Few things feel more stylishly grown-up than having a signature fragrance true to your taste and personality. If you're new to fragrances and confused by all the terminology, read on.
Eau de...what?
According to Perfume.com, there are five broad fragrance types. Parfum (or pure perfume) is the strongest and most concentrated version. 15% to 40% of parfum is purely fragrance oils, so it lasts for a long time (six to eight hours) and is the most expensive of the lot. Parfum is also better for sensitive skin as it contains less alcohol. Eau de Parfum has a fragrance concentration of 15% to 20% and lasts for four to five hours. Eau de Toilette has a fragrance concentration of 5% to 15% and lasts for two to three hours. Eau de Cologne, has a high concentration of alcohol, and a fragrance concentration of 2% to 4%. Eau Fraiche has a fragrance concentration of 1% to 3%, but contains more water, and a low alcohol concentration. (Note that after shave also has about 1% to 3% fragrance concentration, though it typically contains alcohol as it's a disinfectant.)
Top, heart and base notes
Top notes make the "first impression"— the scent when you first apply the perfume; they don't last long. Heart notes are what come forth after the top notes fade; they combine with the base notes (which appear once the top notes completely disappear) to form the full fragrance that lasts on your skin the longest.
Pour everyone!
Finally, while many fragrances are traditionally classified as "men's" (pour homme) or "women's" (pour femme), please feel free to ignore this, and wear whatever makes you happy!
1. Calvin Klein Eternity - ₹2,996
100ml. Eau de Toilette. The top notes for this fragrance are lavender, mandarin orange, bergamot and lemon. The heart notes are coriander, lily, orange blossom, juniper berries, basil, jasmine, sage, lily-of-the-valley and geranium. The base notes include sandalwood, amber, musk, vetiver and Brazilian rosewood.
Get it here.
2. Police To Be (Or Not To Be) - ₹1,899
3. Hugo Boss The Scent - ₹4,350
4. Davidoff Cool Water - ₹3,660
5. Versace Eros - ₹6,050
6. John Varvatos Artisan Pure - ₹3,955
125ml. Eau de Toilette. Contains top notes of Spanish lemon, Valencia orange, Calabrian bergamot, and petitgrain, heart notes of orange flower, coffee tree flower, jasmine, Italian orris, coriander seed and cardamom, and base notes of orris, Texan cedar wood, Virginian cedar wood, Mexican primavera wood, angelica root, ambrette seed, and tonka bean.
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7. Bleu de Chanel - ₹17,449
100ml. Eau de Parfum. The top notes for this fragrance are lemon, grapefruit, vetiver, pink pepper and marine accord. The heart notes are grapefruit, cedar wood, labdanum, peppermint, nutmeg, ginger and jasmine. The base notes contain frankincense, ginger, New Caledonian sandalwood, and amber wood.
Get it here.
8. Gucci Guilty Intense - ₹6,000
9. Versace Man Eau Fraiche - ₹5,700
10. L'Eau Par Kenzo by Kenzo - ₹4,300
11. Paco Rabanne, Invictus - ₹5,600
12. Bvlgari Man In Black - ₹5,185
13. Armani Eau Pour Homme - ₹8,551
14. Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male - ₹5,600
15. Bentley Infinite Intense - ₹5,950
16. Extreme by Paul Smith - ₹6,645
17. Opium by Yves Saint Laurent - ₹8,399
18. Terre D'Hermes - ₹13,500
