The Ultimate Parfum Jargon

Shopping for your signature scent? Confused about cologne, parfum, eau de toilette?

Here’s the parfum jargon I live by… hope this helps you shop like a pro:

Eau de Cologne Originally, this has a 300-year-old history. Eau de Cologne was called “admirable water” or Aqua Mirabilis, produced in the Middle Ages by many Italian monasteries, to which therapeutic virtues were attributed. Back then, it was a perfumed alcoholic solution, blended with essences of plants to obtain these waters. Today they typically contain between 2% and 4% perfume oils, and are light, fresh and fruity and last for about 2 hours.

Deodorant Since the invention of the first official deodorant - MUM in 1888, it has evolved and improved tremendously and usually contains 2-3% solution of fragrance oil and mild alcohol and lasts up to 2 hours.

Eau de Toilette Legend has it that Queen Elizabeth created a fragrant oil mix with alcohol that evaporated slowly on her skin. This was the first toilet water ever developed and it was called “eau de la reine de hongrie” (water of the Queen of Hungary). Today they have a relatively light spray composition—5% to 15%—of pure perfume essence dissolved in alcohol. Expect these to last for about 3 hours.

Eau de Parfum Did you know that Princess Diana's favourite was an eau de parfum— Hermès 24 Faubourg. EDPs are usually more expensive than the rest owing to the 8-12 per cent concentration and tends to be longer lasting on the skin. These contain between 15% and 20% pure perfume essence and can last up to 8 hours.

Parfum If you’re history buff, here’s the reveal: Perfume’s fascinating trail leads us from Egypt to ancient Greece, to Rome – where rosewater played in fountains – and to France, where Louis XIV’s court was known as ‘la cour parfumée‘, with the king demanding an exclusive scent every single day.

Modern perfumery was born in the late 19th Century, and the dawn of great names like Coty, Guerlain, Roger & Gallet. Along came Coco Chanel, and No. 5 – and ‘designer’ perfumes became the order of the day. And it was Estée Lauder, in the 1950s, who with Youth Dew started the trend for wearing perfume as an everyday pleasure, rather than a just-for-special-occasions luxury. Today, Parfum remains the most concentrated and expensive of all fragrances. Slightly oilier, perfume is composed of 20% – 30% pure perfume. A single application of a perfume can last up to 24 hours.

- Neena Maini Malhotra