Extrait vs Eau de Parfum: Why Alexandria Oils Hit Differant

By Dave Wrench

I get asked the same question all the time here at Alexandria Fragrances UK: "Dave, why do your fragrances last so much longer than the ones I buy in the shops?"

It’s not magic, mate. It’s actualy very simple math and chemistry. But the big designer houses and the cheap high street brands don't want you to know about it, because once you understand how perfume concentration works, you’ll never buy their watered-down bottles again.

The Perfume Pyramid Scheme

When you look at the bottom of a perfume bottle, you’ll usually see some fancy French words like Eau de Toilette or Eau de Parfum. Most people ignore them, but those words tell you exactly how much you are getting ripped off.

Here is the honest breakdown of what you are actualy buying:

• Eau de Cologne / Body Mist (1% - 5% Oil): This is basicly scented water. You spray it on, it smells nice for ten minutes, and then it is completely gone.
• Eau de Toilette / EDT (5% - 15% Oil): This is where 90% of your high street dupes sit. Your £15 Zara, M&S, and Next bottles usually sit right at the bottom of this scale. It’s mostly perfumers alcohol. The alcohol evaporates fast, carrying the cheap scent away with it in a couple of hours.
• Eau de Parfum / EDP (15% - 20% Oil): This is the designer standard. You pay £150+ for a bottle from a luxury brand, and they are still only giving you about 15-20% actual fragrance oil. It’s better, but for that price, it should be a lot stronger.

The Alexandria Standard: Extrait de Parfum

I refuse to sell watered down rubbish. I started Alexandria Fragrances in Newton-le-Willows because I was proper sick of spending my hard-earned money on weak designer scents and high street clones that fade instantly.

Every single bottle we craft is an Extrait de Parfum. That is the absolute highest tier of perfumery.

We pack up to 35% pure, premium perfume oils into our blends. Because there is so much rich oil and less alcohol, it doesn't just evaporate into the air. It actually anchors to your skin. It binds to the fibers in your clothes.

This high oil concentration means two things for you:

1. Beast Mode Longevity: You don't need 10 sprays. Just 2 or 3 sprays of our Extrait will easily last you 10 to 12 hours, sometimes even surviving a trip through the washing machine.
2. Richer Scent Profile: Because we use more oils, the heavy base notes—like real woods, deep vanillas, and musks—have the power they need to project across a room.

Next time you are tempted by a bargin bottle on the high street, ask yourself what you are really paying for. Don't settle for scented water when you can have the real deal.

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Read exactly why those cheap supermarket sprays vanish so quickly in my guide: The Brutal Truth: Why High Street Dupe Perfumes Fade So Fast.

Or check out the main master guide here: The Real Truth About UK Perfume Dupes.