Perfume: A Timeless Gift of Fragrance and Nostalgia

A Journey Through Time and Fragrance

The sense of scent is our time-traveling machine. One whiff of a perfume can take us back in time, to a moment, cherished memory, a place, a conversation, meaningful experience. It holds great power over us.

Perfume preferences vary and are unique to each person. However, when choosing a perfume as a gift, it's essential to consider it as an accessory to their wardrobe. With perfumes designed for every season and time of the day, gifting a perfume becomes a versatile suggestion—a gift they can use whenever the mood strikes.

If the person has a signature scent and isn't open to other perfume options, you can still show your appreciation for their passion by gifting perfume accessories. Consider beautiful silk scarves for their handbag or handkerchiefs for their jacket pocket—accessories that complement their love for perfumes.

People have used perfumes for thousands of years. It is believed that the first form of perfume was incense, first made by the Mesopotamians around 4000 years ago. Initially, various resins and wood were burned in religious ceremonies.

The liquid form of perfume produced by distillation was introduced by the Arabs. No wonder today the Arabic world still has a very strong relationship with incense and perfumes.

In Europe, perfumes became very popular in the 17th century and were used to cover body odors as the personal hygiene of the times was questionable. The "cover-up" history of the perfumes produced today's French capital of perfumes, Grasse. Grasse, in the Middle Ages and especially in the 16th century, is well known all over Europe for leather, the town reeked of dead animals and lye. It was the glove makers who first tried to make their product smell better, using a technique called maceration.

They used flowers to blend with the animal fat to disguise the bad smell of the treated leather. The tanners switched to full-time perfume making after taxes on leather rose too high. The hillside springs they once channeled to clean the hides were instead used to distill perfume and water the fields of flowers.

With the industrial revolution in the nineteenth century, changing tastes, and advancements in chemistry, modern perfumery began to take shape. Single-flower fragrances were predominant at the turn of the century, but today, perfumes have become complex compositions of numerous natural and synthetic chemicals.

Today, both synthetic and natural ingredients are used in perfumery. Natural components include extracts of flowers, leaves, roots, wood, and citrus fruits. Animal extracts derived from musk, whales, or beavers are also used, although sourcing and extraction processes are lengthy and challenging. Natural ingredients remain the best building materials for creating high-quality perfumes.

Given our Middle Eastern location, this blog aims to shed light on the most cherished incense and perfume oil in the region—Oud and Bukhoor, derived from Agarwood.

Oud, a rich, fragrant, and woody ingredient, is produced by the Aquilaria tree when infected by a specific fungus. This reaction leads to the production of a rare and valuable resin known as oud wood or agarwood. Oud mainly originates from Thailand, Laos, Burma, Vietnam, and India, and it imparts a dark and intense woody note. However, genuine oud has become increasingly rare, with its value, especially for wild-harvested oud, surpassing that of gold. In the Middle East and certain Asian countries like China, original oud chips are purchased and preserved as investments due to their immense value.

One classic way of experiencing Agarwood in the Middle East is through the use of an incense burner and coal. Burning pure agarwood chips in an incense burner releases the scent quickly, producing a significant amount of smoke that permeates the house or clings to clothes.

The rarest and most highly-priced type of oud is Kinam. Kinam Oud is a special wood that contains unique resinous compounds within the agarwood tree. It is exclusively formed in the core wood of Aquilaria crassna Pierre ex Lecomte and is exceptionally rare. Only one out of a thousand Aquilaria Crassna trees, with hundreds of years of age, may produce Kinam Oud. In Vietnam, Kinam Oud is often found in the dead agarwood trees lying underground. Some agarwood hunters, yes, they are called hunters, also discover Kinam Oud in live ancient agarwood trees within 200-year-old forests.

In addition to the Middle East, East Asian countries also hold Oud in high regard. However, their approach to using Oud differs slightly, and its usage is more subtle compared to the Middle East. In kōdō, which means "Way of Fragrance" and represents the art of appreciating Japanese incense, a small piece of fragrant wood is heated on a small Mica plate (Gin-yo) that is warmed from below by a piece of charcoal surrounded by ash. All of this is contained within a small ceramic censer, resembling a cup. The burning of wood or incense sticks is not common as it would create smoke; instead, the goal is to release the essential aromatic oils from the wood through gentle heat.

A more gentle way of enjoying the aroma of the Oud is in the form of Bukhoor. Bukhoor is made of Agarwood chips soaked in a combination of perfumes oils such as jasmine, sandalwood, citrus essential oils, and more. They are compressed in a paste that is shaped into small cubes or discs that can be burned over charcoal.

Thank you for taking the time to read this blog. I hope it was informative and inspirational.

If you're seeking assistance in finding the perfect gift for your loved ones, look no further!

Let us help you create a memorable and meaningful gift that will leave a lasting impression. Get in touch with Inspirology today and embark on a journey of extraordinary gifting possibilities.