FAQs
CAN A PERFUME CHANGE MY MOOD?
Yes. One of the most remarkable characteristics of perfume is its ability to influence our emotions almost instantly. Studies have shown that scents can stimulate or, on the contrary, calm us, promote good or bad moods, evoke positive or negative memories and give birth to sweet dreams. Aromatherapy, the art of healing with aromatic essential oils, is based on the principle that the aroma of essential oils has the power to influence mood.
Perfume has long been recognized as a powerful and subtle tool for rebalancing the body and mind. A very ancient Chinese proverb states that “a perfume is always a medicine”.
Ann Gottlieb, a perfume consultant who participated in the development of Calvin Klein perfumes, declares that “Most of the substances used in aromatic products with supposed therapeutic virtues are in fact based more on tradition and folklore than on science. However, more and more studies show that we can influence mood through scents. Soon, perfumes will no longer just make you smell pleasant, but they will also have a real psychological effect. »
Studies show that the smell of peppermint or lily of the valley increases alertness at work. In Tokyo, a company diffuses a light scent of peppermint in its offices to improve productivity. Another company sprays different scents through the air conditioning system, for the same purpose. A whiff of citrus helps start the day off on the right foot. A discreet floral scent promotes concentration mid-morning and afternoon. A touch of cedar seems to relieve fatigue at lunch and late afternoon.
Since the limbic system controls both smell and emotion, it makes sense that certain scents have the power to stimulate or relax the senses.
WHAT ARE THE “NOTES” OF A PERFUME?
Notes are the different phases of evolution of a perfume's scent when you spray it on your skin. Each of these phases, or group of “notes,” comes with a different degree of volatility.
The notes of head give the first impression of a perfume. These are the lightest and most volatile notes, which burst onto the skin when you spray the perfume, or the fresh scent that emerges when you open a bottle. Very volatile, the top notes generally disappear after 10 to 15 minutes.
Typical top notes: bergamot, citrus oils, aldehydes
When the top notes disappear, these are the heart notes perfume that blossoms on your skin, and lasts on average 3 to 4 hours. These are scents of medium volatility, which give personality and character to the composition and create the aura that gives the perfume its dominant theme.
Typical heart notes: rose, jasmine, tuberose and most flowers
This theme is accentuated and fixed by the note of bottom , which contains the soul perfume. Heavier and less volatile, these notes form the base of the perfume and give it depth and tenacity. It is thanks to the base notes that we remember the perfume; in addition, they help it stay on the skin.
Typical background notes: musk, amber, oakmoss, vanilla, wood
CAN A PERFUME CHANGE MY MOOD?
Yes. One of the most remarkable characteristics of perfume is its ability to influence our emotions almost instantly. Studies have shown that scents can stimulate or, on the contrary, calm us, promote good or bad moods, evoke positive or negative memories and give birth to sweet dreams. Aromatherapy, the art of healing with aromatic essential oils, is based on the principle that the aroma of essential oils has the power to influence mood.
Perfume has long been recognized as a powerful and subtle tool for rebalancing the body and mind. A very ancient Chinese proverb states that “a perfume is always a medicine”.
Ann Gottlieb, a perfume consultant who participated in the development of Calvin Klein perfumes, declares that “Most of the substances used in aromatic products with supposed therapeutic virtues are in fact based more on tradition and folklore than on science. However, more and more studies show that we can influence mood through scents. Soon, perfumes will no longer just make you smell pleasant, but they will also have a real psychological effect. »
Studies show that the smell of peppermint or lily of the valley increases alertness at work. In Tokyo, a company diffuses a light scent of peppermint in its offices to improve productivity. Another company sprays different scents through the air conditioning system, for the same purpose. A whiff of citrus helps start the day off on the right foot. A discreet floral scent promotes concentration mid-morning and afternoon. A touch of cedar seems to relieve fatigue at lunch and late afternoon.
Since the limbic system controls both smell and emotion, it makes sense that certain scents have the power to stimulate or relax the senses.
WHERE SHOULD YOU APPLY A PERFUME?
“Where you want to be kissed,” said Coco Chanel… or where the skin is warmer, because heat helps diffuse and amplify the aromas of a perfume. The “pulse points” (see below), warmed by the good circulation of the blood, close to the surface of the skin, are perfect activators for perfume.
Spray the perfume about 20 cm from your skin. The fragrance will last longer if it is sprayed evenly over a large area rather than liberally over a small area.
Should you rub your wrists together to dry off the perfume? No – it ruins the notes and blunts their development.
Perfumes follow an upward movement – they must therefore be applied to several pulse points, and not just the base of the throat for example. A spray on the back of the knee is particularly effective. As you move, body heat causes the scent to rise to your nose.
WHERE ARE MY PULSE POINTS?
On the inside of the wrists, on the elbow, on the temples, under the earlobe (not behind), in the crook of the neck, warm, at the base of the throat, behind the knees and wherever you feel the beating of your heart.