• Discover the Right Fragrance Concentration

• Name Your Fragrance

• Learn About Scents

• Find Fragrances on eBay

• Buy Fragrances With Confidence

Discover the Right Fragrance Concentration

Discover the Right Fragrance Concentration

The world of fragrance has its own extensive vocabulary, but there’s no need for confusion. The categories simply have to do with the concentration of the ingredients in the fragrance.

• Scented products: Lotions, creams, powders, body splashes, aftershaves, soaps, and other scented cosmetic products contain variable (though usually very small) amounts of fragrance—often less than 3%.

• Eau de cologne: Eau de cologne is a solution of about 3% perfume compound in an alcohol-water base. It’s invariably much lighter than a concentrated perfume. Men’s cologne, typically with 5% to 8% perfume compound, is more concentrated than women’s and is similar to the strength of eau de toilette (see below).    

• Eau de toilette: Eau de toilette is an alcohol- or water-based perfume solution containing 3% to 8% perfume compound. Less concentrated than eau de parfum, it’s often used to create a lighter version of a fragrance.     

• Eau de parfum: Eau de parfum is an alcoholic perfume solution containing 10% to 15% perfume compound.     

• Perfume: Perfume is the most highly concentrated form of fragrance, containing between 20% and 50% perfume compound. The strongest and the longest-lasting option, it’s also the most expensive.

Name Your Fragrance

Name Your Fragrance

Today, high-quality fragrances are available from diverse designers at a variety of price points. So no matter what your budget, you can find the right fragrance for you.

• Mass fragrances: There was a time when many consumers frowned upon buying the type of fragrances sold in supermarkets or drug stores. Yet mass merchandisers are giving mass fragrances a face-lift through expanded product lines, better packaging, and higher-quality scents. Lines such as Revlon, Coty, and Adidas, for example, offer greater choices at a lower price point.

• Prestige fragrances: With names like Obsession, Pink, and Desire, these perfumes are luxury goods with price points that begin at an average of C$40 for a few ounces and go up from there. These fragrances tend to have a more complex scent and may combine more exotic or expensive ingredients than their mass-fragrance counterparts.     

• Celebrity fragrances: Glow by J-Lo and Brittany Spears’ Curious represent only a small sampling of offerings that celebrities have launched in recent years. But celebrity-inspired fragrances are more than just a name on a bottle. As with all high-end perfumes, extensive research and development are the key ingredients in producing a pleasing, high-quality scent that will appeal to a broad range of people.

Learn About Scents

Learn About Scents

Fragrance manufacturers know that women and men want to set themselves apart through their choice of fragrance. All fragrances are designed specifically to evoke sensory or emotional responses, but below are some key characteristics of fragrances for women and men.

Fragrances for women can be broken down into “themes,” such as:

• Floral scents: Eternity by Calvin Klein and Oscar by Oscar de la Renta

• Fruity scents: CK One and CK Be by Calvin Klein, and Glow by J-Lo

• Spicy scents : D&G Feminine by Dolce & Gabbana

• Woodsy scents: Obsession by Calvin Klein.

Fragrances for men are quickly becoming an essential part of the wardrobe for men of all ages and also come in a variety of themes:

• Citrus scents: CK One by Calvin Klein, Masculine by Dolce & Gabbana, Acqua Di Gio by Giorgio Armani

• Spicy scents: Cool Water by Davidoff, Hugo by Hugo Boss

• Woodsy scents: Bvlgari by Bvlgari, Obsession by Calvin Klein

• Leather scents : Polo by Ralph Lauren, Quorum Cologne by Puig for Men

Find Fragrances on eBay

Find Fragrances on eBay

Once you know what type of fragrance you want, go to the Health & Beauty Portal, click Fragrances, and start searching for item listings on eBay.ca.

• Categories: The Categories list on the left side of each page will help you narrow down your listings by item type. You'll find links for Men and Women. As you dig deeper into the site, you'll also be able to narrow down your choice by brand.

• Keyword search: Search eBay title listings for specific words. For example, if you want to find eau de parfum, type "eau de parfum" (without quotation marks) into the Search box. Click "Search title and description" to expand your results. Visit eBay's Search Tips page for more tips on searching with keywords.

If you can't find exactly what you want, try shopping eBay Stores, tell the eBay Community what you want by creating a post on Want It Now, or save a search on My eBay and eBay will email you when a match becomes available.

Buy Fragrances With Confidence

Buy Fragrances With Confidence

Before making your purchase, make sure you know exactly what you're buying, research your seller, and understand how eBay and PayPal protect you.

Know your purchase

Carefully read the details in item listings.

• Figure delivery costs into your final price. If you spend a lot of money, make sure the seller will insure the item when it ships.

• If you want more information, ask by clicking the "Ask seller a question" link under the seller's profile.

• Always make sure to complete your transaction on eBay (with a bid, Buy It Now, or Best Offer). Transactions conducted outside of eBay are not covered by eBay protection programs.

• Never pay for your eBay item using instant cash wire transfer services through Western Union or MoneyGram. These payment methods are unsafe when paying someone you do not know.

Know your seller

Research your seller so you feel positive and secure about every transaction.

• What is the seller's Feedback rating? How many transactions have they completed? What percentage of positive responses do they have?

• What do buyers say in their Feedback? Did the seller receive praise?

• Most top eBay sellers operate like retail stores and have return policies. Do they offer a money-back guarantee? What are the terms and conditions?

Buyer protection

In the unlikely event that a problem arises during your transaction, eBay and PayPal are there for you.

• Pay safely with PayPal: PayPal enables you to pay without the seller ever seeing your bank account or credit card numbers. In fact, PayPal protects buyers 100% against unauthorized payments from their accounts. Plus, with PayPal Buyer Protection, your purchase can be covered up to C$1,250.

• eBay Security & Resolution Centre: Visit the Security & Resolution Centre to learn how to protect your account and use eBay's quick and efficient resolution tools.