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| A guy's guide to buying fragrance |
| By Susan
Fenton
• Bankrate.com |
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Belly up to the fragrance bar, boys!
Mother's Day is coming up fast and there's no better
way to show mom your love than with the sweet smell
of perfume.
Unfortunately, most men don't know the difference
between eau de cologne and eau de toilette, so approaching the perfume
counter can be a tad unnerving.
Nothing's too good for the woman that
raised you so, don't let the fear of spending scare
you off. Fragrance, of course, is notoriously pricey,
but the more expensive scents usually contain the
highest quality ingredients. Manufacturers spend
millions to develop new and innovative perfumes
for clients who, in turn, spend more millions to
market and advertise a fledgling scent. During the
1990s, more than 1,000 new fragrances were launched,
some eventually to become classics worn by women
worldwide. Not surprisingly, prestige fragrances
can retail for more than $100 for just a quarter
of an ounce. But price is just one thing to consider
when deciding on the fragrance to buy.
The dilution factor
The costliest form of fragrance is pure perfume, which contains
the highest quantity of essential oils -- generally 22 percent
-- and the least amount of alcohol-based fixative.
Perfume is followed in order by:
- eau de parfum -- 15 to 22 percent essential oils
- eau de toilette -- 8 to 15 percent
- cologne or eau de cologne -- 4 percent
- eau fraiche -- the most diluted version of scent
with just 1 to 3 percent
If you're on a limited budget, you
can get the same great scent in more affordable,
yet luxurious, items such as perfumed body lotion,
bath and shower gel, shampoo and conditioner, and
body cream -- often selling in collections
in the $40 to $50 range. Designer Donna Karan's
fragrance group, Cashmere Mist, for example, even
features a $25 candle and a deodorant for $17.50.
Rochelle Bloom, president of the Fragrance
Foundation, the educational arm of the industry,
points out that fragrance should be used and enjoyed,
no matter the cost. "There are wonderful fragrances
available at all price points, and many companies
now promote special offers and fragrance sets at
very affordable prices," she says. For example,
Bulgari offers a Green Tea Eau Parfumee package
containing cologne, bath gel and lotion, all for
$75 on Sephora.com.
Size does matter
In addition, size usually gives a price benefit. In other words,
the larger the bottle, the less cost per ounce. Yves St. Laurent's
Opium is a case in point. Created in 1977, Opium became an instant
phenomenon. A dazzling, refined blend of rose, carnation, sandalwood,
lily of the valley, pepper and clove, Opium falls into what's called
an "oriental," -- one of the basic
six categories of scent. The 1.6-ounce eau de toilette spray,
a popular form of the scent, retails for about $63. Yet, the 3.3-ounce
size, with more than twice the content, sells for $86, only $23
more.
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