Heady questions
1. Why are the perfume extract or other products different on each skin?
Extracts are becoming increasingly rare, but they still exist in major perfume houses like Guerlain. It is the magic and richness of the concentrate that works. As the hours pass, the base note literally blends with the personal scent of each skin. Perfumers say that extracts are generally denser in natural raw materials that are "alive". They are orchestrated in a different way according to an eau de toilette or an eau de parfum. Richer and more concentrated in noble natural materials and base notes, the extracts are really different and have a real added value. They are elaborated in a spirit of excellence.
If the fragrance does not sublimate your skin, try another one until you get compliments from people who pass you by. The skin has its own smell, which is unique depending on its diet, pH, activity and medication. Moreover, you don't smell the same in Paris, New York, Shanghai or Dubai. Atmosphere with or without air conditioning, humidity, heat. The perfume goes to meet it, marry or does not marry the smell of the skin, it is the alchemy that works or not. It's not that the perfume is bad, it's that the encounter with this perfume doesn't work.
The extract is concentrated from 20% to 40%, is intimate and is only smelled by the person wearing it or by people close to him. The eau de parfum, which can be concentrated from 15% to 30%, is a good compromise, because it is both tenacious and has a sillage. The eau de toilette concentrated from 6% to 20% is more extroverted, more felt by the people who are in the wake than by the person himself, sometimes it is less tenacious.
You notice that each product has very variable concentrations, sometimes similar because there are no regulations in this area. The tenacity and the sillage are for me, the proof that the perfume has been perfectly orchestrated and proves the talent of the perfumer.
2. Spray or bottle?
The feminine gesture of the crystal (now glass) cabochon on the back of her neck remains the iconic image of perfume. However, it is important to know that this practice, as well as the practice of applying the perfume in extract form with your index finger or directly with the bottle, is not ideal. The contact of the nectar with the skin denatures (over time) the fragrance.
It is even said that the skin gives the perfume its own smell. It is often noted that customers with these habits are surprised when they come to buy another bottle of their faithful perfume to find it different. This is understandable, as they do not only smell the extract but also their own personal note.
It is therefore recommended to spray your perfume or to buy small bottles (7.5 ml) if you want to keep the mythical gesture, because in this way the perfume does not have time to denature. If you opt for a large size, the ideal would be to transfer it into a spray bottle. The gesture of spraying is more appropriate for our time, because everything has to go faster.
3. What is the dream price?
The extract of mythical perfumes remains the most expensive product. Its concentrate, as you have understood, is denser, more noble, its solution purer and its bottle always more beautiful. Each house has its own prices. But the added value is real, because with the extract, you can smell your perfume all day long.
4. How to choose a fragrance?
Buying a fragrance requires a method. The best way is to ask for a spray, which, by shortening the duration of the top notes, immediately puts the emphasis on the heart notes. To discover the base notes, you have to wait.
Following the questionnaire which should be done by a consultant, she should be able to select first of all what she recommends to you on a scent pad. Another possible formula: if you want to discover several scents, ask for them to be sprayed on small pieces of flannel, or noble materials (like wool, cotton) you will not find them on the stands, but you can bring them, they are better supports than paper pads.
Then absolutely try them on the skin, to validate the alchemy with the skin, I always say that it is not the perfume that perfumes the skin, but it is the person who perfumes their perfume.
A perfume can be beautiful on a friend, or a person you pass in the street, but disappointing on your skin. On the other hand, some perfumes are not "flattering" on paper or fabric and can be beautiful on your skin. So no rules!
An advice: take time to think about a perfume, even if it takes more than half a day. Sleep with it, if you get a sample, to see if it doesn't "get on your nerves", if it puts you in a good or bad mood and above all pay attention to the comments around you.
Never try more than two fragrances or three at the same time, and if you do, start with the lightest of the three. Avoid being perfumed to go to a tasting and prefer the morning to the evening, your sense of smell is fresher. The worst time is after lunch.
"What fragrance are you wearing? You smell amazing" is a wonderful compliment and proof that you have found a fragrance that suits you perfectly.
A perfume is not like a piece of clothing that dresses a person, it is a more engaging act: it can calm, heal, comfort, give energy, it must correspond perfectly to your olfactory heritage engendered since childhood. It must create an emotion, touch you deeply, reflect your deep personality, be your olfactory signature, and thus leave a trace in the memory of others.
5. Which parts of the body should be perfumed?
A touch of extract when it exists (or of eau de parfum when there is no extract in the range) can be applied to the hairline, the nape of the neck, the wrists, the elbows, the chest and the navel, the classic sensual points. The extract or eau de parfum in the warmest places, "wherever we want to be kissed" said Coco Chanel. Don't forget the hair, which is an excellent support and why not the inside of the knees?
Then go on to apply the eau de toilette or eau de parfum, ideally drawing a large triangle around your face. Don't forget your hair, the inside of your jacket or coat. This time, you're fragrant for the whole day.
If you can, use body products of the same scent. If they don't exist, buy a neutral body lotion and at the last moment add a few sprays of your perfume, mix it in your hands, and you will get a body derivative product that will scent every inch of your skin and be extremely faithful to your perfume.
6. Should you scent your clothes?
You can, but you need to be light on your feet. The ideal is to spray the hem of a skirt or your clothes with natural fibres (not on synthetic materials). Beware, however, of stains, never apply perfume directly to fabrics, prefer eau de toilette or eau de parfum by spraying from a distance. You can spray on noble materials such as cashmere, wool, cotton, and be careful with silk. Avoid light coloured fabrics. Do not spray on pearls, fur or jewellery in general. You can also spray eau de toilette or eau de parfum in front of you and then enter the cloud.
7. When to use the extract?
Perfume is generally recommended for the evening. But a touch of extract is more present, intimate and discreet than a large spray of eau de toilette. So why not enjoy it in the morning for yourself and the people close to you. This elixir will unite with your skin in a mysterious alchemy, and exhale a fragrance that belongs only to you. When the magic happens, even the specialists do not recognise it. It becomes unique!
8. How to store perfume?
Perfume should be kept away from light, heat and air. In a cool, unopened place, some perfumes improve with time, especially if they contain a lot of natural raw materials.
Once opened, it is best to use it in the current year, especially if it is taken with the fingers. In this case, the hands must be perfectly clean. Similarly, in order to avoid the introduction of impurities that could oxidise the perfume and give it a cloudy appearance, it is strongly advised to apply any perfume in a bottle before applying make-up (especially if, as is often the case, the woman perfumes herself by applying the cap of the bottle directly to the skin). Air travel does not alter the perfume, but beware of leaks.
Perfumes also suffer from ageing in the same way as wine, i.e. without fundamentally changing their structure, but by evolving in their bouquet. To avoid this alteration, replace your bottle well closed in its box, away from light, far from a source of heat, the ideal being to keep them in a cool place, why not in the bottom of a refrigerator or a wine cellar. And handle it carefully.
9. Why doesn’t your perfume last?
There are many reasons. The first is that you probably expect too much from an eau de toilette. Very volatile, it's just meant to give you the sillage, around you, not to last. And the more natural and good quality it is, the quicker it evaporates, as synthetic notes are more persistent.
There are fragrances that are well constructed and others that are less so, the flight or top note must be catchy and smiling, but what is important is that it evolves well and that its tenacity and sillage are there, this also depends a lot on the talent of the perfumer. Some perfumes smell great but are sometimes disappointing when worn.
Out of ten women who wear Shalimar, only three or four will wear it sublimely and uniquely. On some, it may be unrecognisable, and therefore personalised. Sometimes magical! And for other people, while this perfume is really well constructed and powerful, it may not hold up or evolve very well.
On the other hand, our sensitivity to scents varies from moment to moment, from season to season. During the premenstrual period, even an experienced nose can lose its acuity. It should be noted that some women have a less developed sense of smell than others (e.g. those who smoke).
10. Can you use perfume in the sun?
I don't advise wearing perfume in the sun, alcohol can cause redness in the sun, not spots. So perfumes without alcohol will not solve the risk. Citrus fruits are now treated and their photosensitizing particles that cause spots are removed. But the more natural products a perfume contains, the more likely it is to cause this problem. Don't take any risks, use perfume in the evening or on clothes, and not during the day in the sun.
Sylvaine Delacourte perfumes
Discover Sylvaine Delacourte's brand with her Orange Blossom, Musk and Vanilla Collections. You can try them thanks to the Discovery Boxes (5 Eaux de Parfum x 2 ml) and rediscover these raw materials as you have never smelled them before.