EDP vs EDT vs Parfum vs Extrait: what the letters mean

The labels, from lightest to strongest

Two things the table cannot show. Concentration is not the only lever: a well-made EDT with heavy base notes can outlast a thin EDP. And “stronger” does not mean “louder”: extraits often project less than EDPs because there is less alcohol to carry the scent outward; they last longer precisely because they stay close.

Why the same name exists in several versions

When a brand releases a fragrance as an EDT and later an EDP or Parfum, the perfumer usually rebalances the formula: more of the base, less of the sparkle, sometimes a new note altogether. The EDP version of a famous fresh scent can be sweeter and heavier than its EDT; the Parfum may drop the citrus entirely. Collectors talk about them as different fragrances for good reason.

This is why King Rox lists each concentration as its own product with its own page, price and batch. If you loved a friend’s bottle, check which version it was before ordering, and if you are unsure, a 3 mL of each is the cheapest way to settle it.

Price per millilitre and what you are paying for

Higher concentration means more fragrance oil per millilitre, and the oil is the expensive part, so a Parfum costs more than the EDT of the same name. Per wear, the gap narrows: you spray an extrait once where you might spray an EDT three times, and it lasts longer. For a signature you wear daily, the stronger concentration is often the better value; for a scent you wear occasionally in the heat, the EDT may be all you need.

Which concentration for the UAE?

Outdoors in summer, heat amplifies everything, so EDTs and lighter EDPs are comfortable by day. Indoors, where most hours are spent in air conditioning, EDPs and extraits last through a working day on one or two sprays. For evenings, Ramadan and Eid gatherings and weddings, the Parfum and Extrait concentrations earn their price.

Arabian houses add their own vocabulary: “Eau de Parfum Intense”, “Elixir”, “Concentrated Perfume Oil” (CPO) and attar. Intense and Elixir usually sit between an EDP and an Extrait; CPO and attar are alcohol-free oils applied in drops, closer to dehn al oud than to a spray.

Original sealed bottles Winter perfumes Oud for beginners

How to read it on a King Rox product page

• The concentration is part of the product name and shown under the title, so an EDT and an EDP of the same fragrance never share a page.
• Decant sizes of 3 mL, 5 mL and 10 mL are drawn from the exact bottle named, at the same concentration; a 3 mL of the Parfum is the Parfum.
• The original bottle, when in stock, shows its own volume and price next to the decant sizes.