Choosing a Fragrance
The splashy advertisements, the intimidating department store counters, the myriad choices, the abstract concepts like ‘woodsy’ and ‘citrusy’ - finding a fragrance that you like and will make you smell good doesn’t have to be complicated or scary. Most of us aren't taught about fragrance as it’s seen as an extra to standard grooming. But just like beer, there’s a whole world out there beyond the ones we can name off the top of our head from a commercial. It will take a little bit of testing and, in this case, smelling. Below, we walk you through the basics on fragrance so you can be better equipped in your search.
What’s the Difference Between Fragrance, Perfume, Toilette, and Cologne?
Eau Fraiche Most diluted version of fragrance, usually with 1-3% perfume oil in alcohol and water. Lasts less than an hour.
Cologne (Eau de Cologne) Oldest term for perfume, used in North America for masculine scents. Typically composed of 2-4% perfume oils in alcohol and water. Lasts for about 2 hours.
Toilette (Eau de Toilette) A light spray composition with 5-15% pure perfume essence dissolved in alcohol. Lasts for about 3 hours.
Perfume (Eau de Parfum) Used to describe both men’s and women’s products, and is the best term for describing a fragrance. Contains 15-20% pure perfume essence. Lasts for about 5 to 8 hours.
Parfum The most concentrated and expensive of all fragrance options. Composed of 20-30% pure perfume essence. A single application can last up to 24 hours.
The Lifecycle Of Fragrances
Fragrances have lifecycle composed of three parts, top, medium, and base note. See the pyramid below. A fragrance begins at the top note (or tip of the pyramid) and slowly evaporates until it reaches the base note or the bottom of the pyramid.
Top note The top note is the initial smell of the fragrance that hits the nose immediately after application to the skin. When shopping for a fragrance, this note will make the first impression and likely be relied upon when making your purchase. They are volatile, light, and fresh smelling, lasting from 15 minutes to 2 hours. Typical top notes are various floral scents, citrus (grapefruit, mandarin and lemon), fruity scents, powdery scents, spices such as cinnamon, green scents like peppermint, basil and spearmint, and ozonic (watery and airy scents).
Medium note This is also referred to as the middle or heart notes. These are the notes that give the fragrance its character and intensity. The middle note showcases the main element of the fragrance: these notes begin to arrive and fully develop within ten minutes after the top note clears and last 3-5 hours after being sprayed. The top and mid notes will coexist for a period of time until the mid notes dominate the fragrance as the scent continues to mature. Heart notes most often include heavier floral scents such as jasmine, rose, and gardenia, green scents such as grass or stone, spice scents such as cinnamon, pepper, and clove, and fruity scents like peach, apple and strawberry.
Base note The last to develop, these scents are often the bolder notes which become more noticeable later in the day. Base notes lay the foundation and will determine how long the fragrance lasts on your skin. This note appears within 30 minutes and will last for hours on the skin and even days on clothing. Essences in this final category are gourmand, baked and edible scents (vanilla, cocoa and brown sugar), woody (sandalwood, patchouli and cedarwood), and musk (sweet and powdery). Other popular base notes include moss, vetiver, tar, leather, smoke, tobacco.
Below is a representation of the wide range of scents available, with the four main families serving as a general guide. As the notes dry up throughout the day, the scent will change, allowing for the fragrance to evolve and become more interesting.
Linear vs Non-Linear Fragrances
Some fragrances will smell the same from initial application up until you shower: these are called linear fragrances. Non-linear fragrances will change and go through the layers of notes over time. Most quality fragrances will have a non-linear fragrance lifecycle as oftentimes low-cost fragrance manufacturers won’t invest in this complicated layering of scents.
The Two Types Of Fragrances: Designer & Niche
Designer fragrances These fragrances are what you will see in department stores and in advertisements on TV or in magazines. These fragrances tend to be mass-produced to reach many people, oftentimes as an accessible entry into a luxury brand, and as such can cost between $25-$150 a bottle. They are made to appeal a broader range of tastes.
Niche fragrances Niche brands often use more natural ingredients that tend to be more expensive so expect to pay more per ml than for a typical designer. Niche fragrances are also made in smaller quantities. Because of their smaller budgets, they also have limited retail availability, with blind buying being the only option to test these products. Finally, niche fragrances tend to be more unique and distinctive which, in the end, divides opinions. They typically cost over $50 and can go into the multiple hundreds.
Which size should I buy?
Fragrances usually range from 1 oz. to 3.4 oz. We recommend sampling it in store or through the fragrance’s website where sometimes you can purchase a sample and wear it on yourself for a few days. If you are buying in store, walk around with it on for a bit, smelling the fragrance on initial application, after 10 minutes when it hits the heart notes, and then after 30 minutes when it gets to the base notes. You can spray up to four different fragrances on yourself to try multiple at once, with two/arm: make sure to apply one on the upper part of your forearm and one on your wrist. Avoid the cards the department store provides to smell the colognes. They enable you to only smell the top notes and not how it smells on you - you want to see how it reacts to your individual body chemistry.
How do I store it?
Heat fluctuations like those found in your bathroom will cause the molecules in a fragrance to break apart as will sunlight. To get the most out of your fragrance, store it in a cool, dark place like your bedroom closet.
How do I apply it?
Spray perfume on dry skin The best time is right after a shower. Hold the spray nozzle 3-6 inches from your skin while applying.
Apply fragrance to heat areas Your body heat will push the scent throughout the day, creating a nice scent trail commonly called sillage. Start with the warmest parts of your body: chest, neck, lower jaw, wrist, forearm, inner elbow, shoulder.
Re-spray only when required Add more sprays to your wrists depending on how long the scent lasts. For most this will be in the second half of the day.
Don’t kill the note Don’t rub the scent into your skin: it breaks the molecular bond and makes the scent weaker.
Don’t spray and walk into the fragrance Spraying a fragrance in the air and walking through the mist wastes it as most of the fragrance drops straight to the floor
Don’t spray the fragrance onto your clothes If the fragrance is on your clothes, the fragrance isn’t allowed to mix with your body’s natural oils and heat and hence can’t go through the stages of notes like it should. Oils in a fragrance may also stain fabrics.