A perfume bottle label usually features multiple lines of ingredients, manufacturing details, storage tips, as well as important symbols that you should be able to understand before you make your purchase. These messages are often overlooked and misunderstood.
The level of information on a perfume package can be broken down into:
Notes
- Top note – These are the impressions that are first smelt as soon as a perfume is sprayed and are very light which means they evaporate the quickest.
- Middle note – They form the main body of the fragrance and are strongest once the top notes fade away and provide the main depth of the fragrance
- Base note – These notes are the foundation of a perfume and are the longest lasting notes of the perfume composition
Concentration levels
- Eau de Cologne (EDC) – Colognes have the lowest concentration of fragrance oils, generally around the 2-4% mark and are typically very light and available for a lower price
- Eau de Toilette (EDT) – Majority of the commercial fragrances fall into this category. EDT have a concentration of between 5-15% of fragrance oils and typically last longer than EDCs
- Eau de Parfum (EDP) – EDPs are longer lasting fragrances, having a fragrance oil concentration between 15-20% and are typically made for evening perfumes with the aim of having a strong scent presence
- Extrait de Parfum (Parfum) – These are fragrances with the highest concentration levels of oils, typically between 15-40%. Due to their composition, these fragrances tend to be quite expensive and last the longest due to their intensity
Other labels generally include the different fragrance families that the perfume is a part of, ingredients and their origins (which can be both natural and synthetic). Some manufacturers also add labels of key ingredients which can assist individuals identify possible allergens.
