Perfume

=== History of the terms and concentrations ===
The terms "perfume" and "cologne" lead to much confusion in English. "Perfume" is often used as a generic, overarching term to refer to fragrances marketed to women, regardless of their exact concentration. The term "cologne" is applied to those sold to men. The actual product worn by a woman may be an eau de parfum rather than an extrait, or by a man an eau de toilette rather than an eau de cologne. The reasons why the terms "perfume" and "cologne" are often used in a generic sense is related to the modern development of perfumery in Europe since the 18th century.

The term "cologne" was first used in Europe in the 18th century to refer to a family of fresh, citrus-based fragrances distilled using extracts from citrus, floral, and woody ingredients. These "classical colognes" were supposedly first developed in [[Cologne, Germany]], hence the name. This type of cologne, which is still in production, describes unisex compositions "which are basically citrus blends and do not have a perfume parent."<ref name="Glossary C">{{cite web|title=Glossary (C) |url=http://www.fragrance.org/glossary.php?l=C |publisher=The Fragrance Foundation |access-date=7 November 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100731203552/http://www.fragrance.org/glossary.php?l=C |archive-date=31 July 2010 }}</ref> Examples include Mäurer & Wirtz's ''[[4711]]'' (created in 1799), and Guerlain's ''Eau de Cologne Impériale'' (1830). "Toilet water," or eau de toilette, referred to wide range of scented waters not otherwise known as colognes, and were popular throughout the 19th century.

The term "perfume" emerged in the late 19th century. The first fragrance labeled a "parfum" extract with a high concentration of aromatic compounds was Guerlain's ''[[Jicky]]'' in 1889. In the first half of the 20th century, fragrance companies began offering their products in more than one concentration, often pairing an extrait with a lighter eau de toilette suitable for day wear, which made their products available to a wider range of customers. As this process accelerated, perfume houses borrowed the term "cologne" to refer to an even more diluted interpretation of their fragrances than eau de toilette. [[Guerlain]], for example, offered an eau de cologne version of its flagship perfume ''[[Shalimar (perfume)|Shalimar]]'' and many of its other fragrances. In contrast to a classical eau de cologne, this type of modern cologne is a lighter, less concentrated interpretation of a more concentrated product, typically a pure parfum, and is usually the lightest concentration from a line of fragrance products.<ref name="Glossary C" />

The eau de parfum concentration and terminology is the most recent, being originally developed to offer the radiance of an EdT with the longevity of an extrait. Parfum de toilette and EdP began to appear in the 1970s and gained popularity in the 1980s. In the 21st century, EdP is probably the most widespread strength concentration. It is often the first concentration offered when a new fragrance is launched, and usually referred to generically as "perfume."<ref name="NYT71218" />

Historically, women's fragrances tended to have higher levels of aromatic compounds than men's fragrances. Fragrances marketed to men were typically sold as EdT or EdC, rarely as EdP or perfume extracts. This is changing in the modern fragrance world, especially as fragrances are becoming more unisex. Women's fragrances used to be common in all levels of concentration, but in the 21st century are mainly seen in EdP and EdT concentrations. Many modern perfumes are never offered in extrait or eau de cologne formulations, and EdP and EdT account for the vast majority of new launches.{{citation needed|date=June 2019}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=A Guide to Perfume Types |url=https://www.perfume.com/article-a-guide-to-perfume-types |access-date=25 April 2022 |archive-date=25 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171225091907/https://www.perfume.com/article-a-guide-to-perfume-types |url-status=live }}</ref>