When you start looking at perfume, one of the first things you’ll notice is the array of terms used to denote the different kinds of perfumes and fragrances on the market. Some common terms you’ll see are perfume, cologne, eau de parfum, and eau de toilette. These terms are frequently confused with each other, and when buying perfumes, it helps to know what they are.
Perfume
Perfume is the
broadest of the categories. The word
refers to both body scents generally, and a particular type of scent, specifically. In its general aspect, perfume includes all
of the other terms, but not scented body lotions or creams.
As a specific term,
perfume refers to the strongest, and longest lasting, type of body scent. Most perfumes are “layered” scents, meaning
they contain a combination of different fragrances. These layers of scent are called “notes” in
the French perfume industry, and they are not chosen at random.
Typical perfumes
have three notes. The first, comprised
of the strongest scents, is also the shortest lasting. These are the scents that you’ll smell when
you first put on the perfume, but they will usually wear off within a few
hours, exposing the next layer…
The second layer,
or “middle note,” is made of less volatile scents that will usually last until
midday or early afternoon. By evening,
the third and final layer is all that remains of the perfume. This is usually the most subtle scent; even
though it is longer lasting, the strength of it will decrease through the day.
As a result of this
layering, the best perfumes will slowly change their scent through the
day. Good parfumiers have perfected the
science of blending scents, so that the layers complement each other, and the
change in scent, while recognizable, is both subtle and pleasing.
Colognes
The next category
of perfumes is cologne. I used to think
that cologne was simple a word for “men’s perfume,” but that’s not actually the
case. Cologne is a perfume, but one with
only a single scent to it. Because of
this, colognes are both stronger and shorter lasting than perfumes. The reasons for this apparent paradox are
related.
Colognes, having
only a single scent, will dissipate faster than perfumes. To balance that, they are prepared with a
stronger scent, to last as long as possible.
This gives colognes much less subtlety than perfumes, and makes it easy
to “overdo it” when using them.
And back to my
original misconception about cologne; while it is true that colognes are not
exclusively for men, and that many fine women’s colognes are on the market,
most men’s fragrances out there are colognes rather than perfumes. And even the men’s perfumes are frequently
marketed under the term “cologne.”
Perhaps perfume doesn’t sound masculine enough.
Eau de …
The last two
categories of liquid based perfume scents are eau de parfum and eau de
toilette. “Eau” is French for water, and
“toilette” is French for the act of getting oneself dressed and prepared; eau
de parfum and eau de toilette are, respectively, “perfumed water” and “make-up
water.” Of the two, eau de parfum is the
more popular.
Eau de parfum is a
less expensive form of perfume, based on single scents, but less overpowering
than cologne. This is the perfume that
ladies like to daub on their wrists or necks, using the glass jar stopper. This sort of perfume might not last through a
full day, but it will definitely last through a full date.
Eau de toilette is
similar to eau de parfum, but not as strong, and even less expensive. Typically, these scents only last a few
hours, but because they are relatively cheap, and sold in small bottles that
are easily carried in a purse or handbag, it’s easy to refresh the scent during
the day. Eau de toilette is usually not
a strong fragrance.
Lotions and Creams
Finally, most body
lotions and creams are scented, but these are not strictly perfumes. They typically contain scented oils in about
the same concentration as eau de toilette: enough to detect, but not enough to
overpower, and probably not enough to last more than a few hours. Such lotions are not intended as skin
treatments, and not as perfumes. If
you’re looking for body scents, it’s more cost effective to buy a good eau de
toilette or eau de parfum than a scented lotion.
So, know that you know, it is easier to find
the right perfume.
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