We are often asked how to evaluate, smell perfume or test fragrance.
It may seem like a strange question “How do you Test Fragrance” ?
However it really is not as strange as it seems, some people would say “Just open a bottle spray and take a sniff”
Finding the right fragrance is not quite as straight forward as it may seem, at times it would appear that there can be no logic behind your choice of perfumes because your emotions are so intrinsically linked to your sense of smell.
We are conditioned to have smell preferences, and our response to a particular odour or note could be based partially on our individual genetic make-up, and partially on our life experiences.
So what do we mean by this?
In simple terms it means that we all have an ‘olfactory blueprint’, which like us is totally unique. Think of it as your life’s experiences or life’s road map all happily recorded in our smell memory.
No two individuals are alike and just as we respond differently to different situations, colours, music, art, clothes, food or wine, we also react differently to something that we smell.
We here at PAIRFUM London are delighted that this is the case, could you just imagine for a moment how boring the World would be if we all liked the same thing… colour, food, wine, clothes..
Taking this idea a step further it would also mean that we would all, be attracted to the same type of partner, scientists have already proven that mice can and do, detect compatibility genes by smell, and that certain fish choose their mates by their colour. How this works in humans, is still not fully understood.
However it is such a fascinating topic, it deserves a post all to itself – so that is one for another time.
So! how should we Evaluate, Sample, Test or Smell Perfume..
Well, the Perfume World is divided into families, and then divided yet again into sub-family’s. Technically, ‘fragrance families’ are a classification system that the perfume industry has used for years. In the language of scent a ‘Family’ is used to place individual perfumes into olfactory groups, based on their more dominant characteristics.
When choosing which scent or perfume to wear we often without even realising it, gravitate to the same ‘fragrance family’ time and again. Instinctively, we prefer scents from some fragrance families and dislike others.
However this may vary or alter slightly with a change in temperature or weather, for colder months we may prefer a warmer note and a lighter, fresher note for Spring or Summer.
The in-house perfumer here at PAIRFUM London, Huib Maat has just written a more in depth article on how to evaluate, sample, test Fragrance. If you would like to find out more, and learn how to do it like a professional then please click here.
We are often being asked the question, “How to make a Reed Diffuser that is Personalised?
We all enjoy fresh, fragrant flowers or at the very least a natural uplifting or calming fragrance in our homes. This explains why over the past number of years, reed diffusers have become a very popular and a ‘must-have’ addition to our rooms.
They have a timeless simplicity and versatility, that enables their inclusion into every room or interior design scheme make them universally loved.
Today, they are available in every shape and size in a wide variety of fragrances, from a variety of brands – even companies that would not normally be associated with or have a background in perfumery……….???
There are times however when:
a) The diffuser you have chosen may not quite fit the overall theme of your home, or the scheme you have chosen for a particular room.
b) You would like to add a more personalised touch to your interior scheme, or
c) It may be for a special occasion such as a Wedding or a party.
For these or other special occasions, we have a simple suggestion:
1. Turn your favourite vase into a unique reed diffuser.
The rising popularity of reed diffusers has seen us all getting used to refilling our bottles with a reed diffuser refill and inserting fresh reeds. We all know how to do this.
Did you know though, that you can do the same with your favourite vase or bottle?
Using your favourite vase or a unique bottle, to create an aesthetically pleasing decorative item will take just a few moments of your time, and yet you will create a touch of elegance to perfectly compliment your home décor.
To clarify, you will need the following items to create your unique reed diffuser:
• Your chosen vase or decanter
• PAIRFUM reed diffuser refill – well you would not expect us to recommend anything but the best to you – would you?
• PAIRFUM’s extra-long natural rattan reeds – yet again, nothing but the best is good enough for you.Choosing extra-long reeds is vital for the success of your reed diffuser because if the reeds are too short, then not enough of the rattan sticks out of the top of the bottle. You will find in this case that the reed diffuser will not be strong enough to fragrance your room. As a rule of thumb, you need at least 10 reeds that stick about 6 – 8 inch or 15 -20 cm out of the bottle.
Please note, the next critical step in this process is that you only select a vase, bottle, decanter or any other vessel that is resistant to perfume oils. If you are in any doubt about this, then please do not attempt this.
We recommend only using the following types of vases or vessels:
– Made from glass or crystal without any lacquer, paint, varnish, coating, fabric, paper etc on the inside or outside. Please insure that any type of container you choose is free from cracks, chips or defects that may cause it to leak or spill.
– Made from ceramic, porcelain or earthenware that are glazed on the inside and outside.
This may sound very restrictive (and probably is) but it is better to be ‘safe’, than ‘sorry’. After all is said and done, you are using one of your preferred vases.
On the other hand, you will be surprised how many beautiful, graceful and interesting vases or bottles you have in your cupboards that would be ideal to be used as a reed diffuser.
Just have a look around.
When selecting a reed diffuser refill oil, here at PAIRFUM, we recommend choosing a ‘healthy’ refill fluid:
– Natural,
– Without alcohol (as these don’t last very long), and
– Non-VOC (meaning free from solvents that damage your lungs and in particular free from glycols)
All of PAIRFUM’s reed diffuser refills and Diffusers meet these criteria.Now that you have all the ingredients assembled, it’s time to put it all together.
Begin by filling your favourite or chosen container with the reed diffuser refill oil to approximately 50% of the volume of the container, this is done to insure that you leave room for the reeds (if in doubt, then just fill it to the halfway mark).
Next, place the reeds inside the vessel, you will notice that the level of fragrance oil inside the container rises(think of it as the Eureka effect), which is why we advised earlier to fill to only 50%. This avoids spillage when you insert the reeds, and will insure that the liquid does not flow over the edge.
As with all reed diffusers, the reeds will now begin to soak up the fragrance infusion and the perfume will begin to travel up the reeds. Once the perfume has soaked or ‘wicked’ up the reeds past the neck of the bottle, your personalised reed diffuser will begin to fragrance you home.
Please take the usual precautions with reed diffusers and be careful if you are placing your reed diffuser on a wooden, lacquered or porous surface you may wish to use a coaster as fragrance oils can leave marks on certain surfaces.
Pro Tip: the optimum position for your reed diffuser is where it catches a little air flow that enables the fragrance to disperse, enhancing the atmosphere and setting the ambience you wish to create.
And there you have it – your very own, personal but luxurious reed diffuser in both scent and design.
The PAIRFUM collection is available online at www.pairfum.com
The ‘Earth House’ in Iran by Azeri and Lotfolahi centers around a coutyard and is located in kerman, the central part of iran.
This private house designed by architects Jafar Lofolahi and Omid Azeri is built with earth, the historically most prevalent and important building material in this climate. The combination of soil, clay and cement creates a warm and comforting atmosphere in combination with the natural stone floor.
Built around a central, inner courtyard, it mimics a more traditional home in the region. The main elements of this house are hidden from the outside, but transparent, light flooded and open from the inner courtyard. The home consists of two parts, one for winter and one for summer.
For us as perfumers, what intrigued us in the ‘Earth House’ project are the unusual scents and their combination that will be prominent in this home: earth, soil, stone, wood and water.
At “China House Vision 2018” MAD Architects propose ‘Living Garden’ as a vision of the home of the future.
When we as perfumers hear ‘Living Garden’ and ‘Future Home’, we immediately think about the fragrance that will be inside this house. The scents this house conjures up for us are green, earthy, stemmy, airy and woody but also with elements of soil and water.
The Architects present their model of a ‘home without bounds’ imagining an ‘en-plein-air’ environment that intends to eliminate the boundary between inside and outside, giving occupants the feeling that they are living in or with nature. Instead of a typical home – where walls and roofs create a separation from nature – a floating, swinging roof sits on top of lacttice like structure.
The clear, layered glass roof protects the occupants from the elements, e.g. rain, while providing natural ventilation and natural daylight to flood the home. The architects incorporated solar panels strategically to generate enough electrical energy to power the daily consumption of a family of three.
maintaining an openness towards the sky and its surroundings, ‘living garden’ sees life, (solar) energy, and nature coincide, seamlessly blending together to create an architectural ‘living’ landscape‘, it reads in a statement released by the studio. ‘one that emphasizes humanity’s emotional connection with nature.‘
This ‘Living Greenhouse’ sees life, sun and nature co-exist in perfect harmony and actually morphing together in a ‘living landscape’, as the architects describe it, in a symbiosis ‘that emphasizes humanity’s emotional connection with nature’.
This model of future living is being presented during exhibition Chine House Vision 2018, located inside Beijing’s Olympic Park during 21.9 – 6.11.2018.
As perfumers,
For Chine House Vision 2018, 10 x teams of international architecture firms in partnership with 10 x innovative companies created their ideal ‘home of the future’ as 1:1 scale model. House Vision is a cultural research project focussing on the ‘home’ to explore future living through the cross-collaboration of different disciplines, such as architecture, design, technology, manufacturing etc.
We have been approached by a wonderful Wine company, who would like to do a Wine Tasting & Your Sense of Smell event…
It may not be something we automatically think about in this way, but although each sense has it’s own receptor organs, smell and taste belong to our chemical sensing system – known as chemosensation.
Our sense of smell is our oldest sense detecting chemicals that relate to smell or taste, it provides us with the information we need to survive in the environment that surrounds us.
The sensation of taste includes five established basic tastes: sweetness, sourness, saltiness, bitterness, and savoury or Umami.
The majority of flavors are recognised through the sense of smell. Many of us have at sometime experienced how food looses it’s flavour when we have a head cold or a blocked nose.
Even though you can distinguish a foods sweetness or bitterness, if you hold your nose while eating chocolate, you will have trouble identifying which particular flavour of chocolate it is.
Why is this you may ask?
Well the reason for this is that the flavor of chocolate is sensed largely by our sense of smell, this is also the case with Coffee. So if you wish to fully experience or savour a wonderful flavor, then it really is a case of the ‘Nose knows You Know’.
Anyone who has ever had the opportunity to visit a winery, a vineyard or even watched a televised program about wine. Will have seen that before ever attempting to take a sip of wine.. the experts will evaluate the wine by employing four basic steps – looking, swirling, smelling, and last but not least tasting.
You do not have to be a true wine expert, also known as a Sommelier or Wine steward, to enjoy or savour the moment. These tried and tested rituals of wine tasting have been developed over millennia.
The iconic Marilyn Monroe once said – “There are no Women who do not like perfume, there are women who have not found their scent” –
Now that started us wondering – if this could also be applied to Wine?, although it would not only apply to Women………..
As in:
“There is no one who does not like wine, there are just people who have not found their vintage yet” – Huib Maat
Our nostrils are ‘Ipsilateral’(which means ‘on or affecting the same side of the body’) – this allows us to smell two odours simultaneously, it also means that you could in theory smell a Red wine with your right nostril and a White with your left, with the information being send to the corresponding side of the brain !!!
We can just imagine what a Sommelier would make of this suggestion …..
So what do you think?
Would you like to join PAIRFUM London at a – Wine Tasting & Your Sense of Smell Event?
Then please get in touch using the contact form on our site – https://www.pairfum.com/contact/
Get a Full Refund when you later buy a full-sized bottle. Special Offer: Free Gift-Wrap (luxury bag & tissue paper) with every Perfume Experience Box.
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Choosing extra-long reeds is vital for the success of your reed diffuser because if the reeds are too short, then not enough of the rattan sticks out of the top of the bottle. You will find in this case that the reed diffuser will not be strong enough to fragrance your room. As a rule of thumb, you need at least 10 reeds that stick about 6 – 8 inch or 15 -20 cm out of the bottle.
Please note, the next critical step in this process is that you only select a vase, bottle, decanter or any other vessel that is resistant to perfume oils. If you are in any doubt about this, then please do not attempt this.
Now that you have all the ingredients assembled, it’s time to put it all together.
