quality cologne questions

Hitting up the duty free store on the way out of town in a few days and I was planning to invest in some nice cologne. Unforchunately I know very little about my prospective investment and so was hoping to make my shopping a bit more efficient by having a better idea what i’m getting into.

first question: what is/is there a difference between

eau de parfum

eau de toilette

eau de cologne???

Once we’ve established that, I was hoping to get some pointers as to approximately how much I should be spending to smell nice? Assuming that I can afford the most expensive yet would like to spend as little money as possible, which is the best value?

Finally I’d love to hear any personal preferences or opinions as to which colognes are ‘the best’. Thanks!

The difference is in the concentration of essences in the stuff.

The ranking is:

  1. Parfum
  2. Eau de parfum
  3. Eau de toilette
  4. Eau de cologne
  5. After shave.

Parfum is concentrated and expensive. Eau de parfum is diluted and cheaper, and so on.

Trouble is, AFAIK, there isn’t any sort of standard that would let you compare them. You can’t look at a $50 bottle containing 10 ml of parfum and a $50 bottle containing 100 ml of eau de cologne, and reach any sort of conclusion about which is better value. You just don’t know the concentrations in the bottles.

Your post indicates that you are relatively inexperienced in this matter, so I wouldn’t advise spending very much. I also wouldn’t advise picking a single bottle. There are duty-free sample packs containing a 10 or 12 different fragrances. That might be the best start.

If you spend up big, you may find that you’ve bought something that, as it turns out, you can’t stand.

The worst thing imaginable is buying a fragrance for a partner, and realising later the you can’t stand it. That happened to me a couple of times. The partner keeps wearing it, because they think you like it, you don’t want to admit that you chose something that makes you gag, etc.

Finally, you haven’t indicated whether you are M or F, or whether the purchase is intended for yourself or as a gift.

So I’ll just give my personal favourites in both categories.

M:

Dior - Fahrenheit
Guy Laroche - Drakkar Noir

F:

Chanel - No. 7
Chanel - No. 19

Happy hunting.

To select a scent, be sure to test it on your arm on a pulse point. Let it set for about twenty minutes and see if you still like it. Then try another on the other arm. You can even do a third one on the inner part of your elbow. Don’t ever try more than three at a time.

The fragrance will be slightly different on you than on it is on others. That’s why it is important to try it on.

Two of my favorites are Ysatis by Givenchy and L’heure Bleue by Guerlain. In the summer I wear Blue Grass a lot. It is good but not overly expensive.

One of the classics is Joy. It really is fine.
Another favorite is Shalimar, also by Guerlain. It has a slight vanilla scent and oh it is nice! (But a lot of people choose that particular fragrance.)

This is a good time to buy fragrances at good department stores. They have excellent gift bonuses for the Christmas season. Sometimes you can buy a bottle of eau de toliette for about $70 and the bonus will be five small bottles of perfume in various fragrances!

If you are uncertain about a fragrance, try getting the body cream or lotion. The fragrance stays for a long time without being too heavy. And they are less expensive than the perfumes and eau de perfumes.

I’m curious - why specially on a pulse point?

And Cool Water by Davidoff is an excellent choice. (for a guy)

There is this other one I really like, but I can’t remember the name :smack:

gouda: pulse point = high skin temperature.

Gives the strongest effect.

thanks everyone (i’m male btw).

The pulse point point was most interesting.

What about those imitation versions of colognes you sometimes see at dollar stores–are they worth anything? Are they anywhere near comparable to the “real thing”?

My personal recommendation is Obsession by Calvin Klein. Big turn on for the my ex-girlfriend.

Get some advice from a few ladies before buying, if possible. They know what they are talking about when it comes to perfumes.

From www.fssoapworks.com/bodyfragrance.html, I find the following concentrations:

Perfume 15% to 30%

Eau de Parfum 8% to 15%

Eau de Toilette 4% to 8%

Eau de Cologne 2% to 5%

Splash Cologne 1% to 3%

It would appear there is some standardization.

www.laparfumerie.com/page_resources_glossary.asp?idx=U2R2GKUHBSMA9N6VNEM93QMS303PAK7E also discusses concentrations, as well as how long you can expect to stink after applying your potion.

There is also an interesting, if brief, discussion of fragrances at www.confetti.co.uk/health_beauty/cosmetics/smell_great.asp.

You may find more info searching google.
In other news, as several people have said a fragrance is a very personal thing. Get yourself several samplers and try wearing the fragrances (one at a time!) for a day or two. See how you like it after you’ve had it on for some length of time. Ask a friend his (or her) opinion, if you have that kind of friend. Or turn it into a new pickup line: “Hey baby, do I smell good to you? Because you sure smell good to me!”

I’m strictly an Issey Miyake man. I’m always surprised by how infrequently I enounter someone else wearing this.

Ok, to add a bit to this question: Sitting in front of me, I have a sampler bottle of “Mambo Cologne Spray” (given to me by a friend - I don’t know jack about cologne). It says cologne - does that mean it has the Eau de Cologne level of concentration? (I figure that “Splash Cologne” basically means aftershave)

Reading the second link that stypticus provided, it seems that, given it’s definite non-aftershave nature, it should be of “eau de toilette” concentrations. So then why call it cologne?

Furthermore, it says something about 81% VOL on the box. That can’t be oil concentration, as that puts it well above perfume in concentration. What does that mean?

VOL probably stands for “volatile organic liquids”; that would be alcohol, the carrier. There might also be a little water or glycerine or propylene glycol in there.

Normally, I see VOC (“volatile organic compounds”), but maybe it’s done differently in different places.

Oops! Since you are male, forget the fragrances I listed!

If Grey Flannel is still produced, that is my favorite men’s fragrance.

Someone asked about the immitation fragrances. I’ve had particularly good luck with the Obsession substitute.

Zoe’s right about the immitation fragrances. Just don’t tell anyone about it. You don’t get brownie points at cocktail parties for bragging that you’re wearing a fake.

Are these gender-neutral? I don’t recall ever seeing any Men’s colognes labeled as “Perfume” . . .

As for personal preference, I like “Santos” by Cartier . . . its similar to “Obsession” but quite a bit more “complex” and nowhere near as common . . . I always get compliments on it . .

I like “Gaulthier”, by J-P Gaulthier, but it didn’t smell quite as good on me.

sytpticus just made a typo (or translation) for “parfum”. What’s the problem? You don’t want to wear perfume, but toilet water is ok?

… I remembered! Yay!!

In addition to what I already mentioned, Polo Sport by Ralph Lauren is also a favourite with me.

Neither, I copied and pasted from the source.

The second link I provided, www.laparfumerie.com/page_resources_glossary.asp?idx=U2R2GKUHBSMA9N6VNEM93QMS303PAK7E, divided concentration ranges into those for women and those for men, though it doesn’t provide the numbers. It has this to say about men:

I’m not sure that helps you any, though, MilTan, with your Mambo No. 5 Cologne Spray. “Often available in a splash or a spray”? Maybe it’s EDT. Sounds like mosquito repellent. (You weren’t trying to attract mosquitos, were you?)

And, for completeness, the toilette in eau de toilette doesn’t mean toilet like flush-flush-swish-swish-oh-what-a-relief-it-is. It means toilet as in the archaic: “the act or process of dressing and grooming oneself” (m-w.com). But you already knew that.