Extrait de Parfum

What extrait de parfum says, and what it leaves out

Extrait de parfum describes how much perfume oil a perfume holds compared with its alcohol. It sits at the top of the usual scale, above eau de parfum and eau de toilette, and it is used interchangeably with the plain word parfum. With more oil, a perfume is usually denser and richer and tends to stay closer to the skin, with the base notes showing more of themselves.

What the word does not tell you is how much oil, or how loud. These names are trade conventions, not legal definitions, so each house draws its own line. An extrait at one house can hold less oil than an eau de parfum at another, and a rich concentration does not carry further through the air by itself: how far a scent travels depends on its notes as much as on its dose. Some houses also rebuild a formula for the extrait instead of adding oil to the lighter version.

How to wear and choose an extrait

Use less than you would of an eau de parfum. One or two sprays, on the chest or the wrists, usually give the whole picture, and a dense base needs space to be noticed, not volume. Extraits suit cooler weather and evenings, although a light one can be worn in daytime. Read the base notes, because they decide how rich the perfume will feel. Our article on extrait and eau de parfum compares the names in more detail, and the pyramid on each product page lists the notes.

From the collection

Extraits from the houses on our brands page:

Pernoire Kama sets blackberries, birch tar, violet and orris against cotton candy, leather and dry amber, with moss, cashmere wool and musk in the base.

Nishane Hundred Silent Ways opens with tuberose, mandarin and peach, moves through white jasmine, gardenia and orris and rests on vanilla, sandalwood and vetiver.

Zoologist Camel is a spiced caravan of dried fruits, frankincense, palm date and rose, with amber, cinnamon, myrrh and orange blossom in the heart and oud, musk, tonka bean and vanilla in the base.

Mind Games Mentor pairs salted caramel, Italian lemon and dark plum with amber coffee and crème de cassis, over Boya oud, sandalwood and tonka bean.

Maison Crivelli Safran Secret lists only saffron and woody notes, in a collection where the house deliberately keeps the formula undisclosed.

Reinvented Ode To Psyche opens with geranium, juniper and pink pepper, builds a woody heart of cashmere wood, patchouli and cedarwood, and ends on vetiver, amber and white musk.

Lorenzo Pazzaglia Van Exstasyx is a vanilla study: four vanillas at the top, island vanilla, white flowers and caramel in the heart, and agarwood, pure vanilla bean, tonka bean and black vanilla below.