Common Perfume Notes Made Easy

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Ever try to read out and make sense of a notes listing for a fragrance you love? Just what on Earth is muguet supposed to be? How do you even say that? And what’s this coumarin that everyone keeps talking about? And if you thought the notes list was complicated enough, just wait until you hear about the stuff they don’t list.

The following is a brief overview of some perplexing but common notes you might see in perfume.

Benzoin: Pronounced, “ben-zoh-in”, can refer to either the “benzoin resin” from trees in the Styrax genus or the organic compound, “benzoin”. Benzoin resin has a creamy, honey and vanilla fragrance.

Champaca: Pronounced, “cham-puk-uh”, is a tree from the magnolia family. It smells woodsy, spicy and green.

Coumarin: Pronounced, “koo-muh-rin”, is a chemical compound found in tonka beans, sweet grass, and a wide variety of other plants. It has a sweet hay scent.

Galbanum: Pronounced, “gal-bun-num”, is a gum resin from plants of the Ferula genus. It has a green, herbaceous and bitter scent.

Labdanum: Pronounced, “lab-dun-num”, is a resin obtained chiefly from plants of the Cistus genus. Labdanum smells sweet, dry and woodsy.

Muguet: Pronounced, “mew-gey”, is Lily-of-the-Valley. It has a light, very sheer but distinctive sweet aroma.

Olibanum: Pronounced, “O-lib-bun-num”, is frankincense. Smells like incense to me.

Opopanax: Pronounced, “oh-pop-pan-nax”, is a gum resin that smells woodsy and lightly floral undertones.

Oud: Pronounced, “ooh’d”, sometimes referred to as agarwood is the resin that is produced when an Aquilaria tree is infected with mold. Oud is said to smell dense, sweet, warm,  and woodsy.

Ylang Ylang: Pronounced, “ee-lang ee-lang”, is a flowering tree. Ylang ylang has a delicate, white floral fragrance.

How Perfume Notes Work

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Talk in any sort of depth about perfume and you will probably encounter the word, “Note”. So what are perfume notes, what are these things that list them, and how do they work anyway?

A note in perfume refers to a single scent. Perfumes are made from many different notes blended together. For example, jasmine is a note featured in Chanel No.5. Notes are categorized in layers, from top notes, middle notes, and base notes. Perfumes work through evaporation and it is often the top notes that evaporate first and are the first notes you smell when you spray or apply perfume. The evaporation is followed by the middle notes and finally the base notes. Slofe

Contrary to popular belief, the perfume notes you see listed on perfume reviews, on the fragrance itself, or sites that sell perfume are not ingredients lists. They are also not 100% accurate descriptors of what the fragrance actually contains.

Notes listings are used by the perfume reviewer or the marketers of the perfume to describe what you may experience when you use the scent. Many times these notes lists are missing many, many, many other scents in the perfume itself. Fragrances are highly complex and some can have hundreds of different scents in them and nothing, short of gas chromatography, will be able to tell you for sure all of the notes in a perfume.

So with all this secrecy, what good are notes lists then? Simply put, notes lists help consumers imagine what a fragrance might smell like and help them determine if they would like that scent. While you cannot instantly know what a fragrance smells like until you stick your nose in, you can get a general idea using a notes list–most of the time. Notes can also help guide people through the progression of a fragrance by giving them a general idea of what they might be smelling.

In the end, notes are a mechanism for giving perfume sniffers an idea of what they’re experiencing. But they shouldn’t be used as a be all and end all list of ingredients because they aren’t.

The Dangers of Counterfeit Perfumes

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Perfume is a luxury and as a luxury, it is naturally expensive. A 100ml bottle of niche perfume can be hundreds of dollars. And even if you’ve caught the fume bug, paying hundreds of bucks for a fragrance can be absurd or just plain impossible for some people.

This is where counterfeits come into play. Imagine going onto eBay and coming across an auction offering Amouage’s Homage Attar for $20 (Homage Attar normally retails for approx. $350). The photo the seller supplies looks like a real bottle of Homage Attar. The seller claims they’re a professional. They claim to only sell authentic fragrances. And they seem to have pretty good ratings from buyers. The price is just so good that to not buy would be a prime opportunity lost. But is it too good to be true?

Why do people buy counterfeit perfumes?

There are two types of people who end up buying counterfeit perfumes. The knowing buyer and the unknowing buyer. People who knowingly buy counterfeit perfumes believe the fakes to be as good as the real deal but at a fraction of the cost. This is completely untrue as counterfeits are often made using lower grade materials.

Unknowing buyers purchase counterfeits because they were lied to or just don’t know they’re walking off with a fake. Buying a fake bottle that you thought was real is an embarrassing and frustrating ordeal. But as the fragrance industry grows, so does the counterfeiting industry. The counterfeit problem doesn’t go away no matter what you’re into. There are counterfeit clothes, counterfeit handbags, counterfeit electronics, even children’s toys are counterfeited. Your best defense against buying a shoddy product is research and knowledge.

Why do counterfeits exist?

Perfume is a multi-billion dollar industry. People love fragrances. And a lot of fragrances, particularly the designer and more popular niche brands, rake in a lot of money. They also tend to be expensive and many people believe perfumes are overpriced. So you end up with a lot of consumers who are looking for deals. Add  expensive and desirable luxury items to consumers who want them but don’t feel they’re the appropriate price and you get a prime environment for counterfeits.

Where are counterfeits sold?

The vast majority of people who encounter counterfeit perfumes find them online. There are many unscrupulous sellers claiming to be legitimate discounters, fake websites claiming to sell authentic products, or bad eBay sellers hocking fake products to unknowing online buyers. Flea markets, street stands, and bargain stores are also rife with fake perfumes because the people selling them either don’t know they’re selling fakes or know full well and just want to make a quick buck. One of the ways to tell if a perfume is fake is by looking at the price. If it’s too good to be true then it probably is.

Why are counterfeits bad?

Counterfeit fragrances can sometimes smell similar to the real thing but are always composed of cheaper ingredients or have been watered down. In the end, counterfeits are bad because you don’t know what went into them and they could harm your health. The creators of those fakes don’t comply with regulatory standards and don’t care if someone gets hurt from using the product. They could be using harsh chemicals, low-quality alcohol, use too much of a volatile component, have carcinogenic components, poor quality water, and who knows what else.

Which perfumes are counterfeited the most?

All mainstream perfumes suffer from counterfeiting from Britney Spears Fantasy to Chanel No.5. Smaller, lesser known niche houses are a little bit safer, but beware of cheap Creed fragrances and never assume that just because you’re buying niche, that you are completely immune to counterfeits. Some of the most counterfeited fragrances are Coco Mademoiselle, Chanel No.5, Chanel Chance, and  Green Irish Tweed by Creed. In fact, Green Irish Tweed has so many counterfeits due to its popularity and status that some of the counterfeits have gotten the look and details of the packaging down to near perfection. As a result, it can be really tricky to spot a fake Green Irish Tweed. Fortunately, due to how popular Green Irish Tweed and the Creed label are, there are lots of people who have used them for years and can help you identify a real from a fake.

How do I avoid buying a counterfeit fragrance?

The best, safest way, to buy perfume is to go to the perfume house directly, pull up a chair and watch them blend your perfume right in front of you. Obviously this isn’t going to happen to anybody any time soon.

So, on a more serious note, the most realistic and safest way to get your perfumes is through a department store counter  (Neiman Marcus, Holt Renfrew, Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy’s, etc.) or the fragrance’s boutique store where you can smell the stuff yourself and buy there. This, however, is expensive. That’s not to mention that not everyone has a department or boutique store within reasonable distance. And some people don’t want to purchase fragrances online from these stores because they haven’t smelled it first and samples are not available. Besides, the department stores don’t always carry what you’re looking for.

Next step is to get online and purchase from reputable online retailers (Beauty Encounter, Lucky Scent [who also have a physical store in West Hollywood, California]). The key is to do your research before you buy. Online discounters can start out good, but go bad for one reason or another. That’s why it’s important to keep up to date with discounter reviews and fragrance news. Something everyone should be doing if they purchase goods online is reading reviews from legitimate sources about the stores they’re going to buy from. Look the retailer up on Google. See if anyone has written a review on the retailer. Look for a second, third, fourth, tenth opinion on different review sites if possible.

Pay attention to what those reviewers are saying about the company, look at the tone of the reviews. Some seedy companies will go out and write glowing reviews for themselves. It is important to be able to tell whether reviews are actually from customers or if it’s just someone from the company talking themselves up. There are a few great retailers offering perfumes at reasonable discounts and these guys will usually have a lot of reviews written up on them by a wide variety of people.

If you must buy from a smaller, lesser known discounter, be aware of the risks associated with this. Not all small discounters are bad, and you may just have the next great deal on your hands, the key is to be alert and aware of the position you’re  putting yourself in.

What about eBay?

eBay can be a godsend for people seeking out old, discontinued, vintage fragrances. And it could be a nice place to snag that latest trendy perfume too. But eBay is a risky venture when it comes to fragrances. There are some very, very convincing fakes out there and there is no guarantee that the picture you’re seeing on an eBay auction is an actual picture of the bottle.

Some counterfeiters will swipe photos people took of their bottles online and use them to sell their lots (hence why all the Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab bottles featured on this blog have a  watermark on them). Another popular technique some counterfeiters use is to list the item with a press or company image of the bottle. For example, you can go to chanel.com and view photos of pretty much every fragrance they offer at the moment. It is easy for an eBay seller to take one of those photos to use in their listing. As a general rule, I tend to be suspicious of a listing for a fragrance that’s only using a company photo and will always ask the seller to provide actual photographs of their bottle or I won’t buy.

If you must buy from eBay, put the seller under a microscope before you bid. Don’t feel guilty about scrutinizing a seller. You’re buying a product, and you want to make sure you get exactly what you paid for. Inspect their feedback and see what others have said about them. Check their negative feedback for consistent or repeated problems other buyers have had. Look at their other items for sale. If they’re selling a huge quantity of the same fragrance, be leery but don’t jump to conclusions yet.

If you are looking at used, unboxed perfume bottles then you are likely to be on safer ground than if you were looking at buying brand new, factory-sealed fragrances. If you are going for factory-sealed it becomes very important that you scrutinize the outer packaging. Ask for pictures of all dimensions of the box. Specify that these pictures should be large. You’re about to drop a lot of money on this perfume so make sure it is legitimate by scrutinizing everything and making sure it is absolutely real. You’ll need to do the legwork by researching the appearance of your fragrance. Pay attention to the markings on authentic bottles and boxes and make sure they match up to the photos on the listing.

Sometimes shady sellers may have some really good dupes on the outside so check the cellophane. It is also not unheard of for shady sellers to open an authentic box, take out the authentic fragrance and replace it with a shoddy copy. So the cellophane should be neatly folded, evenly dispersed and glued down nicely. If the cellophane looks wrinkled, crooked, or poorly glued then be suspicious. If the cellophane was open, the seller should have a good reason for doing so and since it’s already been opened, ask the seller to take shots of the bottle inside the box.

Depending on how accommodating a seller is, you should try to get some more information out of them. If you suspect the photos on the auction were swiped, try asking the seller to take more photographs, specifically of the logos and other branding, the informational labels on the fragrance, a photo of the bottle next to a piece of paper with a word or username you specified written on it, and so on. Finally, look at the price. If you’re looking at a brand new bottle of perfume that would normally be $100 going for $10, it is too good to be true.

How can I tell if I have a counterfeit?

Counterfeiters are getting increasingly sophisticated with their fakes. At least on the outside. It is extremely difficult for a counterfeiter to completely replicate the actual perfume itself because creating the exact same product wouldn’t be cost effective for them. It is a bit easier for them to get the packaging details right but they often slip up as well. The following are some things to look out for when you suspect you’ve got a fake:

1. The outer packaging.
Look at the shrink wrap and the box your fragrance came in. The shrink wrap should fit cleanly and snugly around your box. It should be made of high quality cellophane that is clear and unwrinkled. The glue should be applied carefully and evenly and come away clean and easily. The box itself should have sharp, even corners, and be made of durable or high quality materials. The box will also contain the fragrance’s name, the company that made it, and a cursory list of ingredients in the fragrance itself. Read everything on the box. There should be no spelling, punctuation, duplication of words, or grammar errors.

2. The bottle.
Real perfume bottles are detailed and made of glass with specific design elements that make it easy for the user to spray or apply the fragrance (Burberry Brit’s bottle defies all logic and is a terrible example). If your fragrance bottle has visible faults in the glass, isn’t made of the materials it should be, has a defective sprayer, is featured in a color that isn’t typical, or lacks the usual markings in the right places (brand name, fragrance name, logos, serial numbers, lot numbers) then be very suspicious. Some counterfeits also use cheap stickers to attach a perfume’s name to the bottle instead of embossing the name like most real bottles tend to have.
For most mainstream bottles, you can look some pictures up online to get an idea of what your bottle is supposed to look like. Make sure you get the right name and year when you Google because many fragrances have flankers which can be colored or designed differently. Or you may have an older bottle with a different design.
Again, check for typos or spelling errors. On the bottom of most perfumes, there should be general information about the perfume (concentration, amount, fragrance name, fragrance house) either etched into the glass or attached with a well fixed, well-fitted sticker. If the sticker does not fit the bottom of the bottle, be wary. Some houses also affix information using ink. This inked information should be difficult to remove. If you find that the information is easily scratched off or rubbed off, be very wary.

3. The juice inside the bottle.
Real perfume liquid should be crystal clear. There should be nothing swimming in there like sediment. If you’ve got cloudy perfume, or perfume that has mysterious bits and pieces in it, return it. Perfumes are often colored and if you have an older, authentic bottle handy, try comparing the color of the two. Make sure your authentic bottle is not expired because expired or many years old because perfumes will change color as it ages. Anyway, if both bottles are fresh, the colors should be the same.

4. The fragrance itself.
It is good practice to have a sampler or an excellent idea of what your fragrance is supposed to smell like. Whether you have a sampler for reference or have smelled it a few times in a store. This is the best way to tell if you have a fake fragrance or not. Real fragrances are complex and have three layers, top notes, middle notes, and base notes. Most counterfeits won’t smell like the real thing. They may smell similar but have a flat, one-dimensional quality to them like they’re missing an entire layer of notes.
You can test out the suspected fake by spraying a sample of the real thing and the suspected fake on different blotters. Never test a suspected fake fragrance on your skin. You do not know what components went into making the counterfeits and there could be something in there that might harm you.
Please keep in mind as you are testing that some perfumes may change as they age and therefore smell different. Different concentrations (EDT vs. EDP) may also smell different. Don’t jump to conclusions immediately if a fragrance smells different than it should. It could be old, or you may be trying to test two difference concentrations and getting different results.

If you just don’t know where to start telling if your fragrance is real or not, it seems very authentic but you’re still concerned, or you just can’t find any reference photos, then ask the online community. There are forums and people who have probably used that fragrance for years and can tell you what to look out for or tell you if you’ve got an authentic fragrance or a fake if you provide them with a few photos.

I think I have a counterfeit, what do I do?

If you purchased a fake fragrance, send or take it back to the store or retailer and explain what happened to them. Reputable stores should take the bottle back and either issue you a real bottle or give you a refund. If the retailer doesn’t accept refunds, your only recourse is to warn others of what happened to you, throw the fragrance you bought out, and take steps to ensure that this won’t happen to you again.

Remember, if it’s too good to be true then it probably is. If you suspect you have a fake, ask someone for a second opinion. And never wear a counterfeit fragrance because there is no way, short of sending it off for laboratory testing, to tell what’s in it.

Will Rubbing Your Wrists Crush Perfume?

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I’ve had this happen a few times to me and used to subscribe to the idea myself before I gained a little initiative and went looking for some real answers. Does rubbing your wrists together really crush those delicate scent molecules?

Picture yourself standing in the fragrance department of Saks Fifth Avenue or other department store of choice. You pick up a bottle of the latest release and give it a spray on your wrist. Just to test it out. And, as you go to combine your wrists together, someone from across the room–a sales associate, another perfume appreciator, a man whose hat is composed of used beer cans, whatever–shouts, “No! You’ll crush the scent!”

There’s talk buzzing about the fragrance world surrounding wrist rubbing and perfume. A lot of people rub their wrists together or rub perfume into their skin after application. I don’t know how this started or who originated it but in addition to these wrist-rubbers you have anti-wrist-rubbers on the other side having a conniption every time they witness someone do it. By far, the most common declaration I’ve heard:

“Don’t rub your wrists together. You’re crushing the delicate scent molecules.”

Is there any truth behind this? Yes and no.

First of all, you are not crushing any molecules by grinding your wrists together. You can’t crush molecules with your wrists. Molecules are extremely, mind-bendingly, tiny. So crushing molecules is not at all like crushing a grape. They’re simply too small for your wrists to obliterate. And if you could crush molecules, you’ll be a few years ahead of current scientific research and should probably turn yourself in for scientific study. Come on, for the good of mankind.

So perhaps it’s not so much the fact that people truly believe they can crush molecules with the magic of their wrists but a poor choice of words. “Crush” is a hyperbole and a rather poetic way of saying, “You’re generating heat and causing some perfume notes to evaporate faster than they should.”

Perfumes work through evaporation. When you spray a fragrance onto your skin, your body temperature causes the fragrance molecules to start evaporating. As they evaporate they fly away from the body and give off their scent. The warmer your body is, the faster these scents evaporate.

What you’re doing when you rub your wrists together is generating heat. Heat increases the rate of evaporation and some notes are more susceptible to heat than others. Due to the different rate of evaporation, the perfume may end up smelling different than it should.

This does not mean that wrist rubbing should be banned and you’re a terrible person if you rub your wrists together to distribute the fragrance. Nah. If you want to rub or you’re just used to it, then do it slowly. You’re not in the wrist rubbing competition here and you’re probably not trying to start a fire using your wrists either. Though that would probably make you very popular among smokers and campers.

Perfume Concentrations, Cologne, EDT, and EDP?

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One of the most common questions amongst individuals not familiar with perfumes is, “What’s the difference between eau de toilette and eau de parfum?”

Simply put, in very general terms, an eau de parfum tends to contain a higher percentage of fragrance oils than an eau de toilette. These terms are just two names that perfume makers use to denote the concentration and strength of their fragrances. The scent from perfumes comes from fragrance oils which are then dissolved in alcohol or water (sometimes both). The concentrates are determined by how much fragrance oil to alcohol/water content is contained within the bottle.

Below is a chart showing you the different concentrations of perfumes:

Eau Fraiche, Mist, Splash – Contains 1 – 3% fragrance oil.
Eau de Cologne (EDC) – Contains 2 – 5% fragrance oil.
Eau de Toilete (EDT) – Contains 4 – 10% fragrance oil.
Eau de Parfum (EDP) – Contains 8 – 15% fragrance oil.
Parfum, Extrait – Contains 15 – 25% fragrance oil.
Perfume Oil – Contains 15 – 30% fragrance oil usually mixed in oil.

While these are generally agreed upon concentrations, some perfume houses will sometimes adjust the amounts of fragrance oils for certain notes in their EDT and EDP versions, causing the two concentrations to smell different instead of just stronger or weaker.

In addition to this there is sometimes confusion surrounding cologne vs. perfume. Most people think that cologne is a word used to refer to men’s fragrances but sometimes, as you can see in the above chart, cologne can be referring to the eau de cologne concentration. However, the term cologne, if used these days, will typically refer to a men’s fragrance. This does not mean a woman cannot wear cologne or a man cannot wear perfume. Many unisex fragrances are labeled as either one or the other. Besides, wear what you like.

Synthetic Fragrances, Are They Really Dangerous?

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I’ve noticed, very recently, that a lot of people seem to be concerned about synthetic notes in perfume. As more and more people are subscribing to natural living, eating organic foods, wearing organic cotton, using organic detergents, the eye of concern has shifted onto this generation’s health crisis. No, not obesity. It’s cancer.

With media outlets reporting on the evils of “chemicals” and how they cause allergies in some people and could be carcinogenic for others, I see more and more concerned consumers turning away from synthetic notes used in perfumes because they’re afraid of cancer. Some consumers refuse to wear perfume at all, claiming that they’re all laden with these horrible chemicals that will cause a host of medical problems. But how true are the rumors? Do synthetic notes really cause cancer?

Let’s start from the top and gain a general understanding of what a synthetic fragrance is and what synthetic perfumery is. I tend to veer away from calling synthetic perfumery by certain names because of the instant negative reaction I get from people. Say the word, “chemical” in front of some people and watch them close their ears. Instead, I’ve taken to calling it “constructed perfumery”. Not the most technical of terms but at least I get my foot in the door.

Synthetic fragrances are constructed by the molecule or are isolated components of more complex elements. They are synthesized raw materials that go into making a fragrance. People use synthetics in perfumes because they can achieve more pure and more consistent scents than using natural raw materials. For example, raw material vanilla can have its major component isolated. Vanillin is the primary component in vanilla beans isolated and used in perfumery for its stability and cost effectiveness. Aside from a small amount of natural vanillin isolations, the majority of vanillin we encounter is synthetic.

See, natural vanilla extract takes more time to produce, costs more, is rarer and, therefore, expensive. The stuff you buy at the store called vanilla extract to use when baking cookies and cupcakes is actually mostly or entirely vanillin. See, in 2001 around 12,000 tons of vanillin was needed, but natural vanillin only covered around 1,800 of those tons. The rest was synthesized chemically. Chances are, you are using a synthetic if you have ever used vanilla extract that wasn’t stated as natural.

Vanilla extract has hundreds more components in it than vanillin, giving it a richer, more complex aroma. Due to this added complexity, natural vanilla used in perfumery may alter the fragrance depending upon the batch of vanilla used and the skin chemistry of the individual using it.

While skin chemistry and natural components makes for a unique, complex and interesting experience getting a bad batch of oil is not interesting in so much as annoying. Therefore, this morphing of scents due to batch disparity can cause major problems with fragrance consistency. So you can see when you’re trying to deliver a consistent product to a consumer, you don’t want Cassie smelling like a beautiful vanilla floral bouquet while her friend, Joan, smells like a pile of plastic doll heads.

Another reason synthetics are used has to do with quality control. Natural raw materials are often directly harvested from a large amount of ingredients. Most of the time, from flowers and plants. Take rose oil for example, a natural that requires pounds and pounds of roses to make an ounce of rose essential oil. How much rose essential oil you receive at the end of the day depends heavily on how much crop was yielded. Any farmer will tell you that crops vary from year to year depending upon the weather.

Finally, synthetics are used because they are more cost effective. Consider the manpower and space that would be required to plant and then extract rose oil. You need workers to plant, tend and pick the roses. You’ll need workers to extract the oils too. And all this for a precious one ounce vial of the stuff. Think about all the labor that went into producing it, how much time it took, and sheer luck. All these factors add up to a more expensive product.

So now that you know why synthetics are used, let’s get to the meat of the issue. Are they dangerous?

Short answer, synthetics in perfumes are no more or no less dangerous than natural raw materials.

Now let me expand on that before you wander off. I said they are no more or less dangerous than natural materials. The key words being ‘more or less’. This means that natural raw materials aren’t as safe as most people may think. There is a common thread of thought in modern society where people tend to view natural things in a more innocent light, often ignoring the fact that just because it came from nature, doesn’t mean it’s good for us.

I’ll put it to you straight up and I’ll even start with synthetics here to be fair. Synthetics are being investigated for carcinogenic compounds. There are some very early studies that look into the components of fragrances that have found that, if exposed to a large enough concentration of certain synthetics (limonene in this example), certain animals may develop cancer (male rats but not the females). However, they have also found that those concentrations are much larger than what is typically found in fragrances. In addition to that finding, one should also note that substances found to be carcinogenic in rats does not always mean it is carcinogenic in humans.

Consider the alternative, natural materials. Generally credited with being milder, more gentle, safer. It comes as a surprise to me that when people say this they also gloss over the fact that the majority of essential oils from the citrus family are known photosensitizers. Photosensitivity, in regards to essential oil usage, occurs when you apply an essential oil known to cause sun sensitivity (bergamot, lemon, lime, orange, etc.) and then expose the area of skin you applied the oil on to the sun. This results in an increased risk for sun burns and skin cancer.

So there you have it, two examples. And it should be noted that I had a hard time finding an academic source that investigated synthetics in fragrances and any ties to cancer. It should also be noted that citrus essential oils do not cancer in and of themselves but they increase the risk for cancer under certain conditions. Similarly, the studies for synthetic fragrances causing cancer are young and limited at the moment. What results from this comparison is the sad fact that more studies need to be done before a solid conclusion can be made.

Perhaps the most comfort I can offer someone, in my uneducated way, is the fact that synthetic fragrances are often tested and put under testing and have quality controls in place  for safety purposes. The same cannot be said for some essential oils and their usage. For instance, sassafras whose safrole component can cause permanent liver damage in humans if ingested in large enough doses. No one knows if topical application of sassafras will also harm you. Yet it is still purchased, and used in natural perfumery.

This isn’t to say you should suspect or start worrying about essential oils either. Most essential oils are safe to be used in the proper, diluted amounts.  It all comes down to the consumer being aware of the issues. All of the issues. Too many people read one side of an argument and decide that just because it sounds convincing, then it must be true. It does nobody any good to scare people by making devils out of synthetic fragrances before any solid facts have been presented. Similarly it is dangerous to assume that you cannot get hurt using naturals. Remember that nature is a cruel beast and many things in nature can cause harm too. Just be aware.

What’s That Smell?

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That Smell is a fragrance review and variety blog. This is just a fun hobby. I love fragrances. I love all manner of fragrances, even the ones I don’t like, because I feel a fragrance should be appreciated whether it is of my tastes or not. You will, without a doubt, get my opinions on whether something is olfactory heaven or a stinky assault, but make no mistake that I do my best to not turn up my nose at a chance to smell perfume be it an artful classic from the 1800s or the fanciful mix from an artisan’s start-up house.