About Perfumery

The use of perfumes to scent the body is documented as far back as Cleopatra and the ancient Egyptians. The selection was limited to what was available locally, and the extraction process was difficult. They were expensive and difficult to acquire, and perfumes became a symbol of stature.

As trade routes were established, so were the oils of the world combined and blended, beginning the perfume business. This really began to take off during the 16th century. In the 19th century the process of Enfleurage was invented. This allowed the extraction of scent from floras such as Jasmine, Orange blossom, and tuberose which could not be captured from distillation. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries is when the perfume business as we know it now really emerged.

Synthetic fragrances came into being. They were less expensive, and had a more diverse range. Today there are thousands of synthetic fragrances, yet only hundreds of natural ones. The perfumes that we use today are mostly synthetics. Natural oils are inherently volatile. Instability isn't a quality that mass production can afford. The use of natural materials in the creation of perfumes is diminishing. They are more expensive to produce and the end result is affected by growing conditions such as soil conditions, elevation, and the weather.

For all of this, the natural oils have something going for them that can't be refuted. They have life and personality. They have a richness and depth to them that the synthetics don't possess.

The natural fragrances are luscious by themselves, beautiful when blended, and exquisite when worn.