A Guide to Different Types of Fragrances
Parfum, Eau de Parfum, Eau de Toilette, Eau de Cologne, and Eau Fraiche... It seems that the same thing may be hiding behind these names but there is a difference. One of the most obvious ones is the price — Parfum usually costs more than Eau de Parfum or Eau de Toilette.
5-Minute Crafts figured out the main differences between the types of perfumes and prepared a cheat sheet that will help you navigate through them easier.
1. Parfum (or pure perfume)
Parfum has the highest fragrance concentration in the perfumery world, which is 20-30% on average. That’s the reason why its smell lasts the longest (6-8 hours) and its price is the highest.
2. Eau de Parfum
Eau de Parfum takes second place: the fragrance concentration is 15-20%. Its smell lasts for about 4-5 hours on average and as a rule, this type of perfume is cheaper than pure perfume.
3. Eau de Toilette
The fragrance concentration in Eau de Toilette is 5-15%. It’s cheaper than Eau de Parfum and is considered one of the most popular and available types of perfumery. Its aroma usually lasts for 2-3 hours.
4. Eau de Cologne
Eau de Cologne has a much lower fragrance concentration than the previous types of perfumery. Usually, it is 2-4%, while the rest is alcohol. For this reason, Eau de Cologne is much cheaper and its aroma lasts no more than 2 hours.
5. Eau Fraiche
Eau Fraiche is similar to Eau de Cologne because its aroma lasts for up to 2 hours. However, the fragrance concentration in it is even lower — 1-3%. Despite that, Eau Fraiche doesn’t contain much alcohol and mainly consists of water.
What to choose?
Decide how strong the scent should be, depending on your preference or situation. Keep in mind that the higher the concentration of fragrance is the more durable and saturated the smell will be.
For example, Eau de Toilette is considered a perfect choice for everyday use. Its smell is less intense, it evaporates from the skin after several hours. Moreover, it’s the top notes that are dominant in it.
The smell of Eau de Parfum or Parfum lasts longer. That’s why, apart from top notes, there is enough time for the middle notes to unfold as well. This saturation makes Eau de Parfum and Parfum a perfect choice for an evening perfume.
Bonus: how to apply perfume correctly
You can apply perfume to areas of the body where blood vessels are close to the skin and the pulse can be easily felt. This is how your perfume can reveal its scent better.
- For men, it’s best to apply perfume on the neck, on the area behind the ears, on the shoulders, on the lower jaw, on the chest, on the forearms and inner sides of the hands, and on the wrists.
- Women can apply perfume behind the ears, on the neck under the lower jaw, on the popliteal fossa, on the wrists, on the inner sides of the elbows, on the hair, and on the tummy and chest areas. But there are also zones that should be avoided. For example, don’t apply perfume near your eyes or in your armpits.