The biggest dilemma faced by us while buying a Fragrance is “What type of Fragrance should we buy?” Choosing a Fragrance can be quite confusing for the uninitiated. For eg. many think that cologne is for men and perfume is for women, but these terms merely refer to the concentration of the Perfume Oil(Perfumery Compound) in the Fragrance. Fragrance concentration refers to the strength that a fragrance has. Fragrances with a higher concentration contain more perfume oils and less alcohol. This Blog post is to help the Buyer understand the different types of fragrances based on their Perfume oil concentrations and what applications they are best suited for. This should help them select the fragrance that is best suited for their needs.
Eau Fraiche – At the bottom end of the spectrum as far as concentration is concerned, is Eau Fraiche, which in-fact means Fresh water. It is the most diluted version of a Fragrance, usually with 1 – 2% of Perfume Oil in alcohol and water. This lasts for less than an hour.
Eau de Cologne(EDC) – This usually contains about 3-4% Perfume Oil dissolved in alcohol and water. It is refreshing in hot weather as it contains more alcohol, which evaporates fast and gives a cooling effect. However it doesn’t last long, around 1 – 2 hours max. It tends to be marketed in large sizes of up to 200 ml and is often applied by spray.
Eau de Toilette(EDT). It usually contains around 5-10% Perfume Oil. EDT focuses more on the Top Notes i.e. the first scent released by a Fragrance. Once again like in case of EDC, since the alcohol percentage is quite high, EDT is refreshing when it is applied but evaporates and fades away quite quickly. Usual retention time is 3-4 hours.
Eau de Parfum(EDP). After the top notes have died away, the middle notes or heart notes of a perfume become noticeable. This is the concept of EDP. The concentration of Perfume oils in EDP is around 10-15%, so the retention time is relatively higher around 4-5 hours, which gives the user a chance to smell the heart notes. The disadvantage is that the Base notes are still missed out, so the true impact of the Fragrance cannot be experienced.
Perfume: Also called perfume extract, this is and will remain the most beautiful form of Fragrance as the whole symphony of top, heart and base notes is released over a period of time. This is due to the high concentration of Perfume oils, average 20-25%, in the Fragrance. It lasts for an average of 8-10 hours, which makes it perfect to spray on skin/clothing. (Be careful with white fabric though, as they may stain.) The true nature of any Fragrance is revealed only after a couple of hours on the skin/fabric. In-fact Perfumes smell different on different users, depending on the skin type. It is this “Perfume” segment that we have targeted with our Brand “Susegad-The Fragrance of Goa”. We have launched 9 International class Fragrances in Perfumes, which help relieve stress and anxiety, uplift mood and facilitate wellness through fragrance therapy.
We believe that for our concept of Fragrance Therapy (check out our previous Blog post for details on Fragrance therapy) to work effectively, the fragrance one wears must last for a minimum of 8 hours. This is only possible in Perfumes. Also since we manufacture a significant number of the ingredients in house in our Goa factory and since we have strategically decided to avoid major advertising and promotional expenses, we can price the usually expensive Perfume, so as to be easily affordable to the common man. Often in Perfumes, what you end up paying for is the marketing cost and the image associated with a brand and not necessarily the cost of ingredients comprising the scent.
Attars: At the other end of the spectrum to Eau Fraiche are Attars. These are pure Perfume Oils(Perfumery Compounds) without additives like water or alcohol, which are usually added to complete the physical makeup of perfumes. Traditionally Attars were made with flowers, wood, roots of plants and tree particles and their base was mostly Sandalwood oil. However in present times due to various regulations that restrict the availability of some critical natural raw material like Sandalwood, Agarwood and Musk, it is extremely difficult and expensive to blend attars with 100% natural ingredients. That is done only in case of certain astronomically priced Niche Perfumes. Most modern day Perfumers use a combination of natural and synthetic ingredients, to blend the Attar Fragrances. Over the years with modern analytical equipments, this Art has been perfected to such an extent that most of the traditional Attar fragrances can now been recreated in this manner, so as to be affordable to the common man. Attars usually last for 12 hours and are sold in very small sizes usually 6ml, 8ml or 10 ml. Once again it is this segment which “Susegad-The Fragrance of Goa” has targeted. We have launched 12 Attar fragrances which are exotic blends of Natural and Synthetic ingredients which relieve stress and facilitate wellness through fragrance therapy.
When looking to buy a fragrance, spray some on your wrist or inner elbow and wear it for a few minutes before taking a call. Scientific studies suggest that an individual can select the perfume that works best with his natural body odour. Don’t let others choose for you, instead let them reinforce your judgment. Remember in the case of fragrances, strong isn’t necessarily better than mild, it ultimately depends on the fragrance. So “Keep smelling, Keep smiling.”