EXTRAIT DE PARFUM VS EAU DE PARFUM

You've seen the names. Eau de Toilette. Eau de Parfum. Extrait de Parfum.

They sound sophisticated, don't they? Very French. Very serious. But what do they actually mean? And is an extrait automatically the better dressed guest at the party?

Not necessarily.

Let's clear a few things up.

FIRST, THE NUMBERS.

Most perfumes are made by combining a fragrance concentrate with alcohol. The concentrate contains the aromatic materials that make up the scent, while the alcohol helps distribute them.

The concentration is simply the percentage of that concentrate in the finished perfume.

Here's the general picture.

Typical concentration by fragrance type

Fragrance type	Typical concentration
Eau de Cologne	2–5%
Eau de Toilette	5–15%
Eau de Parfum	15–20%
Extrait de Parfum	20–40%

These are industry conventions, not universally fixed legal definitions. There's some overlap, and different houses have their own approaches.

At SPITEFUL AUGUST, our extraits are created at approximately 30–33% concentration.

Quite a generous helping of perfume, you might say.

MORE CONCENTRATE. MORE POWER?

Here's where things get interesting.

There's a popular assumption that the higher the concentration, the stronger the perfume, the further it projects and the longer it lasts.

If only perfumery were that straightforward.

Some aromatic materials have extraordinary diffusion. A tiny amount can announce itself from across a room. Others are far more intimate, sitting close to the skin even when used generously.

And longevity? That comes down to the materials, their volatility, their substantivity and how the whole composition has been constructed.

A beautifully formulated Eau de Parfum can absolutely outperform a mediocre extrait.

An extrait isn't automatically quieter, either. Some whisper. Some have absolutely no intention of behaving themselves.

More concentrate doesn't automatically mean more performance. The magic is in the formulation.

SO WHY DO WE MAKE EXTRAITS?

Because Scott, our perfumer, likes what he can do with them.

He's particularly interested in what happens after the opening. When the first impression has had its moment, the materials begin shifting and the fragrance starts revealing other sides of itself.

Working at a higher concentration gives Scott another creative variable to play with. It can influence the texture, balance and behaviour of a composition.

But there's a catch.

More isn't always better.

Increase the concentration without considering the formula and you can end up with something heavy, unbalanced or surprisingly flat. Certain materials can dominate, while others disappear into the background.

Not exactly the grand entrance you were hoping for.

Scott builds each fragrance with its intended concentration in mind. Every material has a purpose, and every formula has to earn its place.

For us, extrait isn't a badge of superiority. It's a creative choice.

And rather an enjoyable one.

THE ART OF THE TRANSITION.

Here's something Scott is particularly interested in.

A perfume shouldn't necessarily smell the same from the moment you spray it until the moment it disappears.

As different materials evaporate and their relative proportions change, the fragrance develops. What you notice in the opening may be quite different from what you discover two hours later.

Traditionally, perfumery describes this through top, heart and base notes. It's a useful way of explaining things, although the reality is considerably more complicated.

And no, an extrait doesn't automatically evolve more slowly than an Eau de Parfum. That's another misconception worth retiring.

At SPITEFUL AUGUST, the transitions are deliberate.

CÁRDA moves from its unapologetic cardamom opening into something softer and warmer. BOHEMIA takes its dark patchouli character somewhere unexpectedly creamy. And COYA plays with the contrast between bright green citrus, blush florals and a warm suede impression.

They're not simply designed to smell good for five minutes.

They're designed to keep your attention.

WEAR IT LIKE YOU MEAN IT.

We're not particularly interested in the idea that perfume should always be discreet.

If you've found something you enjoy wearing, enjoy wearing it.

Apply it to your pulse points. Wrists, neck, the creases of your elbows. Clothing can hold fragrance beautifully too, although we'd suggest testing delicate fabrics first.

Hair can carry scent particularly well, but avoid spraying alcohol-based perfume directly onto your scalp or repeatedly soaking your hair with it.

And now, a word for the perfume rubbers.

You know who you are.

Rubbing your wrists together doesn't literally destroy fragrance molecules, despite what you may have heard. But it can spread the perfume and affect how it evaporates from your skin.

So spray it. Leave it alone. Let the composition do its thing.

Scott has already done the complicated bit.

THE FINAL WORD.

Eau de Toilette, Eau de Parfum and Extrait de Parfum aren't a hierarchy of good, better and best.

They're different approaches to concentration.

A great perfume isn't defined by a percentage on its label. It's defined by the materials, the imagination behind it and the skill involved in bringing everything together.

We make extraits because Scott enjoys the possibilities they offer, and because they suit the fragrances we want to create.

Original compositions. Distinct personalities. A little unexpected behaviour.

For cool cats. Not copycats.

Because creating perfume is one thing. Creating something original is everything.