Fragrance 101: Cologne vs. Eau De Toilette vs. Eau De Parfum (Differences Explained!)
Are you curious about the differences between cologne, parfum and eau de toilette? Read on to learn everything you need to know.
Fragrances are available in different strengths and potencies – and to understand the differences between Eau Fraîche, Eau De Cologne, Eau De Toilette and Eau De Parfum you will need to understand how they are made.
The easiest way to explain the difference is that all fragrances are produced with varying intensities or concentrations of the pure perfume oil. When creating a fragrance, the parfumier or “nose” will put together many scented ingredients, such as oud, amber, citrus or patchouli, for example.
The resulting formula can be separated into three basic categories:
- Top Notes
- Heart Notes
- Basic Notes
Let’s explore these in more detail.
Types of Notes
Here are the types of notes found in fragrances.
Top Notes
They are the scents you detect first after spraying on a fragrance. These play a role in setting first impressions. Top notes usually evaporate quickly, lingering around for only the first five to fifteen minutes.
Their main purpose is to give off an initial scent and then transition smoothly into the next part of the fragrance.
Heart Notes
They make up around 70 percent of the total scent, heart notes usually last longer than top notes. Heart notes appear as the top notes start to fade and remain for the full life of the fragrance.
Base Notes
They form the foundation of the fragrance. They help boost the lighter notes while adding more depth. They are rich, heavy and long-lasting.
The final formula will be carefully balanced to give a particular ‘texture,’ depth and ‘feeling’ which best represent the brand.
To mitigate the strength of the perfume oil, it is mixed with a solvent – usually alcohol and a little water.
