Hear the smell of perfume. LaParfumerie

- Just about the difficult, with humor about the serious, modestly about the great. The answer to the popular question "smell or listen to perfume" in the article:

Chapter one.The Russian language and its understanding by everyone is individual:

The Russian language is very rich and mobile, it doesn't matter at all what you say.

"Sniff" or "listen" - say how convenient it is for you personally.

And "listen" and "smell" and "feel" the perfume - all words are permissible.

Nobody can forbid you to make your own comfortable choice.

In the Moscow Museum of Perfumery and in all other perfume museums in the world, as well as in all perfumery workshopsthe spirits are LISTENING.

We never insist that you also use this word and we always appreciate your understanding.

to ensure that you respect our choice.

And that's why museums, perfumers, musicians and many others choose the word "LISTEN".

Chapter two.Human nature. Olfactory hearing:

Human olfactory (olfactory) memory refers to one of the long-term types of memory.

A person receives olfactory memory by birthright, like all other types of long and short memory.

Olfactory memory is the most powerful and most reliable human memory.

Without any doubt, everyone who has already attended the tastings of the Moscow Museum of Perfumery agrees with this,

those whose souls were turned over from meeting their past.

Olfactory HEARING (Olfactory HEARING, olfactory memory) just as musical hearing (auditory memory) develops well.

For example, a child was sent as an apprentice to a perfumer, in the same way as now they are sent to study at a music school.

Unfortunately, there are no children's perfumery schools in the world where children would be sent to study as en masse as to music schools.

It is best to develop olfactory memory, as well as ear for music, from early childhood.

That is why the old art of perfumery in most cases is dynastic, and there are very few ingenious perfumers in the world,

as well as brilliant composers, poets, musicians.

Everyone can develop hearing, listen, distinguish and hear smells, including perfumery.

Of course, it is better done by a person who has undergone training.

Everything is exactly the same as with the development of ear for music or with the development of taste buds.

As a result, in life someone hears and understands music better, and someone less.

Someone is a gourmet, someone is indifferent to the subtleties of taste.

The same is with the development of olfactory hearing (olfactory memory).

We are all different, and that's the beauty of it.

Just as theaters are created not only for professionals, museums are available to everyone.

If you are modest and think that you cannot hear smells well or "do not distinguish" smells, then we assure you: THIS IS NOT SO.

Chapter three.Human nose:

The human nose is much more sensitive than "they write on the Internet."

The human nose hears smells much better than the human eye can distinguish shades!

In the human eye, three receptors work in concert and allow you to see up to 10 million shades.

Meanwhile, the nose has as many as 400 olfactory receptors!

Take the risk of counting the number you need and you will be surprised that the average person can distinguish at least one trillion odors.

Do not wonder.

The scientific work of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Rockefeller University was published in the journal Science.

Chapter four. Perfumer's Notebook:

In 1877 a English perfumer George William Septimus Piesse published a work,

in which he compared the volatility of natural aromas and the frequency of sound vibrations,

assuming that the lower the frequency, the lower the sound and the longer it acts on the ear.

Accordingly, the lower the volatility of the substance, the quieter its aroma, but it lasts longer for the sense of smell.

Conversely, sounds with a high frequency give a short but intense sound, and a powerful, sonorous smell also sounds briefly.

This is what a musical note for perfumery looks like, a music notebook for Septimus Piesse

Any musician can read it easily,that's why musicians also always talk about the spirits "LISTEN" and "HEAR".

Did you know that any piece of music can be transferred to a perfumery, and vice versa?

As in any art, in the art of perfumery, too, the reference is made from one type of art to another.

Septimus Piesse said: "As an artist mixes his colors, so a perfumer must mix his fragrances."

Chapter five. The nature of perfumery:

Perfume is created on an instrument called perfumery org a n.

Orgue à parfums - if you call the instrument in French.

Exactly behind the perfume organ, perfumer from notes writes, composes, collects and acts out its fragrantmelodies, scales, chords.

The perfumer creates his own, incomparable, perfume melody

complex pieces are spirits

easy popular melodies are perfume compositions

"I am a writer, my novels are without words; I am a composer, my music is without sounds. I am a perfumer," - Paul Vacher (Paul Vacher), great perfumer,

the author of the legendary perfumes, including the Miss Dior fragrance for the house of Christian Dior.

In the photo: the organ of the French perfumer Isabelle Doyen:

Isabelle Doyenne is a perfumer who graduated in 1982 from the International Institute of Perfumery, Cosmetics and Fragrances ISIPCA, a former assistant to Annick Goutal herself and who later became the teacher of Goutal's daughter, Camilla.

Today, Isabelle and Camilla create fragrances for the Annick Goutal brand together.

Chapter six. Perfumery ethics and etiquette. Art of Living. Art de Vivre:

The ironic French perfumers say:"When a person has nothing to say about a perfume, he tries to decompose it into notes."

The perfume formula, a work of perfumery art, belongs exclusively to its author - the perfumer.

Exactly until he personally decides to publish / sell / transfer his formula to another person

It is completely indecent to ask a perfumer about the composition of his formulas, and even more indecent to talk about other people's formulas.

It is correct and much more useful to listen, enjoy, hear and try to understand,

Isabelle Doyenne says:“Before I sit down to compose a new fragrance, I go to the bookstore.

Then I take a notebook with secret formulas and on a blank page I write one single word: "Password".

The password, which will determine the main direction of work on the scent, will cause the necessary associations.

The password for Nuit Etoilee is "Wyoming", an American state of unreal beauty.

Rocky mountains, Great Plains, rivers, forests - all this should be immediately presented by those who breathe in the scent of perfume. "

We do not know of museums to which perfumers would transfer their formulas, and the Moscow Museum of Perfumery is no exception.

Museums have never shown tactlessness, did not climb into the "forbidden tabernacles" and did not turn to any author / copyright holder of formulas with that,

to reveal their secret notebooks.

- Quod licet Jovi, non licet bovi (lat) - What is allowed to Jupiter is not allowed to a bull.

Perfume museums, even without formulas, always have something to tell about perfume.

Perfumes in museums are presented only within those boundaries and gradations in which they were presented to the general public by the author / perfume house / fashion house.

You can create your own secret formulas at, including cognitive workshops at some

with the help of professional perfumers.

At our perfume tastings, we will never force you to look for any particular note in the sounds of genius perfumes.

We will not make you applaud individual notes and chords,

we invite you, all without exception, to a concert of classical perfumery music to listen to great perfume works in their entirety.

You've probably noticed that in perfume stores, consultants usually offer customers not to smell, but to listen to this or that fragrance. Strange, you thought. “Everyone knows that a person picks up odors with his nose, not his ears. Then why do they say that they listen to scents and not sniff? Where does this strange terminology come from? " Well, let's figure it out.

Why do they say "listen" to the aroma, and not "smell"

Of course, “listening to the scent” is a figurative expression. You don't have to hold a perfume bottle to your ear to hear something. And yet, where did it come from?
It's all about the associativity of our thinking.

For example, we often draw parallels between smell and taste. When describing the taste of a vintage wine, we are most likely talking about its amazing bouquet.

And we associate many aromatic plants with a certain taste, since we often use them as seasonings.

Some scientists have also tried to draw an analogy between color and smell.

They speculated that the seven primary colors of the spectrum could correspond to seven musical notes.

Scientists have managed to draw semantic parallels between smell and sound. A great contribution to this area was made by the English perfumer Piesse, who was the first to introduce into everyday life the concept of a harmonious and disharmonious combination of smells and arranged the main aromatic extracts in sonic rows.

Since then, in perfumery, the question of listening to smells or smelling them has disappeared by itself. And the perfumers themselves began to create their aromatic masterpieces on the principle of a piece of music: from notes and chords.

There are practically 3 chords:

Top chord or top notes
middle chord or heart notes
and the bottom chord or base notes

Together they form an aroma, which, like a musical symphony, is not a static (frozen) sound, but plays and develops in time.

Now do you understand why they say that the scent should be listened to? Agree, in this context, the word "sniff" already sounds somehow strange 🙂

However, there is one small but.

They listen to the scents, but the perfume still sniffs

Some consultants in stores are so carried away that they suggest that customers listen to perfume instead of scent. Which is, strictly speaking, wrong.

Since the source of the odor (in this case, a scent liquid, a bottle of perfume, or a scented blotter) we still smell.
But we are already listening to the aroma itself.

This linguistic subtlety is best reflected by the phrase “smell<духи>, can you hear how it smells<какой аромат>". Do you see the difference?

In general, of course, it doesn't matter how you say - smelling perfume or listening to it - people will understand your message. But something tells us that speaking correctly is important first of all for yourself. And how is it right, you now know 🙂

The Russian language has more than a thousand years of history. Some expressions that we, without hesitation, use in everyday life, upon initial consideration, may seem illogical or even strange. It is difficult for a foreigner studying Russian to explain why the fly is sitting on the wall, and the vase is on the table. It is also not easy to remember, to speak: to put on a coat or to wear, to smell or feel. Well, the phrase “yes no, wrong” has become a classic example of Russian logic. This article is about how to say correctly: "they hear or feel the smell."

Not only the east, but also the language is a delicate matter

The task is quite difficult. Not every linguist will be able to clearly explain how to correctly say: “they hear or feel a smell”. Often, to interpret the difficulties of Russian, it is necessary to refer to dictionaries, reference books, and even material from other languages. In particular, many people ask themselves how, according to the rules of the Russian, “do they hear or feel smells?”

Each nation has a certain picture of the world, which in one way or another is reflected in the system of symbols. But the system itself has internal laws and its own logic. Not only do we make the language, but it also makes us.

You don't have to go straight to the dictionaries to understand the difference between “smell or feel”. It is easy to see that the verb “hear” denotes to a greater extent the physical ability to perceive sounds, and the verb “feel” reflects the state of mind.

We perceive the external world in a complex way, because our senses interact with each other. So, in painting there are cold and warm shades, in music - heavy melodies, etc. Therefore, sometimes we figuratively say that we hear a smell, understanding by this the process of perceiving a particular scent.

Words, like people, may not work for each other.

The term "valence" is familiar to many since school. This is what chemistry calls the ability of a molecule to bind to another molecule. But the language, despite the abundance of phrases and words, seemingly lacking any logic, is in fact a wisely organized system of signs.

In linguistics, valency is the ability of one lexeme to be combined with other words. For example, we say “thin road”, “thin path”, but “thin person”. Semantically, the word "thin" is better combined with inanimate objects or parts of the body, but people in general are not spoken of like that. In the famous story of A. Chekhov, one of the friends is called exactly thin, not thin, because this character, unlike his “fat” friend, has lost his individuality and honor, has turned into a servile flatterer.

Chekhov used the epithet "thin" on purpose, to make the story more emotional. But we sometimes make random mistakes, because in addition to the norms of the literary language, there is also colloquial speech, which often goes beyond the norm. Therefore, in order to understand how to correctly say, "I hear a smell or feel", you need to refer to the explanatory dictionary and the dictionary of word combinations of the Russian language. Well, the logic of the construction of these phrases was mentioned above.

What dictionaries say

In the first half of the twentieth century. both forms were absolutely equal - “to hear the smell” and “to feel the smell”. This can be checked using D.S.'s dictionary. Ushakov.

However, from the middle of the twentieth century. the language system has changed somewhat and now the only correct general literary norm is the combination “to feel the smell”. It is in this form that this expression is presented in the dictionary of word combinations published in 1983 by the Institute of the Russian language named after A.S. Pushkin. At the moment, this is one of the most authoritative publications of this kind.

Meanwhile, in a "live" speech ...

Linguists are engaged in fixing, describing and substantiating the literary norm. However, almost 30 years have passed since 1983, and the language has changed somewhat, because it is constantly and tirelessly evolving. With the improvement of people's living standards, the perfume industry is improving, new types of perfumes appear, specialized stores are opening, etc.

As a result, now we see that the expression "to smell" has not completely gone out of use, but has migrated to the area. Perfumers do not think about whether they need to smell or feel. After all, for them, spirits are a kind of music of the body, a special language of moods and desires.

Thus, if you do not know whether they hear or smell perfume, then you can safely use both of these phrases in colloquial speech. In everyday communication, this will not be a mistake. True, in official documents, if any have to be drawn up, a standardized combination should still be used. If we are talking about an unpleasant smell, then in any case, you need to use the verb "feel".

What other verbs are combined with the word "smell"

In addition to the word “feel”, the following verbs are combined with the lexemes “aroma”, “smell”:

• absorb;
• be in love;
• have;
• publish;
• do not tolerate;
• do not transfer.

The smell itself can reach or penetrate somewhere / from somewhere, as well as remind of something, like it or not.

How does the expression "feel the smell" translate into other languages?

It is interesting that in European languages ​​with the word “smell” the verb “feel” is also used most often: fr. "Sentir", eng. "Feel". True, it should be noted here that if the English do not think about how to smell or feel, there are other subtleties in their language. Just remember the famous Nirvana song "Smells like teen spirit". After all, "smell" - it literally means "to smell", to perceive by smell. How would you translate to the title? impossible, isn't it?

In Ukrainian, there are the same combinations as in Russian. Against the background of the normalized expression "see the smell" in colloquial speech and journalism, one can find the phrase "smell a little" (literally "hear the smell").

Perhaps the tendency towards the perception of perfume aromas as music is characteristic of many Slavic peoples.

Thus, there is no definite answer to the question of how it is correct: they hear or feel the smell. The second option is the official norm, but the first is also acceptable in colloquial and professional speech.

WHY DO THEY SAY "LISTEN" TO THE FRAGRANCE? You've probably noticed that in perfume stores, consultants usually offer customers not to smell, but to listen to this or that fragrance. Strange, you thought. “Everyone knows that a person picks up odors with his nose, not his ears. Then why do they say that they listen to scents and not sniff? Where does this strange terminology come from? " Well, let's figure it out. WHY DO THEY SAY "LISTEN" TO THE FRAGRANCE, AND NOT "Smell"? Of course, "listening to the scent" is a figurative expression. You don't have to hold a perfume bottle to your ear to hear something. And yet, where did it come from? It's all about the associativity of our thinking. For example, we often draw parallels between smell and taste. When describing the taste of a vintage wine, we are most likely talking about its amazing bouquet. And we associate many aromatic plants with a certain taste, since we often use them as seasonings. Some scientists have also tried to draw an analogy between color and smell. They speculated that the seven primary colors of the spectrum could correspond to seven musical notes. Scientists have managed to draw semantic parallels between smell and sound. A great contribution to this area was made by the English perfumer Piesse, who was the first to introduce into everyday life the concept of a harmonious and disharmonious combination of smells and arranged the main aromatic extracts in sonic rows. Since then, in perfumery, the question of listening to smells or smelling them has disappeared by itself. And the perfumers themselves began to create their aromatic masterpieces on the principle of a piece of music: from notes and chords. Almost all modern perfumes have 3 chords: - top chord or top notes; - middle chord or heart notes; - and the bottom chord or base notes. Together they form an aroma, which, like a musical symphony, is not a static (frozen) sound, but plays and develops in time. Now do you understand why they say that the scent should be listened to? Agree, in this context, the word "sniff" sounds somehow strange. HOWEVER, THERE IS A LITTLE BUT THE FRAGRANCES LISTEN, BUT THE SPIRITS Smell like that. Some consultants in stores are so carried away that they offer customers to listen to perfume instead of a scent. Which is, strictly speaking, wrong. Since the source of the odor (in this case, a scent liquid, a bottle of perfume, or a scented blotter) we still smell. But we are already listening to the aroma itself. This linguistic subtlety is best reflected by the phrase “smell<духи>, can you hear how it smells<какой аромат>". Do you see the difference? In general, of course, it doesn't matter how you say - smelling perfume or listening to it - people will understand your message. But something tells us that speaking correctly is important first of all for yourself. And how is it right, you now know

Your scent is not only a tribute to fashion, or a reflection of your character, mood and style, but also one of the most subtle, personal messages that you send to the people with whom you communicate. Choosing the right one is a whole art. And here there are "perfume" laws.

1. It is noticed that the sensitivity to higher in the morning, immediately after waking up - after the olfactory (olfactory) night silence - smells are perceived brighter purely psychologically. In general, receptors work the same throughout the day.

2. But after 50 years, the ability to deeply and fully perceive surrounding odors begins to gradually dull. Because of this, older people often prefer intense aromas - lighter ones simply do not suit them.

3. It should be borne in mind that the sensitivity to aromas also decreases after suffering a cold or flu. Therefore, refrain from making decisions about new perfumes if you have recently been unwell.

4. Hot weather sharply increases the ability to smell and enhances the effect of any odor on a person. In hot weather, light and fresh aromas are preferred.

5. When choosing perfumery, remember that you can taste no more than three or four scents at a time. The following will not be perceived correctly. And try to start familiarizing yourself with the assortment with lighter, unobtrusive odors.

6. The character of the perfume manifests itself slowly, in several stages:

- initial (head) note

- heart note (middle)

- the final (base) note,

mean the phases of the opening of the bouquet.

When you apply perfume "for trial", it is advisable to do it at the points of pulsation - the wrist, the bend of the elbow. And in any case, do not rub - all the listed phases will be confused, which, ideally, should be revealed gradually and sequentially. You will receive the final result of the fragrance no earlier than 10 minutes after application to the skin.

7. Don't choose a scent because you like it on someone else. The same perfume will sound differently on every person. The reason is in individual chemical processes that make the scent special, unique and right for you. This is especially true for the best men's fragrances.

8. Advice for men. Never use eau de cologne after shaving as it will most likely irritate your face. This is due to the high alcohol content in perfumes, and the skin treated with a razor should be soothed with special creams / lotions / balms "after shave".

9. The bottle should indicate:

Parfum- perfume

Eau de Parfum- Eau de parfum

Eau de Toilette- Eau de Toilette.

The difference is in the ratio of the concentration of aromatic oils and alcohols and, accordingly, in the persistence and intensity of the aroma. The highest content of aromatic oils - from 20 to 30% - in perfumes. This is followed by eau de parfum - from 15 to 25%, then eau de toilette - from 10 to 20%. That is why the price of one and the same scent depends on the form of release.

10. Be careful when applying perfume to clothing, hair and jewelry.

In the first case, keep in mind that perfume can leave a stain, and synthetics- to distort the aroma beyond recognition, the most friendly eau de toilette surfaces are fur and wool (the smell lasts for a very long time, practically unchanging).

In the second, the hair must be clean. Greasy and unwashed, they also distort the original scent of your perfume by adding too much of their own.

In the third, perfume can spoil pearls, the shine of amber and other stones.

In general, ideally, if we are talking about perfume, the most concentrated aroma, then you need to apply it only on your own skin. It is she who will allow the composition to open up as brightly as possible.

11. Perfumery, not without reason, is divided into "for blondes" and "for brunettes."

The thing is that the skin of blondes, more often than not, does not "hold" the scent well. He intensively fills the space, actively influencing those around him. So, the heavy oriental saturated odors on the skin of the blonde act as a "weapon of mass destruction". Therefore, it is better for fair-haired ladies to use fresh citrus or floral aromas.

For brunettes, owners of skin that are less light or more, it is quite possible to use oriental, spicy, rich aromas. They last longer (sebum "preserves" the aroma on the skin), spread more slowly and imperceptibly in space, without causing a feeling of rejection.

12. As a rule, the smell of eau de parfum disappears quite quickly, and if you want to constantly smell it, just renew the fragrance every three to four hours. For those with dry skin, the scent needs to be "refreshed" more often.

13. Your habits can also affect the intensity of the scent. For example, high-calorie spicy food intensifies the scent of perfume. And smoking, medications, as well as increased body temperature - generally change the aroma.

14. The official shelf life of perfumes is 3 years. If you do not open them, then longer. Store preferably in a cool dry place, away from light, but not in the refrigerator.

15. Rule of good taste - people around should not feel your perfume too much. In the sense that the radius of action of your scent - approximately - should be equal to the distance of an outstretched arm, this is the so-called personal space.