Fragrance Trivia

Welcome to our Scent Lodge Fragrance Trivia Quiz. We’ve researched some truly fascinating facts and trivia that are guaranteed to delight and surprise even the most studied fragrance enthusiast. How many of our challenging fragrance trivia questions can you get right?

1 When a fragrance house creates a new perfume, what comes first: the development of the fragrance or the creation of the bottle?

2 What two fashion designers did Beyoncé model as the face of their fragrances? And what was the name of each perfume?

3 How long will the base notes in a fragrance such as sandalwood, vetiver, vanilla and cedar wood typically last after a spritz?

4 What heavy metal rock band of the 1970s known for their outrageous costumes and makeup created a perfume for her and one for him?

5 What niche British perfumery brand famously created a fragrance inspired by Alexandre Dumas’ classic Novel “The Black Tulip”?

6 What is the name of Rihanna’s first fragrance?

7 When a perfumer describes a scent as an “oriental”, what does it mean?

8 How do perfumers extract the fragrance from orange flower?

9 Olfactory experts recommend you rotate your fragrances throughout the week so that your nose doesn’t become too accustomed to just one. What is the ideal number of fragrances for a scent wardrobe today?

10 What two famous crystal design houses, crafted exquisite perfume bottles in the early 20^th century to stunning effect? In fact, they are still valuable collectibles today.

11 What two ingredients do perfumers like to use to create “energy” in a fragrance? (They are often found in ‘sport’ editions)

12 Name five ingredients commonly used in ‘green’ fragrances?

13 Of the 5,000 known botanical varieties of rose, how many are used in perfumery? Can you name them?

14 What sweet note did perfumers most often use to finish their fragrance formulas in the 1980s? What one is most popular today?

15 What iconic singer insists on a bowl of blue Smarties in her green room when hosting personal appearances?

16 What is the average cost of launching a designer fragrance globally today?

17 Name three different concentrations of scent?

18 How many fragrances has Jennifer Lopez created in her career?

19 In 1992, Roman jeweller Bvlgari, beloved by Elizabeth Taylor, launched its first fragrance. What was it called?

20 Prime time soap opera Dynasty led to the creation of three fragrances during its peak popularity in the late 1980s. What were the names of the scents?

ANSWERS:

1. Most often it is the bottle that is created first. It takes longer to create the flacon and test it to make sure it will hold up to shipping and use.
2. Giorgio Armani “ Emporio Armani Diamonds” and Tommy Hilfiger “True Star”
3. Base notes create persistence and depth to any fragrance. The base notes give a scent longevity so these notes last five-to-six hours.
4. KISS. Lead singer Gene Simmons created a signature scent for him and her. The bottle sported the KISS logo and an oversized star. Simmons described the women’s scent as “a passionate and sensual fragrance.” It boasted notes of fig leaf, peppercorn, red poppy, lily, amber, mahogany, leather and musk.
5. James Atkinson, founder of Atkinsons 1799, was so touched by Dumas’ love story that he created a floral fragrance that conveyed the spirit of the novel. Tulipe Noire blends tuberose, sandalwood, cedar, musk, bergamot, and coriander into a grand white floral fragrance for her. It comes in a black bottle, an homage to the outlawed black bloom.
6. Rihanna’s first fragrance was called Reb’l Fleur. She told her perfumers that she often layered five different perfumes to create her ideal scent. They then analyzed each one and incorporated the notes into the final formula.
7. Perfumers classify scents into different ‘families’ that range from florals to woody to citrus. An ‘oriental’ scent is one that is spicy with warm amber notes. It may contain such ingredients as amber, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, vanilla, incense and dry resins. These scents are often described as sensual and sexy.
8. The scent of orange flower is extracted using a process called steam distillation. This results in a concentrated highly scented oil that has a rich, sweet fragrance.
9. Five. If you can change up your scents each day and rotate five different fragrances, your nose won’t get too used to any particular one. You won’t get scent fatigue. (Your nose identifies literally hundreds of different scents every day. It will register a scent and then move on to the next one. That is why you smell your fragrance when you first spritz but 30 minutes later may not smell it anymore.)
10. Baccarat and Lalique
11. Ginger and mint oil are both added to give a kick of energy to a fragrance.
12. Cut grass, rhubarb, hyancith, galbanum and sweet violet each add a grassy, crisp character to a scent. These notes are usually used sparingly with floral notes so as not to overwhelm a scent. Perfumers like a hint of green to add personality to a formula.
13. Unbelievably, perfumers only use two varieties of rose in fragrances: Rosa Centifolia and Rosa Damanascena. In Grasse, the thornless Rosa Centifolia or “May Rose” is cultivated. Its fragrance is the most delicate. Rosa Damanascena or Damask Rose, cultivated in Turkey and in Bulgaria, has a rich, velvety scent.
14. Vanilla was hugely popular in fragrances in the 1980s and was a staple in any commercial fragrance. Its popularity has returned in the last decade. But in this current era, musk appears in the majority of designer scents. It has a comforting, cocooning effect and blends nicely with woody ingredients.
15. Cher. Pop star agents and managers will send a list of items to be placed in a celebrity’s green room in advance of a personal appearance. This will usually include beverages, food, flowers, etc.
16. $60 million. This includes all the marketing, advertising, retailer displays, influencer campaigns, packaging, salesforce training, etc. This is why fragrance houses spend so much time testing scents with focus groups in different countries. It is a huge financial risk to launch a scent, so they do everything to ensure the fragrance will be well-received.
17. Eau de cologne, eau de toilette, eau de parfum and parfum
18. “Promise” by Jennifer Lopez, launched in 2019, is her 25^th scent. She has sold more than $2 billion worth of perfume since Glow by J.Lo., her blockbuster debut scent.
19. It was called Bvlgari Eau Parfumeé Au Thé Vert (green tea) It was created exclusively for the Italian luxury brand’s spas and resorts to calm and soothe. Master perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena, who would go on to be Hermes’ in-house perfumer, created a gentle citrus-aromatic fragrance for him or with blending notes of green tea, orange blossom, mandarin, jasmine, Bulgarian rose, precious woods, amber, musk, and cedar. It remains a best-seller to this day.
20. “Scoundrel” by Joan Collins, “Forever Krystle” by Linda Evans and “Carrington” by John Forsythe. Linda Evans recalls that the entire cast came to the launch event at Bloomingdales on a Sunday. So many fans rushed into the store trying to reach the stars that the store was immediately closed and the actors were quickly whisked away.

SCORE:

20                    You are a true scent enthusiast and expert. Fantastic score!

15 to 19           Excellent score. You know your fragrances and notes very well.

10 to 15           Good effort. We hope we shared a few facts you found interesting.

1 to 10             Great first try. We hope this quiz inspires you to discover more fascinating facts about the world of perfumery.