What makes parfum and cologne smell different?

Most of the people are unaware of the fact that the tiny little cursive words written on the perfume bottles are very important when it comes to classification of the perfumes.

The basic three classifications based on strength of the perfume are:

· Parfum

· Eau de parfum

· Eau de Toilette or Eau de cologne

Essential oils or fragrance oils are the most important ingredient of a perfume. These oils when blended in a base (water, alcohol etc) with the addition of a few more ingredients make up a perfume. The concentration power varies in different perfumes thus differentiating among the classifications.

Parfum:

The most expensive ones that stay on your skin for around 6 hours are said to have a fragrance oil concentration of nearly 15 to 30%. These are the most concentrated form of perfumes and they are sure to fall into the luxury zone. You will only require one or two spritzes of a parfum and you are good to go. They usually have a strong smell.

Eau de parfum:

Having lesser strength than a parfum, eau de parfums come next. Holding nearly 8 to 15 % of aromatic oils, eau de parfums are the most used ones. People usually prefer buying Eau de parfums over the other two categories. Whenever you are heading towards a perfume store, this genre of perfume is readily available. They stay for around 3 to 5 hours.

Eau de Toilette or Eau de cologne:

Colognes last for only about 3 hours or less. They are very mild with a concentration of 4 to 8 %. You will have to spritz multiple sprays of cologne because of their mild smell. They tend to fade away quickly. You will usually get colognes for a lesser price.

Any discount online perfume store usually has a collection of all these types of perfumes.

Now that you have knowledge about the classifications of perfumes, you can learn about the other factors that affect their smell.

· Perfume makers use several other ingredients apart from fragrance oils and base. The use of flowers, nuts, vegetables, leaves, secretions, and other stuff also make the perfumes smell differently. Nowadays chemical components also make an important part of the perfume ingredients.

· The blending technique of the several ingredients that make up a perfume also plays an important role in developing its smell.

· The perfumes for men and women are also developed differently. The fragrances of the two genres are created keeping in mind the body specifics of both the genders.

Now that you know what makes parfum and cologne smell different, you can easily decide which one is apt for you.