Ten Curious Facts About Perfume

There are many facts about perfume you might not know, so we decided today to make the magic of perfumes much simpler. Welcome to the fascinating world of fragrances.

1. Foras is a company that designs and manufactures niche perfumes. But what does is mean when a fragrance is ‘niche’? As opposed to designer perfumes, the niche ones are not mass-produced, which means that they are more exclusive. As they don’t have to please the general crowd, they can be more original and unique, and the perfumers can make bolder choices while designing the formulations. And the interesting fact is that the history of perfumery in England started with niche perfume - a few centuries ago, they were a very special product only available to the richest.

2. If your fragrance vanishes quickly after it has been applied, we suggest a little trick to make it last longer - moisturising! Moistrurising your body before using the perfume is essential. Fragrances diffuse better when applied on hydrated skin, moisturised skin will hold the scent longer too.

3. Have you ever smelled a beautiful perfume on someone, bought it and discovered that it smells completely different on you? We suggest trying a perfume on your skin first in order to avoid disappointment, as the same fragrance will smell differently on different people. This is due to your skin’s own chemistry which depends on various factors such as your diet and even how much you sweat. And if you want your fragrance to smell the same, you can spray it on your hairbrush and then run it through the hair (spraying perfume directly on the hair might dry them) or spray it on your clothes (but be careful as some fragrances can stain clothes).

4. Not all perfumes are vegan and there is no official signage for vegan perfumes. We advise double-checking before making a purchase. Unfortunately, perfumes can contain animal ingredients. Our perfumes are vegan and cruelty-free. We are often asked if our perfumes are all natural and the answer is: as much as possible, as certain natural notes (such as musk or leather) are actually quite harmful to the environment, so we use synthetic replacements.

5. To make your fragrance stronger, you can apply it to certain areas of the body called ‘pulse points’, where the blood vessels are just under the skin. These locations radiate heat which will blast the scent into the air. So to maximise the strength of your fragrance, spray the base of your neck, your inner wrists, your inner elbows and behind your ears.

6. Your nose is not able to process more than three scents in a row, so when testing new fragrances avoid testing more than three. When you still want to smell all these beautiful fragrances but your nose already got tired, try smelling the crook of your elbow - it will cleanse your nasal palate. The best way to fight olfactory fatigue is to smell your own skin - it’s that simple.

7. Ditch the habit of rubbing your wrists after applying perfume - it can distort the smell. A fragrance is a complex composition of top, heart and base notes, with top notes being the lightest ones and the ones you can smell immediately. Rubbing wrists will dull top notes, it will also accelerate evaporation and mix the perfume with your natural oils which will change the way the perfume smells.

8. There are rules to storing perfume too. Your bathroom or car aren’t good. What you should take into consideration is humidity, sunlight and changes in temperature as they will impact your perfume over time. You should keep your fragrance away from sunlight, high humidity and drastic changes in temperature - so storing it upright in a closet is way better than putting it in the bathroom.

9. In the hot weather it’s advisable to use less perfume as it will smell more intensely than during cold days. In winter, the scent doesn’t project as far as in the summer but it lasts longer because the molecules evaporate more slowly. If you prefer lighter scents in the summer, we suggest getting acquainted with our Fig Ozone and Summer Vine - two light perfumes that will make you think of hot weather.

10. Over 30% of fragrances for men are worn by women. There are many women that love musky, woody and leathery scents usually associated with male perfumes. We decided to make all our fragrances unisex as we are firm believers that notes shouldn’t be considered male or female. We know many women that enjoy our Elemental Musk, and many men who love Oxidised Rose.

We hope you enjoyed learning more about the curious world of fragrances. Pop into the shop if you are longing for a longer conversation about perfumes!