Many of us think that all these are just the fancy names for the same kind of fragrances, but it’s not like that. The difference basically lies in the amount of the perfume oil mixed in alcohol, and sometimes in water. This is the reason that some will cost you a fortune while some are easily affordable.
(Courtesy: How To Spend It - Financial Times)
Perfume
Perfume refers to the strongest of all fragrances and lasts up to 24 hours. The word itself it the corruption of the Latin word fumum, which means “through smoke”. The fragrance oil in perfume is 20%-30%.
Cologne
Also called Eau de Cologne, is not just used for men’s perfume but for all those fragrances which contain 2%-4% of the perfume oil and last for 2 hours. These are sweet, fruity fragrances.
Eau de Toilette
This one has 5%-15% of perfume dissolved in water and alcohol. It lasts for 3 hours.
So next time you choose a fragrance, think first in your mind for how much time you are going to be socializing out there, and how strong you want to smell.