Fragrance Information Perfumes have been used as an aphrodisiac to attract a lover or just plain smell great. There are so many choices in today’s market place that one can get confused about which perfume is the right one. There is a lot of terminology used on the perfume box and the bottle itself which some might not understand. This guide is for people who want to understand all about perfumes and choosing the right now for you or for your loved one.

First of all we will start with what the difference is between men’s and women’s fragrances. The process for making men’s and women’s fragrance is exactly the same. Women’s perfume tends to contain for floral notes and men’s perfumes tend to contain more citrus or woody notes the "top note" is the first fragrance you get when you smell the perfume. The "middle note" can be smelt after wearing the perfume for a while, so that it dries on your skin and begins to mix with individual body chemistry. The "base note" is the fragrance which lingers. It begins to emerge about twenty minutes after application

There are different perfumes and each has its own strength. Here are some commonly used abbreviations and there meaning:

Parfum - Pure Parfum: the highest concentrate of perfume with approx 22% oils
EDP - Eau de Parfum: Contains between 15% - 22% perfume oils
EDT - Eau de Toilette: contains between 4% - 15% perfume oils
COL – Cologne: is usually used interchangeably with eau de toilette and contains 3% - 5% perfume oils

The differences are simply a matter of the amount or concentration of oils in the fragrance. These oils are called "juice." The highest concentration of "juice" is in perfume (or parfum). Next would be Eau de Parfum, then Eau de Toilette, and finally Eau de Cologne. Actually, Eau de Toilette and Eau de Cologne are generally interchangeable, particularly in Men's fragrances. After Shave has the least amount of oils. The higher the concentration of "juice" the longer your fragrance will last, and the less you need to apply.


If you want to buy a perfume gift for someone and not sure about how much do you want to spend, always buy a brand name perfume from a well known designer. Some well known designers include Giorgio Armani , Juicy Couture, Liz Claiborne and Tommy Hilfiger.

There are four major fragrance groups. These are Floral, Oriental, Woody and Fresh. Floral: Fresh cut flowers, Soft florals aldahydes. A large majority many perfumes fall into this family.

Oriental: Oriental perfumes are warm and sensual. They are known for their richness and balsamic notes like musk, vanilla and precious woods.
Woody: Rich warm woods are good in all perfumes they create a great base and longevity on the skin.
Fresh: Light airy, mostly citrus and floral, a bright morning daytime quality.

Other groups include Citrus, Green, Water and Aromatic.

When buying perfumes for men look for oriental, woody, spicy, citrus or green notes. For buying for women look for floral, oriental, fresh, aromatic, citrus, or water notes.

Just like clothing, a fragrance wardrobe provides variety for different occasions, moods and climates. Soft floral, citrus and water based fragrances are usually lighter and are generally recommended for daytime or casual wear. Classic floral, woody and oriental fragrances are heavier and suit evenings or special occasions.

Perfumes also come in different sizes and different ways off applying perfume. Most manufacturers use standard size for perfumes. There are usually four different sizes of perfumes:

Miniatures: Can vary anywhere from .01 FL OZ to .5 FL OZ
Small: Usually 1.0 FL OZ
Medium: Usually 1.7 FL OZ
Large: Usually 3.4 FL OZ