A blend of pleasant-smelling essential oils and aroma compounds is a perfume. Depending on the kind of mixture and oil, a perfume is classified as an extract, an eau de parfum, an eau de toilette, or an eau de cologne.

First used by the Egyptians as part of their religious rituals during the Old and Middle Kingdoms, it was during the New Kingdom (1580-1085 BC) that Egyptian women used perfumed creams and oils as toiletries and cosmetics.

Perfumes can be classified according to their olfactive families or according to their concentrations. It is virtually impossible to know the exact components of a perfume, as the formulas are kept secret. Those scents that are dominated by the smell of flowers are known as floral fragrances. Chypre is another fragrance family built on a base of bergamot, jasmine, and oak moss. It is characterized by an apricot scent. Many men's fragrances belong to the Fougère family of fragrances, built on a base of lavender, coumarin, and oak moss, with a sharp herbaceous and woody scent. Leather, woody, citrus, and Orientals or ambers are the other fragrance families.

The rate of evaporation and the odor strength of the compound are used to determine the classification of the perfume. Top notes are those scents that form a person's initial impression of a perfume and are considered very important in a perfume. These are fresh, strong scents that evaporate quickly, like citrus and ginger. Heart notes or middle notes are those in which the scent emerges after the top notes dissipate. These are usually mellower and appear from ten minutes to one hour after the application of a perfume, like lavender and rose scents. Base notes are typically rich and deep like musk and vetiver, usually not perceived until thirty minutes after the application of the perfume.

Perfumes oils are diluted with a suitable solvent (usually ethanol or a mixture of ethanol and water) to make the perfume more usable for those with sensitive skin. As the percentage of aromatic compounds decreases, the intensity and longevity of the scent decrease.