It is widely regarded that perfume usage originated in Egypt approximately 4000 years ago. From there however it progressively spread throughout Europe, most notably it was fast adopted by the Romans and the Greeks who both used perfumes as part of the elaborate and extensive bathing rituals for which they were renowned. This article aims to explain how the use of perfumes spread to and around Europe.

Selecting a new perfume can be a daunting task; perfume stores carry huge numbers of different brands and scents and if you don’t have an idea of what you are looking for it is easy to become confused. Deciding on a new fragrance becomes considerably easier once you are aware that although all of these perfumes offer distinct scents they can be split into six main olfactory groups (or families). When selecting a perfume it is a good idea to consider which of the olfactory families match the fragrance you are looking for as this will allow you to be far more focussed when it comes to looking at, and sampling, fragrances.

For thousands of years people have used fragranced products to try and enhance their natural scent by emulating pleasurable smells from nature. Rising to popularity in ancient Egypt, where perfumes were used both religiously and as a part of the popular bathing routine, the use of scented products quickly spread throughout the world. Perfumes are typically created from a base built up using a combination of essential oils.