lot about you as a person. At the very least it can often define you since smell is the sense most closely related to memory. People will remember your smell more than even your face in many instances. Because of the uniqueness of fragrance with each individual, it can make a great gift, but one that will require a lot of thought and consideration.

Fragrance is an intimate gift, and don’t let anyone tell you it isn’t. Most everyone has a favorite fragrance and probably knows of some he or she does not like at all. That means that when you go to buy fragrance as a gift, unless you have done your homework, you are running the risk of a gift giving disaster. Make sure you display your knowledge of your significant other by showing that you do understand what he or she likes and dislikes on a level as personal as fragrance.

You must also keep in mind that fragrance can change a mood or even relax someone. The sciences of aroma therapy and pheromones say that we actually do put a lot of emphasis on scent. If you don’t know what popular scent to get, consider some aroma therapy fragrances. Peppermint and lemon are known as stimulant scents while vanilla tends to be relaxing to most people.

If you are purchasing fragrance as a gift for an anniversary or romantic occasion, you have a duty. Your duty is to know what it is your significant other likes in a fragrance. Buying the right fragrance, or one that is at least similar, is not only the safe thing to do, but it also gives you an opportunity to show you do pay attention and that you are aware of what it is that makes that person an individual. Either way, make sure you are aware of what it is that he or she wears.

One way to make sure you know is to do a little snooping. After he or she puts on their favorite fragrance, look at the bottle. Another way to investigate is to casually ask questions about the scent, its name, and even to inquire about other favorite fragrances that for one reason or another are not something he or she has.

If you are buying for Christmas or other traditional gift giving holiday things might be a little easier. People often have lists of what they want for the holidays. If you go through your significant other’s list and see perfume or cologne listed, ask about specifics in a gentle way. Ask if he or she wants her regular fragrance or something new. If it is something new, then you have license to find what you might enjoy smelling on him or her.

Choosing a new fragrance on your own is something you should really only do if you are supremely confident in you judgment of what that person likes. Remember that it is not just about what you like to smell, but what your significant other likes as well. After all, that person is the one who will be exposed to it the most. However, if you are confident and can pull it off, a new and enjoyed fragrance will make a great surprise gift that will make that person think of you every time he or she puts on the fragrance.

A nice or correct fragrance can be a fantastic gift. If you are a man, make sure you know your lady’s fragrance, and if you are a woman the same goes for your guy. Women should also realize that the right scent on here can be a very stimulating experience for your man. His entire mood can be affected by what you wear. A fragrance can highlight and bring to life inner-beauty and a deep held smoldering passion and desire. The fragrance can end up being an extension of your personal identity. When you are gone, your scent is something people will remember about you long after you have left and the same is true for the person for whom you are buying a fragrance. Keep that in mind and realize that the right perfume or cologne can be the best and more powerful gift you can buy.

Fragrance Families Explained

Ever wonder how fragrances are categorized? Traditionally all fragrances are a part of a specific family or group. Although their names vary somewhat, there are basically six categories or olfactive families of perfume. They are floral or sweet, sporty or clean, green or natural, musk/oils, chypre/woody and finally, oriental/spicy. Some people like to find one fragrance and stick with it while others enjoy changing fragrances according to the occasion, their mood, even the season of the year. As well, age has an effect on fragrance choice. As a female grows from a girl to a woman, often her fragrance matures right along with her.

The floral/sweet family of fragrances is considered the most popular category and they are ruled by the scent of either one or a variety of different flowers. When only one type of flower is used it is referred to as a “soliflore.” This family of perfume ranges from sweet to subtle and everything in between. This is a youthful fragrance family and is ideal for the woman who enjoys being girlish and playful whenever she wishes. Examples of classic fragrances in this family include Chanel No. 22, Curious Britney Spears, Estee Lauders Pleasures and White Linen, Joy by Jean Patou, L’Air Du Temps by Nina Ricci, and Safari for Women by Ralph Lauren.

The second fragrance family is sporty/clean. This scent has a very clean, fresh out of the shower smell and is comparable to the scent of soap. Sporty/clean fragrances are often considered “freshening” and are commonly found in eau de colognes. This is considered the fragrance family for the athletic set. Some examples of classic scents in this family include Cashmere Mist by Donna Karan, Estee Lauder Alliage, Lily Chic by Escada, Ralph Lauren Polo for Women and Tommy Girl by Tommy Hilfiger. Tommy Girl is particularly popular among teenaged girls.

The green/natural fragrance family provides a fresh and very down-to-earth kind of scent to all who wear it. It is for the woman who likes to be as real and natural as can be. Some examples of green/natural scents are Burberry London, Calvin Klein Escape for Women, Calvin Klein Truth for Women, Chanel No. 5, Elizabeth Taylor White Diamonds, L’Instant de Guerlain by Guerlain, Poison by Christian Dior, Romance by Ralph Lauren and True Star by Tommy Hilfiger.

Musk/oils, the fourth fragrance family is scents that leave little to the imagination. They are strong, suggestive and very sexy. This is above all a sultry scent that speaks volumes between lovers. In other words, it speaks for you when you are without words. Musk gives off the most powerful scent of all of the perfume oils and most commonly is taken from the male musk deer from the Himalayas. Musk is also derived from the muskrat and musk ox. Examples of popular musk/oils are Caleche by Hermes, Dolce

What Fragrant Lotions and Sprays Have over Perfumes

For some people, their perfume is a personal reflection of who they are. The scent of a fragrance can say so much about the person wearing it. So what is it you think of if it smells like someone has bathed inside a vat of perfume? Your first thought is probably, “Help! I need a gas mask!” Your second thought could be, “Man, don’t they smell how overpowering they are?” Obviously, they do not have any clue that they can clear a room with their generous application of their perfume or fragrance. Of course, you would never have to wonder where that person was in a building. You would just follow your nose like a dog locked into the scent of its prey.

The above scenario is an obvious exaggeration on the use of perfume, but it illustrates one of the reasons why fragrant lotions and body sprays can be preferable to applying just perfumes or other fragrances. The art of subtlety should be practiced when wearing your perfume. You alone should enjoy the fragrance while others around you should get only a hint or whisper of the scent. That is the art of subtlety when wearing perfume.

Now some perfumes just happen to have a bold “body” to it. These bold bodied perfumes and fragrances seem to just leap out of the bottle before even spraying on the intended recipient. Even with a very light application, these types of perfumes and fragrances will be noticed. So if a person tends to bathe in the scent that could definitely be overkill. In this instance, a fragrant lotion or body spray in the same scent might be more appealing. You would get the same smell, only it would be toned down and more subtle.

With fragrant lotions, these provide a great base for the actual application of the main perfume or fragrance. However, if it has a bold body like in the paragraph mentioned above, then the fragrant lotion alone should be used. Rubbing the fragrant lotion into your skin will not only moisturize and keep your skin hydrated but also your body heat will warm the scent up in the lotion and bring out the scent more prominently. This is a great alternative to the application of the bigger bodied perfumes.

Another reason to use fragrant lotions and body sprays over perfumes is the romance factor. Some men and women like the subtlety and with a body that reeks of perfume, well, subtlety is the last thing that is happening. Applying a fragrant lotion all over the body is great, because your romantic partner has the opportunity to be pleasantly surprised by finding that light scent all over, whether it is behind an ear, behind a knee or at the small of the back. Your body heat will warm the scent, which could linger on for hours. And with your lotion scented skin rubbing against your clothing, the clothing will also pick up a hint of that scent. So, you alone can enjoy the scent until such time you spend with your romantic partner.

Another totally different reason why fragrant lotions and sprays might have a leg up on the perfumes is because of the cost. Perfumes contain essential oils, which make the scent more expensive. The fragrant lotions and sprays that complement the perfume, most of the time, do not contain essential oils. The scents are created in a different way. Therefore, money issues are one reason for the preference of lotions and body sprays over perfume.

Now, the reason why people might prefer the body spray over an actual perfume is also based in subtlety. Maybe for some reason they cannot wear the lotions, perhaps due to allergies or something. So they use the body sprays in their favorite fragrance instead. These body sprays dissipate rapidly because of their alcohol content, so they would not last long on the body. However, these body sprays are popular for applying on clothing, bedding and other linens. Some people spray it onto their clothing, usually from a foot or two away to prevent any possible staining. The clothing would absorb the scent of the body spray, which would last longer than if applied on the body. You would have just that hint of smell, the perfect subtle scent.

Popular Bases for Perfumes and Fragrances

The perfume market is a ten billion dollar industry. Each year, thousands of companies compete to decide which scents to market this year. The scent has to reflect modern tastes in smells in order for the company to make a profit on the huge investment they put into a new scent. Last year, more than one hundred and fifty new scents were launched in the United States. Most new perfumes are not only sold a fragrance sprays; they are also sold with as hand lotions, soaps, bath gels, and bath spritz as companion products. Women typically have seven to nine scents in their perfume wardrobes. Some make a point of using a perfume each day while others use it only on special occasions. Over the past several years, many perfumes have increased in popularity.

One popular scent is Arden Beauty. This perfume is marketed by Elizabeth Arden. It has an interesting floral base. Ingredients in this perfume include Rubrum lily, golden sweet orchid, lemon, Indian sandalwood, amber, and musk. Another popular scent is Emporio Armani Night for Her. This perfume is marketed by Armani. It has a combination base that includes woody, floral and amber scents. The most likely candidates for ingredients in this perfume are peonies, lily of the valley, black currant, cranberry, sandalwood, patchouli and myrrh. Sensi, marketed by Georgio Armani, is another popular perfume. It has a combination base that includes woody, floral, and oriental scents. Ingredients to create this fascinating scent include Kaffir lime leaves, barley, Palisander woods, vanilla, mimosa, and jasmine. Boss Intense, by Boss, has an amber base. It seems to be created from vanilla orchids. Initial for Women is also a popular scent. This floral base has an ingredient list that includes lily of the valley, Turkish rose, cinnamon, patchouli, black currant leaf, and vanilla. Burberry Brit, created by Burberry, is another popular scent. It seems to have an oriental base. Ingredients in this one include soft wood, sugared almonds, lime, pear, and amber.

Gloria, created by Cacharel, is an interesting oriental scent. Its ingredients include Hibiscus, roses, amaretto, and vanilla. Clinque Happy is created by Clinique. This floral scent offers an interesting vase of fruit and flower. Ingredients include magnolia, red grapefruit, and blonde wood. Another Clinque frangrance, Clinque Simply, also features a floral base. Its ingredients include white flowers and aniseed. ISA Bella by Cotty has a fascinating base that includes vanilla, balsam, and an assortment of flowers. Escada Ibizza Hippy is created by Escada. It uses amber, pear, freesia, and cranberry for an interesting base. One Dior perfume that is popular is Dior Addict. This scent includes sandalwood, vanilla rose, jasmine and Jamaican flowers for an interesting scent. The scent Sicily, created by Doce and Gabanna offers ingredients like honesuckle, Italian bergamot, jasmine, Hibiscus, and sandalwood for a citrusy scent. Mago, created by Etro, has a fruit based scent to create one of the most interesting perfumes on the market. Fendi, created by Fendi, is a spicy oriental scent. It uses ingredients like amber, musk, vanilla, and soft woods to create its unique aroma. One final popular perfume is Mahora by Guerlain. This perfume has a combination of a floral and oriental scent. The ingredients in this fragrance include frangipani, jasmine, tuberose, ylang ylang, neroli, vanilla, sandalwood, and vetiver.

Most popular perfumes include floral, citrus, or other naturals as part of their ingredients list, but those ingredients are only a small part of what goes into popular perfumes. Some of those natural ingredients are even synthesized. Aldehydic base is a popular perfume additive. It is used to synthesize balsam and chypre. Cedrat base is another popular additive. It is used in both oriental and floral perfumes and offers a citrus like scent. Another perfume additive is Curacao base. It is used in both citrus and herbal scents. Gardenia is also a popular scent. It is used primarily in floral perfumes. Hawthorne is used to help with amber, balsam, and woody scent. Neroli has a number of different uses. It is used for amber scents, floral scents, leather scents, lilac scents, magnolia scents, lily of the valley scents, and gardenia scents. Orange Flower is used in poppy based scents, cedar scents, and freesia fragrances. Red rose is used in almost every fragrance on the market. Verbena is used primarily to synthesize citrus fragrances.

The perfume market is a huge industry. The bases vary from scent to scent.

Perfume is Music for our Nose – What All Those “Note” References Mean

Did you know that there is music occurring in your nose? Well, there is, only instead of music you hear with your ears, it is music for your olfactory senses. You’re probably wondering what the heck all this means. Well, in the world of perfume and fragrance manufacturing, the varying scents that make up a fragrance or perfume are categorized into different categories called “notes.” In music, notes are varying levels of tones; and in the perfume world, notes are varying degrees of smells.

In regards to perfumes and fragrances, these notes have three levels: the top note, the middle note and the base note. Each note provides an essential, unique character that makes for a one of a kind scent. If you have ever heard anyone say that they have to make a good first impression, in perfume terms, the top note does this job. The top note of a fragrance or perfume gives us an initial impression of the scent. Because the scent of these top notes only last for a short time, usually ten to thirty minutes, they must capture the olfactory senses with that good first impression. They are usually light scents that will stimulate the senses in preparation for that fragrant middle note. Some of the most common top notes in perfumes and fragrances are citrus scents like grapefruit, lemon and orange. Other popular top notes are the aromatic eucalyptus and cool mint.

The middle notes give a body to the perfume or fragrance. The middle notes are also called the “heart” of the fragrance. You can usually smell these middle notes right when you apply the perfume to your skin. However, it can take several minutes for your body to warm the scent and “wake” it up. The middle notes identify the type of perfume or fragrance family the scent belongs to like the floral, spicy or oriental family. Some of the types of scents common in the middle note category are rose, cinnamon, ylang-ylang, chamomile and lavender.

The base notes provide the foundation for a perfume or fragrance. These scents last the longest and provide that “lingering” smell we look for in a perfume. Because the top notes tend to evaporate quickly, the base notes fix onto the top notes to allow some of the scent to stay with the base notes. The most popular choice in base notes is vanilla. Other base notes commonly used are musk, sandalwood, cinnamon, pine and other woodsy type of scents.

Each perfume or fragrance is unique and their top, middle and base notes all differ. For example, in some fragrances cinnamon could serve as the base note while in others, it would be a middle note. It all depends on the direction the perfume or fragrance manufacturer wants to go with the scent. And the reason for this is tied greatly into the various emotions and even a certain style that various scents can invoke within a person.

In regards to the perfume notes, there is also a category called the “single note.” Perfumes and fragrances that are deemed single note scents have just one source in which to draw its smell. There are no varying levels of the top, middle and base notes to contend with. Basically, when a fragrance is a single note scent that means the essential oils that form a fragrance comes from one particular flower or source. Lavender and vanilla are two of the most popular single note fragrances on the market these days. And for those fragrances applied to the body as an aromatherapy tool, most of these will be single note fragrances.

In many shops and boutiques where you can mix your own fragrances, those individual essential oils you end up “test smelling” are single note scents. From those individual single note smells, you can choose to mix your own blend of single note fragrances to create a totally new scent. These shops and boutiques are very popular these days among teenage girls and young women seeking something fun and unique.

Music for the nose … top, middle and base notes define fragrances and perfumes. After this little crash course in the differences between these levels of smell, can you detect them in your own favorite scents you have at home?

Perfume Perfection – What Scents are Best for the Bedroom

The bedroom is a personal space; its that private sanctuary where we wind down at night for a good nights sleep and motivate ourselves in the morning to get up and get started on a new day. And, of course, bedrooms are not just for sleeping — at certain times, with certain company, the bedroom is a place where romantic dreams can come true.

Filling the bedroom with the right scents at the right times will create the proper atmosphere for relaxation, sleep or romance. The sense of smell is, after all, the most powerful of your senses — the one that can send the most vivid messages to your brain and evoke the most vivid images.

Use scented candles, bunches of fresh flowers, essential oils, potpourri, or incense in your bedroom to create the proper mood for the desired activity. Add some green plants and you are actually adding oxygen and a bit of humidity — this will help you breath better, sleep better and will allow the scented air to work its magic.

Lavender to relax! Some scents work best to calm you down, relax you and prepare you for sleep. Lavender, for example, is well known as a scent that will relax you and it is said that lavender will actually slow your body down by reducing your heart rate and your blood pressure and by relaxing your muscles. That may sound pretty far fetched but it’s been proven to be true.

Other relaxing aromas! There are some other scents that approximate the effect of lavender on your body and mind:

Bergamot: Bergamot oil is the oil that is extracted from the peel of the bergamot orange; a small citrus fruit that is mainly found in the south of Italy. (This is NOT the perennial plant in the mint family known as Bergamot, Bergamot mint, Oswego Tea or Crimson Beebalm). The Bergamot orange is most well known as a source for a flavoring used in Earl Grey brand teas. Bergamot has a sweet, spicy scent that is refreshing and uplifting.

Sandalwood: Sandalwood is one of the oldest incense materials; it has been in use for at least 4,000 years and is a very important ingredient in both the traditional and modern formulas of Japanese incense. Sandalwood has a woody, exotic scent that is warming and relaxing.

Majoram: Marjoram is a member of the oregano family. It has a warm, spicy scent (similar to mild oregano) and is noted for its soothing, warming effects.

Sage: The aromatic spice found in the kitchen is also available as an essential oil. The scent is exotic and the effects may be relaxing to some.

Scents that scintillate! Time to turn your bedroom into something other than a sleeping room? Some scents will relax you while others have a refreshing, invigorating effect.

Citrus: Citrus is an energy and mood enhancer. The citrus scent can turn your bedroom into a launch pad for your day.

Fruit and Flowers: Fill your bedroom with the scents of fruit and flowers and romance will be in the air — these scents weaken a man’s defenses and get his blood flowing. Jasmine, Gardenia, Sandalwood, and Rose scents are also said to nurture the romantic spirit.

Mint and Pine: Mint and pine (used in moderation) are clean, uplifting scents that will help you start the morning with a refreshing optimism.

Tips on scented candles! Scented candles that aren’t used or stored properly will quickly loose their scent; some quick tips to keep those candles smelling good:

Keep candles out of the light when not in use. When exposed to bright sunlight or bright room light their color and smell will fade.

After burning a candle wipe the excess carbon off the wick.

Don’t burn a candle for too long; the rule is one hour for every inch of diameter. Then put it out and let it cool before re-lighting it.

Keeping candles in the refrigerator will make them burn more slowly and evenly. Wrap them up good before putting them in the refrigerator so the wick doesn’t absorb moisture.

Keep candles separated from each other by at least three inches while they are lit. This keeps each one burning slower and more evenly.

Expired Fragrances – Alternate Uses When You Just Can’t Throw Them Out

You have had that bottle of perfume at your dressing table for more than three years. It was given to you as a gift and you just can’t get rid of it. You know it is beginning to lose its zest and becoming less effective as a perfume. However, you just can’t bring yourself to toss it in the garbage. It still smells good, just not with the same concentration as it once did and you know it is in decline. So what can you do? Are there other uses for the fragrance that has expired but still has some good qualities? Of course there are, and you consider some options that may help you use the fragrance and remember the occasion without wearing it.

First you can actually use the perfume as a room freshener. There are a couple of ways to do that. First of all, you can add a few drops to water and simmer it either on your stove top or in a candle warmer. The scent will infiltrate the room. Test it alone first to make sure that the heating does not enhance any beginning of the expired scent spoiling. The steam helps the scent to travel throughout your home and give it a hint of that fragrance you just couldn’t bring yourself to get rid of. Use as much or little as is necessary; you will likely have to make adjustments as you go along.

Another option is to use it to revive potpourri. You know you have had that pot of potpourri over in the corner for three years and it no longer smells like anything. It has become nothing more than a bowl full of wood chips and dried out scentless flowers. Add a few drops, or more, of that expired perfume to the mixture to reinvigorate it. The dry potpourri is naturally made to absorb oils like the ones in your perfume. It will then be released back out slowly over time. Again, be sure the smell is still mostly in tact, but if it is this is a great way to get that smell without wearing a perfume that has lost its luster.

Thirdly, use it as a way to add a kick to that memo. If you add just a dab to your stationary, you will draw attention to every work note or personal message you send. In today’s email and text message age, the hand written note is somewhat of a dinosaur. You can make a statement by not only hand writing notes and memos on stationary, but also by adding a dab of scent that will immediately let everyone know who the note is from. Scent is closely related to memory, and you can invoke that memory easily with just a touch to the corner of a note.

If you think the scent is still pretty stable for your perfume, you can lighten it up and still get the benefit by putting just a drop or two in your bath. The small amount can set a great baseline of fragrance for you before you put on a fresh spray after you are dressed. The drops can act as a sort of aromatherapy bath scent that will also invoke the memories you have associated with the perfume, which is likely why you had trouble parting with it in the first place. You can also avoid having to buy scented bath oils as long as your older perfume is still good enough for a light scent that you would get by adding just those few drops to your next few baths.

Sometimes things we associate with great memories are hard to part with, even when we know they are no longer good. Consider fragrances. Most of them only last three years at the most under even the best of circumstances. So what do you do when your favorite bottle loses its olfactory luster? Well, if it still has a good scent to it, there are a number of alternatives to tossing the bottle. You can use it as a room scent by adding a few drops to water and simmering over the stove or a candle burner. You can also perk up that old bowl of potpourri that you didn’t throw out either. Or you can even add it to your bath if it still has a solid scent to it that has not started to move toward spoiled. No matter what you do, though, you have to use it or you really will lose it.

Cook Up Some Scents in your Own Home

There are so many possibilities . . . possibilities that will fill your home with luxurious scents that are uniquely yours. Scent, as we all know, invokes memories but it also affects our mood, our appetite and our erotic desires. Natural scents like jasmine, lilac, cedar, myrrh, and tuberose, are just some of your natural options but then there are cinnamon, fig, orange and many others you already have at home; and, know it or not, you are already using some of them to create an aromatic ambience in your home.

What do people smell when they enter your home? The smells of cooking? The smells of fresh flowers cut from your garden? With just a little effort you can add to these pleasant aromatic treats with some concoctions of your own.

Layering scents! One technique for dressing up your home in aromas is layering the scents. For example you can have an oil burner with an orange or spice scent and then brew a pot of orange spice tea. Or use the same technique with scented candles while having a pot or kettle of water simmering with some compatibly scented oil. Orange is, of course, just one of the many common scents available, how about vanilla, strawberry or kiwi or a combination of oils such as a bit of vanilla with a touch of ginger oil and peach.

Sachets! Here’s a technique for creating little packets of scent for around the house or even in your car: Wrap up chopped pinecones and spruce or cedar sprigs in a cloth handkerchief and use a rolling pin to press out the oils. Separate the now highly scented material into little sachets to create your scented bundles. Make it a habit to collect fragrant things like spruce, flower petals and lavender to make these sachets.

Have you ever heard of a scented sleep pillow? You can make your own scented sleep pillow with rose petals, other favorite flower petal, chamomile buds and lavender. Mix these all up and sew them up into mini-pillow that you keep nearby when you sleep — pleasant dreams!

Just a couple more tips! Vanilla extract has a pleasant scent and just a touch of it on your wrists will allow you to carry that scent around the house with you. Another practical use for the power of the vanilla scent is to create a hand soaking solution out of milk and vanilla. If you have been cleaning fish or working with anything that has left an unpleasant odor on your hands, soak your hands for a few minutes in this home-made solution and you’ll be free of the bad odor.

Cinnamon sticks are an old, old favorite. If simmering some cinnamon in water doesn’t take you back to some pleasant memories it will at least provide some new ones. Invest in a home coffee grinder — that is a smell-generator that is, to some people, worth more than the investment.

Homemade perfume! Here is a basic homemade perfume recipe (from Ultimate Cosmetics at: http://www.ultimate-cosmetics.com/beauty/homemade-recipes/perfumes.htm). You can also find more specific recipes at Ultimate Cosmetics as well as elsewhere on the Internet.

Ingredients:

1 cup water

1 cup fresh chopped flower blossoms

Directions:

In a bowl place a cheesecloth where the edges are hanging over the bowl. Fill with 1 cup of flower blossoms of your choice. Pour water over the flowers until they are completely covered. Cover and let sit overnight. The next day using the edges of cheesecloth pull it out of the bowl and gently squeeze the scented water into a small pot. Simmer the water until about 1 teaspoon is left. Cool and place into a small bottle. Making perfume this way has a shelf life of about 1 month.

Some suggestions for flowers are : Lavender, lilac, orange blossoms or even honeysuckle. Anything that has a scent you love and is, at the same time highly fragrant, will work best for you.

A note about aromatherapy! Aromatherapy is today’s new thing! Aromatherapy is , essentially, the use of aromas to create positive changes in your health and sense of well being. Think about these statistics: If you hurt yourself it may take up to 12 seconds to feel the pain. If you encounter a scent, it takes about 5 seconds for it to register in your brain. That might suggest something to you about the power of scent and the practical possibilities of aromatherapy.

Aromatherapy uses “essential oils,” as opposed to the “fragrance oils” that are typically used to imbue your home with your scent of choice. Inhaling, bathing with or misting these essential oils allow them to relax you, relieve your common headaches, improve your mood, give you more energy and even assist you, indirectly, with loosing weight. Those may seem like some pretty amazing claims but there are many who swear that they are valid claims. It must be said that aromatherapy works better for some people than it does for others because some people are more open to its possibilities than others.

Perfume for your Pillows and Sheets – What is that Linen Fragrance Stuff All About?

Aromatherapy is a big business these days. Different smells invoke different memories and emotions in people. It stands to reason that manufacturers would jump on this scented band wagon and take advantage of the popularity of smells. And one of the most popular rides on this scented bandwagon is the market for home fragrances, specifically linen and laundry fragrances.

The history of linen fragrances can extend over thousands of years. Linen and other home fragrances stems from aromatherapy. In ancient Egypt, various scents made from essential oils of plants and flowers were used to make incense, perfumes, sachets and what we now know as linen water. Priests used these scents in various religious ceremonies and royalty were buried with sachets and incense and the cloth used to wrap bodies for the mummification process often had scented water applied to them.

Fast forward to the twenty-first century and we still make use of incense, sachets, perfumes and even linen water and other home fragrances. Indeed, aromatherapy is big business, but did you know that its basis really stemmed from medicinal purposes? It seems that through trial and error, many people discovered that certain herbs and flowers have medicinal properties. Lavender is known for its calming properties and lavender essential oils are often rubbed on minor burns to minimize pain and lessen any scarring. Eucalyptus is used in products that promote easy breathing and sinus healing. It is also a natural antiseptic.

It is all a matter of emotions and memories when people choose these products. To feel calm, cool and collected, you might choose a lavender linen scent and spray it onto your bed sheets and pillow cases. This lavender could help you relax, slow your breathing and heart rate and help you get to sleep. In fact, in aromatherapy circles, lavender is known for its healing effect on the nervous system of the body.

On another note, light citrus scents could be used for your linen fragrance if you want to feel invigorated and fresh. Citrus smells “open” up your olfactory senses and gives your body a little more pep. People often spray it onto handkerchiefs that they keep in their pocket for those times during the day when they need to take a whiff or two to keep awake. The smell of peppermint also works in a similar fashion. The feeling you get from sucking on a peppermint candy is often cooling, refreshing and eye opening. Translated into a linen or home fragrance, you will get the same effect.

There are also linen and home fragrances that give you the feeling of warmth and coziness. You can ask many people what they think when they smell apples and cinnamon. They will most likely tell you homemade apple pie and baking. And what do many people associate with these two things? Down home comfort and those warm, fuzzy feelings are just two of those possible answers.

Eucalyptus was mentioned previously. It is used primarily as a therapeutic ingredient in certain linen and home fragrances. Eucalyptus is a natural antiseptic and also helps aid breathing. The vapors you breathe in from the eucalyptus open up sinus passageways and soothe any irritations. Some people believe that eucalyptus also helps with combating headaches. Those suffering from sinus congestion or colds find spraying a handkerchief with eucalyptus and breathing in the vapors throughout the day will cut down recovery times. For a soothing night’s sleep you might spray your pillows with the scent of eucalyptus.

Linen waters are kind of a subcategory of the linen and home fragrances. The French has used linen water for years to freshen up laundry and clothing. Linen water is basically water infused with scents. Some people pour a little linen water in their steam irons to infuse freshness into their clothing when they press a shirt or pants. Linen water could also be added to the final rinsing cycle for your washing machine. You can also make your own refreshing dryer sheet by spraying a clean and dry washcloth with your choice of linen water and sticking into a load of drying clothes. All of these methods will infuse a fresh, clean scent into your linens.

Essentially, linen sprays and other home fragrances are just one of life’s little luxuries. For people who believe in aromatherapy or just enjoy a variety of comforting smells, it can be touted as beneficial to your well-being. Whatever the reason, you have a variety of options to choose from these days. Scents sell!

What’s that Smell? Know How Much Fragrance is Just Enough

Oh what wicked fun it is to smell pretty and to feel that scent carry you away to a place in your mind where everyone you encounter is as enraptured by your scent as you. It would be so easy, while in that state of mind, to add just a bit more; to extend that imagined zone of your influence just a bit farther . . . just a bit more.

It is so easy to get carried away with your perfume and not realize it when the ‘whisper’ that was intended to suggest your presence, has turned into the bold pronouncement: “here I am . . . smell me.” That may seem to be a crass way to put it but it helps to make an important point: your scent is most effective when it emphasizes you, not when it advertises your perfume.

Fortunately it’s easy to avoid such a miscommunication; here are a few tips:

Don’t trust your nose! Just as it’s hard to know exactly how your voice sounds to ears other than your own, it’s equally hard to know how your scent comes across to noses other than yours. Experience shows that when your fragrance smells to you, just like you want it to smell to to others — you are probably wearing too much. As a general rule: just a hint of scent to your nose will be just about right for others.

Never behind the ears! Just a dab or a very light spray on each wrist and on each side of your neck is sufficient. Never, ever apply perfume behind your ears; that may appear subtle and sophisticated in the movies but in real life perfume behind the ears will result in one of those bold pronouncements mentioned earlier.

Walking through a mist! Another way to apply an appropriately subtle fragrance is, before you dress, spray your perfume to create a mist in front of you, close your eyes, and then walk through the mist; one trip will be all you need.

Sometimes just skip it! There may be days or occasions when even a light application of your favorite perfume seems improper; on those occasions, just skip it! Almost every perfume has accompanying products: lotions, soaps, powder, etc.; settling for a judicious application of one of these products will leave you with just that hint of the scent that has become an essential part of you.

Alternatives! Another way to tone down your scent when subtlety seems like a good idea is to switch to a cologne or even an eau de toilette.

Cologne is your next step down on the scent scale. Somewhat less potent than perfume, cologne can be applied like a perfume, that is, either dabbed on or lightly sprayed in the very same ways in in the very same places perfume is applied. Even cologne can be (but of course should never be) over applied but its effect is somewhat less obvious except to the scent sensitive. Cologne, when well applied, can provide an appropriately compelling scent for an entire day.

Eau de Toilette is a very diluted form of fragrance and preferred by many because it allows the user the freedom to apply it more liberally with less chance of overdoing it. eau de toilette is almost always sprayed on, rather than dabbed on as are perfumes and some colognes, and many women prefer that convenience. There is also an economy factor; you’ll find that eau de toilette comes in larger sizes for much less cost than perfumes or colognes.

Olfactory malefactors! You’ve probably heard or read about complaints from people who have spent uncomfortable (and even nauseous) periods of time, in enclosed spaces, with people (men as well as women) who have doused themselves with their favorite scent. The complaints are completely justified. There are many people, more than you would think, who who just have sensitive noses and are intolerant when it comes to being exposed to other people’s scents. There are also many people who actually have severe physical reactions to overpowering colognes or perfumes; reactions that can be dangerous to their health. It would be good to remember these people on your next elevator, airplane, train or taxi ride — not that you’ll ever be accused of being an olfactory malefactor.