Perfumes are made up of essential oils and alcohol. Alcohol is one of the main elements of perfume. The oil must be higher in concentration with alcohol. The other elements of a perfume include different aromas and water. Water is added to the perfume to balance the concentration. A strong perfume contains 15-20% essential oil. Eau de Toilette is commonly used perfume with 5-8% oil.

Alcohol is added to a perfume to make the perfume smell stronger. When there is a low percentage of essential oil in the perfume then alcohol is added. Eau de Cologne perfumes have the lowest oil concentration, so alcohol is added to the colognes to make them smell stronger. The odourless alcohol Ethanol is used. Special denatured or SD alcohol has additives and it is very hard to get. A substitute of SD alcohol is Everclear. Everclear is a product of pure grain alcohol and contains up to 95% ethanol.

Alcoholic perfumes evaporate much faster than non-alcoholic perfumes. When you spray these fragrances onto your body they smell strong but after an hour or two the perfumes start losing their fragrance. You won't be able to smell these fragrances at all after about 3-4 hours. Non-alcoholic perfumes don't evaporate so fast, so last longer. Alcoholic and non-alcoholic perfumes have differences in their packaging and pricing as well. Most non-alcoholic perfumes come in small bottles. These bottles are very simple and ordinary. On the contrary, alcoholic perfumes come with attractive packaging. The bottles containing alcoholic perfumes are very attractive and specially designed. These perfumes come in various sizes and designs.

There are many reasons why some people prefer non-alcoholic perfumes over alcoholic perfumes. One of the main reasons is religion, as Islam prohibits alcohol and that's why people following Islamic traditions don't use alcoholic perfumes. Another reason is skin care, as alcoholic perfumes and products can damage your skin badly. Some people don't like alcoholic perfumes just because they love natural things.

- Harish Sheel

Perfume comes in many varieties. Picking that special scent for a loved one can often become a minefield. There are many characteristics of a perfume, ranging from the concentration of the scent through to the variety of notes that can be smelt and admired.

Concentration

This is one of the most likely characteristics of perfume that you are likely to encounter. The different concentrations of perfume relate to the percentage of aromatic oils contained within the delectable scent's solution. With a typical concentration ranging from 15-40%, the "Perfume Extract" is, as the name suggests, the strongest form of perfume you are likely to come across.

Following close behind is the "Eau de Parfum" (literally translated from the French meaning "Water of Perfume"), ranging from 10-20% in concentration.

One of the best selling types of perfume is "Eau de Toilette" mainly due to its fine balance between price and scent. Not just reserved to cheap perfume, eau de toilette can be found among many of the big brand perfumes too.

Fragrance Notes

The fragrance notes of a perfume come in three stages. Initially there are the top notes which are often the scents that pierce through when the perfume is first applied. Following these are the middle notes. Once the initial flurry of smells dissipates, it is this middle notes that continue through giving the perfume more body and character. Finally, the base notes of a perfume are the main act. These notes bring the perfume together and are the most persistent notes of the fragrance, often lingering long after the initial smells described have gone.

Buying Perfumes

One of the best places to find great deals on cheap perfume is the multitude of blogs all over the internet. These provide a great source of information and allow you the consumer to make a more informed decision when purchasing that special fragrance.

If you are out and about at your local shopping centre or mall, it pays to shop around. Often with perfume stores in close proximity, it is easy to play one off against another. Even if the retailer is unwilling to move on price, there are often promotional goods that they can offer to try and tempt you to make a purchase. Be sure to enquire what else is in it for you next time you are making that special purchase.