I’ve worked as a Beauty Advisor in a local beauty store, and once in a while, we took out all the perfumes to clean and reorganize them. That was when I realized how many different types of perfume there are on the market. There are different types, families, subfamilies, sizes, etc., so not to overwhelm you right away, let me start by sharing the 6 different types of perfume we’re going to talk about in this post:
- Parfum
- Eau de Parfum
- Eau de Toilette
- Eau de Cologne
- Eau Fraiche
- Perfume Oil
I’m going to teach you everything about every single type of perfume, what it is, what the pros and cons are, which perfume the most long-lasting is, why perfume smells different on everyone, and so much more! So if you’re curious to learn the perfume basics so it’s easier to pick a perfume that fits your preferences, then keep reading.
After you have figured out the differences between the 6 types of perfumes, it’s time to figure out what the fragrance families are and the types of perfume scents. After reading all the posts, I promise you will know everything about perfumes, and picking your next favorite fragrance will be a breeze!
Fragrance VS Perfume: Is It The Same?
The words “perfume” and “fragrance” are often used interchangeably, but is it the same? Although many probably don’t know, it’s not the same thing and can’t be used interchangeably because it can cause mistakes or disappointments when shopping for a new perfume. Let me explain the difference.
What Is Perfume?
A Perfume, also known as Parfum, is a substance or a mixture of substances that give a very precise smell. It basically means the intensity of the fragrance. The dose of solvent mixed with perfume oils defines how strong your fragrance is—that’s why there are quite a few different types of perfume.
What Is Fragrance?
The fragrance is what you smell. So this means that there are different types of fragrances based on scents, such as Floral, Fruity, Oriental, Woody, and Citrus. These are often called Fragrance Families. These Fragrances Families can be divided into subcategories to define the fragrance, but this is what we’re talking about in another post (click here to read).
6 Different Types Of Perfume
1. Parfum
The term “parfum” is often interchangeably used with “perfume.” It is simply the French variant and a more sophisticated way of saying perfume. You can also refer to it as Extrait de Parfum or pure perfume.
Any fragrance expert would tell you that there are levels (literally) to smelling good. And parfum has the highest fragrance concentration. This means that your parfum contains more essential oils and less alcohol.
To be exact, parfum contains about 20-30% of fragrance concentration, allowing it to linger on your skin for 12+ hours. So parfum has a more pungent scent that lasts the longest. One of the best fragrances for women to experience this long-lasting effect is the gorgeously floral Versace Bright Crystal.
Tip: Look at my Fragrance Families post to how these essential oils are classified.
- Parfum/ perfume can keep you smelling good all day.
- Enhance your mood and express yourself with a scent for every occasion.
- Perfumes are often rich in pheromones, which makes them an aphrodisiac.
- Perfume can have a soothing effect on the mind and body, offering you a form of aromatherapy.
- Due to parfum containing less alcohol than other fragrances, it may be the most suitable option if you’re sensitive to heavily alcohol-based products.
- There’s generally secrecy surrounding the ingredients used in parfum so that these products can contain harmful chemicals.
- As parfum is a chemically manufactured scent, it is no stranger to upsetting those with skin sensitivities and mild allergies.
- Unfortunately, many high-end perfume brands do ingredient testing on animals and use animal-derived ingredients.
- Most perfumes are mixed with ethyl alcohol as their base, making them highly flammable.
2. Eau de Parfum
Eau de Parfum (EDP) has the second highest concentration of fragrance, with a 15-20% percentage. This means it’s still quite potent and can last between 8-12 hours. The only difference between EDP and parfum is the percentage of essential oils and their lasting power.
- Eau de parfum has the highest concentration of fragrance after parfum. This will be a fantastic option if you prefer a stronger scent.
- You’ll have endless choices as most high-end brands choose to make Eau de Parfum, such as the irresistibly luxurious Chanel n°5.
- Having less fragrance means that EDP can be more affordable than parfum.
- This product can cause sinus, throat, or eye irritations and other respiratory problems, like any other fragrance.
- Eau de parfum is not always safe as it can contain hundreds of chemicals hidden from the public.
- EDP is not immune to fragrance fade. This generally occurs in winter when our skin is less hydrated, and perfume doesn’t last as long on dry skin.
3. Eau de Toilette
Eau de Toilette (EDT) contains an essential oil concentration of 5-15%, with the rest of its ingredients, made up of alcohols and other chemicals. With a lower fragrance concentration, you can expect EDT to last about three hours on your skin.
The term “eau de toilette” is a derivative of the French phrase “faire sa toilette,” meaning getting ready. Get ready with the famous Marc Jacobs Daisy Love to boost your confidence.
- As the scent is less pungent, eau de toilette is fantastic for the summer and allergy season.
- This perfume variety is a more affordable option than Eau de parfum.
- EDT is the perfect choice for day wear that won’t smother your family or colleagues like an intense parfum.
- You’d have to reapply every couple of hours, allowing certain toxins found in EDT to build up on your skin, which could lead to many health-related issues.
- EDT can cause hives and allergic reactions, trigger migraines, flare up your asthma, and negatively affect your sinuses.
4. Eau de Cologne
Eau de Cologne (EDC), or simply cologne, has a much lower concentration of fragrance of around 2-4%. A generous splash of cologne won’t generally last for more than two hours. EDC was initially created for men by an Italian barber in Köln, Germany, which explains the term “cologne,” the French name for the city.
- EDC is suitable for any time of day and offers a light, fresh, often citrus-laden alternative to the more powerful scents produced in France at its invention. Compare your perfume to an Atelier Cologne, for example, and see why.
- Cologne can make you feel confident and well put together.
- EDC contains much more alcohol than the previous perfume types, so that it can be very drying to the skin.
- Cologne can contain many petrochemical ingredients; these synthetic chemicals (some are petroleum-based) are potentially harmful to your health and the environment.
- Unlike other fragrances that are typically unisex, cologne is mainly geared toward men.
5. Eau Fraiche
Similar to EDC, Eau Fraiche can last for about 2 hours. This perfume type contains the lowest fragrance concentration, reaching only 3%. Eau Fraiche is light and airy, suitable for those looking for a subtle scent.
Tip: Why not give this alluring burst of fresh femininity, Dior Addict Eau Fraiche, a try? You’ll see why so many reach for this type of perfume.
- Eau Fraiche is more affordable than other perfumes and contains little to no alcohol. It’s a blend of fragrance and mostly water, lending itself a much better suitor for sensitive, dry skin.
- It’s an excellent introduction if you’re new to perfumes.
- Eau Fraiche is your best bet if you want to avoid allergies and skin irritations while still smelling amazing.
- You’ll have to top up almost every hour to stay fresh, meaning it won’t last as long.
- Eau Fraiche might not be suitable for night-time events such as dates. It won’t have the same sensual flair or lasting power as your alluring parfum.
6. Perfume Oils
Perfume oils are essential oils naturally extracted from spices, flowers, and woods, then diluted with carrier oils. These concentrated oils are rubbed into the skin, offering long-lasting exuberance of roughly eight to twelve hours.
Tip: Perfume oils are activated by the heat of your skin. Apply your Nest Indian Jasmine or any other perfume oil to your pulse points to smell excellent for longer.
- Perfume oils are ten times more concentrated than department store perfumes.
- Fragrance oils contain no alcohol, making them a better choice for sensitive, dry skin.
- This is a more affordable option than most alcohol-based perfumes.
- Even products labeled as natural or organic could still contain harmful fragrances.
Why Does Perfume Smell Different On Everyone
The reason why a scent smells differently on every person has to do with the skin’s pH balance, which differs slightly and can change the way a scent smells. This is why a scent can smell amazing on your friend and horrible on you.
But there’s even more. It looks like your diet, hormone balance, and skin type influence how a fragrance eventually smells on you. For example, if you eat herbs and spices often or not so much, it affects how a perfume smells. Also, like hormones, when estrogen drops and you start to sweat a tad more, it’ll change how the scent smells.
Last but not least effect, is your skin type. If you have normal skin, you are likely to find that most perfumes will smell pretty accurate on the skin – if they aren’t influenced by the other things mentioned – but it seems like dry skin absorbs perfumes quicker, which will make them softer in scent and disappear sooner too.
If you have oily skin, it can cause the fragrances to pop, which means that it can accentuate certain fragrance elements. This can turn a pretty average fragrance into a better, longer-wearing version, while other fragrances might be too overwhelming.
I recommend that everyone always test a fragrance on their own skin before buying it. Not only try the perfume on a piece of paper or your friend; this can smell very differently and give the wrong impression.
How Long Does Perfume Last Before It Expires
When a perfume expires, the scent molecules have broken down and are no longer as potent as they once were. How long a perfume lasts before it expires depends on several factors, including the different types of perfume, how it’s stored, and how often you use it.
According to the FDA, “perfumes and colognes are mixtures of hundreds of ingredients which may include natural essences or extracts, fixatives, aromatizers, preservatives, solvents, and water. The average shelf life for perfume is 2 years; for cologne, it is 3 years.” However, generally speaking, most perfumes will last for 3-5 years before they start to lose their scent.
If a perfume expires, it doesn’t necessarily become toxic or unsafe to wear, but the scent will become less appealing and noticeable. Since perfume is often a luxury item, many people wonder if it’s essential to throw away a half-used bottle that’s a few years old. If it still smells good, you don’t have to throw it away! However, unfortunately, once a perfume has expired, it doesn’t have the same complex of aroma compounds that gave it its unique scent.
Tips To Make Your Perfume As Long Lasting As Possible
- Don’t store perfumes in direct daylight. Having your perfumes stored in direct daylight means that the molecules will break down quicker and thus makes it go bad sooner.
- Keep your fragrances in average temperatures. If you store them in a warm, humid place (for example, in your bathroom), it will also cause the molecules to break down quicker.
- It’s optional to store your perfumes in the fridge. I can imagine that if you live with your family, storing your fragrances in the fridge sounds like an impossible storage idea, but you may want to check out a beauty fridge like this one from COOSEON since it’s good to store your perfumes in a cool place.
FAQ
Final Thoughts
There you have it, all the different types of perfume and their pros/cons! Now you can sound like a fragrance connoisseur the next time you go shopping. If you loved this content, you might also like these luxurious vanilla perfumes for women.
Kat’s eyeliner is the best, it’s honestly one of my Holy Grails! I love these looks, you look so beautiful! Congrats on being an affiliate with KvD, you deserve it! I have not yet tried their mascara but I keep hearing good things about it, so I’m definitely going to try it. Is it any similar to Better Than Sex? Because that’s the one I’m addicted too! xx
xoxo Olivia | http://www.oliviaandbeauty.com
Thank you so much for your super sweet comment, I really appreciate it! I really love the Better Than Sex mascara as well and I think it’s pretty similar! The Better Than Sex mascara is a little drier than the KVD one, which I actually like about the KVD mascara. It applies a bit quicker/easier but gives me similar volumizing and length effects. 🙂
My eyes tear a lot, so that’s why I love better than sex waterproof mascara so much! The only reason I haven’t tried Kat’s one yet is because I don’t think its waterproof and I know that no matter how lovely it is, it will probably smudge with my teary eyes. xo
Hm, it’s not mentioned as waterproof sadly! 🙁
So many great tips! I love the KVD liner, I know they’ve changed their name but I’ll always remember them as KVD! I really want the liner in the brown shade, as it looks really pretty too xo
Makeup Muddle
Same here, I still have to get used to the new name a bit. I really want the brown one as well!!
KvD Trooper liner was my HG for years, too! So I was devasted when I wasn’t purchasing from them for a period. Have you tried the Fenty Flyliner?? It’s very comparable (which makes sense) since Kendo manufactures both!
I’m loving that intense cat liner look!
I haven’t tried this liner yet, but I’ve heard SO many good things about it! Winged eyeliner is my go-to eye look, I absolutely love what it does to my eyes!
bossbabechroniclesblog.com
I had given up on ever doing my winged liner perfectly, but this gives me hope.
https://kaynuli.com/things-to-do-with-your-boyfriend/
I really connect with your statement of not being able to live without eyeliner and mascara since age 12! My best friend revealed to me in college that she was somewhat afraid of my eyeliner in high school. Yikes! I had no idea what I was doing back then, but now I cannot skip the eyeliner. I *always* do a wing. I refuse to try anything else. I guess you could say a wing is my signature. I won’t say that I’m perfect or a pro, but I think I’ve perfected it for myself. I love the KVD trooper liner! I live on the deluxe samples of those, so good! Your eyeliner looks great in this post, Simone.
BTW loving your new blog design! I want that next post popup that you got going on in the right corner. I have not yet found anything like it for Elementor Pro 🙁
xoxo Amanda | theaestheticedge.com
Gotta love the vegan and cruelty free tag! Trying this product out when I can, thanks for the review!
Thank you so much!
Completely agree, the KVD liner is as full proof as it can get for beginners.
XX Angelica
https://eraenvogue.com
Exactly! 🙂
Since quarantine, I have only been doing my liner and curling my lashes everyday. I have been so into winged eyeliner lately that I just had to read this post lol! You are really good at it, Simome. I love how your look turned out, especially the intense cat eye look.
Thank you for sharing your tips. I definitely agree that it’s important to keep your eye shape in mind. I never used to do this before lol!
Hi there, I have a very dry skin, I am using Kenzo – Power World (white and yellow box). It didn’t last longer than one hour,although it’s a EDP. I prefer strong scent, My favourite perfume is from Lancome, Miracle EDP. But I am 49 and maybe my PH balance of my skin is changed.
Hi Marija! It does sound like your dry skin is the cause of your EDP not lasting long. Dry skin doesn’t hold perfume really well, as it kinda absorbs it. Have you tried moisturizing properly before spritzing on your perfume? You could also try to use some Vaseline on your pulse points before spraying your perfume to make the scent last longer. Vaseline forms a layer on the skin and prevents the perfume from getting absorbed quickly than if you were to spray it onto dry skin. Hope this helps, if not, feel free to let me know!