You've found a fragrance you love, gone to buy it, and there are two, three, sometimes four versions with the same name on the box. One says eau de toilette. One says eau de parfum. Another says Intense, or Parfum, or Elixir. And they're all different prices. Here's how to choose.
EDT vs EDP: the 30-second answer
Eau de parfum (EDP) has a higher concentration of perfume oils, so it usually feels richer and lasts longer on the skin. It's the one for evenings, colder months and all-day wear.
Eau de toilette (EDT) is lighter, brighter and often cheaper. It's the one for daytime, the office and warmer weather.
The catch is that neither label is officially standardised, and the EDT and EDP of the same fragrance often smell different. So neither is "better". It comes down to what you want your fragrance to do.
EDT vs EDP compared
Eau de toilette
- Perfume oil concentration: roughly 5–15%
- How it feels: bright, airy, easy to wear
- Best suited to: daytime, work, warmer months
- Price: usually the lower of the two for the same fragrance
Eau de parfum
- Perfume oil concentration: roughly 10–20%
- How it feels: fuller, warmer, more rounded
- Best suited to: evenings, colder months, all-day wear
- Price: usually higher than the EDT of the same name
Parfum, extrait and elixir
- Perfume oil concentration: the highest, often 20% and above
- How it feels: dense, close to the skin, very concentrated
- Best suited to: special occasions, when a little goes a long way
- Price: usually the highest
Concentration ranges vary between sources and brands, so treat them as a guide rather than a rule. Eau de cologne sits below EDT: brisk, usually citrusy, and the quickest to fade.
Which one sounds like you?
Choose eau de toilette if you want something fresh, easy to wear and made for daytime, and you don't mind a top-up at lunch. Explore women's eau de toilette or men's eau de toilette, or scroll down to our EDT picks.
Choose eau de parfum if you want more depth, longer wear and something that carries you from the afternoon into the evening. Explore women's eau de parfum or men's eau de parfum, or scroll down to our EDP picks.
Already know the fragrance you love? Compare the sizes and versions before you buy. A bigger bottle, or even a different concentration, can work out as better value per millilitre, as our value check below shows.
Why EDT and EDP can actually smell different
Most people assume the EDP is simply the EDT made stronger. Often it isn't. Many fragrance houses rework the composition for each version, shifting the balance of notes or adding new ones altogether.
What the labels mean
Every fragrance is a blend of aromatic compounds diluted in a base, usually alcohol. The label is meant to tell you roughly how much concentrate is in there: eau de cologne at the lightest end, then eau de toilette, then eau de parfum, then parfum, extrait or elixir at the most concentrated.
Words like Intense, Le Parfum, Absolu and Forte don't correspond to any fixed concentration. They're a brand's way of saying "a richer take on the original", and the formula often changes along with the name. None of these terms is legally defined either. Marie Claire UK, speaking to perfumers for its own explainer, noted there is no official industry standard separating EDT from EDP.
What "stronger" really means
"Stronger" can mean two different things. Longevity is how long you can still smell the fragrance on your skin, and more concentrate generally means longer wear. Projection is how far it travels from you. A bright citrus EDT can feel louder in its first half hour than a soft, musky EDP, even though the EDP will still be there hours later.
The notes matter as much as the concentration. Citrus is naturally fleeting, while woods, amber and musk hold on for longer. That's why a woody EDT can outlast a citrus EDP.
A real example: Terre d'Hermès
We stock Terre d'Hermès in three versions, and each is described with different notes:
- Terre d'Hermès Eau de Toilette, the 2006 original: Atlas cedar, grapefruit, orange, pepper, patchouli and vetiver.
- Terre d'Hermès Eau de Parfum Intense, a later interpretation by perfumer Christine Nagel: bergamot with coffee, liquorice and a mineral lava-stone facet over warm woods. Spicier and smokier.
- Terre d'Hermès Pure Perfume: grapefruit with cedar and a sparkle of shiso, concentrated into a parfum.
Same name, three noticeably different experiences. So if you're rebuying a fragrance you love, buy the version you know. Moving from EDT to EDP can be a lovely step, but treat it as a new fragrance rather than a stronger copy.
The allbeauty value check: is EDT always cheaper?
Not necessarily. The fair way to compare fragrances is price per millilitre, and when you do the maths, the answer isn't always the one you'd expect. Here's Terre d'Hermès at allbeauty today:
- Eau de Toilette 50ml: £47.45, around 95p per ml
- Eau de Parfum Intense 100ml: £88.80, around 89p per ml
- Pure Perfume 75ml: £85.03, around £1.13 per ml
- Eau de Toilette 200ml: £114.05, around 57p per ml, the strongest value of the four
Two things stand out. The 100ml EDP Intense, supposedly the premium option, works out cheaper per millilitre than the 50ml EDT. And the 200ml EDT is the best value by a distance, around 40% less per ml than the 50ml.
Our tip: if you wear a fragrance most days, the larger bottle of the version you love is almost always the smarter buy. You'll pay more upfront, but considerably less for every spray. To check any fragrance yourself, divide the price by the number of millilitres. It takes ten seconds on your phone.
Same fragrance. A much better reason to go for the bigger bottle. Discover Terre d'Hermès Eau de Toilette 200ml.
Prices correct at [24th September 2026].
What's your fragrance brief?
"I want something fresh for every day." Start with eau de toilette. Women's eau de toilette | Men's eau de toilette
"I want it to last from morning to night." Go for eau de parfum. Women's eau de parfum | Men's eau de parfum
"I already know the fragrance I love." Check the larger bottle first. As the value check above shows, it's often much better value per ml.
"I'm buying a gift and don't know what to choose." Start with what's popular, or a gift set. Fragrance gifts and sets | Bestselling women's fragrance | Bestselling men's fragrance
Best EDTs to shop
We've chosen each of these because it shows a different side of what an eau de toilette can do, and because it's a fragrance we can offer below RRP.
The everyday EDT: Dolce&Gabbana Light Blue Eau de Toilette 200ml
Fresh, citrusy, easy everyday wear
Sicilian lemon and crisp Granny Smith apple over cedarwood. Light, bright and built for daytime, this is exactly what an EDT does best. The 200ml is where the value is.
RRP £182 | allbeauty £91.50 | Save £90.50, under 46p per ml
Shop Dolce&Gabbana Light Blue Eau de Toilette 200ml
The clean citrus EDT for him: Dolce&Gabbana Light Blue Pour Homme Eau de Toilette 100ml
Citrus, herbal, office to evening
Sicilian lemon and rosemary over patchouli. Clean, citrus-woody and understated enough to wear anywhere.
RRP £100 | allbeauty £53.50 | Save £46.50, 53.5p per ml
Shop Light Blue Pour Homme Eau de Toilette
The warm EDT: Armani Diamonds For Men Eau de Toilette 50ml
Woody, gourmand, warm without the weight
Bergamot with Sichuan pepper, cedar, cocoa bean, vetiver and amber. Proof that an eau de toilette doesn't have to be light and citrusy.
RRP £57 | allbeauty £33.00 | Save £24.00, 66p per ml
Shop Armani Diamonds For Men Eau de Toilette
Best EDPs to shop
Chosen on the same basis: each shows a different side of eau de parfum, from soft and everyday to a full evening statement.
The soft, everyday EDP: Armani Emporio Classic She Eau de Parfum 100ml
Floriental, soft, day into evening
Juicy pear and florals over warm woods and musk. Comforting rather than heavy, and a gentle introduction to eau de parfum if you usually wear something lighter.
RRP £80 | allbeauty £46.50 | Save £33.50, 46.5p per ml
Shop Armani Emporio Classic She Eau de Parfum
The evening EDP for him: Givenchy Gentleman Eau de Parfum 100ml
Woody, amber, spiced
Pepper, bergamot and lavender, then cloves, cinnamon and orris, settling into patchouli, vanilla and benzoin. A concentrated take on the original Gentleman, made for after dark.
RRP £103 | allbeauty £74.50 | Save £28.50, 74.5p per ml
Shop Givenchy Gentleman Eau de Parfum
The statement EDP: Memo Paris African Leather Eau de Parfum 75ml
Leather, spice, unisex
Cardamom, bergamot and geranium, with saffron and cumin at the heart, and smoky leather, oud, vetiver and musk to finish. One for evenings and the colder months, and a real find if you want something few people will recognise.
RRP £235 | allbeauty £154.55 | Save £80.45
Discover Memo Paris African Leather Eau de Parfum
Do you actually need to choose?
You might not. EDT and EDP often do different jobs, which is why plenty of people own one of each:
- Eau de toilette for work, daytime, weekends and warmer weather. Easy to wear and easy to top up.
- Eau de parfum for evenings, occasions and colder weather. More depth when you want your fragrance to carry the day.
Think of them as two halves of a small fragrance wardrobe rather than rivals. A fresh EDT for the office and a warmer EDP for evenings will cover far more of your life than one bottle trying to do both.
It's also more accessible than it sounds when you're not paying department-store prices. At today's prices, the Light Blue EDT and Emporio Classic She EDP above come to £138 together, against a combined RRP of £262. For more on building a collection, read why people are building a fragrance wardrobe.
If you love this, consider this
Already wear Light Blue Eau de Toilette? Keep it as your fresh daytime fragrance, then add something warmer for evenings. Armani Emporio Classic She Eau de Parfum brings soft pear, woods and musk once the day turns.
Love Terre d'Hermès Eau de Toilette? Don't think of the Eau de Parfum Intense as a replacement. It's the darker, smokier counterpart, with coffee and liquorice over the same woody spirit. Wear the EDT by day and the Intense by night.
Wear Light Blue Pour Homme? Pair its clean citrus with something that has more warmth after dark. Givenchy Gentleman Eau de Parfum adds spice, amber and vanilla without losing any polish.
If a favourite fades faster than you'd like, try layering before you switch. A matching body lotion or shower gel gives the scent something to hold on to. Our beginner's guide to layering fragrance shows you how.
Buying fragrance as a gift
- You know what they wear: match it exactly, with the same name and the same version. Consider the larger bottle: it's a gift that gets used every day.
- You're choosing something new: an EDT is usually the safer introduction. It's lighter, more forgiving if it isn't quite their taste, and generally a gentler price.
- You want it to feel special: a gift set pairs the fragrance with a matching body product, which also helps it last. Explore fragrance gifts and sets.
- You really don't know: start from what's popular. Bestselling women's fragrance | Bestselling men's fragrance
For seasonal ideas, see finding your autumn match for a summer favourite.
Now find yours
EDT vs EDP was never about one being better. It's about having the right fragrance for the moment: something fresh that works hard from Monday to Friday, and something with more depth when the evening deserves it. For plenty of people, the answer is one of each.
Whichever you choose, compare the versions, check the price per ml, and remember that the bigger bottle of a fragrance you love is usually where the value is. Our buyers go looking for the names you know in every concentration, so you can build a wardrobe that works without paying the full asking price.
- Shop women's eau de toilette | men's
- Shop women's eau de parfum | men's
- Explore women's fragrance offers | men's
Found the one? You might want to see today's price.
FAQs
What is the difference between eau de toilette and eau de parfum? The main difference is concentration. Eau de parfum usually contains more perfume oils (roughly 10–20%) than eau de toilette (roughly 5–15%), so it tends to feel richer and last longer. There's no official standard, and brands often adjust the formula between versions, so the two can smell noticeably different.
Does eau de parfum last longer than eau de toilette? Generally, yes, because it's more concentrated. But the notes matter too: fresh citrus fades faster than woods, amber and musk, so a woody EDT can outlast a citrus EDP.
Is the EDP just a stronger version of the EDT? Not always. Many houses rework the composition for each version, so the EDP can have different notes from the EDT of the same name. Check the notes before assuming it will smell the same.
What does "Intense" or "Elixir" mean on a perfume? These are brand names for a richer or deeper take on an original fragrance, not fixed concentrations. The product description will usually say whether it's an eau de parfum or a parfum.
Is eau de parfum better value than eau de toilette? Not automatically. Compare price per millilitre: bottle size often makes a bigger difference than concentration, and a large EDT can work out far cheaper per spray than a small EDP.
Should I buy EDT or EDP as a gift? If you know what they already wear, buy the same version. If you're choosing something new, an EDT is usually the safer, lighter introduction.
