Grasse, France: Perfume Capital of the World
Day 5 of the tour was the day I was waiting for the most. I read fictional books with Grasse and the perfume industry as part of the story. I have used soaps from Fragonard that I ordered because of their reviews in magazines. These soaps were heavenly. I learned a lot on this factory tour.
Seeing the driver of the coach bus was a treat for me. Philip was the driver on the first Rick Steves' tour (Paris and the South of France) I took. I thought he was the nicest man and still is.
The tour was conducted by a guide from the Fragonard factory. She was very clear and knowledgeable about this industry. Here is some information I learned on this tour:
There are three notes to the smell of perfume, and they are:
I learned there are certain parts of the body where perfume should be applied, they are: the wrists, behind the ears, in the bend of the arms and behind the knees (behind the knees itched for me, I'll skip is area).
What and who is a NOSE in the perfume industry? The Nose is an expert perfume maker. The best Noses in the industry come from Grasse. They have to memorize a lot of scents. They also learn how to blend and make scents that stay true to their essence.
We were taught how to sample the smell of perfume. We were given strips of paper sprayed with perfume and shown how to smell from these strips, instead of taking a big whiff with the nose.
I explained to the tour guide the types of scents I like and she recommended a Fragonard perfume (Frivole) for me. I am not disappointed with this purchase. I wear it almost every day. So I must say "I'm a woman with a future".
I bought some soaps that I started using from one of "Oprah's favorite things" list. These soaps came from Fragonard. Since I was at Fragonard I made sure I purchased some of these soaps. They were much cheaper at the factory. This soap is from the botanical line, my favorite is the Olive oil soap perfumed with lavender. After I shower with these soaps, and because lavender is a relaxer/sleep aid, I sleep like a baby.
Day 6/six: Monaco
Seeing the driver of the coach bus was a treat for me. Philip was the driver on the first Rick Steves' tour (Paris and the South of France) I took. I thought he was the nicest man and still is.
The tour was conducted by a guide from the Fragonard factory. She was very clear and knowledgeable about this industry. Here is some information I learned on this tour:
There are three notes to the smell of perfume, and they are:
- Top Note: the perfume you smell right away when the perfumes goes on the body, the first impression.
- Middle Note: the scent that comes through prior to the top note dissipating
- Base Note: the scent that lingers for several days on the pillow, scarves, or clothes.
I learned there are certain parts of the body where perfume should be applied, they are: the wrists, behind the ears, in the bend of the arms and behind the knees (behind the knees itched for me, I'll skip is area).
What and who is a NOSE in the perfume industry? The Nose is an expert perfume maker. The best Noses in the industry come from Grasse. They have to memorize a lot of scents. They also learn how to blend and make scents that stay true to their essence.
We were taught how to sample the smell of perfume. We were given strips of paper sprayed with perfume and shown how to smell from these strips, instead of taking a big whiff with the nose.
I explained to the tour guide the types of scents I like and she recommended a Fragonard perfume (Frivole) for me. I am not disappointed with this purchase. I wear it almost every day. So I must say "I'm a woman with a future".
I bought some soaps that I started using from one of "Oprah's favorite things" list. These soaps came from Fragonard. Since I was at Fragonard I made sure I purchased some of these soaps. They were much cheaper at the factory. This soap is from the botanical line, my favorite is the Olive oil soap perfumed with lavender. After I shower with these soaps, and because lavender is a relaxer/sleep aid, I sleep like a baby.
Day 6/six: Monaco