Later Use of Solid Perfumes

In later history, it became popular to use solid perfumes in different forms. Pomanders became common; these were usually jewelery balls worn on a chain. The pomander was filled with a solid perfume mix of benzoins, labdanum, amber, rose buds, musk and boiled with gum tragacanth and other fragrances. In the Middle Ages, smelling boxes were introduced, largely to mask the many unpleasant smells of the time; these were filled with similar ingredients to those of pomanders.

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Solid perfume is used either by rubbing a finger against it and then onto skin or dipping a cotton swab into it and then onto the skin. Sometimes solid perfume can take more time for the deeper notes to come out than an eau de toilette spray perfume.

The latest solid perfumes are designed as handbag essentials and a more compact way of making perfume more portable.