Buying Perfume can be a very hard decision, especially when you are buying it for someone else. Different people will have different choices of perfume. Also each fragrance will produce a different scent on various types of skin. Therefore, when buying perfume we need to do some good research and try it out before you make the final decision.
There are hundreds of brands of perfume and thousands of scents available in the market nowadays. If you have never bought any perfume before and are not sure which perfume will be right for you or your friend, you can always ask around or look up reviews.
Trial and Testing Perfume
There are two ways to try perfume, either directly on your skin or spray on the fragrance blotters. Now there are both advantages and disadvantages about these two methods of testing.
By testing on your skin, you will be able to know exactly how it smells on your skin, but you can’t try out too many different types of perfume simply because all the perfume on you will blend together so you won’t know the correct smell.
By testing on the fragrance blotters, you can spray on different cards and write the name of that fragrance at the back of those cards. But this method of testing won’t show you exactly how it smells on your skin.
The best way is to try on the fragrance blotters first, then choose the smell that you like and try it on your skin, so you can get the perfect one for you.
Types of Perfume
There are four main different types of perfume. Eau De Cologne, Eau De Toilette, Eau De Parfum and Parfum. They are ranging from the least concentrated to the most concentrated and differ in price.
- Eau de Cologne (EDC) is the term used today to refer to a perfume solution with around a 3% compound in an oil and water base. It’s the lightest perfume and, therefore, the least expensive.
- Eau de Toilette (EDT) – is a perfume solution with a 3-8% compound in an oil and water base. It is a bit more expensive.
- Eau de Parfum (EDP) is a perfume solution with a 10-15% compound.
- Parfum is the highest concentration of oils, with 20-50% compound, which makes it last longer than others and the most expensive.
Size of Perfume
Perfume is packed in different sizes. In Europe and USA, perfume is usually measured by the ounce, in Australia or other countries we measure by millilitres. 1Oz is equivalent to 30ml (1Oz ~30ml). The most common size usually is 50ml, 75ml or 100ml. If you are buying the fragrance for the first time, you should buy the small bottle to try it out first. If you already wear that fragrance before and you really like it, then go ahead and purchase the big bottle because they are usually the best value for money.
There is a small sample called vial on card or vial mini as well, those bottles are usually for trial. It is a good idea to try before you buy.
