The precise formulas of commercial perfumes are kept secret. Even if they were widely published, they would be dominated by such complex chemical procedures and ingredients that they would be of little use in providing a useful description of the experience of a scent. Nonetheless, connoisseurs of perfume can become extremely skillful at identifying components and origins of scents in the same manner as wine experts .

The most practical way to start describing a perfume is according to its concentration level, the family it belongs to, and the notes of the scent, which all affect the overall impression of a perfume from first application to the last lingering hint of scent.

Concentration levels

Perfume oil is necessarily diluted with a solvent because undiluted oils (natural or synthetic) contain high concentrations of volatile components that will likely result in allergic reactions and possibly injury when applied directly to skin or clothing.

By far the most common solvent for perfume oil dilution is ethanol or a mixture of ethanol and water. Perfume oil can also be diluted by means of neutral-smelling lipids such as jojoba, fractionated coconut oil or wax.

As the percentage of aromatic compounds decreases, so does the intensity and longevity of the scent created. Different perfumeries or perfume houses assign different amounts of oils to each of their perfumes. Therefore, although the oil concentration of a perfume in eau de parfum (EDP) dilution will necessarily be higher than the same perfume in eau de toilette (EDT) form within the same range, the actual amounts can vary between perfume houses. An EDT from one house may be stronger than an EDP from another.

Furthermore, some fragrances with the same product name but having a different concentration name may not only differ in their dilutions, but actually use different perfume oil mixtures altogether. In some cases, words such as “extrême” or “concentrée” appended to fragrance names might indicate completely different fragrances that relates only because of a similar perfume accord. An instance to this would be Chanel‘s Pour Monsieur and Pour Monsieur Concentrée.
For instance, in order to make the EDT version of a fragrance brighter and fresher than its EDP, the EDT oil may be “tweaked” to contain slightly more top notes or less base notes.

Olfactive families

Grouping perfumes, like any taxonomy, can never be a completely objective or final process. Many fragrances contain aspects of different families. Even a perfume designated as “single flower”, however subtle, will have undertones of other aromatics. “True” unitary scents can rarely be found in perfumes as it requires the perfume to exist only as a singular aromatic material.

Classification by olfactive family is a starting point for a description of a perfume, but it cannot by itself denote the specific characteristic of that perfume.

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It is not unusual for a bride to be quite picky when it comes to choosing the bridal gown to wear at her wedding.  As cynical as the world may get when it comes to weddings, the truth is that a woman becomes a bride only once in her life. Her wedding day is the day when a woman should appear to be at her absolute best.  To achieve that, she must wear a bridal gown that is just perfect for her.

The emotional strings that a bridal gown holds for a woman sometimes make the task of finding the perfect one a very daunting task.  Many brides get frazzled with the number of decisions they need to make just with choosing what bridal gown to wear, let alone the other details that she must attend to in arranging her wedding.  Thankfully, some carefully planning can turn the difficult task of finding the perfect bridal gown into a very enjoyable one.

If you are in the market for a bridal gown, then you should start looking for the right dress at least six months before your wedding day.  It takes time to choose a bridal gown that will suit you the best from among hundreds and hundreds of styles and designs available to you.  Moreover, getting a bridal gown specially made for you can take four to six months to accomplish, and you need to allow a little more time for possible alterations.

You can start your search by compiling pictures of bridal gowns that you like.  You can download these pictures from the Internet or cut them out from bridal magazines. If you fancy the bridal gown that your mother, your sister, your friend or even your grandmother wore to her wedding, get a picture of it.  Put all the pictures you have collected in a file so you can have something to consult when choosing the style of your own bridal gown.

When choosing the style of your bridal gown, there are a couple of things that you need to consider.  First is that the theme and formality of your wedding ceremony, as well as where the ceremony shall be held.  Goodness knows how uncomfortable and out of place you would be at your own wedding if you are wearing a heavy bridal gown with a long veil and train and the wedding is held at a beach.

If your wedding is a formal evening affair, your bridal gown should be a floor-length gown with a train.  You may also need to wear gloves.  If it is a semi-formal event, whether it is to be held in the evening or during the daytime, your bridal gown should be something that reaches your ankles.  You can have a veil with that gown, but no train.  If your wedding is going to be a day affair, or if it is your second wedding, you can wear a long dress or a short dress without a veil.  You can also wear a suit with a skirt and dress it up with a smart-looking hat.

The second thing that you must consider when choosing the style of your bridal gown is that your gown must flatter the shape of your body, embellishing its finer points and hiding or camouflaging its not-so-fine points.  It should also be something that you are comfortable wearing.  Here are a few suggestions on what style could flatter your body:

1. If you are tall and if you have a slim figure, there is no need to worry.  You can wear a bridal gown of just about any style.

2. If you have an hourglass figure, meaning your bust and your hips are in proportion and you have a defined waist, you could go for a V-neck bridal gown with an A-line skirt.  The V-neck of your bodice can accentuate the fullness of your bust while an A-line skirt can look poofy enough without making your hips look too wide.

3. If you have a pear-shaped figure, meaning your body is bottom-heavy and your hips are wide, you should wear a bridal gown with a few extra details on the bodice and an A-line skirt.  The detailing on your bodice, be it beadings or embroidery, will draw the eyes to your bust while de-emphasizing your hips.  An empire-style gown with a draping skirt would look nice too.

4. If you are short and with a very slight figure, you need a bridal gown that will create the illusion of a fuller figure.  You could go with an off-shoulder dress with a shawl-like collar and a skirt that flares out from below the middle of your thighs.

As much as you need to take your time when choosing the perfect bridal gown for you, if you fall in love with a specific dress and know that it is the one for you, end your search and buy the dress without hesitation.  If you leave the store without buying that bridal gown, some other bride will find it and any bridal gown you choose later on will only be a poor second.