This is what you need to know about perfume

Shopping for your next perfume can be a tricky business; after all, how do you choose one with so much to choose from? Our guide to fragrance strengths and types will help you determine which fragrance to buy next with one of our promotions.

Fragrance families

The first step to finding your favorite perfume is to understand the different scent families that each fragrance is based on. The four main types are warm, woody, oriental and fresh, with each effect caused by different combinations of scents. Fresh fragrances generally rely on aquatic and citrus notes, while warm fragrances use more floral and juicy fruit scents. Below are the main fragrance families.

1. Fresh: Fresh fragrances usually consist of citrus, aquatic and green notes. This means they have refreshing, spicy and vibrant scents. Citrus-based scents are usually made with lemon, mandarin and bergamot, while water scents are made with aquatic notes such as sea spray.
2. Floral: Floral fragrances are one of the most popular families, and one of the broadest. Any fragrance that has a sweet and floral scent falls under this family, with notes such as roses, jasmine, lilies and peonies.
3. Oriental: Oriental fragrances are warm, sweet and even a little spicy. A more luxurious fragrance family, oriental scents range from floral oriental, soft oriental and woody oriental. Perfumes and aftershaves from this family are rich and sensual, often made with interesting notes of cardamom, cinnamon and vanilla. Bianco Latte is a good example of this.
4. Woody: Woody fragrances are another warm family, with a mysterious and enchanting scent that is often a favorite among aftershaves in particular. With woody scents such as cedarwood, sandalwood, vetiver and amber, it is a great choice for evening wear.

Fragrance Notes Understand

To describe a fragrance, top, heart and base notes are often used.

• The top notes of a perfume, also called the opening notes, are the notes you smell immediately after you spray on your perfume or aftershave. They evaporate quickly, but are the first impression of the perfume.
• The middle or heart notes appear after the top notes have disappeared. Considered the main component of the fragrance, these notes last longer than the top notes and are usually well-rounded.
• Base notes are what remains at the end; it is this scent that you remember the most. Base notes last the longest and blend with the middle notes to create the full body of the aftershave perfume.

What is the difference between Eau de Parfum, Toilette and Cologne?

• • Eau de Parfum (EDP) is the strongest type of perfume we sell. Eau de Parfum contains between 10-20% perfume oil and is a popular choice with perfume brands and customers alike. Eau de Parfum generally lasts about 8 hours.
  • Eau de Toilette (EDT) is next, containing about 5-15% perfume oil. Eau de Toilette fragrances often have a brief burst of delicious scents before they fade; meaning they can make a great first impression. Generally, these scents linger somewhere between 4 and 7 hours.
  • Eau de Cologne is a much lighter choice than the previous two. Eau de Cologne contains only 2-4% perfume oil and is often used as a body splash to refresh you regularly. Eau de Cologne does not generally last long; perhaps 2-3 hours.

Credits photos: Canva.com