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Saturday
Aug162014

Perfumer in Paris 

Perfumer in Paris

Perfumery is an ancient, respected art.

While in Paris this past spring, we sensed a hint of how complex that art still is when we attended a workshop taught by Marina, a modern-day perfumer, who shared a glimmer of this ancient profession.

 

Marina was gracious, offering us water in flowered crystal glasses, and she was smart, explaining the art of perfumery as musical notes and chemical formulas. Once my sweet husband realized that chemistry was behind the work of a perfumer, his interest was piqued.

In musical terms, a fragrance is a harmony of three notes -- top, middle, and base. The top notes evaporate quickly, yet they are powerful because that first fleeting impression is what draws us to a perfume. The middle notes are the heart of the fragrance, dissipating slowly and staying for hours. And the base notes are the final aromatic notes, sometimes lasting for days. Together, they harmonize, creating a scent that attracts and delights, influences and lingers.   

In chemical terms, we learned that scientists can test the odor-laden air around a flower to reproduce its smell. 

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And then we experimented, trying different combinations of oils to see what we liked.

 Then the perfumer measured the exact amounts necessary to create the most pleasing fragrance.


And then she packed our fragrances in a beautiful bag for our return trip to Texas. 

"Then the LORD said to Moses, 'Take the following fine spices:  500 shekels of liquid myrrh, half as much (that is, 250 shekels) of fragrant cinnamon, 250 shekels of fragrant cane, 500 shekels of cassia -- all according to the sanctuary shekel -- and a hin of olive oil. Make these into a sacred annointing oil, a fragrant blend, the work of a perfumer'"

(Exodus 30:22-25 NIV). 

 

Yes, perfumery is a respected art that has been around for a long, long time! 

 

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