Perfume scents come in several versions and among the wide selection of fragrances available on the market today, it is often difficult to choose one that will perfectly suit your personality and preferences. Aside from having to choose between renowned fashion brands and celebrity fragrances, our choice of ‘it-perfume’ is further complicated by its quality and a form it comes in: perfume, eau de perfum, eau de toilette and eau de cologne. The most popular ones are eau de perfume and eau de toilette. If you are clueless about a difference between fragrance forms, read on to learn few facts everyone should know.
Fragrances are made out of different ingredients – essential oils and extracts from various plants and flowers, ethyl alcohol and a fixative to preserve the perfume, glycerin. The essential oils determine the strength and intensity of a scent and how long it lasts when applied. It is the concentration of essential oils that determine form of a fragrance. Thus, the higher concentration of essences, the better quality of a fragrance. Perfume, also known as perfume extract, contains the highest concentration of essence, as much as 40%. It is the most expensive form of a fragrance and the most beautiful one because of its intense scent that lasts longest. Also, a perfect harmony of all scent notes, make perfumes real luxury, which is why they are sold in 7.5 ml volume bottles. So, don’t look for big-sized bottles regardless of whether you shop in a renowned perfumery or buy perfume online.
Eau de perfume, usually referred to as a perfume, contains 15-20% perfume extract. Middle notes are the focus of this fragrance form, which is why scent retains most of the natural ingredients and stays on long, up to six hours. However, scent of eau de perfume adapts to natural smell of body skin which is why the same fragrance does not smell same on you as it does on your friend. Because of lower essence concentration, this fragrance form is affordable to most people but prices vary depending on brand name and customers’ demand.
Eau de cologne and eau de toilette contain lowest essence concentration and highest percentage of ethyl alcohol. Eau de cologne contains about 2-5% essence, while eau de toilette contains anywhere from 4-10% perfume extract. Top notes are dominant in eau de toilette and due to low essence concentration, scent evaporates quickly, in about 2 to 4 hours. The scent is, however, refreshing and is appropriate for everyday use and hot summer days. Also, it is very affordable, which is why it is the most used and sold type of fragrance. Thus, if you’d like to save some money, spray on eau de toilette during the day and use eau de perfume only for special occasions. To save even more, buy perfume online since many renowned brands and online retailers offer discounts and/or value sets.
