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Perfumes and colognes - balance and notes

by Jade Honeywell

The fragrance of a perfume or cologne is determined by the ingredients it contains and by the balance between those ingredients.

Perfumes and colognes are a complex combination of natural materials and manmade products. The main natural ingredients are plant extracted essential oils. The manmade products are added to increase the lasting power and heighten the scent. The liquid base of perfume is usually alcohol and the ratio of this to the perfume concentrates determines how the final product will be labelled.

There are 4 main types of perfume with the following concentrations:

* Perfume - is the most potent type of fragrance available and has a 15-30% concentration of perfume essence. This has the highest price tag and is a good choice for wearing on special occasions.

* Eau de parfum - is the most popular and common form of perfume and contains about 7-15% perfume concentrates. It provides a long-lasting scent and generally isn't as expensive as perfume.

* Eau de toilette - is a lighter more delicate fragrance, with a 4-8% concentration of the essence which makes it most suitable for everyday use. It is commonly less expensive than Eau de Parfum, and lasts between 2 and 4 hours.

* Eau de cologne - is sometimes used interchangeably with the term eau de toilette. It was made popular by Napoleon and referred to a fresh, light, fragrance mixed with citrus oils. Nowadays it refers to fragrances containing 2-5% essential oils.

As well as these 4 classes of perfume products there are a number of other items that contain small amount of concentrates including creams and lotions, household cleaners, soaps and make-up.

Another differentiating factor between perfumes is what is referred to as their fragrance notes.

Fragrances consist of different notes and can be made up of hundreds of different ingredients which make every scent an individual creation. These notes are:

* Top notes - these are the first notes you smell and are strong and very volatile. They fade quickly which allows the more "rounded" and mellow middle notes to come through.

* Middle notes - these compounds form the "heart" or main body of a perfume and can be smelt as the top notes fade away. They have a mellow fragrance and include such scents as lavender, spearmint and rose.

* Base notes - as the middle notes fade the base notes become noticeable and fragrance give the fragrance its "signature". They are often experienced and as musky, woody tones. Since they are the heaviest, the base notes tend to leave the longest lasting fragrance on you.

The combination of these notes, the particular ingredients and their relative strength are what give a perfume its distinct fragrance.

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