Perfumes are a mix of oils and scents used to give an individual a pleasant odor. It is often sprayed, rolled or dabbed onto the body at the pulse points.

Perfumes are usually suspended in a solvent to protect the skin from reactive oils. The most common solvent is alcohol or alcohol and water.

Before choosing a perfume discover your personal taste. Find the common scents you love like lemons, rain storms, and so on. Once you know what you like, get some samples or try out scents at the fragrance counter of department stores. Spray a small amount on your wrist and smell it after 10 minutes to see how the scent changed. Don't purchase a fragrance before you see how it changes over time.

For thousands of years essential oils were the original natural perfume made from the essential volatile aromatic oils derived from tree resins, bark and plants. Essential oils naturally have beneficial properties which have a soothing and healing affect on the the body and mind. In this age of synthetics and chemicals scientists are re-examining the herbal remedies of former days. Formulations used in many cultures and religions were used because of their healing properties. Today's perfumes are more often than not chemically synthesized and not derived naturally.

• International Perfume Bottle Association