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Experience 86 West

Experience 86 West

 The 86 West Experience

All perfumes are not alike. 

Did you know that perfume can come in different concentrations? And these concentrations actually form different categories of perfumes. These concentrations also affect the price point for the perfume. 

Given this, it is easy to get confused about what each type of perfume means, and therefore what you should choose.

THE DIFFERENT PERFUME CATEGORIES

There are five main categories of Perfume:  

  • Perfume or Parfum

  • Eau de Parfum or Eau de Perfume

  • Eau de Toilette

  • Eau de Cologne

  • Eau Fraiche

The main difference lies in the concentration of essential oils in the fragrance base. The perfumes “base” can be water, alcohol or oil based. 

When we mention the concentrations of essential oils in the different categories, it is only in natural perfumes that those essential oils are guaranteed to be made directly from pure essential oils. With other mainstream fragrances, those fragrance blends are made from synthetic “perfume extracts” and are often purely man-made and not natural. Some of these “perfume extracts” can also come from animals - see the article ‘A Guide to Vegan Non-Toxic Perfume’ about animal scents and how they are used in perfumes. 

Therefore, always check the ingredients and certifications of the perfumes you purchase, to ensure they are all 100% natural and vegan, if that is important to you. 

We hope this guide is helpful to you, so you can distinguish between them all.

PERFUME / PARFUM: (Where 86 West products fall)

  • This has the highest concentration of essential oils or “perfume extract” with around 20 to 30% essential oils in the fragrance blend. It is the most expensive of all the categories due to the higher concentrations of oils. 

  • It is usually heavier and oilier.

  • It is said to last longer, and can last up to 24 hours.

  • It is recommended for people with sensitive skin, as there is less alcohol in the blend. 

EAU DE PERFUME / EAU DE PARFUM:

  • This is the perfume category with the next highest concentration of oils with around 15 to 20% essential oils or “perfume extract” in the fragrance blend. It is less expensive than perfume.

  • It has slightly more alcohol and water in the ingredients, however, it still has a high level of perfume oils. 

  • It can last 6 to 8 hours.

  • Even though it has a slightly higher alcohol content, it is still recommended for people with sensitive skin.

     

EAU DE TOILETTE

  • This perfume category is for fragrances with essential oil or “perfume extract”  concentrations of between 5 to 15%.

  • It is a light formula and usually in spray bottles.

  • Surprisingly, it is the most popular type of fragrance, and you often buy “perfume” thinking it is eau de parfum and it is actually eau de toilette. 

  • It is much more affordable than Eau de Parfum, and can last 2 - 4 hours.

  • Due to the low combination of essential oils and high percentage of alcohol, it tends to dissipate quickly.

EAU DE COLOGNE

  • The category known as Eau de Cologne is one of the lightest fragrance concentrations with essential oils or “perfume extract” of between 2 to 4%.

  • It is often thought of as a masculine formula, however, there are feminine eau de colognes as well.

  • They often come in large bottles as you tend to need more of it and will require regular applications. 

  • It can last up to 2 hours and is fairly inexpensive.

 

LEARN THE FRAGRANCE WHEEL

A fragrance wheel basically works in exactly the same way. It places perfumes into categories (based on their ingredients and overall scent), then details which work well together, and which don’t. This is useful if you’re not sure which fragrances to choose.

The wheel is split into four sections. These are:

  • Floral
  • Amber
  • Fresh
  • Woody

Then, there are the sub-sections, which are:

  • Amber. Amber Resins (Arbane 26 and FINITY AF)
  • Aromatic. Lavender and other aromatic herbs
  • Citrus. Lime, lemon and bergamot (Arbane 26)
  • Fruity. This means non-citrus fruits and berries
  • Green. ‘Green’ notes like galbanum
  • Water. Aquatic and marine notes – reminiscent of the sea
  • Woods main. Aromatic woods and vetiver
  • Mossy woods – amber and oak moss
  • Dry woods. leather and dry woods
  • Floral. Freshly cut flowers (FINITY AF)
  • Soft floral. Powdery notes and aldehydes
  • Floral oriental. Sweeter spices and orange blossom
  • Soft oriental. Amber and incense
  • Woody oriental. Patchouli and sandalwood


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