Perfumes were mostly used in the form of incense. The word perfume is derived from the Latin word ‘per’, meaning ‘through’ and ‘fumus’ meaning ‘fumes’.
On special ceremonial occasions the Egyptians carried scented fat that melted in the heat, which they used to perfume their hair, faces and bodies. Around 1350 BC, the Egyptians and Arabs began to distil perfume from the Madonna lily. Perfumes became more popular in European culture from the 1100s.
The perfume consisting of a blend of neroli essential oil, rosemary and bergamot, made by two Italians based in Cologne, became popular during the seven years’ war of 1756-63. It was only much later in 1923, that the first perfumes to contain synthetic odours were created by the Frenchman Ernest Beaux.
Picture credit: google