Perfume is like a personal signature one wears. It always baffle our minds to learn how men know about selecting the right cologne or perfume. But then, there are sheer amount of men out there who think cologne simply doesn’t matter.
As high as 80 percent of men say they don’t have a special/specific perfume. Men get more compliments on how good they smell just like the clothes or shoes they wear. This is exactly why as a man, you should know what to look for in a good cologne, how to go about purchasing the right one for you, and how to wear it properly.
In a lifestyle article on “ForHims”, I realized there are actually 5 categories of fragrances, each of which are divided according to their strength:
- Eau Fraiche: These are the weakest dilution of fragrances, and are usually anywhere from 1-3% actual perfume, mixed in with alcohol and water. They have significantly less stay power and will last less than an hour.
- Eau de Cologne: This is the universal term for any masculine fragrance on the commercial market, but it’s actually only one category in a broad spectrum. It’s generally between 2% and 4% diluted, and lasts up to two hours.
- Eau de Toilette: This is the stuff we recommend looking for. These come in typical spray bottles and are anywhere between 5% to 15% diluted, making them significantly more pungent than cologne. Expect these to last anywhere from three to six hours.
- Perfume: From a historical context, perfume is actually a traditionally genderless name for fragrances that are more potent than Eau de Toilette, but less than Parfum, which we’ll get to soon. These fragrances will last anywhere from five to eight hours.
- Parfum: The heavy hitter of the group, a single application of this 20% to 30% pure perfume will last up to 24 hours, and if not used properly (which it often isn’t, ugh), it can clear out a room. Be careful.
In the next article, I will make sure to give some tips as to how to purchase a cologne and how to use it.
