Women's cologne comes in three different varieties: eau de parfum, with a high concentration of fragrance, eau de toilette, with a lower concentration of fragrance and a lighter scent, and eau de cologne, a mix of fragrance and essential oils. Most varieties of women's cologne fall into six distinct fragrance types: oriental is made from spices; floral is a combination of flowers; citrus comes from different citrus fruits; and green, from grass and plants. A blend of earthy aromas is known as Chypre, and Fougere comes from a combination of herbs and plants. The varieties come in spray bottles, fragrance towelettes, and concentrated roll-ons.
Eau de parfum is popular because of the long-lasting fragrance it produces. It contains up to 15 percent concentrated fragrance blended with water, blending agents, and preservatives. Most bottles of eau de toilette contain six percent or less. This type of women's cologne may not last as long as eau de parfum, but it produces a much lighter scent that some women prefer. Eau de cologne blends concentrated fragrances with other ingredients, such as citrus oil, to produce a slightly different scent. Women will recognize the primary fragrance as well as the fresh ingredients in this type of cologne.
Most types of women's cologne fall into a specific fragrance type, depending on the primary ingredients used to develop the fragrance. Oriental fragrances contain scent from spices, amber or resins and have a heavy, musky scent. Floral fragrances are produced by blending flowers, such as roses, jasmine, violets, or lilies. This sweet, feminine fragrance type is popular for women's cologne.
Citrus types have a light, fresh scent that comes from blending citrus fruits such as lemons, grapefruits, and limes. Green fragrances use a blend of trees, grasses, and plants, such as pine and juniper, to produce a natural and light scent. Blended herbs, such a patchouli, moss, and spices to create the sweet but earthy scents of Chypre fragrances. Many men's colognes fall into the Fougere type, but some popular brands of women's cologne are also included in this category, which is produced from a blend of fern plants with herbs, creating a simple, clean scent.
Most manufacturers market the different types of women's cologne as a spray, a towelette, and a roll-on. A spray has a spray pump that releases a mist of the fragrance, while towelettes are pre-moistened with the perfume. Roll-ons typically have a higher concentration of fragrance and are applied directly to the skin.