How to Wear a Perfume

Once your heart is set on a fragrance (see story in the previous issue) you will need to learn how best to wear it. And that means choosing the intensity, or concentration, that suits you best.

By Sabine Chabbert . 26/03/01

You should always go for the extract, or perfume proper (as opposed to the eau de parfum or eau de toilette) if the line carries it. Why? Because extracts are the original products created by perfumers. Less concentrated versions such as eau de parfum, or even more diluted ones, such as eau de toilette are based on the extracts.
You can be thrilled by an extract and terribly disappointed by the eau de toilette. That's not surprising. The extract, the eau de parfum and the eau de toilette may not always have the same composition, even within the same line. The creator often prefers to buff a very strong facet of the extract in order to obtain a more transparent, more ethereal eau de toilette.

Where to put it

Apart from those parts of the body that enable perfumes to bloom most fully (wrists, elbows, neck and cleavage) clothes, scarves and handkerchiefs can also be sprayed with a little perfume for a pleasant effect. Certain fragrances diffuse wonderfully on furs, heavy woolen sweaters and natural fabrics such as linen or silk.

A few basic rules you need to know

If a perfume says 12%, that means that it contains 12% perfume concentrate; the other 88% is a blend of pure alcohol and distilled water.
Here is a list of standard concentrations for different categories of products:
* Eau de cologne 2%
* Eau de toilette 8 to 12%
* Eau de parfum 15%
* Extraits 18 to 24%

Bath products: another way of wearing perfume

Bath or body-care product lines offer an alternative way of entering the imaginary world of your favorite perfume. A scented foam bath can arouse a lingering olfactory emotion just as a perfume would. Creams and oils usually have a more intense smell, subtly wafting out scents with every movement of the body. Coordinated deodorants can be a way of mixing business with pleasure.
These products also have different concentrations.
* Body cream 3%
* Deodorants 1 to 2%
* Bath soaps and oils 3 to 4%
* Scented candles 10%
* Oil concentrates 30 to 40%
We would like to express our thanks to Guy Robert and Olivier Cresp for their helpful advice.