Eau de Cologne has always carried a certain mystique. Crisp, bright and effortlessly wearable, it occupies a unique place in the fragrance world — one that stretches from the powdered wigs of 18th-century Europe to the minimalist bathroom shelves of today. While modern perfumery constantly reinvents itself, cologne remains timeless precisely because of its simplicity.
The story begins in the German city of Cologne, where Italian perfumer Johann Maria Farina created a revolutionary scent in 1709. Inspired by the freshness of spring mornings after rain, his fragrance was unlike the heavy animalic perfumes popular at the time. Built around sparkling citrus notes — bergamot, lemon and orange blossom — Eau de Cologne felt clean, uplifting and refined. It quickly became a sensation among European aristocracy, favoured by emperors, royals and travellers alike.
Traditionally, cologne referred to fragrances with a lighter concentration of perfume oils, often dominated by citrus, herbs and aromatic woods. Their appeal lay in their immediacy: refreshing rather than overwhelming, intimate rather than theatrical. And yet, despite centuries of changing tastes, that effortless freshness still resonates today.
Modern fragrance wardrobes are increasingly built around versatility. We no longer reserve scent for evening occasions or formal events; fragrance has become part of daily ritual and personal wellbeing. In this landscape, cologne feels more relevant than ever. A crisp neroli blend before work, a sharp citrus spritz after a shower, or a soft herbal composition on warm summer skin — these scents fit seamlessly into contemporary life.
Many of today’s most admired perfumes still borrow from the original cologne structure. Luxury houses reinterpret it with transparent musks, green tea, smoky vetiver or marine accords, proving that freshness can also possess sophistication and longevity. The appeal transcends gender too, with cologne styles now celebrated as beautifully universal.
Perhaps that is the enduring magic of cologne: it never tries too hard. In an age of excess, there is something deeply modern about fragrance that simply makes you feel clean, elegant and quietly confident.
Three centuries later, Louise Farina, ninth-generation perfumer, returns to the iconic essences that Johann Maria Farina once selected for the Original Eau de Cologne: bergamot, mandarin, neroli, jasmine, musk and amber. Each note is reinterpreted through a contemporary lens in the new Série Extrait de Cologne collection — six individual fragrance portraits that honour the heritage of cologne while embracing the richness and depth modern wearers increasingly seek. Rather than recreating the past, the collection reframes these historic ingredients with elegance and clarity, demonstrating how timeless raw materials can still feel entirely current.
The Série Extrait de Cologne collection will be available from 1st June 2026.
Navigating the world of fragrance strengths can sometimes seem as complex as choosing a fine wine, with a variety of strengths and concentrations to consider. From colognes to extraits, each type offers a unique olfactory experience and serves different purposes. Understanding these differences can help you select the perfect scent for any occasion.
Fragrance Strength and Concentrations
Fragrance strengths are determined by the concentration of perfume oils in the carrier, usually alcohol. Here’s a handy guide to help you distinguish between them:
Extrait/Extract/Solid Perfume: With a concentration of 20-30%, these are the most potent forms of fragrance. They are rich and long-lasting, ideal for special occasions when you want your scent to linger throughout the day or evening.
Perfume (Parfum): Containing 15-25% perfume oil, this is slightly less concentrated than extrait but still offers a robust and enduring scent. Perfume is perfect for formal events or a night out when you want to make a lasting impression.
Eau de Parfum (EDP): With 8-15% concentration, EDPs are versatile and popular for their balance of longevity and subtlety. They are suitable for both day and evening wear, providing a noticeable yet not overwhelming presence.
Eau de Toilette (EDT): At 4-8% concentration, EDTs are lighter and more refreshing. They are ideal for daytime use, especially in warmer climates, offering a pleasant scent that lasts a few hours.
Cologne (EDC): With 2-4% concentration, colognes are light and invigorating. They are perfect for a quick refresh during the day or after a workout, providing a subtle fragrance that doesn’t overpower.
Body Cream/Lotion: These products typically contain 3-4% fragrance concentration. They are excellent for layering with other scents to enhance longevity and provide a moisturizing base.
After Shave/Splash: Also at 2-4% concentration, these are designed to soothe the skin post-shave while imparting a light fragrance. They are best used for a gentle scent that complements other fragrances.
The concentration – ‘strength’ – of perfume oils not only influences the scent’s longevity on your skin but also its price. Generally, higher concentrations last longer and come with a heftier price tag. However, it’s essential to note that different concentrations, such as Perfume or Eau de Toilette, might feature varying notes and aren’t merely weaker or stronger versions of the same scent. To truly appreciate a fragrance, it’s worth exploring all its concentrations to find your personal favourite.
Choosing the right fragrance strength for the occasion
Selecting the right fragrance strength depends on the occasion and your personal preference:
For Everyday Wear: Opt for an Eau de Toilette or a light Eau de Parfum strength. These provide a pleasant scent without being overpowering, suitable for work or casual outings.
For Special Occasions: Choose a Perfume or Extrait strength for a more intense and long-lasting fragrance. These are perfect for weddings, formal events, or evenings out.
For a Refreshing Boost: Use a Cologne or After Shave/Splash. These are great for a quick pick-me-up during the day or after a workout.
Understanding these fragrance strengths not only helps in selecting the right scent but also enhances your overall fragrance experience, ensuring that your chosen scent perfectly matches the moment. Some fragrance enthusiasts enjoy layering different scent types throughout the day to create a unique olfactory journey. Here’s a handy guide, if you’d like to follow this fragrant routine…
How to layer differing strength scents effectively
Morning Refresh: Start your day with a splash of Cologne to awaken your senses. Its light and invigorating nature is perfect for a refreshing boost.
Daytime Elegance: Transition to an Eau de Toilette for daytime wear. Its balanced concentration provides a noticeable yet subtle scent that complements your daily activities.
Hot Weather Tips: In warmer temperatures, consider pairing a Cologne or Eau de Toilette with a matching or unscented body lotion. This helps lock in the fragrance, as dry skin tends to make scents fade faster.
Hair Perfumes: Explore the world of hair perfumes, which offer a delightful way to wear your fragrance. These are often infused with moisturizing and protective properties, making them ideal for hot weather when alcohol-based scents can dry out your hair.
Evening Allure: As the sun sets and you prepare for an evening out, switch to an Eau de Parfum. Its richer concentration leaves a sultrier trail, perfect for making a lasting impression throughout the night.
Boudoir Intimacy: For a more intimate setting, a dab of pure Parfum or Extrait is ideal. These stronger concentrations are designed to linger close to the skin, creating a personal and alluring aura for you and those privileged enough to get close.
By understanding and experimenting with different fragrance strength formulas and layering techniques, you can tailor your scent experience to suit any occasion, ensuring you leave an unforgettable olfactory impression wherever you go!
Given the hot weather here in the U.K. currently, perhaps you’d like to further your fragrant knowledge with our guide to the fascinating history of Cologne.? Whichever type of scent you choose to wear, we hope this guide will help you go from strength to strength…
How can I make my perfume last longer? It’s one of our most frequently-asked questions from readers over the last ten years, and although there’s lot of new extra-strength fragrance options such as parfum / intense and extrait formulations around nowadays, we always do these five things to ensure the BEST performance from our perfumes…
1Use matching body products, or unscented if they don’t offer them – it’s a beautiful way to ‘layer’ on your fragrance; body creams and body lotions, in particular, add emollients which hold on to perfume. The simple fact is: the drier your skin, the faster fragrance molecules will evaporate. If these range extensions aren’t available, go for an unscented body cream, butter or lotion which won’t clash with your chosen scent. Think of it as a primer for perfume!
2 Switch to a stronger formulation, if available. Eau de parfum, pure parfum and extrait or ‘intense’ versions of your faves are highly concentrated formulas that have an increased percentage of actual fragrance ingredients to the medium of alcohol (or sometimes oil). These powered-up versions should certainly last longer (though still follow all our tips to get maximum benefit), and though they may be more expensive, you can end up using far less every day.
3Try spraying your hair as well as your skin – though be careful if the perfume is dark in colour as you may unintentionally dye your hair! (Test on a tissue, first.) Hair is porous and will waft the scent even longer than on your skin in many cases.
4Spritz the lining of a jacket or hem of a dress (be sure to ’tissue test’!) with scent, and the heat and movement of your body will make the fragrance bloom and waft around you all day. A handy way to try a new fragrance you’re not sure of is to spray a lightweight scarf (following the precautions above). Bored of it? Simply take the scarf off and try something else…
5 Remember that your nose can become used to your perfume, particularly if you wear the same one every single day – or you could be anosmic (unable to detect) some musk notes. Although you may not be able to smell it at all after 30-40 minutes, your friends and colleagues may still be able to, so maybe ask a friend if it’s still noticeable to them before dousing yourself again.
It’s such a joy to find a fragrance that lasts on your skin the whole day through – or at least takes you on an interesting journey, don’t you think? That’s why we have a wide variety of Discovery Boxes and Brand Sets for you to try – a whole wardrobe of eclectic scents in the comfort of your home. Buying perfume is not a ten-second activity, so why not test something new and see how long they last on your skin – perhaps compare one wrist following the tips above and the other without, and put the perfumes through their paces, armed (literally) with your insider knowledge…
Sarah Baker recently ramped up the ravishing longevity of their fragrances by adding Extrait to their collection. But hang on… WHAT does ‘extrait’ mean, and how does it differ from an eau de parfum? Or, come to that, a ‘parfum’? Here, we’re de-bunking the fragrance myths, finding out how you can try sample-sizes to compare and contrast, and feast your nose on even longer-lasting, full-size fragrances…
Contemporary artist Sarah Baker’s photography, sculpture and films are inspired by ‘fashion, luxury and celebrity’, but little did she know that when she created a fictional fragrance house as part of her artwork, her passion for the project (and the public’s reaction to it) would result in a real-life fragrance house. Still very much artistically inspired, luckily for us they’re now ready to (actually) wear… and now these intensified, ultra-long-lasting versions of the scents are on the menu and even more voluptuously desirable!
From Colognes to extraits, ‘splashes’ to after shaves – there are SO many differing types of fragrance strength descriptions now that it can get really confusing!
Terms like Eau de Toilette or Eau de Parfum are used to identify the strength or concentration of oil in the carrier (or base – usually alcohol) in a fragrance composition. These concentrations can vary from fragrance to fragrance, brand to brand, depending on how that particular house like to blend their scents, but this is a very general rule of thumb (or nose!)
Extrait / Parfum – 20-30%+
Perfume – 15-25 %
Eau de Parfum (EDP) – 8-15%
Eau de Toilette (EDT) – 4-8%
Cologne (EDC) – 2-4%
Body cream/lotion – 3-4%
After Shave/Splash – 2-4%
Soap – 2-4%
Don’t think of higher scent strengths as simply turning up the volume, it’s rather more nuanced than that…
An extrait (often also called Parfum or ‘extract’) is generally the highest percentage of fragrance-to-base that a house creates. These differing strengths perform differently on your skin, too. An extrait will stay on your skin for far longer than an EDP, but it may not project as much, so although it might not kick open a door of a party and announce itself by shouting into the room, it will linger longer, warming with your body throughout the day and night (and into the next day!) creating a sensorial, sensual bubble of intimacy for you – and those lucky enough to be near you – to share the pleasure of.
Some people like to layer scent strengths throughout the day. Here’s how:
Begin with a refreshing splash of Cologne to get those senses revving, and then wear an Eau de Toilette for day time.
In hot temperatures, consider layering a Cologne or Eau de Toilette with a matching (or unscented) body lotion, as dry skin makes fragrance fade faster.
Try one of the many new hair perfumes – a delightful way to wear your scent, often imbued with moisturising, protective properties as a bonus when temperatures soar (and alcohol-based scents can sizzle dry hair).
As evening falls and you head out on the town, switch things up by adding a spritz of Eau de Parfum to leave a sultrier trail that will last as long your night does.
And for the boudoir – a dab of pure Parfum or Extrait will tempt until the next day (or night) but wont project as far as an Eau de Parfum. Think of them as stronger concentrations, but in a hushed form – only for you and whomever you allow to get that close to nuzzle your neck and admire…
Is your nose twitching to find out more? See our brilliant FAQsection – there to answer your questions and put the sense into scents.
Meanwhile, if you’re ready to take the extrait perfumed plunge, let’s look at Sarah Baker’s transportive, evocative (and often deliberately provocative) scents to explore, and scroll down tosee the sample set of extrait fragrances for you to try…
‘Why be a star when you can be a legend?’ asks the always artistic, eternally glamorous Sarah Baker, introducing perfumer Chris Maurice’s enticing composition for her house. Balancing bergamot’s brightness with the honeyed headiness of orange blossom, petitgrain pierces through the sweet swirl of butterscotch and dusting of sinfully dark chocolate. Cradled in Laos oudh, Suyufi agarwood and amber, it’s the ’24 Karat glow’ of celebrity’s golden age, made manifest.
This is a classic of the collection that’s been adored since the scents were first launched. Sarah Baker, the nose for this one, is better known as the founder of quirky British house 4160 Tuesdays, but here collaborated with Baker to compose this marvel. Picture it: A fire is roaring in the library. You savour a rare single malt. Warmth and heritage envelope you after a walk through mossy ruins in Scotland’s Highlands. Autumnal.
Oh now this is completely addictive, we warn you… One to wear when you simply want to smell irresistible – we’ve heard tell of several glossy mag beauty editors who cannot be without this having tried it on their own skin, and having sampled it ourselves, we totally understand why. Playful and sweet with the flavours of childhood appetites, it dries down to something seriously grown-up. A beloved game encountered in the attic, realising years later it was the seed of your adult prowess; the sensual, sexy and clever you.
Another from the original collection we fell in lust with at first sniff, this swaggers with glamour, it’s that ‘shoulder pads in a bottle’ scent which we all need sometimes for an instant spritz of confidence. It evokes the strength within, a purr of suggestiveness, a soap-opera bottled that could get out of control if you allow. An epic night out. Heady excess and a whiff of scandal. A big cat signifying power and the right to luxury. The only choice when good behaviour is not an option. Decadent.
Now this one will surround you in a shield of perfumed protection, but in the most audaciously fabulous way. Too much or not enough? We think it’s the perfect perfume to wear when you need to let your inner diva take the steering wheel and drive you to beyond the limits of your own imagination. Inspired by cult star Divine. A bubblegum mélange of tropical fruits, seductive flowers and predatory tones. A scandalous first impression unveils a balance of audacious combinations. Dare to walk your own path.
This may well have been the first fragrance we ever smelled from this incredible niche house. Having just launched, we were blown away by the freshness, both of this breezey scent (which wafts the promise of holidays and happiness) and the inventiveness of their collection. Here, fragrance floods Aegean isles, turning fresh on crystal waters. A yacht where a famous affair plays out above and below decks.The sun glistens on your body. A drama that remains fresh forever.
What a scent, oh boy, you’d better be ready to fall headlong for the lustful trio of tuberose, honey and ylang ylang. It’s fragrances like this that linger so longingly on the skin – like the tingle of a passionate kiss that seemingly last forever in this strength. One to waft when you desire others to follow your trail for hours, unbidden, helplessly seeking another sniff. Ah yes. Cross and double-cross. Who’s fooling who when the stakes are high? A lingering vapour of classic silver screen sophistication. Impeccable.
There are occasions that a scent rises above a smell and becomes a texture, a colour, a shimmering sensation that evokes so much and plunges you into an olfactive memory. Here, we find ourselves half dreaming, half remembering, waves kissing our legs, warm sun caressing the skin, a feeling of nakedness that sighs contentedly. In a mythical ocean, a sea shell gives birth to the goddess of love. Desire lingers beneath the shimmering surface. Fresh and beautiful, with an undertow. Salty.
£145 for 50ml extrait de parfum
Try Extrait Samples…
We’re thrilled to be able to offer you a way to try these fabulous new extraits altogether – so you don’t have to choose between them, giving each a chance to drape itself irresistibly over your skin and radiate ravishingly in turn. Only then can you truly decide which one(s) must be yours…
From Colognes to extraits, splashes to after shaves – there are so many differing types of fragrance categories now that it can be hard to tell one from another and where to begin. Read our handy guide, below, and get your nose in the know!
Descriptions like Eau de Toilette or Eau de Parfum are used to identify the strength or concentration of oil in the carrier (or base – usually alcohol) in a fragrance composition. These concentrations can vary from fragrance to fragrance, depending on how that particular brand like to blend their scents, but use this is a rule of thumb (or nose!)
Extract/extrait/solid perfume – 20-30%
Perfume – 15-25 %
Eau de Parfum (EDP) – 8-15%
Eau de Toilette (EDT) – 4-8%
Cologne (EDC) – 2-4%
Body cream/lotion – 3-4%
After Shave/Splash – 2-4%
Soap – 2-4%
In general, the higher the percentage, the longer it will last on your skin, and therefore, the higher the price – but do be aware that different concentrations (Perfume, or Eau de Toilette, etc.) may sometimes have differing notes in them, and not simply be weaker or stronger. So when you like a fragrance, we suggest you explore it in all its different concentrations before you find your favourite… Perhaps in the heat, seek some shade and read our recent guide to which classic and contemporary Colognes we recommend for cooling down – we’ve included the fascinating history of the Cologne to tickle your senses, too.
Some people like to layer their scent types throughout the day. Here’s how:
Begin with a refreshing splash of Cologne to get thoses senses revving, and then wear an Eau de Toilette for day time.
In hot temperatures, consider layering a Cologne or Eau de Toilette with a matching (or unscented) body lotion, as dry skin makes fragrance fade faster.
Try one of the many new hair perfumes – a delightful way to wear your scent, often imbued with moisturising, protective properties as a bouns when temperatures soar (and alcohol-based scents can sizzle dry hair).
As evening falls and you head out on the town, switch things up by adding a spritz of Eau de Parfum to leave a sultrier trail that will last as long your night does.
And for the boudoir – a dab of pure Parfum or Extrait will tempt until the next day (or night) but wont project as far as an Eau de Parfum. Think of them as stronger concentrations, but in a hushed form – only for you and whomever you allow to get that close to nuzzle your neck and admire…
Is your nose twitching to find out more? See our brilliant FAQsection – there to answer your questions and put the sense into scents.
