The Art of Choosing Perfume

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 999, 16 June 1930, Page 5

The Art of Choosing Perfume

That Finishing Touch

T3DAY we have accepted P remarks a writer in an ov man's love of the beautiful, h sense of colour and appreciate abled him to charm and enti Fashion who holds the reins of unreliable hands. Her demands are numerous and exacting. Creations, from the most enchanting and desirable of gowns, the newest foods, down to trifling novelties and the merest accessories, must be attractive and unique, and each perfect in its own capacity. This modern industry has become more than the mere manufacturing of goods, it has become a field for real talent, ottering wonderful scope and incomparable opportunities for true art. It is very natural then, that in the art of perfumery, which has become a world wide industry today, the French have proved themselves masters. For centuries they have borne the love of perfume deep in their hearts and today their chemists, sometimes working on the same bases of the precious formulas which have come down through

J aris as tlie home of fashion, verseas journal. The Frenelitis quick creative brain, keen ion of lovely contours, has enranee the fickle Goddess of - innumerable industries in her the ages, blend with skill the fascinating ingredients with which they are entrusted. In the great modern laboratories which have sprung up in the wake of this rapidly extending industry, they have all the convenience of scientific inventions at their hand, in the early days of perfume-making they had many difficulties in reproducing the exact odour of the flower. Alcohol blended with flower essence was not enough, and it was due to years of conscientious perseverance in experimenting with sandalwood, the Eastern herb which yielded patchouli, musk of the musk deer, innumerable flower oils and other rare ingredients that the formulas could be perfected.

Every intelligent woman of today, realises that the use of perfume as a. finishing touch to her toilet, should

not be a matter of random selection.. That perfume has the power to enhance her beauty and lend individuality to her personality, yet if carelessly applied can entirely destroy the charm of her presence, she is well aware. With a little careful study, such pitfalls can be avoided, and she will know that 1 in her associations with the world, she will leave a sweet clinging atmosphere which speaks of her personality. There are many things to be considered in a true discrimination of suitable perfume, but perhaps the most important of these is the study of the type. “Straight” floral perfumes are suggestive of informal youth, gay laughter, active sport and the great outdoors. These are for the young debutante or flapper, and for the happy girl whose light temperament is in harmony with the beauty of an English rose. The subtle Eastern odours are given to the sophisticated sloeeyed brunette, while her dark-eyed vivacious sister would choose a lighter perfume, not of the simplicity of straight perfumes, nor of the insidious allure of the Eastern scents. MANY TYPES A few years ago, fashion decreed a single, and individual perfume for the woman of taste, but with the years, woman has come into many new phases of life, necessitating so enlarged and varied a wardrobe, that it would be impossible for her to use the same perfume throughout the day. Now she realises that it would be impractical to use a heavy scent with a sports or outdoor costume, or a vague perfume on formal occasions.

Thus, remembering to look for a per- | fume in keeping with her individual j charms, she will studiously discrimin-1 ate, and from the array of scents at j her disposal, will choose one to suit j the occasion as well. This is applied to the various powders, rouges, creams, lip-sticks, soaps, and astringent lotions which are used daily in the ordinary way. The success even of a suitable perfume, depends upon its correct application. As a rule it is more satis- ! factory to use a very fine atomiser | and spray the clothes, although there !is danger that perfumes containing heavy oils might spot light pastel shaded frocks. Light perfumes should be applied gently behind the ears, at the bend of the arm, or round the hair line, while the heavier scents, often of which just a spot is needed, will diffuse a steady lingering odour if applied judiciously to the Item of a skirt or on the lace oi lingerie. Perfumed sachets strewn among clothes in the drawer or wardrobe give a lasting scent, which retains its strength for vears. IN THE PAST Richard le Gallienne, in Ills essay, “The Romance of Perfume,” tells of the perfumed bellows used by Cardinal Richlieu, Anne of Austria’s perfumed gloves, the fountains of Paris playing perfume in Catherine de Medici’s day, of Charles V., who appointed a garden to be planted for the distillation of perfumes, and recounts of the Kings and Queens of France who sought ardently after the precious essence. An amusing point is recounted in an article on perfume by Rebecca Stickney. “In England,” she says,

“the charm of perfume was considered so potent that the Government became agitated over its hold on his Majesty’s subjects, and in 1770 a Bill was introduced into Parliament which read: "All women cf whatever rank, profession or degree, who shall impose upon or betray into matrimony any of liis Majesty’s subjects by the scents, paints, cosmetics, washes, artificial teeth, false stays, iron stays, hoops, high-heeled shoes and bolstered hips shall incur the penalty of the law now in force against witchcraft, and the marriage upon conviction shall be null and void.’ ” Fortunately, she goes on, or unfortunately, for the poor defenceless males, this Bill was never put through.