Fragrance products consist of a concentration of perfume oils in a solvent (usually alcohol).

The amount of perfume oil in a fragrance dictates whether it is an Eau de Parfum, an Eau de Toilette, an Eau de Cologne and so on. It also dictates how long a fragrance product will last on the skin and, of course, its price!

To help explain the difference in strength, we have listed below the types of fragrance products, their concentrations and the average time it takes for the scent to evaporate.

The price of a fragrance product will depend on its strength (% of perfume oil) as well as the bottle size. For example, a 30 ml Eau de Parfum bottle will usually cost more than a 30 ml Eau de Toilette as it is stronger.

The more alcohol a product contains, the quicker its scent will evaporate. Aftershave has the highest alcohol content.

Although an Eau de Toilette is cheaper, it is not necessarily more economical, as it will not last as long. EDT is the most popular and affordable concentration available.

Fragrances should be kept away from heat and light. Storing fragrance in the fluctuating temperatures and humidity of a bathroom will cause a scent to degrade rapidly.

Identical fragrances may smell differently and also last longer when applied to some peoples' skin than others, this is because of the chemical make up and balance of our skin.

The different types of fragrance are described by their scent and the ingredients that have been used to make up a particular scent.

You may wonder why Perfumes/Aftershaves always smell different after you've had them on a while. This is because the Fragrance develops in 3 stages.

Top Note - The initial, lighter smell of the fragrance, which lasts for around 8-15 minutes.

Heart/Middle note - This remains constant throughout use of the fragrance (hence the term heart note) and develops after the top note.

Base note - This is the last to develop, and helps to fix the fragrance to the skin. This is where you will smell the ‘woodier' notes of the scent, which become more noticeable when the fragrance has been on the skin for a while.

Spray - Sprays are considered the best way to apply a fragrance as you can spritz them all over. EDT and EDP are always supplied as a spray.

Splash - Splash's are a slighlty more flexible dispenser. For example, you may want to a fragrance to the water in your steam iron to add scent to your clothes, a splash bottle is better. Aftershave is always supplied in a splash bottle, as are most samples and vials.