Eau de toilette vs eau de parfum: the difference

What does concentration mean?

Perfume is perfume oil dissolved in alcohol, sometimes with a little water. The concentration is the share of perfume oil. The more oil, the longer a scent usually stays on your skin and the fuller it smells.

No law fixes the percentages. Brands do stick to common ranges, so the name is a good hint, not a promise. A strong eau de toilette can outlast a soft eau de parfum from another brand.

The scent itself matters too. Fresh citrus and light florals fade fast; wood, amber and vanilla hang on. A fresh scent as an eau de parfum can therefore fade sooner than an amber scent as an eau de toilette. More about notes in notes and scent families explained.

The strengths side by side

The figures below are common ranges, not fixed rules. How long a scent really lasts depends on your skin, the weather, where you spray it and the fragrance itself.

Watch the word projection. More oil does not always mean people smell you from further away. An extrait often lasts long but stays close to the skin. A fresh eau de toilette can stand out more in the first hour.

The strengths one by one

Body mist and eau de cologne

A body mist is very light. You spray it generously, also on hair or clothes. Think of Victoria's Secret Bare Vanilla Body Mist. Don't expect it to last all day.

Eau de cologne is the classic fresh pick-me-up, often heavy on citrus. Acqua di Parma Colonia is a well-known example. Note that niche houses sometimes make ‘colognes’ that are stronger than the name suggests.

Eau de toilette (EDT)

Light and fresh, nice for daytime, work and warm weather. For men's fragrances the EDT is often the first version of a scent, as with Dior Sauvage Eau de Toilette and Acqua di Giò Eau de Toilette.

Eau de parfum (EDP)

Fuller and warmer, and it stays longer. A good choice if you spray once in the morning and want it to carry on into the afternoon. For women's fragrances eau de parfum is the most common strength, as with YSL Libre Eau de Parfum.

Parfum, extrait and elixir

The strongest version, rich and often close to the skin. One or two sprays is enough. Brands use different names: ‘parfum’, ‘extrait de parfum’, ‘le parfum’ or ‘elixir’. There is no fixed line between those names. An elixir is often a different composition too, not just a stronger one.

The same scent in several strengths

Many well-known fragrances come in two, three or four strengths. A few examples:

• Dior Sauvage: Eau de Toilette, Eau de Parfum, Parfum and Sauvage Elixir. The EDT is the freshest and most peppery. The EDP is rounder and warmer. Elixir is a scent of its own, spicier.
• Bleu de Chanel: Eau de Toilette, Eau de Parfum and Parfum. From fresh to steadily warmer and woodier.
• Armani Acqua di Giò: Eau de Toilette, Eau de Parfum and Acqua di Giò Elixir. The EDP is not a stronger EDT; it smells noticeably different.
• Chanel Coco Mademoiselle: Eau de Parfum and Eau de Toilette. The EDT is lighter and fresher.
• YSL Libre: Eau de Toilette and Eau de Parfum, plus Libre Intense.
• Chanel N°5: available as parfum, eau de parfum and eau de toilette, with the extrait as the oldest form.

Intense, Elixir and Absolu: take care

Names like ‘Intense’, ‘Elixir’, ‘Absolu’ or ‘Le Parfum’ sound like a stronger version of the same thing. Often it is a flanker: a new scent sharing the name. It can be sweeter, darker or spicier. Loving the original does not mean you will love the flanker. Smell it first, for example with a sample or mini (see testers, minis and gift sets).

Which strength should you choose?

• You like to top up, or it's warm: eau de toilette. See also summer scents.
• One spray for the whole working day: eau de parfum.
• Evening, winter, or you mainly want it to last: parfum or extrait. See also winter scents and long-lasting fragrances.
• A quick freshen-up after sport or a shower: body mist or eau de cologne.

Unsure about the scent itself? Read how to choose a perfume first. Strength is the second question; the scent comes first.

Compare per 100 ml, across strengths too

Don't look only at the price per bottle. A 30 ml bottle often costs more per 100 ml than a 100 ml bottle. And the EDP is not always much dearer per ml than the EDT. An extrait often comes in smaller bottles and usually costs the most per ml, but you also use less of it. On Eaulie you can compare the versions separately, per bottle and per 100 ml.

Common mistakes

• Assuming EDP and EDT are the same scent. They share a name, but the formula often differs.
• Buying a flanker blind. ‘Intense’ or ‘Elixir’ can smell very different from the original.
• Confusing ‘cologne’ with eau de cologne. In English, any men's fragrance is sometimes called ‘cologne’. On the bottle, eau de cologne says something about strength.
• Spraying an extrait as generously as an EDT. That soon becomes too much.
• Only looking at the bottle price. Work it out per 100 ml and consider how much you use each time.
• Judging after ten minutes. The base notes only arrive later. Give a scent a few hours.

Tips

• Spray on moisturised skin. An unscented cream helps an EDT last longer. More tips: how to make your perfume last longer.
• Spray on wrists, neck and behind the ears; don’t rub.
• An EDT is easy to top up during the day.
• Test two strengths side by side: the EDT on one wrist, the EDP on the other.
• Look at brands too: Dior, Chanel, Armani and Yves Saint Laurent offer nearly every well-known scent in several strengths. With niche brands, eau de parfum or extrait is often the only version.