Perfumes And Colognes - Balance And Notes

Do you know why perfumes smell so different from each other? It's not just because of the ingredients they contain but also because of the balance of those ingredients.

Perfumes and colognes are created from a mixture of alcohol and essential oils. When the scent is applied to the body, the alcohol evaporates and the essential oils are absorbed by the skin. The difference between a perfume and an eau de toilette depends upon the concentration of essential oils found within them.

The main perfume categories are:

* Perfume - also sometimes referred to as extract or extrait perfume. This, typically contains 15-40% perfume concentrates. So, not only do you need to use less, but also, depending upon skin type, the scent lasts longer - typically for up to 6 hours.

* Eau de parfum - is the next concentrated mixture with anywhere between 15% to 22% essential oils.

* Eau de toilette - contains around 1-6% perfume concentrates. This produces a light scent which makes a good choice for everyday wear.

* Eau de cologne and Eau de toilette are generally interchangeable especially in relation to men's fragrances. It typically only contains between 2 and 5% aromatic 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.

Apart from the different classes of perfumes the scents that they produce can be described by, what is known as, their fragrance notes.

Using a musical metaphor - the perfume notes unfold over time creating the harmonious chord of the scent. The immediate impression of the top note leads to the deeper middle notes and the base notes gradual appear at the final stage. The 3 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 start to emerge as the top notes dissipate. They form the "heart" or main body of a perfume and can mask the often unpleasant initial impression of base notes, which become more pleasant over time. Fragrances from middle notes appear anywhere from 2 minutes to 1 hour after the application of a perfume. Typical scents in this class are lavender 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.

These fragrance notes and differences in the balance between the essential oils and alcohol are what make each perfume smell differently.

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