What's in a Scent? Know Before You Buy

So, what is in a scent? Depending on what you choose, a little or a lot, because depending on the type of fragrance you buy, the intensity of scent will differ. As, of course, will the price!

Most fragrance comes in several varieties - for starters there's perfume, which is the strongest as it contains 20-40% of fragrance oils. You tend not to spray perfume on, rather you'd dab it on pulse points. Â

Eau de parfum contains up to 14% fragrance oils, and it's the most popular fragrance choice. Next on the list is Eau de toilette which contains 1%-3% of fragrance oils (and as a result the fragrance of an Eau de toilette will evaporate much more quickly than its more potent siblings). Both Eau de parfum and Eau de Toilette generally come in atomisers or sprays. There's also eau de cologne (mostly relegated at this stage) and perfumed lotions and creams. While these contain small amounts of fragrance oils, you may find that the scent lasts longer because you're applying them in a cream which gets absorbed into the skin, so they can be a good choice if you want your scent to last. The same applies for solid perfumes.

Of course, layering is a great way to ensure that you smell delish all day long. If the perfume you love comes with body creams and washes then that's brilliant - wash first, apply body lotion and then spray on your scent. You'll be scented for hours!