TYPES OF PERFUMED PRODUCTS

In this guide I will discuss the various perfume strengths and types of perfumed products available on the market. This is in essence a breakdown on the differences between eau de toilette, eau de parfum, cologne, etc.

Fragrances are priced according to their essential oil and alcohol content. The higher concentration of essential oils, the more expensive the perfume will be. The percentages given below are only a guide and vary from manufacturer to manufacturer.

At all cost, avoid the two extremes - drenching and dabbing. A balanced person's attitude to perfume should reflect their attitude to money - don't be "a miser or a prodigal." Choose the right perfume for the right moment. Take as much care over choosing your perfume and matching it to the occasion, as your dress and other accessories.

Essential oils: these oils come from natural sources and are responsible for the scent of perfumes. These essences are diffused through the tissues of a plant, as in the petals of a flower, these oils are extracted by means of distillation. The oils can also be synthesized from petroleum and other sources. essential oils have the property of becoming gaseous at ordinary room temperatures. They are called essential oils after the Latin word essentia, meaning "a liquid that easily becomes a gaseous essence". because they vaporize so easily, the essential oils have also been called "volatile oils", from the Latin word volare, "to fly". The oils are also called spirits by the old apothecaries, one example is spirits of turpentine, meaning the essential oil of pine.

Absolute: The essential oil of scented flowers and other aromatic plant parts in its purest and most concentrated form, It is extremely expensive. Attars, also called otto is essential oil obtained from a flower, such as rose or jasmine by distillation.

Accord: A combination of scents that blend together to produce a new fragrance. Several famous accords used in perfumery are Mousse de Saxe, Mellis, Miel Blanc and Cuir de Russie.

Bouquet: a mixture of floral notes in a perfume, also a perfume made from a mixture of perfume families.

Concrete or Concreta: a products obtained in the process of extracting essential oils by volatile solvents. When as waxy substance called stearoptene is removed from this you are left with the absolute. But perfumers often prefer to use the concrete rather than the absolute. Molinard carries a line of Concreta.

Perfumer's alcohol: also known as perfumery grade alcohol is another word for ethanol, an important diluent and carrier for perfumes. It comes primarily from the distillation of wine to produce grape spirit (brandy), the earliest perfumery alcohol. Wine distillate retains a certain bouquet of the grapes which interferes with the composition of perfumes, and is quite expensive to manufacture. In light of this, alcohol made from the fermented grains of  rice, wheat, and sorghum are much cheaper alternatives. As well as the starches in sugar beets, potatoes, and corn, as well as the sugar in molasses are also employed as perfumery grade alcohol. Perfumery alcohol is denatured and is not fit for consumption. Water and glycerine is often added to perfumer's alcohol as they prolong the persistence of the perfume on the skin.

Parfum: also called extrait, parfum classic, extrait de parfum or extract, is the highest concentration of perfume. A perfume may contain 20-30 percent oils and high grade alcohol, and a slight amount of water. Vintage Parfums can often contain at least 22-40 percent essential oils. Due to the high concentration of essential oils. Parfum can last 7 to 24 hours on the skin. Parfum is the most expensive type of perfume. Any mixture lower in oils is known as an eau.

Eau de Parfum: also known as Esprit de Parfum, Secret de Parfum, Millesime, or Parfum de Toilette, is composed of 10-15 percent of essential oils with a slightly weaker alcohol and water mix. Vintage Eau de Parfum, Esprit de Parfum, or Parfum de Toilettes were often made up of 15-20 percent essential oils and were highly concentrated. Eau de Parfums usually last about 4-8 hours.

Parfum de Toilette and Eau de Parfum can again, be used on their own. many women who love a particular perfume may find that it is a bit too overpowering to be worn during the day, but that its Parfum de Toilette or Eau de Parfum are just that much lighter to make it an acceptable day perfume too. And, of course, they can be used as more emphatic boosters of the matching parfum.

Eau de Toilette: also called toilet water, is a much thinner dilution of the same materials, containing approximately only 4-10 percent of essential oils, in an even weaker alcohol and water mixture. Vintage Eau de Toilettes often can contain up to 5-15 percent essential oils and were much more concentrated than modern formulas. Eau de Toilettes usually last about 3 hours. Meant to be splashed or sprayed throughout the day to freshen up. Perfect for wearing during daytime, or during the warmer months or warmer climates. I have read that toilet waters were originally made by the French perfumers to drop into the water with which we bathed - but the profligate use of such strong odors caused the perfumers to dilute them and sell them prepared for use directly from the bottles to the person.

During the postwar years, toilet waters and colognes became more popular than the more expensive, highly concentrated perfumes. While colognes were originally special formulations centered around citrus oils, by the late 1940s, they had often become simply a less costly and less potent alternative to toilet waters. Despite this, the terms "cologne" and "toilet water" were frequently used interchangeably.

The lasting power of different toilet waters varied depending on their composition. Floral scents tended to fade quickly, while amber-based fragrances were more enduring. Scents like "chypre" and "crepe de chine," along with aldehyde-based fragrances, typically fell somewhere in between in terms of longevity.

Eau de Toilette can be used in the same was as an eau fraiche or eau de cologne, but more properly, it should be used as a mid-way booster for its matching perfume.

Eau de Cologne: for men or women, or aftershave, is further diluted, about 3-5 percent of essential oils, in an even still weaker alcohol and water mix. Usually lasts about 2 hours. Meant to be liberally splashed or sprayed throughout the day to freshen up. Perfect for wearing during daytime, or during the warmer months or warmer climates. Used for toning and refreshing the skin after bathing.

Concentrated Cologne Spray is quite strong enough to be worn on its own; in fact, several fragrance launches have featured the concentrated cologne spray as the strong variant in the range. As it is a spray, it can be sprayed on all over thus imparting a feeling of freshness and it can be worn as its own booster through the day too.


Eau Fraiche: this is the weakest form of fragrance on the market, a light toilet water similar to cologne or splash usually with 1-3 percent of essential oil in water and a higher grade of alcohol. Usually lasts for less than an hour. Meant to be liberally reapplied throughout the day for a refreshing feeling. Perfect for wearing during daytime, or during the warmer months or warmer climates.

Dabbing a Cologne or Eau Fraiche discreetly on the wrist and behind the ears will have absolutely no effect whatsoever. Their concentration and strength is the lowest, and for best effect, should be splashed all over the body (just as the name implies), preferably just after the bath or shower. They should be used as fresheners, and if they are used with their matching perfume, should be used as a base only, not as a substitute.

Voile de Parfum: also known as Eau Parfumée, Voile d'Été, Eau Sans Alcool, Brume de Parfum, Perfume Mist, is a non-alcoholic fragrance diluted with water and about 3-8 percent essential oils. Typically used to be worn during the warmer months at the beach or in warmer climates.


Dry Perfume: a recent development by which tiny, pearlized microcapsules, looking like power are placed on the skin and stroked, when they break and release a perfume.

Moisturizing Skin Spray: a fragrance that is alcohol free and contains moisturizers to keep skin feeling soft and silky.

Creams and lotions: most creams contain a fragrance content that is same as that of the eau de toilette, five percent essential oils. The rest of the formula is a blend of lanolin, beeswax, mineral oil, lard, petroleum jelly, or other fats and oils.

Vintage "lotions" are not actually moisturizers but in fact highly concentrated eau de cologne or eau de toilettes that were meant to be rubbed liberally all over the body after a bath or to freshen up. You may also find scented "lotions" that were meant to apply to the hair and scalp, these were known as "friction lotions", and were daily hair grooming and maintenance tonic lotions that would leave the scalp invigorated and cool. A skin freshener contains up to 15 percent alcohol, while a friction lotion may contain as much as 50 percent. As they are rubbed into the skin the alcohol evaporates, leaving the moisture for the skin to absorb. The skin is left smooth and fresh and pores closed.

Stick perfumes, pomades, unguent, and solid perfume: an essential oil or concentrated perfume oil dissolved in a melted wax base, sometimes some other fats, ointments that are blended in to make it easier to apply to the skin or head. The category includes creme sachet, glace and powder creme perfume. 

Soaps and soap products: composed of fatty acids and a small amount of essential oils.

Sprays: From the 1950s through the 1970s, the term “atomiseur” appeared on spray bottles, referring to an older system that utilized an aerosol propellant gas. These sprays typically consisted of nearly half artificial gas, a necessary component to create the pressure needed to disperse the fragrance. Unfortunately, this added gas often altered the scent, imparting an off-putting odor that compromised the intended fragrance profile. Known as "self-pressurized sprays," these atomiseurs were also marketed as "mists" or "spray mists." Many of these devices contained chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) propellants, which were not only toxic but also environmentally harmful, eventually leading to their prohibition.

In response to these concerns, the propellant-based atomiseur sprays began to be phased out in the late 1970s, as the industry moved towards the more efficient and safer "vaporisateur" system. This new technology, which gained popularity throughout the 1980s, avoided harmful gases and better preserved the fragrance's true character. Despite this shift, the term atomiseur persisted, with some brands—such as Guerlain and Tiffany & Co.—continuing to label their bottles this way even into the mid-1990s. Additionally, some products were labeled as "pulverisateur," which similarly referred to the spray mechanism's function of dispersing liquid in fine droplets. Today, “atomizer” and “vaporizer” are often used interchangeably to describe devices that release fragrances as a fine mist, allowing for a more refined and accurate application. Natural Spray: is a fragrance that uses a non-aerosol pump to emit a fine mist.

A typical vintage cologne or toilet water aerosol from the 1960s-1970s era may have consisted of 40-50% propellant and 50-60% perfumed alcohol. In this case, a breakup type of valve is used and the propellant was mainly dichlorotetrafluorethane. If a narrow spray cone was required, the ratio of perfume mixture to propellant was decreased and a standard valve employed. This applied to larger containers. For the smaller bottles, usually a 10ml package, a typical ratio would be 5% perfume oil, 20-25% alcohol and 70-75% propellant.

Bath Oils: a combination of fifteen percent essential oils blended with mineral oil, lanolin, or other fatty oils of plant origin. Bath oils are poured into the tub while warm water is running, or rubbed on the body before a shower, they soften the water and keep the skin from drying, and leave the skin lightly scented as well.


Bath Beads or Bath Pearls: Spherical gelatin capsules coated with a pearling agent such as is used in nail varnish, for example, are sometimes marketed as 'pearls'. When gelatin capsules are added to the hot bath the gelatin dissolves in the hot water and the contents disperse or dissolve. The high level of water-insoluble mineral oils in bath oil preparations allows for other unusual presentations, and products containing two or more separate layers are marketed on occasion. By the use of both water-soluble and oil-soluble dyes, each phase can be colored differently.

Bubble Bath: originally made as a form of bath salts, bubble baths form a light foam as the salts dissolve under running water. The pressure of the water increases the amount of bubbles, so faucets should be turned on full force. Other bubble baths were made in liquid form.

Bath salts: essential oils added to sodium bicarbonate(baking soda) and sodium carbotage.

Bath powder, also known as Dusting Powder or Talcum Powder: In perfumed dusting powders, fragrance can account for only as much as 5 percent of the total content. Essential oils are mixed with talc or cornstarch. The talc is ground very fine and is purified, sometimes supplemented with china clay and starches. It is then sifted through silk screens. These powders perfume, soothe and smooth skin, absorb perspiration and prevent chafing. These powders are made to dust on heavily for a cooling effect and are not suitable as face powders as they will not stick on the skin or spread evenly. Vintage body powders and talcums differ from face powders in that they possess little or no adhesive or covering qualities and are composed almost entirely of talc Their purpose is to give a cooling effect and a delicate odor.

Vintage dusting powders, talcs and sachet powders can often lose their fragrance over time. in order to revive or re-scent your vintage powders/sachets etc, you need to add a few drops of the actual parfum (extrait) and not the eau de parfum or eau de toilette. There is not enough essential oils in EDP, EDT and EDC to impregnate the powders. You need to add these drops and tightly seal the container, open after a week then stir it up, you may wish to add a few more drops, and stir again, keep sealed and open after two weeks, see how it is.  I also use a sifter to help blend the fragrance within the powder.

I was able to revive the scent of some 1980s Shalimar dusting powder for my own usage. I used 1980s vintage shalimar parfum to do this.

Face Powders: made much like dusting powders, but very finely milled and only have a hint of fragrance. Cotys Airspun Face Powder, was originally available in several of Coty's famous scents: Emeraude, L'Aimant, L'Origan and each box was subtly scented and meant to harmonize with the perfume of choice.


Potpourri: a mixture of fragrant materials, usually dried and including rose petals, placed in a jar or bowl to perfume a room.

Sillage: the aroma left by a person wearing perfume who walks past. It is French and is pronounced "siyaj", it means "wake".

Synthetic fragrance: a laboratory made imitation of a natural perfume or a fragrance made in a laboratory that does not exist in nature. Many synthetics are derived from natural materials. Gerianol, for example, provides the basic part of the fragrance in a rose, but can be more cheaply and abundantly obtained from a geranium. Several thousand synthetics are now available for perfumers to use.

Fragrance blotter: also called a smelling strip or mouillette. The strip of absorbent papers that perfumers use when testing their fragrances. Or when you are trying out new perfumes at the counter.

How to make your fragrance last:

To make your fragrance last even longer, it should be worn "in depth", layered in its various matching product forms. For example: 

Ladies: 

Start the day with a luxurious bath or shower using perfumed soap or bath gel, next apply either Body Lotion of Body Cream to smooth the skin and act as the perfect "base" for the Eau de Toilette or Eau de Parfum. Then, a light dusting of Body Powder to silken the skin and help delicate lingerie slip on sensuously. Eau de Toilette follows in either splash or spray form. Lastly, Parfum is applied to pulse points: wrists, inside elbows, behind knees or base of throat.  If you have long hair, around the neckline is a good place, too, because the hair is constantly swinging, and it throws the fragrance out. The same goes for the ankles, because as you walk, the fragrance moves out from the ankles. The purpose of layering is to enhance the fragrance. Simply put, to sustain and maintain the beautiful fragranced aura.

If, after an hour or so after applying the perfume, you can smell more than a faint scent, you've applied too much. You shouldn't smell someone coming into a room. Fragrance is used to allure, and too much fragrance is not alluring. When you're alluring something, you're not walking up and grabbing it; you want to distract, to call attention to yourself in a subtle way, to attract. You just have to experiment until you find the amount of fragrance that's right.

Morning is the time to apply perfume. If you want a touch up later in the day, that's the time to use cologne or eau de toilette. A good way to apply eau de toilette is to spray a cloud of it into the air and then step through the cloud, enveloping yourself with a fragrant veil.

Fragrance dissipates faster in warmer weather and on those with dry skin. If you have dry skin, use a body moisturizer before applying perfume to make it last longer. 

While Parfum is much more expensive than colognes or eau de toilettes, they stay on the skin a longer time. And if you apply it properly, a bottle of parfum will last you longer than your cologne. The life expectancy of a bottle of cologne, used daily, might be three months. For parfum, it's nine months or longer. And a bottle of parfum will retain its scent for at least five years, unless it is exposed to too much light, which destroys scent. Colognes last a short time because they tend to evaporate.

Parfum: Apply fragrance while your body is still wet after bathing to help extend the fragrance's beauty. Drench cotton with perfume. Tuck it into your handbag or bra. The scent lingers beautifully. Before guests arrive, daub  the perfume on cool lightbulbs. When you turn on the lights, the fragrance will literally "bloom" throughout the house. 

Eau de Toilette: It is never a substitute for Parfum. It is to be used lavishly as a background for Parfum. Add a splash of Eau de Toilette to the rinse water when washing lingerie and bed linens. Keep a bottle of Eau de Toilette in the refrigerator. On hot, humid days, use it to refresh your spirits. Spray Eau de Toilette inside envelopes as a very special and personal touch.

Dusting Powder: Sprinkle a bit of dusting powder between the sheets or inside your dresser drawers to scent linens subtly. Put dusting powder in your shoes and boots before you slip them on. The powder will help absorb moisture pleasantly.

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Gentlemen:

Men's fragrance lines now offer everything from wrinkle creams to cleansers, toners and moisturizers, deodorants, shampoos and powders - men usually refer to the powder as talc. There are scalp protectors, anti-irritants for sensitive skin and razor burn, masques and mud packs, as well as after-shaves and colognes.

After selecting your fragrance line, you should apply cologne on your chest, below the neckline, but not below the belt.

DO'S AND DON'TS:

Fragrances, especially the expensive and exclusive, are delicate blends of many natural ingredients and should be treated with care, both in use and when not in use. Thoughtful use will increase your enjoyment of these very personal products.

DO: wear perfume every day - rather than only for special occasions. 

DO: apply fragrances to pulse points - wrists, crook of elbow, throat, nape of neck, temples, cleavage, behind knees and inside of thighs. That the heat of your body strengthens the scent may be am old wives' tale but, it's definitely sexy to discover a hint of hidden fragrance at these zones. 

DO: spray scent into your glove box rather than on the gloves themselves. 

DO: when using an atomizer, hold it at least a foot away from your or anything else you're going to scent.

DO: think of fragrances as a "many splendored thing," Besides your favorite bottle of perfume or cologne, try using scented bath and body oil, moisture lotion and whatever else you find to surround yourself with.

DO: keep your fragrance out of direct sunlight and do not expose it to extreme temperatures. The box it came in is the best storage place.

DON'T: apply perfume behind your ears. Certain glands are here that emit a nasty odor which combined with perfume, is even worse.

DON'T: expect any fragrance to develop its full qualities for at least ten minutes after you have applied it. It takes this much time for the alcohol in any fragrance to evaporate and for the oils in the perfume to combine with your skin oils.

DON'T: give perfume the cold shoulder - or the heat treatment, either. Extremes of temperature can upset the delicate balance of oils, although cologne can be chilled for a few hours before use to give a cooling spray.

DON'T: apply scent directly to fabrics, especially silk! Spray hems, seams, garment bags and boxes instead. If you want to make a rose or any fake flower smell even sweeter on your hats or accessories, don't put perfume directly on the fabric petals. Instead, apply scent to the back of the flower, next to the stem.

DON'T: use perfume or cologne under your arms. (The slightest moisture might upset the "fragrance balance" of the scent, according to a perfume manufacturer).

DON'T: put perfume on the soles of your feet - spray it over insteps and ankles before donning shoes.