Your cologne on the top of your bathroom shelf that you use for your special date nights is a type of fragrance and so is your daily perfume that you wear to work.

You may not realize it, but when you apply your choice fragrance during gym hours, the majority of the time you smell overwhelming. So stop applying a large amount of fragrance all over your skin and clothes. It is not at all attractive. Instead, take some time and check out YSL men's fragrance after learning about different types of fragrances.

Did you know perfumes were called toilet water? Eau de toilette's literal English translation is toilet water although it is described as 'grooming water'. But in reality, perfume and toilet water are two different types of fragrances.

Difference between Cologne, Toilette, Perfume, and Parfum

Knowing the different fragrances is important as it will help you in choosing which one to wear for different occasions. After all, the word 'fragrance' is a unisex, generic term used for its different types. Fragrances come in varying forms. The basic difference between them is the concentration of aromatic compounds.

Cologne (Eau de Cologne)

Light, fresh and fruity, it usually consists of 2-4 % perfume oils in alcohol and water. It usually lasts for 2 hours.

Toilette (Eau de Toilette)

It is often referred to as 'aromatic waters' and has a high alcohol content (that does not mean you can drink it!). It has 5-15 % of aromatic compounds. It lasts for around 3 hours.

Perfume (Eau de Parfum)

Also known as 'millesimal, it usually contains 15-20 % of pure perfume essence and it usually lasts for about 5-8 hours. It is the most commonly used and widely known fragrance type.

Parfum

Of all the fragrances, this is the most expensive as it has the highest concentration. Composed of 20-30 % of pure perfume extracts, it easily lasts up to 24 hours.

The Perfume pyramid

Did you know some perfumes smell the same throughout the day while some do not? Perfume whose smell changes through the day is always the better choice for events. These perfumes are called non-linear fragrances as they are more complex while the ones that smell the same are called linear perfumes. Wear a linear perfume if you just want to smell fresh at work but DO NOT do that for your date nights. YSL men's fragrance has a wide range of linear as well as non-linear perfumes to buy from.

Remember that non-linear fragrances have a three-part life cycle and each of the three sections contains distinct scent or notes. These three distinct types of notes are: Head (top), heart (start), and base.

Headnotes

This is the very first note you smell after applying the perfume. This is highly volatile and evaporates within 15 minutes to 2 hours. They usually contain floral & fruity scents, citrus, marines & aquatics, and sometimes spice notes like cinnamon.

Heart notes

These start to develop as the headnotes fade and they usually last for 3 to 5 hours. Heavier floral notes are often used here along with green scents. Spice notes may appear along with light fruity scents.

Base notes

These are more often than not, the foundation of the fragrance. They last for a longer duration for about 5 to 10 hours and have a mixture of scents such as sandalwood, musk, vanilla, leather, moss, etc.

Two Basic Fragrance Types

There are two basic types of fragrances that you should consider for yourselves and they are based on two factors: cost and quality. The mass-produced perfumes that are designed for a broad range of clients come under the banner of designer perfume which includes designer brands such as YSL men's fragrance. The perfumes that are specially created by a designer for a particular client are known as Niche fragrances.