Extrait de parfum: what it means, its concentration and why it lasts longer

On a perfume label, the words extrait, eau de parfum or eau de toilette are not ornaments: they describe the concentration of perfumed oils in the formula, and with it the intensity, longevity and character of what you wear on your skin.

The concentrations, from lightest to strongest

Eau de cologne (2–5%): light, citrusy, made to refresh. Lasts an hour or two.

Eau de toilette (5–15%): the most common concentration in commercial perfumery. Projects well at first and fades within three or four hours.

Eau de parfum (15–20%): more body and more depth; six to eight hours of life on skin.

Extrait de parfum (20–40%): the most concentrated and oldest form of the craft. It does not seek to project across a room: it envelops close to the skin, evolves for hours — often into the next day — and reveals raw materials with a fidelity lighter concentrations cannot reach.

Why the extrait is the noble form

The extrait allows proportions of noble materials that would be unworkable in diluted formulas, and it ages better: the higher oil load and lower alcohol make it more stable over time. That is why it has historically been reserved for author creations, and why it is the only form we work with at DULBE.

How to wear it

An extrait is not sprayed in a cloud: it is placed. Two or three touches on warm points — neck, wrists — are enough to accompany you all day. Less gesture, more presence.

Chapter I — Ashes, the current chapter of the archive, is a 100 ml extrait de parfum in an edition of 500 numbered bottles. When the last one is collected, it will be archived and never recreated.