Perfume oil against eau de parfum: the real trade

Projection, longevity and cost per wear, measured over a working week.

Both are worth owning. They do different jobs, and the trade is easier to see when you measure it over a week rather than in a shop.

Projection against longevity

An eau de parfum announces itself for two or three hours, then quietens. An oil starts close to the skin and stays for eight or more. If you want to be noticed on entry, spray. If you want to be remembered at the end of the day, use oil.

Cost per wear

Ten millilitres of oil at two dabs a day gives roughly a hundred and fifty wears. That is where the value sits, and it is why a 10ml bottle usually outlasts a 50ml spray bought the same month.

What we would do

Own one spray for events where you want projection, and oils for everything else. That combination costs less than two designer bottles and covers far more occasions.