The keen sense of smell is one of the most potent of the human senses. As the stories tell, perfume and cologne alone can cause an apple to taste like an onion. Olfactory stimulus can conjure up images and bring back memories, even suppressed ones, linked to similar smells. We can assume that our smell sense,Therefore the sense of smell, especially when sniffing perfume or cologne, is very closely tied to our emotional centers and by extension factors largely into our ideas of beauty and attraction. This is the reasoning behind the appeal of perfumes and cologne fragrances, and justifies them as a critical element of a woman's or man's cosmetic wardrobe.

However, what exactly are perfumes, and what are the differences between those we regularly see at the stores? Also, with so many varieties and descriptions to choose from, how does anyone, a woman or a man, pick the right scent for you or a gift for someone? There are alot of factors and knowledge on must have to select the perfect smell and the image she is trying to convey to people, her mood, and distinct personality that makes her different. A great place for you to start and figure out which scent type is best for you is to know whats in all the different types of scents and how they vary with each of thier ingredients.

The first means of categorizing "perfume" is by breaking it down into several different classifications based on the concentration of the actual scent vs. the alcohol content. While many question the necessity for the inclusion of alcohol, without it the scent would evaporate too quickly rather than bonding with the body's natural oils and emanating from your skin. The percentage of perfume oil itself is what determines how well it holds its potency, and whether it does so for a worthwhile duration of most of the day, or whether it instead lasts for a matter of only an hour or so.

The classifications are as follows:

Perfume: 15-30% oil. The most expensive, perfume usually lasts up to 6 hours. It is packaged in small bottles, and should be used sparingly.

Eau de Parfum: 8-15% oil. Eau de Parfum contains a little higher concentration than an Eau de Toilette.

Eau de Toilette: 4-8% oil. This is the normal discount fragrance most people spend their money on. For everyday use and prices around ones budget. This typical combination lasts anywhere for 2-4 hours.

Eau de Cologne: 2-5% oil. Usually inexpensive, Eau de Cologne typically lasts up to 2 hours maximum, and is available in some sort of spray bottle.

Splash Cologne: 1-3% oil. The extremely informal version of perfume, splashes or sprays tend to be very inexpensive, short-lived scents.

The perfumes and colognes themselves fall into five traditional fragrance categories, plus and additional category of more contemporary origin, some of which contain sub-classifications popular enough to almost constitute a separate category. The selection of the primary category of scent is a matter of personal preference, deciding what perfumes and colognes appeal to you, but how they come off to people and yourself when worn is something that only experience by trying a few and seeing how it reacts to you can tell you. Time of year, mood, and level of stress can all affect body chemistry, and thus determine how the perfume will smell on each person. Be careful not to pick a perfume or cologne because how it smells on someone else, you can almost bet it will smell different, and sometimes seriously different, on you with your personal factors reacting to the fragrance.

Here are the fragrance categories for you to choose:

Floral: Usually containing a combination of different floral scents and intended to appeal to the true romantic, Floral also has a prominent subcategory known as Florential which is versatile enough for day or evening wear. Common ingredients include violet, carnation, rose, and lily, while Florentials include more exotic flowers such as Orange Flower, Moon Flower, Gardenia, Freesia and Jasmine with undertones of Sandalwood, Amber, Apricot, and Musk.

Fruity: Traditionally the category known as "Fruity" is comprised of warmer fruit scents, however the subcategory Citrus tends to include lighter aromas. Common ingredient include warmer fruits such as Passion Fruit, Papaya, Pineapple, Apple, Apricot, and Peach. While the Citrus subcategory has varieties like Lime, Tangering,k Grapefruit, and Lemon.

Chypre: Mossy & Woodsy perfumes and fragrances, Chypre is good for an outdoor type of person. Common ingredients include patchouli, sage, oakmoss, and lavender.

Fougere: Mainly used in men's cologne fragrances, fougere scents often are referred to having greens. They have grassy and herbal perfume, which quite often are crisp and refreshing. Some ingredients include Hyacinth, lavender, Juniper, Pine, and Rosemary.

Orientals: Heavily scented, and best for evenings, special occasions, and cooler weather. Orientals contain fragrance that falls into subcategories of musky, woodsy, exotic florals, and spicy. Common ingredients include amber, vanilla, woods, resins, cloves, vanilla, cinnamon, and ginger.

Oceanic: Composed of scents reminiscent of water, Oceanic perfumes are a contemporary addition, are light and airy, and are intended to represent smells of things that cannot be naturally bottled. Thus common ingredients are synthetic, but meant to simulate things like clean linen, mountain air, and ocean breeze.

As already stated,As previously mentioned, selecting a perfume scent is an extremely personal process, and should be done carefully. When selecting a discount perfume for yourself, keep the following in mind. Each designer perfume has several distinctive scents ("notes"), top (above), middle (or heart), and bottom notes, each of which distinguishes itself at different times subsequent to the initial application. Take the opportunity when trying out perfumes to wait for each of the notes to become apparent rather than making your decision simply based on the top notes. Make sure you test the fragrance on your skin or the spot where you will be applying the perfume on a regular basis to get a proper evaluation on how your body reacts to it and the smell or scent it turns into.

When you decide to use a perfume fragrance as a gift, make sure you kind of know what the exact fragrance is that the other person wants. Its very hard to judge what scent will work well for a person. Therefore consider other things when buying gifts. Beautiful or interestingly shaped bottles can turn even a mismatched scent into a charming decorative piece or collectors' item. Purchase scents in lower concentration versions, or perhaps in home fragrances or shower gels, so that the chemical reaction will be eliminated or minimized. If the person ends up loving the designer fragrance, he or she can choose to purchase it, or request a more concentrated version of the perfume as a gift at a later date. Consider the individual's personality and lifestyle, and determine how those factors correspond with what you have learned about the different types of perfumes available. Lastly, you can choose to enlist the aid of a professional at a perfumery for suggestions, although avoid letting that person talk you into an expensive purchase without first making certain the gift will be a success.

An individual's fragrance can be one of the most potent (and primal) statements that he or she makes, therefore be in control of yours. Perfume can help you express your personality, so choose a small variety that compliments each of your moods. No more are the historic days of perfume as a compensation for poor hygiene, fragrance today, is your cover on your book to the rest of the world. Like seasoned wine connoisseurs, informed and practiced perfume shoppers can appreciate the subtleties of notes and categories, and use this knowledge to describe themselves to the rest of the world through an immensely powerful vehicle: the human sense of smell. Perfume and fragrance is almost like putting on your makeup.. The less, the better. You want people to just barely smell your scent or fragrance when you walk by, not make them fall over.