Perfume consists mainly of denatured ethyl alcohol and a remainder of essential oils. The costliest form of fragrance is perfume with 22% essential oils while Eau de Parfum comes next with 15 to 22% essential oils. Eau de Toilette contains 8 to 15% oils and Eau de Cologne has only 4% essential oils. For those who yearn for super subtlety Eau Fraiche is the lightest dilution of perfume with 1 to 3% essential oils.
Affordability is not allowed
If the ingredients are au naturel and it is going to take a trip to some far-flung continent to pluck out the hard-to-find bloom, then you have to pay for it, right! While many perfumes have held the honour of being the most expensive perfume on the planet, the most common aspect for the high price tag of a perfume is the demand for a scintillating and unique scent. Rare ingredients such as the essential oils and flowers are expensive. Beautiful crystal bottles to capture the scent in run up the cost. Another aspect that makes it expensive is customization. For e.g. the Guerlain boutique on Champs Elysees in Paris has launched a service called La Parfum Sur Mesure. This service is a personal consultation that takes anywhere between six months to a year for a customer to create their own fragrance. Once it has been created, no one can buy it but Guerlain will keep some in stock for you, in case you ever run out! The cost you ask - €30,000 or about $ 36,000. Not so much for exclusivity, eh!
One drop in a lifetime
Over 200 very rare elements are used to make one drop of the perfume No 1. by Clive Christian! Amongst them is naturally aged sandalwood from India. Also used are essential oils of Tahitian vanilla, orris root, bergamot and ylang ylang.
The bottle that No. 1 is captured in is lead crystal with a 24-carat gold plated sterling silver collar. Priced at a whooping $2150 for an ounce, the number of bottles sold of No. 1 is limited to 1000 per year in both the men’s and women’s range. Get this – this price includes delivery of this unapologetic luxury in a Bentley! Christian had a deluxe limited edition of 5 bottles of No.1, each 16.9 ounces, bottled in Baccarat crystal, called Imperial Majesty and sold at a majestic price of $ 215,000!
Worth the splurge
This particular perfume is unisex, an aspect that is rare in the elite perfume world. Poivre comes in a limited edition Baccarat crystal bottle. 2-oz. of Caron's Poivre sells in this limited edition bottle for only $2,000. Also, this perfume is created by one of the last perfume houses to use a Master Perfumer (known in perfume jargon as a "nose"), named Madame Fraysse. The perfume was created in 1954 although the house itself is around 101 years old. Poivre means pepper in French and there are definite notes of black and red pepper, cloves and other spices.
‘Til the end of time
A bottle of Chanel No. 5 is sold worldwide every 30 seconds and was made to capture the freshness of the northern lakes under the midnight sun! Amongst the most expensive perfumes in the world, it is arguably the most well known too. First introduced to the world by Parisian couturier Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel in 1921, Chanel No. 5 is arguably the world’s most legendary fragrance. It relies heavily on jasmine being its most expensive oil. Arrested in a large crystal bottle, it made from parfum, the purest form of perfume known. A 15.2 oz. costs a sweet $ 1,850.
The scented address
Hermes has named this perfume after the Parisian address of the Hermes flagship store, 24 Faubourg. It was launched by Maurice Roucel and Bernard Bourjois to marry the images of luxury and femininity. Based on the vitality of ylang-ylang, orange blossom, jasmine, iris, vanilla and ambergris, 24 Faubourg compliments the softness and beauty of a person. Packaged in Louis crystal bottles, only 1000 bottles of this limited edition are produced and sold at $ 1500 for 1 oz.
A sparkling composition
In 1981, Annick Goutal created a perfume to capture the emotions felt when she read of the Vth century Roman Emperor Hadrian and the sunny, crisp Mediterranean environment in which he lived. It is a result of her extensive research on citrus fruits. Dressed in a gorgeous fluted bottle, Eau D' Hadrien has a sparkling citrus aroma. Priced at $ 1500 for a 3.4 oz bottle, notes of Sicilian lemon, grapefruit, citron and cypress create a fragrance that is both bright and sultry. Eau D’ Hadrien is a feminine scent that possesses a blend of ylang-ylang, citrus, basil, sweet and herbal. It is recommended for eveningwear.
Wear your perfume
Perfume must be applied at pulse points such as the folds in the crook of your elbows and back of the knees, wrist, neck and cleavage. Don’t rub wrists together as this crushes the scent. Spray a little into the air and walk straight into it. This helps to diffuse it over your body. Always work up the body as the scent rises. You could also consider layering perfumes. Use the same perfume in various products. Begin with the shower gel, then the body lotion followed by a matching after bath spray. Top this up with a scent that is either perfume or EDP. When selecting a perfume, choose one that suits you. Test the perfume by walking around for a minimum of ten minutes as perfumes take time to develop. Some of the top most perfume brands are Chanel, Versace, Hugo Boss, Escada, Ralph Lauren, Estee Lauder, Tom Ford, Armani, Issey Miyake, Calvin Klein, Burberry and Caroline Herrera. The approximate price range for these perfumes is between $200 upwards depending on the quantity bought in ounces.
There isn’t always a direct relationship between the price of a fragrance and the beauty of its impression. The relationship can be intimidating and intimate at the same time. Especially for the privileged few who can afford the intimidating price tags and share an intimate relationship with the scent bought.