The harsh reality is that fragrance products are not cheap. They almost never go on sale. But if you lurk around the perfume counter at the department store and visit fragrance websites, you'll find a wide range of fragrance products with sometimes quite different price tags. If the fragrance is the same, why are some things cheaper than others? And what is really the best deal?

Compounding the problem is the fact that lots of companies are inventing new types of fragrance products. Just the other day, I bought a product called a soufflé. It was something that a few years ago might have been called a body butter. Actually, it is a fragrant cream.

As far as I know, there has never been a law that sets forth exactly how much scent is required for a product to call itself perfume.

Now that you know it's a jungle out there, there are some easy ways to sort through some of the confusion.

Of the liquid products that you apply to your body, perfume is the strongest stuff on the market. It is sometimes called by its French name parfum (par-fahm). It has the highest percentage of scent to carrier (the liquid stuff that stabilizes the perfume).

Pure scent does not work well because the old saying is true. You really can have too much of a good thing. Besides, pure scent would irritate most skin types.

Thus, fragrance must mix scent to a vehicle which also acts to stabilize the scent (keep it from degrading) and to make it easy and pleasant to apply.

Perfume has the most scent. It's strong. Bottles are typically small and have the highest price tags.

The next step down the ladder is called eau-de-parfum (oh-duh-par-fahm) and it's always written in French although the hyphens appear to be optional. It is not as expensive, or as powerful, as a true perfume, but it may very well be right for you. Most of the fragrance products on the shelves of true perfume divas tend to be eau-de-parfum selections.

Next down the line is the unfortunately named eau-de-toilette or even more unfortunately named toilet water. This has much less scent to carrier, so the scent is lighter. You'll end up having to touch up your scent more frequently but for those who prefer a lighter touch (and a lighter price tag), it is a good choice. Many fragrance houses do not make this product entry, but if you find it, know that it's lighter but still no lightweight.

The weakest link in the strength continuum is cologne. It has the least scent in the product and you'll also notice that it does not cost anywhere near what perfume costs. Cologne does not last like the stronger products, but it does convey the same scent. If you like to re-apply a lot or don't ever want to wear too much perfume, check out the cologne section.

Fragrant lotions and creams are sold under all sorts of names. You mind find them called sachets, soufflés, butters, and so on. There are no guidelines that say that a body butter has more scent than a lotion. However, fragrance always lingers longer when it's in an oily or emollient base, so you'll get good traction with these scents.

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