Perfume Concentrations, Cologne, EDT, and EDP?

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One of the most common questions amongst individuals not familiar with perfumes is, “What’s the difference between eau de toilette and eau de parfum?”

Simply put, in very general terms, an eau de parfum tends to contain a higher percentage of fragrance oils than an eau de toilette. These terms are just two names that perfume makers use to denote the concentration and strength of their fragrances. The scent from perfumes comes from fragrance oils which are then dissolved in alcohol or water (sometimes both). The concentrates are determined by how much fragrance oil to alcohol/water content is contained within the bottle.

Below is a chart showing you the different concentrations of perfumes:

Eau Fraiche, Mist, Splash – Contains 1 – 3% fragrance oil.
Eau de Cologne (EDC) – Contains 2 – 5% fragrance oil.
Eau de Toilete (EDT) – Contains 4 – 10% fragrance oil.
Eau de Parfum (EDP) – Contains 8 – 15% fragrance oil.
Parfum, Extrait – Contains 15 – 25% fragrance oil.
Perfume Oil – Contains 15 – 30% fragrance oil usually mixed in oil.

While these are generally agreed upon concentrations, some perfume houses will sometimes adjust the amounts of fragrance oils for certain notes in their EDT and EDP versions, causing the two concentrations to smell different instead of just stronger or weaker.

In addition to this there is sometimes confusion surrounding cologne vs. perfume. Most people think that cologne is a word used to refer to men’s fragrances but sometimes, as you can see in the above chart, cologne can be referring to the eau de cologne concentration. However, the term cologne, if used these days, will typically refer to a men’s fragrance. This does not mean a woman cannot wear cologne or a man cannot wear perfume. Many unisex fragrances are labeled as either one or the other. Besides, wear what you like.

Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab Dana O’Shee

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Dana O’Shee is one of the lightest fragrances I own. A little doesn’t do it for this one simply because it’s so translucent. One look at the notes should tell you enough and make you wonder how a grain scent is supposed to be isolated. It’s not like milk and honey help much either. So when it comes down to it, Dana O’Shee requires slathering. Dana O'Shee

In Bottle: Honeyed almonds. Very simple, quite the gourmand. It’s extremely simple though and I can’t help but draw the similarity between Dana O’Shee and the almond extract in my cupboard. When it all comes down to it, had Dana O’Shee not been bottled and labeled as perfume, I might have mistaken it for a baking ingredient.

Applied: Upon application the almond fragrance starts to evaporate first and within a few moments that sweet almond extract fragrance is gone. What I’m left with is a flat, milky very slightly sweet scent. The middle stage of Dana O’Shee reminds of dusty kitchens and creamy milk. The simplicity is what helps it along. If I’m not expecting a complex garden of florals and incense, I can dig it. Dana O’Shee dries down to practically nothing within a few hours. Short lived, stays close to the skin, smells fabulously like almond extract at first then fades into creamy dust before disappearing.

Extra: From Irish folklore, the Dana O’Shee are small, beautiful, eternal little creatures that kidnap people.

Design: Presented in an amber bottle and a black twist cap with 5ml of perfume oil.

Fragrance Family: Gourmand

Notes: Almond, milk, honey, grain.

Upon visiting the kitchen and unscrewing the ol’ bottle of almond extract in my baking cupboard, I wasn’t too far off. Dana O’Shee’s almond is a touch more complex than the stuff I add to cookies but it bears an extremely close resemblance.

Reviewed in This Post: Dana O’Shee, 2009, 5ml Bottle.