EDT, EDP, Parfum, Extrait - the initials on every box look like a secret code, but they are just telling you how much perfume oil is in the bottle (the rest is alcohol and water). The simple version:

  • Eau de Toilette (EDT) - roughly 5–15% oil. Lighter, brighter, closer to the skin. Realistically 2–4 hours before it fades.
  • Eau de Parfum (EDP) - roughly 15–20% oil. Fuller and warmer. Typically 4–8 hours.
  • Parfum / Extrait - roughly 20–30% oil. The densest, the longest-lasting, and the priciest. Often 8+ hours, sometimes all day.

The catch nobody mentions

Concentration is not the whole story, and it frustrates people endlessly. A fragrance's staying power depends as much on what is in it as on how concentrated it is:

  • Citrus, aquatic, and fresh notes evaporate fast. A fresh EDT can feel gone in two hours no matter how strong it is labelled.
  • Woods, ambers, oud, and resins cling to skin for hours. A woody EDP will outlast a sweet EDT easily, even at a lower concentration.
  • Your skin decides more than the label. Hydration, body chemistry, temperature - the same bottle is a four-hour scent on one person and an eight-hour on another.

So the rule is: higher concentration tends to last longer, but the notes and your skin matter more than the initials.

Picking the right one

EDT is for fresh daytime and summer scents where you want the bright opening and do not mind reapplying. It sits lighter, which suits offices and heat.

EDP is the all-rounder - enough presence for evenings and cooler weather without the weight or the price of a pure parfum.

Parfum / Extrait is for the scents you want to survive the entire day - usually the special-occasion niche bottles.

Why this is a decant conversation

This is exactly the case where you should not guess. Try the 3ml, wear it for a week, and watch the clock - you will learn more from a week of honest wear than an hour in a perfume shop. Most of our product pages list the concentration, so you can set a fresh daytime pick against a deeper evening one side by side and compare them on your own skin before spending anything meaningful.