This guide covers frequently asked questions and topics such as:
Fragrance Concentration
Top, Middle, and Base Notes
What are Testers, Minis, and Vials
Making Fragrance Last on Your Skin
Caring for Fragrances, Shelf Life, Etc.
Retail/Tester fragrances generally come in quantities of 1oz (30ml), 1.6/1.7Oz (50ml), 2.5oz (75ml), 3.0 oz (90ml), 3.2/3.3 oz (100ml), 4.2 oz (125ml), 5oz (150ml). There could be greater volumes but the ones mentioned are most common.
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Fragrance Concentration
Most people know that fragrances come in varying degree of strength (that has nothing to do with the volume of the fragrance in the bottle), but just what is the difference between Eau de Parfum, Eau de Cologne, After Shave, Eau de Toilette, and other strengths and descriptions?
These terms all refer to the strength of the fragrance, or more specifically, to how much high grade alcohol and/or water has been added to the fragrance oils. Parfum (generally the most concentrated form you can buy) has 15-25% perfume oil dissolved in alcohol. Any mixture with a lower proportion of oil to alcohol is an eau (meaning water).
In order of strength:
Perfume oil or Pure Perfume lasts 6 hours (15%-30% perfume oil in an oil rather than alcohol base) - Rare. Few fragrances are commercially available in this concentration, and those that are tend to be extremely costly.
Parfum or Perfume lasts up to 4 to 6 hours (15% - 25% -- also sometimes referred to as extract or extrait) - Uncommon. Not many fragrances are commecially available in this concentration, and those that are available are quite costly.
Soie de Parfum lasts 3 to 6 hours (15% - 18% perfume oil) - Not common in commercial release, as above.
Eau de parfum lasts 3 to 5 hours (8% - 15% perfume oil) - Fairly common. Price depends on the brand, the fragrance, etc., but will be more expensive than less concentrated fragrances, naturally. Currently very popular.
Eau de Toilette lasts 3 to 4 hours (4% - 10% perfume oil) - Common. Generally the strongest concentration available in men's fragrance.
Eau de Cologne lasts up to 3 hours (2% - 5% perfume oil) - Common. Was once a very popular concentration, but not as much now, at least in women's fragrances. Still fairly popular in fragrances for men.
After Shave lasts 2 to 3 hours (3% or less perfume oil) - Common. Also note that after shave often has aloe or other balms in it to sooth the skin after a shave, and the alcohol can help close pores.
Eau Fraiche lasts 1 hour or less (3% or less perfume oil) - Not very common. Sometimes referred to as "perfumed mist" or "splash". Often alcohol free.
These terms are commonly seen abbreviated, such as EDP for Eau de Parfum, EDT for Eau de Toilette, etc.
Top, Middle, and Base Notes
Top notes - refers to the first scent impression of a fragrance once it has been applied to the skin. They are usually lighter, more volatile aromas that evaporate quickly. Their scent usually lingers for 5 to 30 minutes.
Middle notes - are sometimes referred to as ?heart notes?, and refer to the body of the blend. They may be noticible from the start, but will usually take 10-30 minutes to fully develop on the skin. These are the notes that classify the fragrance family (floral, oriental, chypre, etc, see below).
Base Notes - are the aromas in the blend with the greatest molecular weight. They last the longest, and are also important as fixatives (fixitives help slow down the evaporation rates of the lighter notes and bind the ingredients, giving the fragrance holding power). Common base notes include oakmoss, patchouli, woods, musk, tonka bean, ambergris, and vanilla.
Linear - A fragrance which does not have traditional top, middle and base notes is usually described as "linear". Chanel Allure is a good example of a linear fragrance, as is Est茅e Lauder White Linen. In a linear fragrance you experience all of the notes more or less at the same time. A linear fragrance doesn't "develop" the way a traditional pyramid fragrance does, but smells the same throughout and instead of having new or different notes appear, it simply fades away slowly as you wear it.
What are Testers, Minis, and Vials
Fragrance houses produce and sell miniature fragrances and vials as a means of promoting new fragrances, or to generate interest in older ones.
They normally come in sizes of 0.5ml, 1ml, 5ml or any quantity in between 0.1ml to 5ml. Quantities may be greater than 5ml, but that depends on the seller.
Fragrance companies are well aware of distributors and retailers selling miniature perfumes, but in some cases the traditional "sample" or "not for resale" labelling is still printed on the box or sometimes on the bottle, even though they're sold in volume to distributors to resell.
A tester is a fragrance house's own testing perfume, such as you would try at a department store. They are marketed for the purpose of allowing a retail outlet the ability to purchase a less expensive packaging of the full fragrance so that customers can try the fragrance. The fragrance and concentration is identical to the full retail package. Since packaging isn't an issue with testers, most are either unboxed or in a plain cardboard manufacturer's box and some come without caps. As you're not paying for unnecessary packaging, testers are offered at a considerable discount. Same fragrance, slightly different package, terrific bargain.
Making Fragrance Last on Your Skin
Generally speaking, perfumes evaporate more rapidly from dry skin, so the best way to make fragrance last longer is to use a relatively heavy body lotion or cream prior to applying the perfume. Some people like to buy the "matching" cream/accessories for their fragrance, but you can also use an unscented cream or try almond oil or jojoba oil.
Do dab or spray fragrance on areas of your body where the heat will cause the fragrance to slowly release.
The "pulse points", i.e., anywhere you can easily feel your pulse:
Inside of wrists
Inside of elbows (generally only good if you're wearing t-shirts, short sleeve shirts or sleeveless shirts)
Base of the throat
Temples
Below and slightly behind the ears
Behind the knees (generally only good if you're wearing shorts or a skirt, but can be effective with very lightweight trousers)
Ankles (again, usually only effective if your ankles are uncovered, see above)
Breast cleavage or the middle of the chest, above the heart
There are a few other strong pulse points (such as the top of the inner thigh in the groin), but you'll have to decide for yourself if you want to perfume them...
Layer the scent of your fragrance to make its presence felt longer (this does not make the actual cologne itself last longer). Buy matching accessories to that fragrance (such as aftershave, shower gel, body lotion, deodorant) and apply those before spraying on the fragrance of the same make. This will help in retaining the scent longer.
Another trick that works very well is to take a cotton ball and spray it with fragrance and then tuck it into your cleavage. This works surprisingly well and can keep the fragrance noticibly present for a very long time (just be careful with expensive bras that might become stained; this works best for women who have a fair bit of cleavage into which to tuck things.)
Don't spray fragrance in your hair. It's sometimes believed that this will make the fragrance last longer, but in fact the oils in your scalp can change the fragrance in a way you won't like, and the alcohol in the fragrance can dry your hair.
Don't spray fragrance directly on your clothes. It sounds like a good idea and will certainly make the fragrance last, but as it's designed to be on skin, not fabric, it may quickly turn into a smell you don't want around you as it reacts with the fabric. Additionally, some fabrics can be damaged or stained by direct exposure to perfumes, and it can prove extremely difficult to get the fragrance out of the fabric.
Don't spray fragrance into the air and then walk into it. This disperses most of the fragrance into the air (which is a waste of the fragrance), and you may end up with it on your face (a big no-no if you're at all prone to breakouts because of the high oil content in the perfume), your clothes, in your hair, etc., and it's not very effective as far as making the fragrance last.
Caring for Fragrances, Shelf Life, Etc.
Some industry experts maintain that you should replace perfume after a year, some say two years, but perfumes can and should last much longer with proper care. Most perfumes will keep for several years, some will keep for many more years than that. (You can tell when a perfume has gone off by several means: when a perfume turns it tends to become more oily, the colour will often change and become darker, the fragrance changes, sometimes subtly and sometimes very noticibly. Note that using fragrance that has turned probably won't harm you, but it won't smell very good and may have unexpected results on your skin, due to the chemical changes in the solution.)
To store perfume so it will last, keep it away from heat and light. A dark closet, a seldom-opened deep dresser drawer, or a covered box will work well. It may look pretty to have perfume bottles all sitting out attractively on your dresser or a windowsill, but exposure to light is a sure way to send your fine fragrances round the twist, so don't give in to the tempation (if you really want pretty bottles for display purposes, fill empty perfume containers with colored water).
Don't keep fine fragrances in the bathroom, as the heat and humidity will hasten the breakdown of the chemicals.
Don't store perfumes in the fridge (a common myth), as the humidity and temperature can cause unhappy changes in the chemistry (if you like the feel of chilled fragrance, use cologne or a body spray).
Also avoid, as much as possible, direct exposure to air. Splash or pour bottles, which expose the fragrance to air every time they are opened, cause problems, so consider decanting perfume into a smaller atomizer for regular use (also convienient for carrying along with you when you go out).
If you apply perfume directly from a bottle stopper, wipe the stopper with a clean, lint free cloth before replacing it in the bottle, to remove any body oils that may contaminate the perfume (and cause it to degrade more quickly).
Treat good perfume with a little bit of care, and it should keep you smelling fabulous for a very long time!
Authenticity of Fragrances:
As with all purchases on eBay:
Always do some research on the product before you decide to buy it.
ALWAYS read the description of the item. DO NOT bid based only on the picture. Sometimes a seller is selling a miniature/sample of that fragrance so do read the description to see what's the quantity/size in/of the bottle.
Check the feedback of the seller. If the seller has little or no feedback, contact him/her. Make sure the fragrance they are selling is genuine and not a knockoff (cheap imitation) or a fake.
Contact previous buyers/winners of his auctions and see if they were pleased with their transaction.
I accept suggestions in order to make improvements to this guide. I hope you found this guide useful, and thank you for reading.
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Orignal From: Fragrances: A Comprehensive Guide
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