Extrait, eau de parfum, eau de toilette

Three bottles side by side, three different prices, and only one thing varies: how much perfume material is diluted in the alcohol. An eau de toilette sits around 8 %. An eau de parfum, between 12 and 18 %. An extrait goes beyond 20 %.

This is not about strength, it is about duration and drawing. At low concentration the top notes dominate, shine, then fade within an hour. The higher the concentration, the more room the base has, and the more the fragrance tells something over time instead of making an entrance.

A high concentration does not make a fragrance stronger. It gives it time to change.

Les Heures Précieuses are composed as Extrait de Parfum at 25 %. It is a costly choice: more raw material per bottle, and the acceptance that the fragrance unfolds slowly rather than seducing immediately.

The practical consequence fits in one line: you use less. Two sprays are enough where an eau de toilette needs six. A 100 ml bottle therefore lasts far longer than it appears.