The NOTEbook — fragrance facts

When you’re putting together your outfit for the day, for a big event, or any other kind of occasion, you usually spend a few moments thinking about how you’ll tie it all together. Shoes, bags, or jewelry can make everything work - but it’s that signature perfume that’s really the finishing touch! Fragrances for all occasions can make an appearance in your wardrobe as a staple piece, but like a staple, they can come in different shapes and sizes to suit your mood. A gorgeous skirt can be dressed up or down. A little black dress can wow with a...

Choosing a scent is as personal as choosing a favorite shade of lipstick or the perfect outfit. You want to find something that you love and is completely you!  When you’re shopping for fragrances, it can be tempting to smell each and every bottle of perfume or cologne. After all, each of those beautifully styled bottles and rollers look so enticing! But even making an attempt at that can get seriously overwhelming - for you and your nose!   If you’re looking to test fine fragrances before making a commitment on what to buy, it’s important to go through a progression...

As you sip your morning coffee in bed, you catch a hint of your partner’s cologne as he dresses for the day - and your heart skips a beat. Your tummy growls as you pass a bakery, picking up the unmistakable fragrance of warm, freshly baked bread. As your coworker walks by your office, you can’t help but ask, “what is that gorgeous perfume she has on today?” These experiences are all the result of an important component of scent: sillage - and if you’ve never heard of it before (or have no clue how to pronounce it), don’t worry!...

When you’re expecting a new arrival, your body goes through a wonderful series of changes. Every day is a new journey and a new adventure, and for some expectant mothers, a whole new world of scent! Many pregnant women experience altered or heightened senses of smell, which can change your perception of the notes you normally gravitate toward. It’s actually amazing how it happens! When you become pregnant, the blood flow throughout your body increases by up to 50%, causing messages normally transmitted through your blood to arrive faster and in larger quantities to the brain. Plus, areas of your...

As a member of the mint family, patchouli brings a lovely earthy quality to so many fragrances. It comes in the form of a low, bushy shrub that grows natively in tropical regions throughout Southeast Asia. To distill its essential oil, the leaves are dried and then steamed to extract and distill a main chemical component - patchoulol - which often serves as a base in many perfumes. Patchouli itself has an incredibly interesting history. When textiles from India were shipped out across the sea in centuries past, dried patchouli leaves would be tucked in with the fabric to keep...