My favourite perfume

The first REAL Perfume I ever purchased was Dune by Dior and I felt like a million dollars when I put it on. Dune was different from any other perfume I had tried at that time and I hate to blend into the crowd.

Dune was created by Jean-Louis Sieuzac and its top note includes bergamot, mandarin, palisander, aldehyde, peony and broom followed by heart note composed of jasmine, rose, ylang-ylang, lily, wallflower, lichen. Base notes are vanilla, patchouli, benzoin, sandalwood, amber, oakmoss, and musk. Its innovative bottle with rounded edges is designed by Veronique Monod. Dune also won a 1993 Fifi award. Bottle is available as 30, 50 and 100 ml Eau de Toilette together with Bath & Body line

When I talk about Real perfume in this blog I am specifically referring to 'Parfume or Parfum in french, and it is not to be confused with it's cheaper version Eu de toilette or Cologne. Parfume lasts longer than cologne as it is product that consist of several layers of scent or in the perfume industry several notes. The French discovered that certain scents and essential oils lasted longer or shorter than others and since everyone wants to smell good all day they decided to mix different notes to get a better result. Perfumes are often described as having:

Top notes - this scent you notice when the perfume is first applied.
Middle notes- these usually start to come to your notice about a half hour or so after application and delicately blend in with the top notes.
Base notes - the heavier, lingering scents that stay until the end.

Cologne or Eu de toilette are often less complexly layered or a 'watered down' version of the real thing and hence is cheaper to purchase, however it will usually not last as long on your skin like perfume. However this is not always the case as some Perfume houses use more oils and concentrates in their products than others. At present I can only find the Dune in the Eu de Toilette and I have heard that this Dune product is of top quality.

This is the one Eu de toilette that I actually really like and it is real value for money, well on my skin it is. Sunflowers is the perfect day time perfume for the Australian outdoors type girl. It is fresh and light but has staying power. You would describe it as having a "fruity fresh floral" aroma with rose, cedar, lemon, musk, moss, amber, mandarin, and jasmine. I have read that some people say it is for evening wear but I would disagree with them it suits me perfectly for the day time and I would say the packaging and even the name suggest that I am right.

Have you ever smelled a perfume on your friend and loved it but when you wore the same perfume it was not as good? Or did your mother ever tell you that perfume is personal and you need to try it before you buy it?

It is hard to imaging that one product could be so different on two different people but when you begin to understand the chemistry of perfume and skin it all begins to make sense. Some people have oily skin and some peoples skin is dry. We also have different diets and foods can affect our skin and body odour as well. To top is off our skin pH can also be lightly different and all of these factors can create their own "chemistry" with your perfume.

If you think you like a perfume spray some on at the store or get yourself a sample bottle. Try the perfume on and see how you like it an hour after application. Sometimes it is best to get a sample bottle and then you can try it out over a day or two to see if it really suits. I know it can sound a bit pretentious and long winded but when the perfume you like is around $100 for only 50ml or 1.5fl oz you want to make sure you like it.

The perfume here is the second one I ever purchased and is called Knowing by Estee Lauder.This Perfume has a blend of rose, mimosa, jasmine, oakmoss, amber and sandalwood and is one of my "Evening ware" perfumes

The 80's: big glasses, hair and shoulder pads, leggings and shiny material not all quite my thing but one thing I can really appreciate from this time is the next perfume which made it's debut in this decade. Lou Lou by Cacharel.

Lou Lou is a perfume with a distinct personality, it is not shy but at the same time it is not to bold but very inviting.The perfume is built around the beautiful and sensual scent of Tiare flower, the Tahitian symbol of welcoming and generous offer. The top notes are composed of violet, plum black currant, marigold and anis; the heart of sweet Tiare flower is accentuated with the notes of tuberose, ylang-ylang and orange blossom; all that is followed by powdery trace of orris and Tonka bean, and sensual mix of vanilla and balsam.

This is also a perfume that I reserve for going out somewhere special or for an evening out with that someone special