Date Published: 06/11/1996

Oakland Press, Pontiac, MI ~ A Journal Register Newspaper

Oakland Press, Pontiac, MI ~ A Journal Register Newspaper
Pam Eldred ~ Miss America ~ 1970

Beauty of  Perfume comes from Notes of Fresh Fragrance

       Fragrance suggests beauty, creates an illusion that echoes a presence and provides a unique signature, which gives depth and dimension to the person who wears it. However, perfume can only weave its magic when combined with the heat of the body.
        Once a fragrance has been  applied to the skin, the formulation will pass through three graduating phases called “notes” as the total character of the scent is revealed.
        Top notes, which are usually light and fresh, make the initial impact.  They hit the nostrils first and burn off the fastest.
        Middle notes begin to emerge once the  perfume has been on the wearer for 10 minutes. The middle notes are deeper, more defined and picked up by the olfactory senses.
        Base notes, which are often referred to as the heart of the perfume, are the longest-lasting scents. Usually sandalwood,  musk or vanilla are base notes, because they contain fixatives that impart the lasting quality and influence the rate of evaporation and diffusion ~ the ability to spread quickly and widely.
        It is this subtle, complex orchestration of fragrant “notes” that surrounds the wearer with a message that spreads without words. But in order for the fragrance to go through its metamorphosis,  the alcohol contents in fragrances must evaporate so that the essential oils can adjust to the individuals body chemistry.
        Since a fragrance makes a personal statement about its wearer, it has become an important beauty accessory. Like other accessories, there are many different ways to wear fragrances and a variety of forms to try.
        Perfume is the most concentrated and purest form of fragrances. It is also the longest lasting, from 5-6 hours, because of its low alcohol content.
        Eau de Toilette is a lighter, more subtle blend of fragrances, which contains the same fragrance notes as the original perfume, but with different concentrations. So it lasts only 3-4 hours and is less expensive.
        Cologne is the most popular form of fragrance because the essential oils have been diluted with a high concentration of alcohol to make the scent refreshing and more economical  and lasts only 2-3 hours.
        “Since perfumes are so expensive, 80 percent of the fragrance sales come from eau de toilette and cologne,” said Gary Droz, founder and CEO of Fragrances Unlimited, a new mail-order company that specializes in discontinued and hard-to-find fragrances for men and women.
        His years spent working in health and beauty aids, and as owner of Ace-Discount Drugs in Riverview, MI, introduced him to a vast amount of people who were frustrated by the unavailability of their favorite eau de toilette or cologne. So he decided to sell his business and start his mail-order company, Fragrances Unlimited.
        Fragrances Unlimited has more than $11,000 in current inventory of discontinued or hard-to-locate eau de toilettes or colognes. Some of the featured brands for women are: Aphrodesia, Tigress, Babe by Fabrege, Arpege, Samson and Scoundrel. Plus English Leather, Fendi, and British Sterling for men and an additional 250 different brands in over 400 types and sizes.
        For a complete inventory listing call Droz at 734-434-0692 or write him at; 4836 Washtenaw Ave., A7, Ann Arbor, MI, 48108.