I love shopping for a new fragrance but some people find it mind-blowing. Perfume is expensive but, fortunately, there are many amazing Eau de Parfums and Eau de Toilettes at more affordable prices. These can be similar in price so what is the real difference and is one better than the other?

Eau de Parfum or Eau de Toilette – what’s the actual difference?

In a nutshell, Eau de Parfum has a higher concentration of perfume oil than Eau de Toilette. This difference in strength makes Eau de Parfum last longer on your skin than Eau de Toilette.

Should you buy Eau de Parfum orToilette?

If you want a stronger smelling and longer-lasting fragrance, the choice is simple – buy Eau de Parfum. Eau de Parfum contains 15 to 20% perfume oil whereas Eau de Toilette has 5 to 15%. Eau de Parfum is often more expensive but it does have a better scent projection and longevity.

You might find that one brand of Eau de Parfum has the same concentration of perfume oil as another brand of Eau de Toilette. So make sure you check the ingredients.

Eau de Toilette vs Eau de Parfum price

The most expensive component of any fragrance whether it’s Eau de Parfum, Eau de Toilette or any other concentration, is the perfume oil. Hence, the higher the perfume oil concentration in your chosen scent, the higher the price.

If you buy an Eau de Toilette because it has a lower price than an Eau de Parfum, bear in mind you may find you use twice as much to achieve the desired scent projection and longevity because of the lower perfume oil content. You might get through the same-sized EDT twice as quickly as an EDP so not really save any money.

The Five Fragrance Concentrations

Now you know the difference between Eau de Toilette and Eau de Parfum you might like to know that fragrance actually comes in five different strengths – just to blow your mind that little bit more.

Keep reading and you’ll soon be buying and wearing your favorite fragrance like a pro.

Here’s a little infographic to help you visualize what we’re about to talk about.

Fragrance is simply perfume oil blended with alcohol and occasionally a tiny amount of water. The ratio of perfume oil to alcohol gives rise to five different fragrance strengths which have been named as follows, in ascending order of strength:

• Eau Fraiche
• Eau de Cologne (EDC)
• Eau de Toilette (EDT)
• Eau de Parfum (EDP)
• Perfume

1. Eau Fraiche

The term Eau Fraiche translates to fresh water, but there isn’t really any water in it to speak of. This fragrance type has the lowest concentration of perfume oil at just 1 to 2%.

What this means is that in a 100 ml bottle, 1 to 2 ml is perfume oil and 98 to 99 ml is alcohol. It’s the cheapest type of fragrance there is.

Eau Fraiche is light and refreshing to wear and its scent lasts for about 2 hours on your skin before it needs to be reapplied.

It suits a variety of people: those who don’t like strong scents, teenagers, and anyone who doesn’t want to spend too much on fragrance.

You can also wear it in situations where you really don’t want to overpower others with a strong fragrance.

2. Eau de Cologne (EDC)

The term Eau de Cologne literally translates to Cologne water. In 1709, an Italian designer living in Cologne, Germany created a light, fresh fragrance which he named after the city. Since then the name has been applied to any fragrance of similar strength.

Eau de Cologne has a concentration of between 2% and 5% perfume oil and lasts for about 4 hours before it fades. It is slightly stronger than Eau Fraiche but is still a light fragrance with a low scent projection. It is perfect for summer days and nights and won’t overwhelm or offend other people.

This fragrance type is usually inexpensive because of its low perfume oil content and is more affordable than the higher concentrations if you’re on a budget.

Contrary to popular belief, women’s and men’s fragrance comes in Eau de Cologne form – it’s not just for men!

3. Eau de Toilette (EDT)

Eau de Toilette means quite literally toilet water. But don’t worry, no water from toilets is used to make it – honest!

In French, toilette refers to “la toilette” of a woman, pertaining to the clothing and make-up she wears for a special event. So the term Eau de Toilette once referred to the perfumed water a woman applied before going out. Now it’s a fragrance type anyone can wear, not just women.

Eau de Toilette is the most common type of fragrance. With 5 to 15% perfume oil, it can last anywhere from 6 to 10 hours per application.

Eau de Toilette seems strong when it’s first applied but dries down fairly quickly to become a scent with a fairly low projection. You can apply it quite liberally without fear of overwhelming everyone you meet.

4. Eau de Parfum (EDP)

Eau de Parfum means perfume water. With a concentration of 15 to 20% perfume oil, it’s a reasonably strong fragrance that can last anything from 8 to 12 hours with one application.

The higher concentration of perfume oil means this fragrance type is that bit more expensive but you should need to apply less than you would an Eau de Toilette.

For daytime, 5 sprays are a nice amount but for a night out you can apply more for a stronger effect.

5. Perfume (Parfum)

The word perfume comes from the Latin “per fumus” meaning “by smoke”. This term came about because perfumes were originally released as fragrant smoke by burning incense.

Perfume has the highest concentration of perfume oils, generally 20 to 30% (and occasionally higher), making it the most expensive of the fragrance types.

Perfume should easily last on your skin for 12 hours and often longer. It’s not unusual to find you can still faintly smell it the next day.

As it’s so expensive, perfume is not something many people wear every day. They usually save it for special occasions. Often, people also buy the EDP or EDT version of their perfume for daily use.

Another difference between perfume and the other four fragrance types is that it is not applied via a spray – this would be a waste! Instead, it has a cork or screw top and should be dabbed onto pulse points.

Though it’s the most expensive type of fragrance, if you use it sparingly and store it in a cool, dark place, a bottle should last a long time.

Where to wear fragrance

Eau Fraiche, Eau de Cologne, and Eau de Toilette

Here’s a simple diagram showing you the best spots to apply fragrances with a lower perfume oil concentration in order to get the best out of them.

Any fragrance works best when applied to dry, warm skin. Ideal areas for application are the lower jaw, neck, chest, wrists, forearms, inner elbows, and shoulders. In these areas, body heat helps to project the scent and make it last longer.

Only use small sprays and only add another layer over the top if you’re sure you haven’t achieved a strong enough level of scent.

A good trick to increase how long fragrance lasts on your skin is to dab on a little petroleum jelly first. This absorbs the fragrance and locks it in to prevent it from evaporating so quickly. Another thing that helps your scent linger is to spritz it onto your hair and clothes.

Eau de Parfum

As it’s stronger, you won’t need to wear Eau de Parfum in all the spots shown in the diagram above. Start with wrists and neck and see how strong it seems. If you think you need more, apply it to one more site at a time and stop before you become that person who wreaks of too much scent!

Perfume

The best way to apply perfume is carefully and sparingly. It’s expensive so you don’t want to waste it! Put a dab of petroleum jelly on the pulse points of your wrists and kneck and then dab a little perfume on each spot. Do not rub your wrists together as this evaporates the scent more quickly.

When to wear each fragrance type

Eau Fraiche

Eau Fraiche can be worn at any time. Wear it on hot summer days, for a workout or when you just want a lighter scent. It’s refreshing and inoffensive.

Eau de Cologne

Wear Eau de Cologne in the same way as Eau Fraiche. It can be a little stronger but is a great everyday fragrance type.

Eau de Toilette

You can wear Eau de Toilette day or night. For more of an effect, spray on a bit more. A more intense Eau de Toilette is great for a night out or date night.

Eau de Parfum

As it’s stronger than the first three, Eau de Parfum is great for nights out, clubbing, dating and can be quite irresistible to anyone you might be trying to impress.

In the summer, Eau de Parfum can be a bit overpowering so save it for cooler weather.

Perfume

Perfume is expensive and special so save it for special occasions and when you really want to impress – think hot dates, valentines, engagements, weddings, Christmas and New Year.

Perfume doesn’t always cope well in hot weather and can leave you smelling more overpowering than sultry.

Fragrance jargon

You may have noticed your perfume has one scent as you apply it and then changes as the day goes on. This has nothing to do with the percentage of perfume oil or the quality of the scent but has everything to do with what we refer to as the fragrance notes.

Top notes or opening notes or head notes

These notes are the ones you notice when you first spray a fragrance. They are what really make you decide if you like it or not. They evaporate quite quickly as the fragrance dries.

Middle or Heart notes

As the top notes evaporate, the middle notes develop and are the ones you’ll notice for quite some time. They mingle nicely with the top notes to give the fragrance its heart.

Base notes

Once the top notes have completely evaporated you’ll notice the base notes intermingling with the middle notes. They create a lasting impression and will linger the longest of all the notes.

Eau de Parfum or Eau de Toilette? – Conclusion

If you want a reasonably strong fragrance at a reasonable price, you’ll be happy with the performance of Eau de Toilette – it’s the most popular fragrance out there.

If you’re after something with a light fragrance and light price to match go for Eau Fraiche or Eau de Cologne.

Eau de Parfum is the next best thing to perfume and doesn’t quite cost as much.

Perfume is the creme de la creme of fragrances and is perfect if you want a strong scent for a special occasion – brace yourself for the price though.

One last thing

After investing in a fragrance you might be interested to know the answer to the question Can Fragrance Go Bad?

Creed is one of the most talked-about fragrance houses today with people wondering why their products, especially Creed Royal Oud, are so expensive and if they live up to the hype. If you love Creed Royal Oud but can’t afford it, don’t despair as there are a few excellent clones and similar fragrances available.

Instead of inundating you with information about dozens of Creed Royal Oud clones, I have selected one that I believe smells so similar only a trained nose can tell the two apart, and another very close match – which is what you really want from a good clone. I’ve also chosen two fragrances that are not clones but have similar enough aromas to Creed Royal Oud at more affordable prices.

What is The Best Creed Royal Oud Clone? Lomani Intense Black is one of the best clones of Creed Royal Oud on the market for three reasons: it has a very similar fragrance, it is less than 10% of the price of Royal Oud, and it’s very nicely packaged.

The Fragrance Notes of Creed Royal Oud

It’s the notes that give a fragrance its unique scent. In Creed Royal Oud these are:

Top Notes

• Lemon
• Pink berries (AKA pink pepper)
• Bergamot

Middle Notes

• Cedar
• Galbanum
• Angelica roots

Base Notes

• Sandalwood
• Oud
• Tonkin musk

You’ll find more about these fragrance notes further down.

Why Fragrance clones exist

Lots of people love expensive niche fragrances. Unfortunately, not everyone can afford them which creates a market for copycat scents which are far less expensive than the real thing.

What do you get from the best Creed Royal Oud clones? Niche-style fragrance at a fraction of the price!

The Best Creed Royal Oud Clones

1. Lomani Intense Black

Lomani Intense Black is the best clone of Creed Royal Oud I’ve tested. Whoever created this clone has given us an amazing replication. Like Creed Royal Oud, Lomani Intense Black has exhilarating citrusy top notes of lemon and bergamot. It dries down to the same alluringly warm fragrance of wood and spice.

Fragrance Notes of Lomani Intense Black

• Top notes: lemon, bergamot, and pink berries (AKA pink pepper)
• Middle notes: cedar, galbanum, nutmeg, and herbal notes
• Base notes: sandalwood, agarwood (oud), white musk and incense

Why Lomani Intense Black is one of the best Creed Royal Oud clones

Lomani Intense Black has many of the same scent notes as Creed Royal Oud. These give it almost the exact same opening and dry down fragrance. You would have to be quite an expert to tell one from the other.

There is one blatantly obvious difference, however, but it’s not one that will disappoint you because it’s the price! To give you an idea, at the time of writing this article for the price of a 3.33 oz (100 ml) bottle of Creed Royal Oud, you could buy 30 same-sized bottles of Lomani Intense Black. That’s a huge difference. See the current price of Lomani Intense Black on Amazon.

2. Royalty by Alexandria

Alexandria Royalty is a relatively new fragrance that compares very favorably to Creed Royal Oud. It does have a very similar scent. The top notes are a little more citrusy than peppery but the base notes are close enough to make it a very wearable clone.

Fragrance Notes of Alexandria Royalty

• Top notes: lemon, bergamot, and pink berries (AKA pink pepper)
• Middle notes: angelica, galbanum, and cedar
• Base notes: sandalwood, agarwood (oud), and musk

Why Alexandria Royalty is a good Creed Royal Oud clone

Alexandria Royalty has many of the scent notes found in Creed Royal Oud. The lemon and bergamot are a little more powerful in the opening notes which suggests it has less pink berry oil in its composition. Once dried down, the lack of incense isn’t really apparent and it feels as nice to wear as Creed Royal Oud.

A particularly welcome difference is that Royalty seems to have better staying-power than Royal Oud. Again, this clone is cheaper but not as cheap as Intense Black.

This time the same price as a 3.33 oz (100 ml) bottle of Creed Royal Oud could buy 8 same-sized bottles of Alexandria Royal, so it’s still a great deal cheaper. You can find the latest prices on Amazon.

Similar Fragrances to Creed Royal Oud

1. Memoir Man by Amouage

Amouage Memoir Man has a very memorable fragrance as does Creed Royal Oud. It’s not a clone but is a scent that feels like it’s in the same league. Amouage has a reputation for using traditional Middle Eastern perfume ingredients such as agarwood, incense, musk, rose, and spices.

Fragrance Notes of Memoir Man

• Top notes: absinth, wormwood, basil, and mint
• Middle notes: rose, frankincense, and lavender absolute
• Base notes: sandalwood, vetiver, guaiac wood, amber, vanilla, musk, oakmoss, leather, and tobacco

Why Amouage Memoir Man is similar to Creed Royal Oud

Amouage Memoir Man is a fragrance masterpiece with a similar quality to Creed Royal Oud. An abundance of ingredients combine perfectly to give it a rich, woody and spicy aroma that will suit you if you like Royal Oud but fancy an alternative with the same high-class vibe. Remember, it’s not a clone but it is still quite a bit cheaper than Creed Royal Oud. Check out the current price on Amazon.

2. Gucci Pour Homme II

Gucci Pour Homme II is often compared to Creed Royal Oud. I had to find out why. Pour Homme II is like a subtler version of Royal Oud. It has the same citrusy bergamot top notes toned down by the light powdery bitterness of violets. The black tea note is cozy and almost reminds me of chai tee and the cinnamon gives it a sweet, spicy edge. The overall effect of Gucci Pour Homme II is a rich warm fragrance that is reminiscent of Creed Royal Oud, but not a clone.

Fragrance Notes of Gucci Pour Homme II

• Top notes: bergamot and violet leaves
• Middle notes: pimento, black tea, and cinnamon
• Base notes: tobacco leaves, musk, myrrh, and olive wood

Why Gucci Pour Homme II is similar to Creed Royal Oud

These two are similar because of the fresh bergamot aroma in the opening notes and the musk and wood scents in the base notes. Both can be classed as woody, spicy fragrances.

So if you like Creed Royal Oud you might like Gucci Pour Homme II as an alternative that gives off a similar vibe. A sure sign that this is a great fragrance is it’s often out of stock! You might be lucky enough to get your hands on a bottle! See the latest price on Amazon.

An explanation of Creed Royal Oud fragrance notes

It’s the perfect mix of ingredients that give Creed Royal Oud its spectacular aroma. But how? What is each ingredient and what does it add to the fragrance?

Creed closely guards the full list of ingredients because they don’t want to make it easy to copy. These are the ones they are happy to share. Guessing the rest is what makes the clones similar but not exactly the same fragrance.

Top notes

1. Lemon

The fresh citrusy lemon scent in perfume cones from lemon essential oil. The oil is cold-pressed from the lemon peel. It takes the peel from 450 lemons to produce 3 oz of lemon essential oil!

2. Pink berries or pink pepper

The pink berries used to produce the essential oil used in perfume come from the evergreen tree, Schinus Molle. They are sometimes referred to as pink pepper but are not related to peppers.

PIn berry essential oil has a fresh, intense, sweet-spicy aroma with a light floral note.

3. Bergamot

Bergamot is a fragrant citrus fruit from the Citrus bergamia plant. It is common throughout the Mediterranean and produces fruit the size of oranges and the color of limes. Unlike other citrus fruits, bergamot has a distinctive, heady fragrance that’s slightly acidic, bitter, spicy and floral.

The essential oil used in perfumes is cold-pressed from the peel. It takes about 100 Bergamot fruits to produce approximately 3 oz. of Bergamot Essential Oil.

Middle Notes

1. Cedar

Cedar has a clean, balsamic woody odor. The essential oil used in perfume is produced from the foliage, and sometimes the wood and roots.

2. Galbanum

Galbanum is a resin ingredient essential in the chypre family of fragrances and adds a distinctive spicy bitter green note It is extracted from an umbelliferous (umbrella-like) Persian grass.

3. Angelica roots

Angelica roots have an aroma of earth, musk, and pepper, with a hint of citrus. The essence of angelica roots is obtained through steam distillation.

Base Notes

1. Sandalwood

Sandalwood comes from trees in the genus Santalum class which are woody, flowering plants. It has a creamy, spicy and freshly cut wood aroma.

Sandalwood oil is extracted by steam distillation whereby steam is passed through the powdered wood.

2. Oud

Oud is an oil extracted from Southeast Asian agar trees. The tree must be infected with a specific mold (Phialophora parasitica), which causes it to react by producing a dark, scented resin. Infected wood is chipped then soaked in order to distill the oil from them.

OUd has a warm sweet woody aroma with balsamic notes. It’s an aromatic and complex scent.

Oud is possibly the most expensive wood in the world. Sometimes referred to as ‘liquid gold’, it is ounce for ounce more expensive than gold.

3. Tonkin musk

Tonkin Vietnamese pure musk oil is one of the rarest in the world and ounce for ounce is more expensive than gold. Musk is a strong-smelling secretion from a gland in the abdomen of male deer. The glands are harvested from deceased animals, chopped and soaked in alcohol to extract the required fragrance.

Musk has a strong, animalistic, woody, aroma. Most perfume makers now use only synthetic musk for obvious reasons.

A final word on Creed Royal Oud

If you’re after a Creed Royal Oud clone that’s a fraction of the price of the real deal, then I recommend you try Lomani Intense Black.

If you want something similar then Royalty by Alexandria is a good choice.

If you really want Creed Royal Oud but it’s the price that’s holding you back you could purchase a decant – a small vile decanted from a larger bottle and usually in 5, 10 or 15 ml sizes. Shop around on the internet for the best price but beware of fakes!

Fancy bottles and packaging may draw our eye to a fragrance but what actually makes us buy it is the scent. So when a popular scent we know and love suddenly doesn’t seem quite the same anymore it comes as a bit of a surprise.

Why are fragrances reformulated? Fragrances are reformulated for several reasons such as increased costs or decreased availability of ingredients, ingredients becoming classified as allergens, lowering the cost of producing the fragrance and appealing to a fresh audience. Reformulation can change the scent for the better, but not always.

Some fragrances are reformulated without any obvious changes but with others, the difference is really noticeable. We’ll take an in-depth look at all the reasons for reformulation in a moment. But first:

What is a reformulated fragrance?

A reformulated fragrance is one that’s recreated with a change to the original ingredients which are often referred to as the notes. The individual notes blended in specific quantities give the fragrance its unique aroma. Therefore, a company will only reformulate a fragrance for what it deems to be a necessary reason.

Sometimes ingredients become too rare and expensive, leaving a company with no alternative but to reformulate a fragrance with synthetic alternatives. Many of these synthetic ingredients are indistinguishable from the real thing, such as ambergris, but others do affect the overall scent.

Reformulating a popular fragrance is always a risky move as there’s no way of knowing how the fanbase will receive the changes. Sometimes they love it and sometimes they don’t. Here are a few scenarios and outcomes:

• The scent is unchanged – everyone’s happy.
• The scent is subtly altered in a good way – some people are still sad because it no longer smells like their favorite scent, some people embrace the change.
• The scent is noticeably different and some say it’s an improvement – true fans are distraught, however, new fans are won over by the new fragrance and it becomes their new favorite.
• The scent is different and not in a good way – no one wants to buy the reformulated scent and mourn the loss of what was a classic fragrance.

Occasionally, even though a reformulation doesn’t alter the scent of a fragrance it does change its projection or longevity on the skin.

Reasons Why Companies Reformulate Popular Fragrances

As touched on earlier there is more than one reason for reformulating a fragrance. Here they are in greater detail:

1. Banned and restricted ingredients

Oakmoss was a key ingredient in some of the most popular and profitable fragrances until industry regulators, the International Fragrance Association (IFA), restricted its use.

Testing showed it to occasionally cause skin complaints such as dermatitis. Perfume makers had to find an alternative to this strong, earthy-mossy aroma. Classis fragrances such as Chanel No 5 and Miss Dior were affected.

Oakmoss is an integral ingredient of all chypre and fougère scents for women and men. Chypre fragrances have citrus top notes and woody base notes of oakmoss and ambergris, while fougère fragrances have lavender top notes and oakmoss and coumarin base notes. 

Other ingredients have been banned or restricted for health or environmental reasons, including substances that have been used for centuries. These include:

• rose oil
• jasmine absolute
• spice extracts
• bergamot and other citrus oils

The list of banned and restricted ingredients is always under threat of change so there’s is no telling what great fragrances will become endangered by the reformulations this might necessitate in the future.

2. Cost Cutting

Reformulation can occur as a cost-cutting exercise. Companies are first and foremost interested in making a profit. If profit margins reduce they have to look at ways to increase them. Sometimes they lower the concentration of perfume in a fragrance and sometimes they swap expensive ingredients for cheaper ones. This does reduce production costs but, unfortunately, often alters the scent.

3. Keeping up with an everchanging market

The perfume market is ever-changing and sometimes a little reformulation breathes new life into a fragrance – enough to renew its popularity with the up and coming generation of fragrance buyers. If a classic is not selling anymore it has to move with the times or it might disappear altogether.

4. Ingredient shortages

Even if ingredients aren’t limited or banned by regulatory bodies, mother nature has her own way of necessitating changes. She sometimes naturally leaves the perfume industry in short supply of crucial ingredients.

Some ingredients are becoming extinct meaning their rarity hikes their prices beyond affordability. Perfume makers are left with no alternative but to replace ingredients that would simply make the fragrance unaffordable.

Ambergris is a classic example of a perfume ingredient that costs the Earth. It is very effective as an agent that fixes fragrance to our skin, making it last longer. Ambergris only forms in the intestines of sperm whales and pygmy sperm whales and then only in a very few of them.

Ambergris’ purpose is to trap indigestible items from the Whale’s diet, such as squid beaks. If and when it is expelled (through their rectum), Ambergris floats around in the ocean, sometimes for years, until it is washed up on to beaches. As it’s so rare, it costs a small fortune – in excess of $10,000 per pound.

When a different aroma isn’t caused by reformulation

Many fragrances contain natural ingredients and the scent of these cannot always be guaranteed to be exactly the same all the time. There will be subtle differences.

When a batch of fragrance is produced and bottled, the scent of every bottle should be the same. However, the next batch may vary ever so slightly because of subtle differences in the aromas of the perfume oils.

Quality control should ensure that perfume from one batch to the next smells virtually the same as, obviously, consistency is expected from its purchasers.

If you are regularly using a fragrance you probably won’t notice any difference from batch to batch but if you stop using it for a couple of years then go back to it you might think it has changed quite a bit and even suspect it has been reformulated.

Famous reformulations

1. Chanel N⁰ 5

Chanel N⁰ 5 has been around since 1921. It was reformulated in 2012 as soon as there was talk of banning the use of oakmoss. It has also incorporated changes to appeal to the preferences of a new audience who will hopefully grow with it. Many fragrance wearers today are too young to have experienced the aroma of the original Chanel N⁰ 5. I first tried it in the 1980s and today’s formulation really isn’t that different.

2. Oscar by Oscar de la Renta

Oscar by Oscar de la Renta came out in 1977. My friend’s mom wore this in the 1980s and I loved it. At the time I didn’t realize it was the combination of lavender, rosemary, and carnation, with sweet, powdery, musky base notes that made it so irresistible. I bought a bottle the moment I could afford it.

Today’s version of Oscar is definitely different from that late 1980s scent I bought but it’s still a beautiful fragrance.

3. L’Eau D’Issey by Issey Miyake

L’Eau D’Issey came out in 1992. I first experienced it in 1998. It has since been reformulated and there are mixed reviews from fans. Some say it is not the same and some say it doesn’t last so long on their skin. The bottle pictured above was bought about a year ago by my hubby and we both think its scent is as great as always and it seems to last as long too.

4. Angel by Thierry Mugler

Thierry Mugler Angel hit the perfume shelves in 1992 and became my mom’s new favorite. We still have a couple of bottles as pictured above. It has undergone a reformulation related to the oakmoss crisis but still smells the same to us.

5. Aramis by Estee Lauder

Aramis appeared in 1964 and is still around now. The reformulated version has less clove and the oakmoss has been toned down. It’s still a gorgeous fragrance.

Conclusion

There’s always a reason behind the reformulation of a fragrance but it’s not something a perfume maker usually discloses. Many fragrances have been reformulated over the years without us even knowing.

If your favorite fragrance changes and you don’t like it, move on – there’s not a lot else you can do and there’s definitely no point in sulking about it. The best thing you can do is get over it and have fun deciding on a new one.

Most of the time reformulated fragrances still have great aromas and continue to be as popular as ever.

If you’re into fragrances then you must have noticed a select few have mega high price tags. Like me, you’ve probably wondered why this is and if they are actually worth paying so much more for.

Are expensive fragrances worth it? Expensive perfumes and fragrances have better quality ingredients than their less expensive counterparts. They contain a higher percentage of fragrance oil meaning the perfume lingers a lot longer on your skin. It may cost more but expensive perfume is usually worth it.

The more expensive a fragrance is the more time and money has been spent developing and perfecting it. Its ingredients are often rare, more natural and often handpicked for guaranteed quality. The fragrance is tweaked and reformulated until perfection is achieved. The scent content is higher than in a cheaper fragrance to ensure it has staying power on the skin. All of the above contribute to a high price tag.

Here’s why those expensive fragrances have to have their high price tags:

• They contain rare and expensive ingredients
• Perfecting the required scent involves expert perfumers
• The bottle is carefully designed
• Luxurious packaging is chosen
• The perfect branding is created
• A huge marketing campaign promotes the new fragrance

Are Expensive Fragrances Worth the Price?

If you really like a fragrance and are happy to pay the expensive price on the tag then to you it is worth it. 100 ml of fragrance will last for about 1400 sprays. So you can work out how much it actually costs you to wear and how long it will last.

Here’s an example using my current favorite fragrance, Creed Aventus:

• 100 ml of Creed Aventus at the time of writing this is $435 from the official Creed online store
• 100 ml gives approximately 1400 sprays
• $435 / 1400 is approximately 31 cents per spray
• An average application uses 5 sprays, 5 x 31 = $1.55
• A 100 ml bottle will last 280 days if you apply 5 sprays per day

So the cost of using Creed Aventus is about $1.55 per day. And having recently tried a sample on the back of my hand, I can tell you its fragrance is still very noticeable after 12 hours and several hand washes.

Now, most people don’t bat an eyelid at paying $2.75 for a cup of coffee every day which might last 10 minutes. I think this more than justifies spending a mere $1.55 per day on an application of fragrance which lasts all day.

Now for comparison, let’s look at Eau de Cedrat by L’Occitane which is currently $65 for 75 ml. This is one my husband currently wears. The scent of this begins to fade after about 3 hours. If he applies it in the morning he needs to reapply it at lunch and again early evening. Therefore has to apply 15 sprays per day to be sure to smell it all day long.

Time for some more math to compare this to Creed Aventus:

• 100 ml of Eau de Cedrat equates to $87
• Per spray is 87 / 1400 which is just over 6 cents per spray
• 15 sprays cost about 93 cents

So yes, this does work out a little cheaper and could be considered better value for money but it is only better value if you also happen to prefer the cheaper of the two.

Are the above-mentioned fragrances worth their price tags? This is really a decision for you to make.

Be sure before you buy

It’s not worth getting into debt over a fragrance purchase so buy the nicest one you can afford, especially if you haven’t bought fragrance before. You don’t have to go straight in at the deep end with a high priced cologne.

If a fragrance is really expensive but you really like it and have the money to spare then go for it. It’s worth every cent if it makes you happy.

If you own a range of fragrances and are looking for something a little more niche to expand your collection, you’re probably going to go for something quite expensive and not worry about the expense.

There are some really fabulous fragrances to choose from ranging from bargain prices to ultra-expensive. It is more important to buy one you really love the scent of and if this happens to be a relatively cheap one that’s a bonus. You don’t have to spend a fortune to guarantee a great aroma.

If you do break the bank and buy an expensive fragrance, make it last longer by not using it every day and storing it carefully to prevent it from going bad.

Behind the Scenes Expenses

Earlier, I listed the reasons why some fragrances are so expensive. Let’s examine these in a bit more detail.

• They contain rare and expensive ingredients
• Perfecting the required scent involves expert perfumers
• The bottle is carefully designed
• Luxurious packaging is chosen
• The perfect branding is created
• A huge marketing campaign promotes the new fragrance

Rare ingredients

It seems the highest quality ingredients are rare and therefore expensive. Others are needed in such large quantities to produce minuscule amounts of perfume oil that they also cost the earth.

Here are five of the most expensive ingredients used by the perfume industry:

• Orris: One of the rarest perfume ingredients created from the root of the iris.
• Bulgarian rose: About 625 pounds of petals produce a measly one ounce of oil.
• Jasmine: About 224,000 handpicked flowers produce just one ounce of essential oil.
• Ambergris: This is a waxy substance produced by the intestines of sperm whales.
• Oud: This requires an oil distilled from rare agarwood that’s been specifically infected with a mold to give its resin the required aroma.

Perfecting the scent

Fragrances are made by blending alcohol, water, and fragrance oils. There are four different strengths as follows:

• Perfume: 20 – 30% fragrance oil
• Eau de Parfum: 15 – 20% fragrance oil
• Eau de Toilette: 5 – 15% fragrance oil
• Eau de Cologne: 2 – 5% fragrance oil

An expensive fragrance is often developed over a long period of time by expert perfumers whose time costs money.

Designing the bottle

When people spend a lot of money on a fragrance the bottle is almost as important as the scent. It’s all part of the pleasure. In the first place, it’s often the bottle that makes one fragrance stand out from the crowd. The price of the bottle pushes up the price of purchasing the fragrance by a considerable amount and many expensive bottles are collectible.

Perfume companies invest a lot of time and money ensuring the bottle is exactly right for the fragrance. Crystal bottles are often used and these are expensive to manufacture.

Some of the most expensive fragrances have been sold in limited edition bottles adorned with gold and diamonds costing thousands of dollars.

Eye-catching packaging

A lot of thought goes into the box an expensive fragrance is packaged in so, of course, this bumps up the price.

Branding

If an established brand produces a new fragrance, the brand is already well-known which helps to sell the latest scent produced.

For a new company to be successful in selling its fragrance, branding is important. Developing a brand and designing a logo is an expensive process that is reflected in the retail price.

Marketing and advertising

Once a new fragrance has been created the company has to let the world know it exists. A marketing campaign is created to ensure people become aware that there’s a new scent on the block. A good campaign can cost millions of dollars.

Nothing sells a fragrance like a celebrity. Marilyn Monroe will be forever associated with Chanel No. 5 ever since she famously announced it was all she wore in bed.

Martin Scorcese directed the 2013 ad, ‘Street of Dreams’ featuring Matthew McConaughey and Scarlett Johansson advertising Dolce & Gabbana’s The One. You can only imagine how much that cost.

Actor Jared Leto starred in an advert set in Venice for the Gucci fragrance Guilty when it was first released. Obviously this would have cost a considerable amount.

There are times when expensive ads aren’t deemed necessary. Reputation and word of mouth are sometimes all it takes. Take Creed for example. Their fragrances are expensive yet popular but it’s rare to see them advertise. Can’t afford Creed? Try a great clone.

The Company’s Size and Costs

Large fragrance companies have huge overheads. As soon as a well-established brand decides to launch a new scent the costs begin to mount up. They cannot risk failure and so their new product’s price will be similar to others they sell and to those of their competitors. This is why many fragrances are similarly priced.

The smaller niche companies, however, can take more risks and be that bit more adventurous and experimental. They produce some of the more creative and unusual fragrances on sale today at higher prices than the big brand names. Their fragrances appeal to those who don’t mind spending a bit more on something that’s out of the ordinary.

Conclusion

High-priced fragrances have high-quality ingredients and their scents last longer on your skin. They come in fabulously designed bottles and packaging and feel good to own.

But are they worth it? I think so! And if buying and wearing one makes you happy then it’s definitely worth it!

Men’s fragrance is usually in the form of Eau de Cologne or Eau de Toilette. Cologne is the cheaper of the two as it’s not so concentrated. If you like to have several colognes for various occasions you might wonder if there’s an ideal number to own.

How many bottles of cologne should a man have? A man should have at least one bottle of cologne. Many guys own at least two and there’s no law against having multiple bottles of fragrance! An opened cologne usually keeps for at least 2 years, so a man can have several bottles in use at the same time.

Reasons why some men own just one bottle of cologne

1. It’s their signature scent

Some men own just one bottle of cologne and will use nothing else. They think of it as their signature scent. It defines them and they know it’s the one everyone associates with them.

It’s the one that everyone buys them at Christmas and birthdays making it hard to ever swap to another fragrance. They often have the shower gel, aftershave balm and deodorant to match.

When a man just one bottle of cologne it is usually very carefully chosen and often quite expensive. It is one that suits day and night use and works well in any season.

2. They can’t be bothered to choose more than one

‘One bottle of cologne guys’ stick with the fragrance they think suits them and can’t be bothered to choose another. It is often the one bought by their mother, spouse or partner. They’re quite happy with it and can’t see the point of having more than one bottle.

3. Financial restraints

Cologne is quite expensive and so having one bottle is the limit for some men. On average, a 100 ml bottle lasts about 6 months if applied twice daily and up to 2 years if not used so often.

Reasons why some men own multiple bottles of cologne

1. Daytime use

Men who own several different colognes often have one that they only use in the daytime. It’s usually quite light and fresh and often not the most expensive one in their collection.

3. Evening use

Many men like to have a second bottle of cologne in reserve for evenings out. This one is usually stronger and more expensive than their daytime fragrance.

3. Seasonal colognes

Men who truly understand colognes know it’s good to choose them to match the season.

Hot weather intensifies our sense of smell whilst cold weather dulls it. Therefore it makes sense to use less intense fragrances in the summer and stronger ones in the winter. There are some great examples further down.

4. Unable to resist a new one

Some men are just addicted to buying colognes. They like the smell and just have to buy it – which is fine if you can afford it.

5. Fragrance bought as a gift

Sometimes men own several bottles of cologne because they have been bought for them as gifts. The problem with choosing a cologne for someone else is you pick the one you like the smell of, not necessarily one the man it’s intended for would choose.

It’s difficult to choose a new fragrance for someone else to wear as everyone has completely different tastes. Scent can smell different on different people so it’s a bit of a risk to take.

6. They love collecting fragrances

Cologne can be quite addictive and with hundreds to choose from it’s no wonder men who love fragrances end up with many bottles of the stuff.

Keeping multiple fragrances fresh

If you own several bottles of cologne, the way you store them is key to keeping them smelling good for as long as possible.

Do:

• Keep caps on spray bottles.
• Screw the lids on tight on the bottles with screw tops.
• Keep them in the cardboard boxes they came in or in a dark place.
• Store them at a constant cool temperature.
• Keep them away from direct sunlight.

Don’t:

• Keep them in a very cold fridge.
• Freeze them.
• Keep them on a window ledge.
• Place them near a heater or radiator.
• Store them in the bathroom.

How to build the perfect cologne collection for every occasion

At Work

If you work in an office, choose a lighter cologne that won’t overpower the person at the other end of the room and leave them with a headache.

You may not be the boss but you can include Hugo Boss Bottled in your cologne collection. It’s the perfect workday fragrance and will last all day long without projecting itself into your colleague’s nostrils.

The apple, cinnamon, vanilla, and sandalwood notes are an impressive yet laid-back combination.

Not at work

This is the time to wear something without worrying about offending people you work with.

Versace Eau Fraiche is a popular, timeless fragrance that’s a must-have for any cologne lover’s collection. It combines cedar, amber, and lemon to give a quirky fragrance.

Date night

When you want to make an everlasting impression, you need just the right fragrance – one that your date won’t forget for the right reasons.

For this, I have to recommend Creed Aventus. I fell in love with it last weekend after sampling it in a department store. It is a little on the expensive side (this article explains why Creed fragrance is so expensive) but it really lasts on your skin and in your memory.

Buy this from the Creed Official Online Store or another reputable store.

Clubbing

Colognes with stronger scents are the ultimate choice for clubbing no matter what season it is. You want to stand out from the crowd, after all.

Calvin Klein’s Obsession is a must in any self-respecting man’s fragrance collection. With its fiery and unforgettable aroma, you’ll definitely make a memorable impression.

Spring

Spring calls for fragrances with a medium to lower projection and fresh, floral notes. There are many that fit this description. If you haven’t tested Dior Sauvage, I recommend you try it out as it is perfect for this time of year. It features pepper, mint, patchouli, and ambergris – you have to smell it to appreciate what I mean.

Summer

Fresh, zesty yet subtle fragrances are great for summer when our noses are extra sensitive to scents.

One of my all-time favorites is Acqua Di Gio by Giorgio Armani. It contains a combination of citrus fruits, jasmine, bergamot, and neroli which make it a fabulous daytime summer fragrance that also works in the evening.

Fall

As the temperatures begin to drop, you can start to wear those fragrances that have a stronger scent projection again.

If you haven’t come across Spice bomb by Viktor & Rolf, try it out! It has an irresistible oriental wood and spice aroma – perfect in the cooler Fall season.

Winter

In the winter when our noses are less sensitive, stronger scents can take center stage. Think evening by the fireside and rollneck sweaters. An unforgettable fragrance that goes hand in hand with colder weather is Paco Rabanne 1 Million.

Its notes include grapefruit, orange, mint, rose, cinnamon, patchouli, and amber. Once you’ve experienced this aroma you’ll never forget it and you’ll definitely want to wear it.

The optimum number of colognes a man should own

As colognes can be quite expensive, you might want to know the optimum amount to own so that they don’t go bad before you use them up.

Here comes some math – don’t worry, it’s not too complicated:

• 100 ml of fragrance holds approximately 1400 sprays.
• If you use 5 sprays per day, 100 ml will last 280 days.
• On average opened cologne stays for 2 to 3 years.

Using the above information, if you buy three different 100 ml bottles of fragrance, you will have a total of 4200 sprays – enough to last 840 days or about 2 years and 4 months.

Ok, so it seems if he doesn’t want to risk wasting any, a man should only own 3 bottles of cologne at any one time. That would be impossible for many people and would really limit their enjoyment of the many fragrances out there to experience.

What’s the alternative? Own more and waste it or try to purchase 50 ml bottles which would mean you could own six!

Whatever you decide, enjoy your cologne and don’t feel guilty if you waste a little!

Further information

If you’ve ever wondered about the different strengths of fragrance, Should I Buy Eau de Parfum or Eau de Toilette? has all the answers.

Nothing lasts forever, cologne included. Anything that contains natural ingredients will eventually deteriorate. The perfume oils used to scent cologne are crafted from flowers, fruits, seeds, leaves, roots, wood, and resins all of which decompose over time.

If you love buying new fragrances as much as I do, you may have several bottles opened at the same time and find yourself wondering if you’ll be able to use them up before they start to go bad.

As cologne contains natural ingredients, it will eventually go bad. Even though colognes don’t have expiry dates, as a general rule they start to go off after 24 months; you’ll probably notice a change in the smell. However, you can take some simple steps to make your cologne last a lot longer.

How to tell if cologne has gone bad

There are three tests that can help you to decide if your cologne is still OK or if it has gone off:

• If your cologne smells as it did the day you started using it, no matter how old it is, keep on using it. The exception to this rule is if you suddenly have an adverse reaction to it such as the appearance of a rash on your skin – then I would definitely throw it out.

• If the aroma of an older cologne has altered a little but you still like it, keep on wearing it. However, if it irritates your skin in any way, it’s time to stop using it.

• If an older cologne has changed from pleasant to pongy, it has well and truly gone bad and should be consigned straight to the trash can.

Any scented formulations can go bad

Cologne (or Eau de Cologne) is just one version of a scented formulation or fragrance. Contrary to popular belief, it is not just a fragrance for men but can be worn by anyone.

The most commonly used fragrances are:

• Perfume (parfum)
• Eau de Parfum (EDP)
• Eau de Toilette (EDT)
• Eau de Cologne (EDC)

What is the difference between them and which lasts the longest once opened?

Here’s an infographic to help you visualize their composition:

Though cologne can go bad, having a higher alcohol content helps it to last longer after being unsealed than perfume, EDP and EDT.

To give you an idea of how long a cologne is expected to last before it goes bad, many manufacturers print the length of time it is expected to stay fresh for once opened on the packaging. This is known as the Period After Opening (PAO) and is stated as a number of months on an image of an open container like this:

The icon example above indicates a cologne should stay fresh for 30 months once opened. The amount of time varies from one manufacturer to another.

A quick guide to the expected PAO of different fragrance types

What makes cologne go bad?

Cologne is a blend of fragrance oil, alcohol, and a little water. The alcohol helps to spread out the individual scents enabling you to distinguish between them. The fragrance oil contains natural and synthetic ingredients blended to give the cologne its specific aroma.

You’ll never see a complete list of ingredients listed on cologne as their recipes are closely guarded secrets. Successful brands don’t want their aromas easily reproduced by others!

As soon as you break the seal of a bottle of cologne it is exposed to oxygen and from this point on it will begin to deteriorate, albeit slowly. The cause of this gradual decline in quality is oxidation, which put simply occurs when oxygen combines with any element and alters it. What this means for a fragrance is a gradual change in smell.

If your bottle of cologne is stored in an area where temperatures vary from one extreme to the other, this will increase the rate of its decline.

Of course, any liquid exposed to air will eventually evaporate – cologne included – and this is another contributing factor when it comes to a fragrance changing from its originally intended aroma. You’ll notice the liquid looks darker if this is the case.

How to delay opened cologne from going bad

When it comes to how long a cologne lasts there are many variables that come in to play:

• Screw top vs spray – Each time you open a screw-top bottle to apply cologne, it comes into contact with air which causes a gradual deterioration of the contents. With a spray bottle, this doesn’t happen therefore the cologne should stay fresher for longer.

• Keep the lid or cap on tight – Only open your cologne to use it then immediately replace the lid or cap tightly. This limits its exposure to the air.

• Exposing cologne to changing temperatures – if you sometimes store your cologne in a refrigerator and at others keep it in your bathroom, the fluctuations in temperature will cause changes to its structure and decrease its lifespan.

• Displaying cologne – if you place your cologne on a dressing table or shelf where it is exposed to sunlight it will not last as long as if you keep it in its original box and store it in a drawer or cupboard.

• Freezing – Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can save some of your favorite cologne in the freezer. It will not fair well as deep freezing changes the chemical structure and spoils its fragrance.

• No shaking! – It’s tempting to give cologne a shake before applying it. Don’t! Every time you do you mix air into it and speed up the oxidation process.

How to store opened cologne

From the day you break the seal of a bottle of cologne you begin the countdown of its life. You can lengthen the time it stays fresh by storing it upright in its original box in a dark place where the temperature is cool and stable. Always keep any screw-tops tightly closed or any caps on top of spray bottles.

Can you revive a cologne that has started to go bad?

Unfortunately not. If it has changed slightly and is still wearable, you can try to slow down its deterioration by storing it as suggested above, otherwise, there’s not a lot you can do.

How to store unopened cologne

The best way to store unopened cologne is in its original packaging in a place where the temperature is cool and stable.

How long does unopened cologne last?

The lifespan of unopened cologne varies wildly depending on a number of variables: the ingredients, the quality, its packaging to mention but a few. The on;y way you will truly know is by keeping one for so long and then testing it out.

You will read that some are still perfectly fine when opened 3 to 5 years after being bottled and sealed. Some have still been good after many more years. Again, there is no way of really knowing if a cologne lasts, say, 10 years unopened unless you store one this long and then use it.

Is there an optimum number of bottles you should own?

If you like to have several different fragrances in use at once, Eau de Cologne is the ideal choice. It is usually the least expensive and the high alcohol content – along with correct storage – means it should stay smelling great for a few years.

It’s not unusual for a person to own half a dozen fragrances at any one time. Often they tire of the scent before it runs out or goes bad.

How long does cologne last?

If you use the same cologne daily, it will run out before it has a chance to go bad. However, it will last a lot longer if it is one of many bottles you own and use.

On average, a 100 ml bottle of cologne holds 1400 to 1500 sprays. If you use 5 sprays per day it will last for 280 to 300 days. Taking the average as 100 ml lasting 290 days, you would use approximately 125 ml in a year.

If you own 5 different 100 ml bottles of cologne, you have enough to keep you going for four years and as long as you store them as suggested they should not go bad before you’ve used them up.

However, if you have 10 bottles you feasibly have an 8 year supply and could find some don’t stand the test of time and have to be thrown away.

Bearing the above in mind, it makes sense for one person to have no more than 5 bottles of cologne at any one time unless of course, you have money to burn or you regularly use more than 5 sprays per day!

At the end of the day, you are the best judge of how many bottles of cologne you should own.

Is there an ideal number of fragrances to own? I’ve answered this precise question in How many bottles of fragrance should a man have.

Here are 10 tips to remove fragrance smells from clothes without having to wash them.

The Origins of Cologne

Eau de Cologne means Cologne water. In 1709, a designer in Cologne in Germany formulated a light fragrance and named it Eau de Cologne, after the city. Since then that name has been given to any fragrance of similar strength.

Another cologne launched in Germany in 1792, is known as 4711 Original Eau de Cologne. Many brands of cologne have since come and gone but 4711 is still available today. Its success is contributed to high-quality ingredients and essential oils.