Perfumes - The Sweet Smell of Success Quiz

Answer: Joy

Joy was created in 1931 by the designer Jean Patou. It is a flowery fragrance created by a man who was a French designer, then an army captain and then once again a designer. Patou was a man of firsts. He was the first designer to develop a designer label and he was the first to preview his collections to the press. Influenced by Art Deco and Cubism, his clothes were considered quite modern. "Joy" is said to be in advertisements 'the most costly perfume in the world'.

"Ode to Joy", by Beethoven is the last movement of his "Ninth Symphony" completed in 1824. The movement is based on a famous poem by Friedrich Schiller dating back to 1785.

Answer: Hubert Givenchy

This famous French designer met his muse in 1953 on the set of the movie "Sabrina". It is said that when called to do the costumes for this movie, he thought he was to work with Katherine Hepburn, not Audrey. Givenchy was only 26 at the time of this meeting.

In 1957, Givenchy created a perfume for Audrey's personal use as a gift. She begged him to share this scent with the public. "L'Interdit" was released and was produced into the 1990s. In 2002, it was re-released with some changes made to the original formula.

Answer: Angel

Thierry Mugler was a performer before he was a designer. A trained ballet dancer, his in your face designs are made to enhance the performance for the artist and the viewer. In 1992 he created the "Angel" perfume. It was a way for him to try to capture his childhood memories. This fragrance is considered to be the first of the oriental gourmands.

Answer: Shalimar

Originally launched in 1921, this scent (due to the name) was part of an early legal battle. In 1925, Guerlain prevailed and "Shalimar" (sanskrit for Temple of Love) was born. Jacques Guerlain, a premier perfumer used vanilla and labdanum to create a French interpretation of an Oriental composition.

A more modern pictorial interpretation of this fragrance might be an Erte lithograph. This is a very feminine fragrance, powdery and warm.

Answer: Top, Middle and Base Notes

Ask any "nose" (a creator of fragrance) these notes must be balanced perfectly to create not only pleasing scents, but memorable ones. The best "noses" in the business know their chemistry and a bit of alchemy. The layering of ingredients in a perfume are the essential building blocks of the scent. Top notes are what we smell immediately.

These are also called the head notes because they will form our initial impression of the fragrance. The heart notes, or middle notes are the ones that appear once the top notes have dried down.

Here is where you smell the subtleties of the fragrance. The base notes are the scent that lingers and are usually formed by the most fragrant of the oils or compounds used.

Answer: Coco Chanel

Coco Chanel, the famous French designer, developed Chanel No. 5 in 1921. Earnest Beaux a famous "nose" of the time created the fragrance with her and she named it after her lucky number 5. She believed that a woman must wear perfume if she hopes to be kissed.

Chanel's name will be forever linked with beautiful couture fashion (think the classic Chanel suit), but her reputation is cemented in fragrance history with Chanel No. 5. It is said that a bottle of Chanel No. 5 is sold every 30 seconds somewhere in the world.

Answer: The Bible

"The Bible" both Old and New Testament is filled with mention of one sort or another of perfume, scent and fragrance. Think oils and incense and frankincense and mryhh. In Exodus (30:37,34-35) we are given a recipe for sweet incense and are later told it is to be used for sacred rituals only. In Proverbs (27:9) we are treated to "Ointment and perfume delight the heart".

Answer: Bergamot

Bergamot has a very distinctive smell and taste. The extract used in Earl Grey tea and in fragrances comes from the rind of an orange from the bergamot tree. The bergamot tree is said to have originated in Asia. The leading producer of bergamot in modern times is Italy. Used widely in aromatherapy this essential oil is said to combat depression.

Answer: Grasse

Grasse known as the world's perfume capital has been producing the highest quality essential flowers and herbs since the 16th century. Prior to the 16th century Grasse was a leading producer of fine leather goods. Catherine D'Medici wanted the scents of Grasse on her leather gloves and started a fashion trend that created a new industry for this climatically rich region. Principle products exported from this region are roses and jasmine.

Answer: Egyptians

The Egyptians were the first to develop glass bottles to store their fragrances in. The Egyptians felt that they could communicate with the Gods if they used fragrance in their religious ceremonies. Alexander the Great introduced perfume to the Greeks after his return from Egypt.