Real Men Do Wear Perfume! (What Exactly is Perfume?)Fact! Ernest Beaux created Chanel No. 5 for Coco Chanel in 1921. It has a floral top note of ylang-ylang and neroli, with a heart of blends of jasmine and rose all above a woody base of sandalwood and vetiver.
Men do wear perfume, just don't tell them that! Many people, women as well as men, consider perfume strictly for women and see cologne as mainly a man's product. The definition of perfume is: "a substance that emits and diffuses a fragrant odor, especially a volatile liquid distilled from flowers or prepared synthetically." (1) Granted, most perfumes on the market have a more feminine scent and no man would ever be caught wearing one (and would we really want them to?) but, in essence, perfume and cologne are the same thing.People have used perfume, in one form or another, for thousands of years. Egyptians were the first to incorporate perfume into their culture, and since their earliest existence have used it as part of their religious rites. More than likely they extracted the essential oils from flowers, leaves or grasses and then burned that oil to scent the air. They also steeped various plants in oil - probably animal fat - until a perfumed unguent formed. This unguent was then rubbed into the skin as part of their pre-love-making preparations. It's purported that Cleopatra's favorite scent was the sweet and heady honeysuckle. Perfume manufacturing is a very complicated process these days, though it doesn't have to be. The base of today's perfume is anywhere from 78% to 95% specially denatured ethyl alcohol. Essential oils (or synthetic fragrances) are added to the alcohol to create a specific scent. Some of the finer perfumes are often aged for months or even years after they've been blended. Fact! The Egyptians invented glass and one of the first common uses for glass was perfume bottles.
The percentage of essential oils added to the alcohol determine the final product - whether it's perfume, cologne, etc. Perfume is the most expensive form of fragrance; it typically contains 22% essential oils. Eau de Parfum comes next in line with anywhere from 15% to 22% essential oil. Eau de Toilette usually has 8% to 15% oil, and Eau de Cologne has just 4% essential oil. Cologne (a man's product right?) is short for Eau de Cologne. According to LaPerfumerie the word 'cologne' means "a scented liquid made of various fragrant oils and alcohol". (2) The only difference, other than the level of dilution, between perfume for a woman and cologne for a man is the choice of essential oils added to create the final scent. Fact! Channel No. 5 was given that name because the bottle was labeled "5" during the testing period.
Some of the more common masculine scents include patchouli, sandalwood, oak moss and musk. However, some men's cologne also includes lavender, the citrus scents, and even rose! As you can see there's really no defining difference between men's and women's fragrances except the packaging. So the next time you feel like having a little fun at the expense of your man (in a loving way of course) ask him what kind of "perfume" he's wearing. The look on his face will be priceless!
© ThunderWolf 8/23/2007 11:25 PM
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