⊛ learn · lesson 3
edt, edp, extrait
what really changes
one idea, four strengths.
eau de cologne, eau de toilette, eau de parfum and extrait are all perfume concentrate mixed with alcohol and water. what changes is how much concentrate goes in.
from lightest to strongest.
tap each one.
no single rule sets the numbers.
many brands decide for themselves what to call a perfume, so the amounts change from one house to another, and even overlap. a few countries have their own standard.
stronger is not always louder.
a little extrait can stay closer to you than a big spray of a lighter version.
longer, often. not always.
more concentrate often lasts longer, but not everyone agrees it is a reliable guide: how a perfume is built matters too.
same name, different perfume.
the eau de toilette and the eau de parfum of one perfume are not always the same thing at two strengths. many houses rewrite the formula, so the two can smell different.
sources
- Fragonard · eau de toilette, eau de parfum, perfume
- Sylvaine Delacourte · eau de toilette
- Neue Deutsche Biographie · Farina
- Science Museum Group · Johann Maria Farina
- Sylvaine Delacourte · seven heady questions
- Sylvaine Delacourte · understanding perfume concentrations
- Bois de Jasmin · Chanel N°5, perfume, EDT, EDP
- Bois de Jasmin · the truth about perfume concentrations
- GOST 31678-2012 · perfume products standard
- Rospotrebnadzor · consumer notice on perfume