We all want to smell amazing, all the time – but the secret to achieving a gorgeous, fresh fragrance lies in knowing which type of perfume to choose for your day. Perfume types can seem confusing at first – but you don’t need to know French to navigate the eau de parfum vs eau de toilette debate. Whether you’re torn between buying a body mist vs perfume, simply looking to understand the differences between types of perfume, or in search of your new favourite summer scent – we’ve explained everything you’ll need to know before you make your next perfume purchase.
What is Eau de Parfum?
If you’ve ever found yourself wondering ‘what is eau de parfum?’ or even ‘which is stronger, eau de parfum or eau de toilette?’ – you’ve come to the right place. French perfume classifications are used universally to signal the strength of fragrances. Eau de parfum refers to scents with a higher concentration of fragrance oil than an eau de toilette.
Typically the purest perfumes, with the highest concentration of oil, will be solid. Eau de parfum then follows, composed with approximately 20 percent of perfume oil. Then, it’s eau de toilette with 15 percent, followed by eau de cologne with less than 15 percent. Spritzing your eau de parfum on pulse points like wrists, neck, behind the ears, elbows, and even behind the knees, will enhance the fragrance and longevity, as these pulse points emit heat.
For those of you in search of a gorgeous summer perfume, we’d recommend the signature scent of cult brand Sol de Janeiro: SOL Cheirosa ‘62 Eau de Parfum. Enriched with delicious notes of salted caramel, vanilla bean and rich almond, grounded with soft florals and creamy sandalwood, it’s easy to see how this scent was inspired by the warming sunshine of Rio de Janeiro.
These are some of our favourite eau de parfums for fans of luxurious, bold scents:
What is an Eau de Toilette?
So, what is an eau de toilette? Simply put, it’s a less concentrated version of eau de parfum – but significantly more concentrated than a body mist or perfume spray. We love an eau de toilette for a middle ground between pricier eau de parfums and an everyday mist.
These are our top eau de toilette picks…
Eau de Parfum Vs Eau De Toilette: What Are the Differences?
Generally, an eau de parfum will provide a richer, denser scent which is down to its concentrated composition, whereas an eau de toilette will be fresher and lighter. You may have noticed that eau de parfum is usually more expensive than other types of perfume – and the price difference is because there’s more perfume oil within an eau de parfum formula.
Although every perfume will react with your individual body chemistry differently (which is why the same scent can smell different on you and your friend), you’ll usually find that an eau de parfum develops into a heady, opulent scent on your skin. But an eau de toilette will remain the same density from the first spritz.
What is a Perfume or Body Mist?
Perfume mist, body mist, perfume spray, and body spray are all labels used to describe fragrances with a lighter formula than eau de parfums and eau de toilettes. The difference between body mists and perfume lies in their different strengths of perfume oil. Mists have a more subtle scent than those highly concentrated formulas, and are usually best used as a refreshing scent top up throughout the day.
Whilst many fragrance fans have experienced reluctance to switch from their beloved, tried-and-tested eau de parfums in favour of a body mist, there are actually a number of benefits to using a body mist. To keep topping up your fragrance with an expensive perfume throughout the day would become very spenny, very quickly, if you spritz anything like us. A body mist provides the perfect scent top up, without costing the earth, and allows you to experiment with different scents without making a big investment, first.
When it comes to perfume mists, Sol de Janeiro fragrances are some of the best around. With so many to choose from we’ve created a guide to all the Sol de Janeiro scents to help you choose which to go for.
These are just some of our favourite perfume mists…
