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Cologne vs Perfume | Fragrance Oils
First things first, when talking about the difference between cologne and perfume, we’ve got to mention the concentration of fragrance oils. Perfume (or parfum, if you’re feeling fancy) is the more concentrated of the two, with a fragrance oil concentration of 20-30%. This is why the difference between cologne and perfume is so noticeable when it comes to longevity: perfume can last up to 8 hours or more!
On the other hand, cologne has a much lower fragrance oil concentration, typically around 2-4%. This difference between cologne and perfume means cologne is lighter and more refreshing, but it doesn’t last as long – just around 2-4 hours. When reading about the difference between cologne and perfume, this particular fun fact shocked me! Does perfume actually last that much longer? I took matters into my own hands, so one date night I was vigilant to find out and lo and behold, my husband’s cologne was practically nonexistent by the time we got to our reservation. I hope he didn’t find all the sniffing weird in the moment… it was for science!