Have you ever felt overwhelmed when you searched for a perfume or cologne? You will see perfumes and colognes with different essential fragrance oil concentrations, fragrance families and notes. First, before you get too overwhelmed, let's start with understanding perfume vs toilette.

Perfume vs Toilette Concentration

The first difference between eau de parfum fragrances and eau de toilette is in their essential perfume oil concentrations. Toilettes have a concentration of 5-15% oils and eau de parfum have a concentration of 15-20%, while perfumes have a higher concentration of at least 20%.

The alcohol content in perfumes is much lower than toilettes like Real Madrid for men by Air-Val or YSL Libre for women. This concentration has a direct impact on perfume or cologne prices. While EDP fragrances are more expensive than EDT, they are much less expensive than perfumes.

Strength and Longevity

Due to their higher concentration of oils, perfumes last much longer than toilettes. In fact, perfumes should last eight to 24 hours or more without reapplication. Toilettes only last two or three hours without reapplication.  

Those with lower alcohol concentrations, such as perfumes and EDPs, such as Kismet Angel by Maison Alhambra and Khamrah Qahwa by Lattafa, also have much stronger scents. They often have much better sillage. If you have dry skin, your fragrance will last longer with a higher oil concentration.

However, the higher level of alcohol versus oils in toilettes extends the life of the fragrance. While you can expect a shelf life of three to five years for perfumes, perfumes that do not have high alcohol concentrations can start to sour and discolor much quicker.

Scent

Many perfumers release signature fragrances in a variety of concentrations. Although these perfumes and colognes have the same scent notes, the difference in their oil concentrations actually can impact their scents. You will find perfume scents more powerful. They may be richer, sweeter, spicier, sharper or deeper than toilettes.

The differences between these fragrance concentrations are subtle. However, although they remain in the fragrance family, they are no longer closely related because different scent notes breathe better with different amounts of alcohol and at different strengths.

Wearability

Due to their concentrations, EDT and EDP or perfume fragrances have different day and season wearability. For example, toilettes are lighter, fresher and crisper, so they are best during the spring and summer months. They also wear well during the daytime hours. Perfumes have much greater depth, so they work well during the fall and winter months when you want warmth and depth in your fragrance. They are also typically evening scents. However, there are exceptions to this rule.

Choosing Your Concentration

First, consider the time of year and event you plan to wear your fragrance to. Also, think about how strong you want your fragrance to be. You can choose higher concentrations, but apply them much lighter than you would otherwise.

You can also test different concentrations of the same fragrance. Spray them on your skin and smell them at various intervals to get an idea of the top, middle and base notes.

Choose Perfume vs Toilette

Your perfume should enhance your appearance and aura. Shop for your next favorite at LaBelle Perfumes.

Sources:

• https://medium.com/@charlesmanimbo/the-difference-between-perfume-cologne-eau-de-toilette-and-more-34ac21281226
• https://www.instyle.com/beauty/eau-de-toilette-vs-parfum
• https://lifehacker.com/the-real-difference-between-perfume-cologne-toilette-1761347943
• https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/12/smarter-living/differences-perfume-cologne-fragrance.html
• https://medium.com/@beureka/what-is-the-difference-between-eau-de-toilette-and-eau-de-parfum-be00d2fa6075
• https://www.lifestyleasia.com/ind/beauty-grooming/cologne-vs-perfume-difference-and-when-to-use/
• https://thefragranceworld.co.uk/blogs/news/eau-de-parfum-vs-eau-de-toilette
• https://www.chemist-4-u.com/guides/gift-guides/fragrance-strength/
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• https://perfumencologne.com/blog/the-5-main-types-of-perfumes-edt-vs-edp/