Have you ever wondered what do Eau de Cologne, Eau de Toilette and Eau de Parfum on the perfume bottles mean?
And which one should you choose for you?
Reading: Eau de toilette vs eau de perfume
In this fragrance concentration guide, I will tell you about the difference between Eau de Toilette and Eau de Parfum and also about other perfume types by concentration.
If you wonder, why do you need to read this perfume guide with a classification of perfumes by concentration, the answer is:
The intensity and the lasting of a perfume depends on the fragrance concentration.
So, if you want to find the right fragrance for you, keep reading this perfume guide.
First of all, let’s check what is the fragrance concentration in general.
Fragrance concentration is a percentage of a perfume composition (a blend of natural and chemical ingredients) in any fragrance.
The higher the fragrance concentration, the more intensive and long-lasting the perfume.
Table of Contents
Fragrance Concentration Guide
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EAU DE TOILETTE AND EAU DE PARFUM
EAU DE TOILETTE (EDT)
Eau de Toilette is a fragrance with the concentration higher than Eau de Cologne, but lower than Eau de Parfum. It usually contains 5-15 % of the perfume composition.
Such fragrances last longer than Eau de Cologne and they are more intensive. Eau de Toilette is perfect for daytime, for working at the office and for different important meetings.
Many designer and niche perfume brands offer their fragrances in both types: Eau de Toilette and Eau de Parfum, so you can choose which one is better for you.
Literally, the term “eau de toilette” from French means the aromatic water to be used before going out. The word “la toilette” means the outfit and makeup of a woman who is getting ready in the morning or for a special event.
Today, the term “la toilette” is not used anymore, because it refers mostly to the past centuries.
Same can’t be said about the term “eau de toilette”, that is widely used to describe the concentration of the fragrance.
If you wonder, how to use eau de toilette to make it sound at its best and last longer, check this perfume guide.
To find your perfect Eau de Toilette check these brands: Diptyque Paris, L’Artisan Parfumeur, Etro, Lancome, Dior, Dolce Gabbana, Chloe, Calvin Klein, Annick Goutal, Molton Brown and other designer and niche perfume brands.
EAU DE PARFUM (EDP)
Eau de Parfum is probably the most popular fragrance concentration. And this is not surprising, because Eau de Parfum is an intense and long-lasting form of fragrance. It consists of 15-20 % of the perfume composition.
This type of fragrance is perfect for evening, for cold weather and for going out, but there are also fragrances which are suitable for every occasion.
Today, almost all designer and niche perfume brands create their fragrances in the concentration of Eau de Parfum. This applies to both women’s and men’s fragrances.
You can easily find a lot of amazing Eau de Parfums for all tastes.
To find your perfect Eau de Parfum check these brands: Chanel, Guerlain, Armani, Gucci, Givenchy, Yves Saint Laurent, Comme des Garcons, Serge Lutens, Clive Christian, Tom Ford, Le Labo, Frederic Malle, and other designer and niche perfume brands.
Fact:
The original version of the famous perfume Chanel No. 5 was created in 1921 by Ernest Beaux. It had the concentration of the pure perfume.
In 1986, Jacques Polge has created another interpretation of Chanel No.5, already in the concentration of Eau de Parfum.
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Now, when we know the difference between Eau de Toilette and Eau de Parfum, we can move to the other perfume types by concentration.
Eau de Cologne and Extrait de Parfum
EAU DE COLOGNE (EDC)
Eau de Cologne is a fragrance with the lowest fragrance concentration. It usually consists of 2-5 % of the perfume composition.
That is why these fragrances are very light, airy and refreshing. They consist mostly of citrus, aromatic, light floral notes and they are perfect for the warm season.
Today, the term “cologne” is commonly applied to the fragrances which are marked for men, but in fact, this term means only the fragrance concentration and has nothing about gender.
For example, English perfume brand Jo Malone creates their fragrances in the concentration of Eau de Cologne and Cologne Intense (more concentrated and intensive fragrance with heavy notes) and they all are unisex.
A French perfume brand Atelier Cologne offers their fragrances in the concentration of Cologne Absolu.
But in fact, all fragrances by Atelier Cologne have a concentration of pure perfume, because they consist of 18% of perfume concentration.
To find your perfect Eau de Cologne check these brands: Jo Malone London, Mugler, Helmut Lang, Acqua di Parma, L’Artisan Parfumeur, Hermes, Chanel, Bvlgari, 4711 and other designer and niche perfume brands.
Fact:
Eau de Cologne is named after the city Cologne in Germany, where it was first created in 1709 by Giovanni Maria Farina. Literally, it is translated from French as “The Water of Cologne”.
Eau de Cologne composed by Giovanni Maria Farina was very popular among rich people and was delivered to almost all royal houses.
The most famous admirer of Farina’s Eau de Cologne was Emperor Napoleon, who used it not only as a perfume but also for gargling and taking a bath.
Following the success of Farina’s Eau de Cologne, other perfumers started to produce their own fragrances using the term “Eau de Cologne”.
For example, The Original Eau de Cologne 4711 developed by Wilhelm Mülhens in the 18th century, is one of the oldest still produced fragrances in the world.
EXTRAIT DE PARFUM (PERFUME EXTRACT)
Extrait de Parfum or Perfume is the rarest and the most expensive type of fragrance. This is what is called perfume in the purest form.
The concentration of the perfume composition in Extrait de Parfum is 20-30%. It is the most saturated and long-lasting form of fragrance.
At the beginning of the 20th century, almost all fragrances had the concentration of Extrait de Parfum.
Today, this type of fragrance is not so popular as Eau de Parfum, and not all brands create their fragrances in the concentration of pure perfume.
To find your perfect Extrait de Parfum check these brands: Zoologist Perfumes, Amouage, Tiziana Terenzi, Parfums Dusita, Byredo, Maison Francis Kurkdjian, Chanel, Guerlain, Heeley, and other designer and niche perfume brands.
Other Perfume Types by Concentration
ABSOLU DE PARFUM
Absolu de Parfum is a more concentrated version of Eau de Parfum. It can consist of more intense perfume notes and last longer than Eau de Parfum.
The scent of such fragrances is usually stronger and more saturated.
To find your perfect Absolu de Parfum check these fragrances: Chloe Absolu de Parfum, Giorgio Armani Acqua di Gio Homme Absolu, Versage Bright Crystal Absolu, all Wide Society perfumes, some Histoires de Parfums fragrances and other designer and niche perfumes.
ESSENCE DE PARFUM
Essence de Parfum means something between Eau de Parfum and Extrait de Parfum. It contains 15 -30 % of the perfume composition.
To find your perfect Essence de Parfum check these fragrances: Le Male Essence de Parfum Jean Paul Gaultier, Dior J’adore L’Or Essence de Parfum and other fragrances.
LEGERE
Legere means the lighter version of the already existing fragrance. Such fragrance is not so saturated and long-lasting, as the original one in the concentration of Eau de Parfum.
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To find your perfect Legere fragrance check these: Bottega Veneta Eau Legere Bottega Veneta, Untold Eau Legere Elizabeth Arden, La Vie Est Belle L’Eau de Parfum Legere Lancome, and other fragrances.
INTENSE OR EXTREME
Such letterings on the perfume bottles are also used for the fragrances with the higher concentration of the perfume composition.
These fragrances can have more intense notes than their original versions, and they usually are more saturated and long-lasting.
To find your perfect concentrated perfume check these: Tom Ford Noir Extreme, Le Parfum Eau de Parfum Intense Elie Saab, Dolce Gabbana Intense Dolce Gabbana, Coco Mademoiselle Intense , Intense Boadicea the Victorious and other designer and niche fragrances.
EAU FRAÎCHE
Eau Fraîche is almost the same as Eau de Cologne, but it can have even lower fragrance concentration.
Usually, it consists of 1-3 % of the perfume composition. Eau Fraîche doesn’t contain a high amount of alcohol. Instead, it has more water.
To find your perfect Eau Fraîche check these fragrances: Chanel Chance Eau Fraîche, Dior Addict Eau Fraîche, Roger & Gallet fragrances, and others.
AND THAT IS NOT ALL…
Sometimes, perfume brands create their own fragrance concentration, which in fact, means one of those described above.
In the 80s, Dior used the concentration of Esprit de Parfum for its famous Poison fragrance, that consisted of about 30% of the perfume composition. But actually, it was a pure perfume.
Already in 2013, Dior has launched the new version of its famous J’ Adore fragrance. It was called J’ Adore Voile de Parfum.
In fact, it was the Eau de Parfum, but with a different spray, that created a feeling of a veil on the skin.
For example, niche perfume brand Serge Lutens used for some of its fragrances the term Eau de Parfum Haute Concentration, which meant more intense and saturated Eau de Parfum.
You can find even more brands which use unusual terms to describe the fragrance concentration, but actually, they belong to one of the main perfume types: Eau de Cologne, Eau de Toilette, Eau de Parfum, and Perfume.
WHICH FRAGRANCE CONCENTRATION IS PERFECT FOR YOU?
Before choosing a fragrance, think a little bit about your lifestyle.
If you work at the office with many other people, it is better to choose something not so intensive and saturated, for example, Eau de Toilette or not too heavy Eau de Parfum.
The same rule can be applied when you have an important business meeting, or even if you are going to gym.
If you choose a perfume for going out, feel free to choose Eau de Parfum or Perfume. Such fragrances are perfect for evening time.
You can also think about the season. If it is too hot outside, it is better to choose some light and refreshing Eau de Cologne or Eau de Toilette.
And in contrast, when it is cold outside, the intensive and enveloping Eau de Parfum will warm you and bring you a feeling of coziness.
If you don’t know how to wear and apply perfume check my perfume guide with 30 tips on how to wear perfume and make it last longer.
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It was my fragrance concentration guide which explains the difference between Eau de Toilette, Eau de Parfum and all other perfume types by concentration.
I hope this guide will be helpful for you and it will make your fragrance experience much better.
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