Fragrances With Love

Many of us are not aware of the fact that fragrances are one of the most expensive articles often comparable to the prices of gold and platinum. The only reason is that they are fragrances are adored by everybody. The common conception about fragrances is that they are made for the rich people, not for those who live on their limited income. If we go ahead and make a list of the perfumes that are the costliest in the world.

The one that tops the list would be Clive Christian Imperial Majesty. This can make the perfect gift for every woman on this earth. They are probably crafted for the ultimate fancy. If you are not scared to pay the extra cost then The Imperial Majesty by Clive Christian is the best of the choices. It has entered the Guinness Book of World Records for the highest sales that they have made down the past years. They come in a bottle of around 17 ounces which costs $215000.

The bottle itself is a work of art with a golden collar and a diamond of five carat studded in it. The best part is that only five bottles of this precious and rare perfume is made in this world. So after getting one for your personal collection, you will become one of those proud collectors of fragrances. Just for your information, Sir Elton John paid $250,000 for a customized piano shaped bottle of this perfume.

The second list topper is again one from the Clive Christian’s kitty. It is the Clive Christian No 1. Though it is little less precious than the former one, the tag attached to it shows $2150 for a custom made bottle again with a diamond studding in it.

Then it is the turn for a unique unisex perfume named Caro’s Poivre. The price is $2000. Then comes the immortal fragrance of Chanel no. 5, the most famous as well as highest sold perfume of the world. Here the price becomes quite economical as a full size bottle is worth $1850. Baccarats Les Larmes Sacrees de Thebe worth $1700 and a pyramid shaped container will remind you of that traditional Egyptian smell.

Annick Goutal’s Eau d’Hadrien that comes with a price tag of $1,500 is from the fresh citrus range that adds a subtle elegance to the fragrance.

The seventh position is secured for Hermes’ 24 Faubourg priced at $1,500. This is a French perfume with that classic touch to create a romantic mood on a special occasion.

Shalini Perfumes worth $ 900 is there in the eighth position of the list. Jean Patou’s Joy worth $800 and Jar Perfumes’ Bolt of Lightning labeled $765 stand ninth and tenth respectively.

So these are the ten perfumes that could be rated as the most expensive ones worldwide. Are they also finest? We can`t say. The only sure thing is that your favorite fragrance is finest for you.

Various techniques are involved in the creation of perfumes. Perfumes are usually a blend of different aromas, these aromas can come from essential oils of plants and other natural or synthetic substances. The cheaper perfumes, which consist of the majority, are made synthetically. Natural perfumes created from natural raw materials are generally more costly. Same goes with other body oils and shampoos.

When you were a little kid you may have thought of making your own perfume at home for your mother. For those of you who still wish to do so you will need great precision and balance as well as natural materials. Such materials can include floriated plants, chypre, green marine, and fruit-full substances. Perfume is usually from 78% to 95% a special ethyl alcohol. The remainders of the substance are the essential oils. The costliest, naturally, is perfume with 22% of essential oils. These special oils are in about 2,000 of the 25,000 known floral plant species. Hence the reason a synthetic perfume dominates the industry. Synthetic chemicals are used to re create the smells of other substances and flowers.

Though you may have never though of it, some perfumes contain ingredients that are derived from animal products. Those ingredients derived from animal products are used as fixatives. This allows the perfume to evaporate slows and give off odors for a longer period of time. A list of typical ingredients which can be found in perfumes include eucalyptus, cedar wood, lilac, lily, orange, violet, iris, lavender, and lastly, orange.

Often, alcohol and sometimes (rarely) water are used to dilute ingredients into the fragrance, or perfume. The manufacturing process of the creation of perfume includes many steps. The first step is Collection.

Collection

- Before the manufacturing process actually begins, the ingredients have to be brought. Substances derived mainly from plants are taken throughout the world. Usually mainly of these delicate substances are hand picked. For the perfumes that use animal substances, those are extracting directly from the fatty parts of the animal. If the perfume is going to contain synthetic chemicals, these would be created in a laboratory by chemists.

Extraction

- The oils needed to create the perfume are to be extracted from the plant. A few different methods involve extraction. One is steam distillation. Here, steam is sent through the plant and the oil needed is turned into aromatic gas. This gas goes through some tubes and is consequently cooled and liquefied. Another method is called solvent extraction. With this, flowers are placed in large rotating tanks and petroleum is poured over the flowers. The flower parts dissolve and leave a waxy material that contains the much needed oil to create a perfume. As I said before, there are many methods to extract the needed oils. Another method is Enfleurage. Flowers are spread on glass sheets and are coated with grease. The glass sheets are then placed between wooden frames. The flowers are removed gently by hand and changed until the grease has absorbed the plants fragrance. This “fragranced” grease is then used as the oil in creating perfumes. Lastly, expression is one of the least complex and oldest methods. With this method you obtain the fragrance by mechanically compressing the plant until all the oil is battered out.

Blending

- Once all the necessary perfume oils are collected and ready they will be blended together. There are a countless amount of possible formulas that include as many as hundreds of ingredients. Formulas are determined by a master, called as a „nose“. After the perfect scent is created, it is mixed with alcohol. Most perfumes are made of about 10% to 20% perfume oils that are dissolved in alcohol.

Aging

- Fine perfumes are often aged for several months (some even for years) after the blending process is complete. Lastly, a „nose“ will thest the perfume again and approve if the desired scent has been achieved.

Is it possible to determine „The Best Fragrance“ in the world? You could ask 10 people and most likely you will have 10 different opinions. The perfect fragrance for each person is his very personal choice, it`s about the way that this scent makes you feel. So, mission impossible?

Fortunately we have The Fragrance Foundation. This is a respectable non-profit, educational organization (established in 1949), whose mission is to enhance the image of the Fragrance Industry to the public and expand the appreciation and use of fragrances in all forms across all distribution channels globally.

On March 11th The Fragrance Foundation announced finalists for 2008 Fragrance of the Year FiFi® Award. The FiFi Award is an prestigious annual event that honors the creative achievements of global fragrance industry and is considered the “Oscars” for the fragrance creators.

The Fragrance Foundation made public the top 10 finalists in each distribution category. Finalists were determined by the initial ballot in early February this year. The Fragrance Foundation released this FiFi shortlist of finalists before the exclusive for the 2008 Fragrance of the Year FiFi® Award Finalists Breakfast that will be held for Fragrance Foundation members on April 25th. The FiFi Finalists Breakfast is a kick-off for the FiFi Awards season when the beauty industry learns who will be recognized as the top five finalists of each of the 21 award categories at the 36th Annual FiFi® Awards & Celebration event. Awards will be announced to the Fragrance of the Year, Best Packaging (Men’s and Women’s Popular and Prestige), Best National Advertising Campaign (Print and Television), Bath & Body Line, Interior Scent Collection and Fragrance Hall of Fame awards.

The 2008 FiFi Awars Finalists Breakfast will also include the presentation of Awards for Editorial Excellence in Fragrance Coverage for Men’s Scent Feature, Editorial Excellence in Fragrance Coverage for Women’s Scent Feature and Scent Bite and Technological Breakthrough of the Year. Winners will be introduced for their achievements during the 36th Annual FiFi Awards & Celebration held in New York City on May 20th, at the Park Avenue Armory.

Below you can discover the top 10 finalists for Fragrance „Oscars“ of the year 2008 in each distribution category in alphabetical order:

WOMEN’S LUXE: (11 finalists)

• Chanel Chance Eau Fraiche – Chanel
• Coach – BeautyBank
• Daisy Marc Jacobs – Coty Prestige
• DKNY Delicious Night Eau de Parfum – Donna Karan New York
• Dolce & Gabbana the one – Procter & Gamble Prestige Products
• Emporio Armani Diamonds – Giorgio Armani
• Kelly Calèche – Hermès
• M by Mariah Carey – Elizabeth Arden
• Nina by Nina Ricci – Puig
• Ralph Rocks by Ralph Lauren – Ralph Lauren
• Usher She – Liz Claiborne

MEN’S LUXE: (12 finalists)

• Attitude by Giorgio Armani – Giorgio Armani
• Burberry Summer for Men – Procter & Gamble Prestige Products
• Calvin Klein MAN – Coty
• Chrome Legend by Azzaro – Clarins
• Diesel Fuel for Life Men – L’Oréal Designer Fragrances
• Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Pour Homme – Procter & Gamble Prestige Products
• Fleur du Male Jean Paul Gaultier – Beauté Prestige International
• “For Him” Narciso Rodriguez – Beauté Prestige International
• Guess Suede – Parlux Fragrances
• Polo Explorer Ralph Lauren – Ralph Lauren
• Tommy Bahama Set Sail St. Barts Him – Gemini
• Usher He – Liz Claiborne

WOMEN’S NOUVEAU NICHE: (12 finalists)

• Agent Provocateur Maitresse – Selective Beauty
• Armani Privé Rose Alexandrie – Giorgio Armani
• Bond No. 9 New York Andy Warhol Silver Factory (unisex) – Bond No. 9 New York
• Bond No. 9 New York Bryant Park – Bond No. 9 New York
• Bond No. 9 New York Saks Fifth Avenue for Her – Bond No. 9 New York
• Burberry Brit Sheer – Procter & Gamble Prestige Products
• Gucci by Gucci – Procter & Gamble Prestige Products
• Iris Pallida – L’Artisan Parfumeur
• L’Eau de Jatamansi – L’Artisan Parfumeur
• Prada Infusion D’Iris – Puig
• Versace – EuroItaly
• Visa de Robert Piguet – Fashion Fragrances & Cosmetics, Ltd.

MEN’S NOUVEAU NICHE

• Armani Privé Vetiver Babylone – Giorgio Armani
• Bond No. 9 New York Andy Warhol Silver Factory (unisex) – Bond No. 9 New York
• Bond No. 9 New York Saks Fifth Avenue for Him – Bond No. 9 New York
• Courvoisier L’Edition Imperiale – Kraft International Marketing
• Cravache Robert Piguet – Fashion Fragrances & Cosmetics.
• Givenchy Classic Fragrances –Givenchy
• Kiton Black Eau de Toilette Spray – Aramis & Designer Fragrances
• L’Oeuvre Noire by Kilian – By Kilian
• Tom Ford for Men – Tom Ford
• West Indian Lime – Crabtree & Evelyn

WOMEN’S POPULAR APPEAL (7 finalists):

• Bijan Nude Women – Five Star Fragrance Company
• Celine Dion Enchanting – Coty
• Flirtatious – Beauty Bank
• Florecita Shelbie Bruce – Revelations Perfume & Cosmetics Inc.
• Intimately Beckham Women – Coty
• Samba Sexy Woman – Perfumer’s Workshop International, Ltd.
• So Luxurious by Daisy Fuentes – Beauty Bank

MEN’S POPULAR APPEAL (5 finalists):

• Bijan Nude Men – Five Star Fragrance Company
• Blue Seduction for Men by Antonio Banderas – Puig
• Intimately Beckham Men – Coty
• Mustang Cologne Spray – Aramis and Designer Fragrances
• Samba Sexy Man – Perfumer’s Workshop International

WOMEN’S PRIVATE LABEL/DIRECT SELL (7 finalists):

• Banana Republic Malachite – Inter Parfums
• Christian Lacroix Rouge – Avon
• Gapbody Washed Cotton – Inter Parfums
• Gap Individuals – The Original (unisex) – Inter Parfums
• Secrets d’Essence Rose Absolute – Yves Rocher
• Signature Collection Velvet Tuberose EDT – Bath and Body Works
• Supermodel by Victoria’s Secret – Victoria’s Secret

MEN’S PRIVATE LABEL/DIRECT SELL (5 finalists):

• Banana Republic Cordovan – Inter Parfums
• C.O. Bigelow Barber Cologne Elixir Blue – Bath & Body Works
• Derek Jeter Driven Black – Avon
• G7 Gapmen Daily Grooming – Spiked – Inter Parfums
• Gap Individuals – The Original (unisex) – Inter Parfums

The top 5 in each of the Fragrance of the Year 2008 product categories will be honored with the miniature crystal FiFi® Award at the FiFi Finalists Breakfast. They will also be placed on the second ballot, which will determine the award winners.

So, expert judgements on the best fragrances of the year 2008 will be released soon. Stay tuned to know.