Perfumes – FAQ

Perfumes and their secrets

Why do essential oils used in Prouvé perfumes come only from Grasse?
The French city of Grasse is the heart of world perfume industry. Prouvé fragrances are elaborated in one of the oldest and most renown French perfume company in Grasse, where perfumes have been created since the 18th century.

How can I be sure that essential oils come from Grasse?
Each bottle with Prouvé perfume has a certificate confirming that it was made according to the best practices in perfume industry and only from the best French essential oils. The certificate confirms that Prouvé is always the best choice you can make.

How are Prouvé perfumes refined?
Prouvé perfumes return to the best French traditions of perfume refining. The perfumes are made using traditional refining processes: maceration (ageing), freezing and filtration. As a result they are incredibly strong, transparent and full of fragrance.

Why do perfumes for women have odd numbers and the ones for men even numbers?
As we are highly pragmatic, we introduced such a smart system so that our Clients and Partners know straight away the type of perfume they are looking at. And why do perfumes for women have odd numbers? Because number one in our company is a woman.

Where do the three scent notes come from?
All labels on our fragrant products specify three scent notes which inspired the entire fragrance. These three notes are the main theme of the perfume composition, whereas other ingredients form a subtle, perfectly matching background. When you pay look at the architecture of the fragrance, you may find them in different places: in the head, heart and base notes. Theese three notes will help you imagine the fragrance and help you choose a fragrance you will love.

Why do packagings and labels of perfumes in black and white?
The colours we choose say much about us. The white colour symbolizes cleanness and the black colour classic elegance. Together they reflect our philosophy based on honesty and simple rules. In black and white, no colour embellishments needed.

Why do all bottles look the same?
The simple and bright flacon from thick, transparent glass was made with great precision by Italian designers. This is our strategic element. Colourful flacons may distort the perception and they impose an interpretation of perfume. And we want our Partners and Clients to approach perfume almost in the same way as professional perfumers. We want them to discover emotions and feelings perfumes evoke. This makes for a full and conscious experience.

Does Katarzyna Trawińska compose perfumes on her own?
No, but she works closely with perfume creators and it is her who has the final word when it comes to the composition and selection of ingredient.

What is maceration?
Maceration is the same as perfume ageing, which can last as long as a few weeks. It is required for the scent to develop fully.

What is filtration?
It is a process of careful extraction of impurities and substances which do not dissolve in alcohol. Filtration is responsible for maximum clarity of a scent.

What is freezing?
Freezing is a process whose purpose is to obtain maximum clarity and stability of perfume.

How much essential oils are there in Prouvé perfumes?
Essential oils make as much as 20% of Prouvé perfumes.

What is perfume projection?
Projection means spatial distribution of perfume. Projection may be subtle, which means that perfume stays close to the skin, or intensive and strong when scent notes ‘disperse’ and create a fragrant trail. Which projection is better? Everything depends on the circumstances. Perfumes with a moderate projection are appropriate for work or school. But whenever you want to shine, opt for perfumes with a strong projection.

What makes perfume long-lasting?
Perfume longevity depends on a several factors: quality of essential oils, quality of used alcohol (special alcohol used by perfumers is required, free from additional scent notes which have adverse effect on the composition), refining process (maceration, filtration and freezing), as well as the cap and atomizer (they have to be tight and fit perfectly, no air can penetrate inside; they have to be made of appropriate material which does not interact with the perfume).

Are perfume samples available?
Of course. They may be purchased separately or as a set in an elegant case.

How to choose perfume?
Choose the type of perfume or scent notes you like. Open the sample and apply a bit on your skin or a test strip. Let it unfold fully, give yourself time to experience the richness of ingredients. First minutes account for a delicate and vibrating head note. Then the heart note appears. Finally, we come to appreciate the base note. Remember that you do not have to limit yourself to one type of scent, you may choose a few different perfumes for different occasions.

Are essential oils used in Prouvé perfumes natural or synthetic?
Both natural and synthetic (white). We use white ingredients to for instance protect animals which used to be the source of precious ingredients. This is why we only use white ambergris and white musk.

Can perfumes cause allergy?
Unfortunately yes, so there is a list of allergens on every packaging.

Does Prouvé offer eau de toilette and eau de parfum?
No, Prouvé offers only perfumes.

How are fragrances classified?
Fragrances are divided into the following families: floral (mainly for women), oriental, citrus, aquatic, woody, fougere (mainly for men) and chypre.

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