Attars, Perfume Oils and Eau de Parfum: What's the Difference?
If you have ever stood in front of a shelf wondering why one bottle says attar, another says perfume oil and a third says eau de parfum, this guide is for you. The difference is not marketing. It is how the fragrance is built — and it changes how the scent wears, how long it lasts and how you should apply it.
Attar
An attar is a traditional, alcohol-free fragrance. It is oil-based, applied in very small quantities, and worn close to the skin rather than projected across a room. Because there is no alcohol to flash off, an attar opens slowly and reveals itself over hours instead of minutes. Traditionally attars were distilled directly into a base oil, which is why they feel dense and warm compared with a spray.
Attars suit people who want a personal, intimate fragrance — something noticed by those who come close, not by everyone in the lift.
Perfume oil
A perfume oil is also alcohol-free and oil-based, usually supplied in a small roll-on. The practical difference from an attar is one of tradition and composition rather than chemistry: perfume oils are typically modern compositions in a carrier oil, made to be worn the same way — dabbed on pulse points, close to the skin, long-lasting.
Perfume oils travel well, do not spill in the way a spray can, and are forgiving in hot, humid weather. Our own perfume oils are supplied as 10ml alcohol-free roll-ons.
Eau de parfum (EDP)
An eau de parfum is alcohol-based and sprayed. The alcohol carries the fragrance into the air, so an EDP projects further and announces itself faster. It also evolves more visibly — you will notice a bright opening, a different middle and a settled base (see our guide to fragrance notes).
Our signature perfumes are 60ml eau de parfum sprays.
Which should you choose?
- Want presence and a scent that announces you? Choose an eau de parfum spray.
- Want something quiet, close and long-wearing? Choose an attar or a perfume oil.
- Travelling, or working in heat? An oil or roll-on is the practical choice.
- Layering? Many people wear an oil on pulse points and a spray over it — the oil anchors the scent, the spray carries it.
A note on applying oils
Oils need far less product than sprays. Start with a single dab at the wrist or behind the ear, then wait ten minutes before deciding whether to add more. Do not rub your wrists together — the friction breaks up the composition.
Every 60ml signature perfume we ship includes a complimentary discovery sample of another SPR scent, so you can try a second fragrance on your own skin before committing to a full bottle.
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