"Perfume counters" are stocked with a wide array of products that are meant to enhance the human scent. These counters can be found in many locations like a pharmacy, fine department store or online outlet. But beware - the term "perfume counter" is a very loose definition since many of these scents are less expensive derivatives of the true perfume. These versions often are not as pure as the look-alike discount brands that closely match the true designer scent and sport a label that looks a lot like the name brand.



What, after all, is a perfume? Essential oils that are extracted from various plants form the base for a perfume. Remember the famous gold, frankincense and myrrh that the Three Wise Men carried to the baby Jesus? Frankincense was a fragrant resin of a tree that grew in East Africa that ancient people would burn for its scent like we burn candles for aromatherapy. Myrrh was also a gum resin that was obtained from the bark of a different tree from East Africa. One of the uses of myrrh in ancient days was to make perfume and an early form of toothpaste.

A perfect perfume or parfum will contain oils of the highest concentration. A true perfume custom mixes essential oils and various ingredients. This liquid is then poured into an atomizer or other perfume containers. The greater the amount of scented essential oils, the stronger and long-lasting the scent of the perfume. It only takes a little spray of parfum to last for hours at its most alluring aroma. Naturally, as result of the high concentration of oils, the price of parfum is very high.

Since the majority of consumers are not willing to spend the money needed to buy an expensive perfume, perfume makers sell diluted products based on their signature perfume for a lower price. While the scent is not as intense or as long-lasting, the product can be sold to a wider range of customers.

Perfume variations are sold in standard categories (listed in order): Eau de Parfum, Eau de Toilette, and Eau de Cologne. The first category, Eau de Parfum or often just called "Eau" is the closest to the parfum since its name is French for "water". This simplistic translation would make several perfume executives cringe. Eau de Cologne or cologne is the final category, which generally costs the least of the three.

The same fragrance does not achieve the same scent on all people. Everyone's body chemistry is different, so scents don't last long on dry skin but will blend better and last longer on natural body oil. It is best to try out a perfume on your skin and double check its fragrance before purchasing it.