Woman pouring perfume into a flask from the Villa Farnesina, 10 AD. Perfumery, or the art of making perfumes, began in ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt and was further refined by the Romans and Persians. Scent was also an important factor of beauty. Women who smelled good were presumed to be healthy. Perfumes were very popular in Ancient Rome. They came in liquid, solid and sticky forms and were often created in a maceration process with flowers or herbs and oil. Distillation technology, as well as most of the imported ingredients, originated in the east. Perfumes were rubbed on or poured onto the user and were often believed to be helpful against different ailments, such as fever and indigestion.