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The History of Perfume
by Stacy Taylor
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Overview
The History of Perfume
The word "perfume" comes from the Latin phrase "per fumus", which means "through smoke." Perfume is described as three notes (scents); top notes are usually ginger or citrus scents, middle notes are usually floral-based scents and the long-lasting base notes are wood or amber scents. Perfume is the strongest of fragrances, with a 15 to 40 percent concentration compared to the 2 to 5 percent concentration of cologne.
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Early History
Incense was the first perfume and was discovered in Mesopotamia about 4,000 years ago. It was used during ceremonies and to embalm the deceased. Incense became popular in Egypt during Queen Hatshepsut's reign from 1498 to 1483 B.C. During the Golden Age, perfume use peaked, and most of the deceased were buried with fragrances. These ancient oils were so powerful that a trace of scent lingered in King Tutankhamen's tomb 3,300 years later.
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Other Cultures
Over the next 600 to 700 years, perfume use spread from Egypt to Rome, Greece and the Arab regions. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the use of perfume dwindled and remained in decline until the international trade advances of the 12th century rekindled interest.
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Europe
Trade with Arabs brought perfumes to Europe in the 14th century, but the first modern perfume was introduced by the Hungarians. It was made in 1370 of scented oils and alcohol and was known as "Hungary Water." From there, the art of perfumery spread to France and Italy, where further refinements were made in the 16th century by Rene le Florentin. During the Renaissance, royal and wealthy people used perfume to cover the body odor resulting from poor hygiene practices.
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French Perfumers
In the following centuries, perfume became one of the most commonly used beauty products. By the 19th and 20th centuries, scientific developments in chemistry offered new possibilities to the fragrance industry, with French perfumers taking the lead. Among the celebrated high fashion fragrances were Jean Patou's Joy, Guerlain's Shalimar and Chanel No 5.
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Modern Scents
In the 1970s, the United States rocked the perfume industry with fragrances like Revlon's Charlie. France countered with controversial perfumes like YSL's Opium. The 1980s brought trendy perfumes such as Calvin Klein's Obsession and Christian Dior's Poison, while the 1990s marked a return to soft and subtle scents with Lancôme's Trésor and Givenchy's Amarige.
