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What are top, middle and base notes?

Top notes are the initial and lightest scents that you smell as soon as you spray the perfume on. Middle notes or heart notes are the heavier notes which take a little longer to develop then stay around a lot longer. Base notes are the heaviest and stay around the longest. The scent you can smell after about an hour and still smell at the end of the day is made up of the base notes.

What is the shelf life or expiry of a perfume?

Perfumes are best if used within 1 - 2 years but if kept in a cool dark place e.g. in their box and away from heat, they can last up to 5 years.

What is the difference between eau de toilette, eau de parfum and perfume?

The difference is the concentration of the oils which make up the scent. This therefore dictates how long the fragrance will stay on your skin. The one with the strongest concentration and therefore most expensive is perfume/ parfum, eau de parfum comes next and then the least concentrated, cheapest and one you will need to reapply most often is eau de toilette.

Where should I wear perfume?

Coco Chanel said to wear perfume wherever you wanted to be kissed but the more scientific answer would be wherever you generate the most heat as this is where the scent will be released best. Those places are the neck, behind the ears, in the crook of your arm and on the wrists. Not bad places to be kissed either!

Are there a set number of catagories for perfume?

Yes and no. There are 5 perfume types which all perfume houses and sellers use. They are floral, oriental, fruity, woody and green. The list does not end at 5 however as you can buy fruity/floral scents, oriental/ woody scents or any other combination of the five catagories.

Which fragrance family should I choose?

Florals are feminine and romantic and suitable for any age. Orientals are strong and often spicy with musk and vanilla tones. Fruity fragrances are fresh and youthful and most popular in summer. Woddy scents are earthy and sophisticated though some of the more popular notes such as patchouli are not to everyone's taste. Greens are fresh and neutral and use notes such as pine, grass and herbs.

If this hasn't answered your question then feel free to contact us at whichperfumecontact@googlemail.com or check out our articles page for full length perfume related articles.

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