Perfume is made up of alcohol combined with a fixative, essential oils or chemical scents. Cologne is essentially a diluted version of perfume. Perfumes generally contain up to 30% essential oils whilst colognes only contain 1 -2% oils.

Some perfumes contain just one scent such as verbena but most have a combination of a high note, the first scent that reaches you, middle notes, sometimes called heart notes, which is the personality of the perfume and finally the base note which lingers on.

It is important to remember that perfume reacts with each person's body scent to create a unique aroma. That's why the same cologne can smell so differently on different people. This is why you should try perfume on your own skin before buying otherwise you may be disappointed. A good rule of thumb is to never test more than three perfumes at a time.

Fragrance falls into six basic groups

• Florals: jasmine, lilac, gardenia, rose
• Herbal: lavender, bay, sage
• Exotic: musk, ylang-ylang, vanilla
• Spice: cinnamon, ginger, cloves
• Wood: pine, sandalwood, cedar
• Fruit: lemon, orange, peach

The perfume can have top, heart, and base notes all from one category or mix the notes from different categories.

Home made perfume can be fixed with glycerin or castor oil. Commercially perfume was often fixed with for a longer shelf life with civet oil, or musk. Today chemical replacements have been found.

One of the most recognized perfumes in the world is Channel No. 5, the reason it was given that name was because a bottle a bottle labeled "5" during the testing period. has top notes: Aldehydes, Grasse jasmine Heart Notes: Rose, ylang-ylang, iris Base Notes: Amber, patchouli.

Modern perfume making has been taken over by Classic Designer houses such as Christian Dior which offers several perfumes including : J'adore, Diorella, Diorissimo

Dolce Vita fragrance, Miss Dior, and Diorissimo. While celebrities have always endorsed perfumes, they're now lending their name to perfumes like "Lovely," by Sara Jessica Parker.

To prevent your perfume from disintegrating and turning sour make sure that you keep the bottle away from heat and light. Also the best bottles for perfume are small plus perfume should be applied with a stopper or spray so that the oil from your fingers doesn't contaminate the perfume.

The cost of perfume ranges from the least expensive colognes around $25 a bottle to $215,000 a bottle for Imperial Majesty, a Clive Christian signature scent. The fragrance is $2,150 per ounce. To warrant a price tag of $215,000, a Baccarat crystal bottle was filled with 16.9 ounces of perfume and a five carat diamond and gold collar.

Remember inexpensive perfumes tend to run much sweeter especially when applied, except for targeted fragrances such as Curve or any fragrance marketed to the younger crowd. The younger generations of fragrances are appropriately designed for youthful chemistries with youthful pocketbooks.

If you're selecting a perfume for a woman over the age of thirty it is wise to notice what types of scents they prefer. Often just by observing whether their hair carries a prolonged fruity scent or if they light fruity candles in their home you can reasonably conclude that they prefer a more fruity or sweet fragrance. For the women that burn cleaner candles or have a cleaner smell lingering in their hair are likely to prefer a muskier scent.

With so many perfumes and aromas to choose from, just picking out the right perfume can lead to agitation and an overworked nose that can no longer distinguish between the smell of coffee and the smell of aftershave.

Floral perfumes are the most popular fragrance as it is sweet, and usually blended by a natural subtle musk. The perfume notes are the little selections that explain how the scent changes once it hits the body, since it typical for an aroma to change from the air to the skin. Knowing these can be very helpful when purchasing that special perfume without the body it will be sprayed upon.

If in doubt, and you can afford it, choosing two varying fragrances can be a safer bet. Her nose might not love one of them, but she will more than likely find the other one exactly what she likes. Many women do have a wider preference scale, and both will be a big hit. Just by learning more about her preferences you will be able to make stronger selections that will satisfy her in time.