In fact, it is the ability of a scent to remain on the body and any other surface. It can be considered the same fundamental characteristic of a perfume product as the quality of the composition. But if the latter is absolutely impossible to assess objectively – as they say, in taste and color – then persistence. As some experts believe, can be measured. Anyway, they are vanilla perfume honestly trying to do it.
How is durability measured?
In the production of perfumes and fragrances, aromas are tested on cotton fabric (most often gauze, which does not distort odors). It is immersed in a certain volume of perfume liquid, removed with tweezers. And then the expert assesses how much the smell retains its properties. He is supposed to “sniff” several times – every ten hours. “If after a [certain] period the properties remain unchanged, they make a note,” explains chemist and perfume expert Matvey Yudov. “There is no special unit of resistance, everything is measured simply: in hours.”
GOST sets the minimum bar for the persistence of aromatic substances in Russia. So, the smell of perfume should remain on the fabric for at least 50 hours, eau de toilette – at least 40, and cologne – at least a day. If a perfume composition does not meet the standard. It will not be allowed for production. However, in Europe and the USA, where the vast majority of perfumery products are produced. There are no such official standards. And this is not surprising: tests still fail to take into account most of the extremely important factors.
How objective are the tests?
The catch is that these measurements are carried out under standard “sterile” conditions. For example, gauze must be pre-washed in hot water and dried at a certain temperature. The room temperature also does not change during the experiment. But life is more complicated. We wear fragrances in hot and cold weather, in dry and humid climates. And we apply them to the skin – which can be dry, normal or oily. All of this can also affect how long the smell will last on our body. For example, fragrances evaporate faster from dry skin than from oily or simply well-hydrated skin. Hence the popular and scientifically based advice to apply scent over moisturizer or milk. And the cold contributes to the persistence of the aroma more than hot weather.
“Resilience is a variable quantity,” Berlyanskaya says. – It depends primarily on the rate of evaporation of aromatic substances in the composition. And that, in turn, changes under the influence of many physical factors: temperature, pressure, and so on. ” Nobody canceled the individual characteristics of perception. One person can smell for hours, while another will smell for only a couple of minutes. The reason is the individual ability to “sniff”, that is. Get tired of the smell and subconsciously block it.
“People too often stop smelling, simply because the sense of smell has adapted to it as a constant ‘noise’. And the brain has been instructed not to notice it,” says Berlyanskaya. At the same time, for those around you, the smell, most likely, has not disappeared anywhere, they continue to feel it. It depends on the fitness of the nose, on the ability to consciously turn on and off the olfactory background.”
What role does composition play here?
Pretty big. Objectively, each fragrant substance has one or another degree of volatility, this is one of its basic characteristics, and it depends on the weight of the molecules in its composition. Some of the most volatile substances are citrus essential oils. That is why citrus notes from perfume compositions evaporate the fastest. And if the aroma is built on them, it will be unstable. It will last on the skin for 2-3 hours (although it can stay on a paper blotter for a day). Other compounds – for example, those responsible for the smell of burnt sugar (ethyl maltol), balsamic and woody aromas – will “sound” much longer: 10-12 hours on the skin and about a month on paper.
What about persistence and concentration?
It is believed that the stronger the concentration of the fragrance. The more persistent it will be: they say, the perfume will last longer on the skin than eau de toilette or cologne. This is partly true, but there are pitfalls here too.
“In fact, the relationship is not direct,” says Matvey Yudov. – For example, bergamot essential oil will evaporate rather quickly – either in solution or in pure form. Another thing is that, say, perfumes and eau de parfum almost always differ not only in the percentage of composition added to alcohol. Most often, these are completely different compositions and the emphasis is placed on the heavier ingredients in the perfumes. Therefore, the perfume is usually really more persistent. ”
Will all fragrances be able to persist in the future?
The market dictates its own laws: consumers are demanding more and more lasting fragrances. The main perfume hits of recent years are fragrances, as they say, “unkillable”. Thus, launched in 2012, Lancôme La Vie Est Belle with a recognizable vanilla-caramel scent in 2014 took first place in popularity in the markets of France and five other European countries.
The sweet-woody Si Giorgio Armani is not far behind. And the novelty of 2016 Baccarat Rouge 540 of the niche brand Maison Francis Kurkdjian. Built on notes of sandalwood and moss. Seems to have become the main bestseller in Moscow: according to Yandex, about 10,000 users have searched for this eau de parfum over the last month alone. All three fragrances are champions in durability, with most Fragrantica users claiming that they can last more than 12 hours on the skin without reapplication.
