Glass sesame oil bottle (1st century BC, Sesia)
Around 1500 BC, glass perfume bottles with sophisticated craftsmanship have appeared. The most common ones are dark blue, opaque or transparent bottles, decorated with blue, white or yellow zigzag color bar patterns, which are typical of that era. The style of Lalique.
There is no doubt that glass perfume bottles were quite luxurious at the time, just like the liquid in the bottle. But the perfume being put in the container is nothing new. Many early containers were made of coarse clay. For the precious liquid contained in it, this vessel appears to be too permeable. Later, bottles of alabaster, onyx and porphyry were developed. These materials have more advantages, which can keep the bottle cool and make the perfume easier to preserve.
Greeks and Romans
The materials mentioned above are still in use in the Greek and Roman era, but the design is much more elegant. Ancient Roman perfume bottles were often made into jars decorated with birds, animals and human heads.
A gilded moulded glass bottle containing the perfume of the Moline company-"Habanera". In 1923, around 50 BC, Syria developed the art of glass blowing, which allowed the glass to be shaped before cooling. This is a major advancement in technology. Then there was a method of blowing glass into a mold, so that bottles of the same shape could be repeatedly produced.
The perfume bottles made of transparent glass by the Romans have various designs such as colorful decorations and different shapes, reflecting the superb craftsmanship level. But those things were quite expensive back then, and most people still used shell-shaped pottery to hold their spices.
In the Middle Ages, metal and enamel vessels appeared. Later, until the 18th century, Chinese porcelain was used as a new material to make perfume bottles. Meissen in Germany, Sevres in France, Chelsea in the United Kingdom and other places have all become porcelain production centers. Simple styled porcelain fragrance bottles began to appear on the dressers of fashionable people. Appear.
However, glass is always a high-quality material for making perfume bottles. The powerful oils in perfumes interact with porcelain. Another example: It is difficult to design a sealed bottle stopper on the bottle mouth part of porcelain, and a simple and easy-to-make bottle stopper is the minimum requirement for any large-scale production.
Bottle age
Until the end of the 19th century, perfume was still placed in ordinary containers. Perfumers put the fragrance into the bottle at home, or the customer chose a container while choosing the perfume. This requires a large number of beautiful bottles to be sold in the store to meet the different needs of individuals.
However, when modern perfume production is carried out under the sophisticated "pyramid" model, bottling in factories must be considered. The design purpose of the bottle has accordingly become to attract those who have the potential to buy.
Blowed amethyst bottle, 50～150 AD
Here, we would like to thank several people in the perfume industry, especially Francois Coty, who set the standard of perfume bottles on high taste from the beginning, and become perfect art design and superb. The crystallization of the production technology (such as first-class masters such as Lalique and Bakaret). In the later years, we can see the names of a series of design geniuses: such as Maurice Martinot, Lucien Gaillard, Sue et Mare, Morris Maurice Depinoix and Viard et Viollet le Due, etc. With the increase of perfume bottle collectors, the price of their works at auction has been quite astonishing.
The appearance of the bottle is a very important factor in determining the sales of perfume. Now major perfume companies employ top perfume bottle designers, some of which are company-specific, and more are freelance designers. Pierre Dinand can be regarded as a leader. The works of bottle designers are turned into finished products in the hands of glass manufacturing experts. Those glass factories often have their own designers. The more famous factories in Europe include Brosse and Saint Cobain Desjonqueres. , BSN Verreries de Mauieres, Pochet et du Courval, Luigi Bormioli and the Wheaton glass factory in the United States Glassworks) and Carrlowry (Carrlowry) and so on.
Molded frosted glass bottle, designed by Lalique for Moline
Molded blown glass jars, which came out in the Roman Empire. Bottles made by Lalique for Cody in the 1920s
Choose and use
The fragrance of perfume needs to be strictly defined. Generally, it is diluted with alcohol. The mixture contains about 15%-20% sesame oil, and the purity of the alcohol used for dilution is 90%-95%. The strongest is pure fragrance, that is, essence or Xiangning. If the proportion of scented oil in the mixture is reduced, then it should be classified as the "water" type of strong perfume or eau de toilette.
The type of "water" is different. Strong perfume has a 15%-18% sesame oil ratio, while the purity of alcohol is slightly reduced. Cologne has a sesame oil ratio of 3% to 5%, which has a lower alcohol purity. Recently, there has been a type of alcohol whose purity is higher than that of cologne. However, there are cases where the perfume mixture and these ratios are slightly different.
Most perfumes have different types of fragrance, strong perfume and eau de toilette. But Eau de Toilette is the best seller. In the fragrance series, there are also emollient oils, soaps, shower gels and so on. But bathroom products are just a complementary part of perfume.
Where is the best place to buy perfume? Answering this question is not an easy task, because everyone's situation is different, each region has the same understanding of perfume, and there are too many types of perfumes, and the choice becomes even more difficult. If you already know what you need, then you need to find out where the perfume can be bought at the cheapest price, but you must understand one thing: if you buy fakes, it will be unlucky. The scent will glow within ten minutes.
Connoisseurs must hope to make a shrewd choice of buying. Shopping in places with good things and services is a good choice. But the subtlety of the situation is that different perfumes are suitable for different people. The choice of what kind of perfume is a very personal matter and reflects different tastes. A big store wins because a well-trained professional salesperson will give you professional advice behind the counter. Those with more professional knowledge can help you effectively, which may save you a lot of time.
The really good way may be to try those brands in specialty stores, buy a small bottle of scent, try its fragrance level, and then decide whether to buy it or not.
You must try the fragrance when you buy it, and you should only test it on your own skin. If you have eaten strong-breathing food, have done strenuous exercise, recovered from a serious illness, or just smoked, it is not particularly suitable for testing perfume. Because these factors will affect your perception of the smell of perfume. It is best to try the Eau de Toilette version, and the stronger version. Use a little bit of perfume to test, don't rub it on the skin. The best place to test is on the lower wrist. You can also try on both wrists or, if necessary, on the upper arm. After at least 20 minutes, or 1 hour, make a decision.
Some perfumers now provide perfume test strips for people to smell. This may be useful at the beginning, because you can make a rough comparison of different scents, but the final decision should be the perfume. The taste of itself.
The most durable parts of the fragrance are the wrists, belly button and clavicle area, and even the knees are more durable. Don't interview behind the ears, because there is too easy to dissipate. Some people find that perfume is better to use after bathing, when the skin is still a little wet and it is easier to maintain the fragrance.
Some people like to apply the fragrance layer by layer, especially at night, such as first using moisturizing soap, then using body lotion, and then using perfume, and the fragrance is uniform. This method seems a bit extravagant, but the smell you exude must be great.
Perfume is all affected by air, heat and light, so the perfume should be stored in a forgiving place. If it is not opened, the perfume can be stored for 20 years. Once opened, the perfume will be in an acidic environment after the air enters the bottle, and the first fragrance is very fast. It's about to dissipate. With more air, the situation will get worse. So once it is opened, it is best to use it up within one to two years-of course, this provides a good excuse for you to buy a new perfume, and you can buy a new one without hesitation.