French Avenue sells most of its range as Eau de Parfum, but some of its best-known bottles — Atlantis, Chaos Extrait, Royal Blend — are Extrait de Parfum, the strongest concentration a fragrance is sold in. Shoppers ask the same question every time: what does the extrait actually change, and is it worth choosing over the EDP?
This guide answers it for the French Avenue range specifically — which scents come as extrait, what the concentration does in practice, and when the EDP is the better buy. The background on the house is in our French Avenue brand guide, and the full range is on the French Avenue brand page.
What Extrait de Parfum means
Perfume concentrations run from lightest to strongest: Eau de Cologne, Eau de Toilette, Eau de Parfum, then Extrait de Parfum — sometimes just called Parfum — at the top. Extrait contains the highest proportion of perfume oils and the least alcohol. In practice that usually means three things.
First, extrait tends to sit closer to the skin than an Eau de Parfum: less of a room-filling cloud, more of a personal aura. Second, it is usually applied more sparingly — one or two sprays on pulse points is often enough. Third, extrait tends to develop more slowly, staying truer to its character over the day.
None of that is a claim about any individual French Avenue bottle, because the house publishes wear-time figures for only two bottles in the range — Liquid Brun at 8 to 10 hours and Royal Blend at 10 to 12 hours — and this guide will not invent figures for the rest. But the concentration does explain the price and the feel of the extraits in the range, and why a 100ml extrait at £24.99 to £39.99 is such strong value in the UK market, where a 100ml designer extrait can easily cost several times that.
The extraits in the French Avenue range
| Extrait | Character | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Blend | Precious woods, amber, spices, florals | £24.99 |
| Nomad | Marine salt, ambergris and saffron | £28.99 |
| Grow | Saffron, rose and vanilla | £28.99 |
| Aether | Green apple, bergamot and musk | £29.99 |
| Atlantis | Watermelon and coconut aquatic | £29.99 |
| Royal Blend Sequoia | Cognac, raspberry and praline | £29.99 |
| Chaos Extrait | Cherry, iris and leather | £31.99 |
| Marmara | Bergamot, saffron and suede | £33.99 |
| Aromatix Forbidden Fruits | Ripe fruit extrait, notes not published | £34.99 |
| Ravine Ginger | Ginger, citrus and sandalwood | £34.99 |
| Aromatix Carnal Desire | Raspberry, orris and leather | £35.99 |
| El Dorado | Caramel, saffron and milky amber | £38.99 |
| Spirito Ignite | Iris, leather and popcorn | £38.99 |
| Spirito Mystic | Bergamot, rose and powdery woods | £38.99 |
| Aromatix X Xandal | Vanilla, rum and caramel | £38.99 |
| Aromatix Teas Me | Black tea, lime and amber | £38.99 |
| Aromatix Royal Taboo | Tobacco, cardamom and vanilla | £38.99 |
| Aromatix Frostbite | Mango, lavender and amber | £39.99 |
| Ravine Ice | Green tea, blackcurrant and moss | £39.99 |
| Rose Explosion | Rose extrait, notes not published | £23.99 |
| Paradigm | Extrait, notes not published | £23.99 |
| After Effect | Cinnamon, saffron and sandalwood | £23.99 |
Three extraits are the cheapest in the range: Rose Explosion, Paradigm and After Effect, all £23.99 in 80ml bottles. Note the sizes: Rose Explosion, Paradigm and After Effect are 80ml, while the rest of the extraits above are 100ml.
The EDPs to compare them with
The EDP side of the range is larger, and it holds the brand’s hero. Liquid Brun, £27.49, is a 100ml Eau de Parfum — cinnamon, vanilla and praline, inspired by Parfums de Marly Althaïr, with 8 to 10 hour longevity stated on its product page. Zenith Vanilla, £23.99, is a candied orange, bergamot and rum EDP over violet, styrax and jasmine, on vanilla, patchouli and benzoin.
Veneno Scarlet, £33.99, is a strawberry, blackberry and caramel EDP over raspberry, cedarwood and cinnamon, on leather, caramel, patchouli, fir, tonka bean and vanilla. And Royal Blend Nero, £24.99 reduced from £27.99, is a bergamot, nutmeg, date and apple EDP over chestnut, guaiac wood, juniper, cinnamon and saffron, on vanilla, benzoin, tonka beans, musk, balsam of Peru and cashmeran.
Three extraits worth knowing in detail
Atlantis — £29.99
Atlantis is the best extrait value in the range and the freshest fragrance French Avenue makes: mandarin orange, orange and lemon at the top; watermelon and coconut at the heart; ambergris, amberwood and cacao at the base. At £29.99 for 100ml of extrait, it is the bottle that shows what the concentration is for — a bright, modern aquatic that stays close and lasts, rather than a loud citrus that burns off in an hour.
Royal Blend — £24.99
Royal Blend is the cheapest extrait in the range at £24.99, and the only bottle besides Liquid Brun with a wear-time figure stated on its product page: a warm, luxurious unisex extrait of precious woods, amber, spices and subtle florals, with 10 to 12 hour longevity. No individual notes are published for it, so this guide describes it by its own product page rather than inventing a pyramid. If you want to try extrait for the least money, this is the bottle.
Nomad — £28.99
Nomad is the most unusual extrait in the range: a marine extrait at £28.99. A marine accord, sea salt, bergamot, saffron and lemon open it; an ambergris accord, tonka bean, saffron and white flowers sit at the heart; and vanilla, cypriol, amber, patchouli, oud, musk and sandalwood form the base. It is the extrait to buy if you want something fresh but with real depth — salt and ambergris rather than plain citrus.
When the extrait is the better buy
Choose the extrait when you want the scent to stay close to the skin, when you prefer to apply one or two sprays rather than several, and when the fragrance is one you will wear in the evening or in cooler weather, where a slower, richer development suits it. The extraits at £23.99 — Rose Explosion, Paradigm and After Effect — are the cheapest way to try the concentration at all, and Royal Blend at £24.99 is the cheapest 100ml extrait in the range. The £38.99 extraits — El Dorado, Spirito Ignite, Spirito Mystic, X Xandal, Teas Me and Royal Taboo — are the richest and most complex, and the ones where the extrait concentration shows most clearly.
When the EDP is the better buy
Choose the EDP when you want the fragrance to project more, when you want it for daytime and everyday wear, and when the scent you want only comes as an EDP — which is the case for the brand’s hero, Liquid Brun, and for most of the Zenith, Veneno and Royal Blend lines.
The EDPs are also the better buy on price at the bottom of the range: Royal Blend Bourbon and Royal Blend Vintage are £18.99 each as EDPs, the lowest prices in the whole French Avenue range. An EDP is not a weaker version of an extrait — it is a different presentation of the same idea, with more lift and more air in it.
If you spray heavily, an EDP will serve you better than an extrait, because extrait is designed to be used sparingly.
How to apply Extrait de Parfum
Because extrait is the most concentrated form, a little goes a long way. The usual advice is one or two sprays on pulse points — wrists and the sides of the neck — and to give it a few minutes before judging it, since extrait settles more slowly than EDP.
Apply extrait to skin rather than clothes where possible, since the higher oil content can mark fabric. You can always add more; you cannot take it away. This matters more with the £38.99 extraits than with the £23.99 ones, but the advice holds across the range.
Buying extrait and EDP at Arabic Aura
All of the extraits and EDPs in this guide are in stock at Arabic Aura, with free standard UK delivery, a 14-day returns policy and a 100% authenticity guarantee. The cheapest extraits are Rose Explosion, £23.99, Paradigm, £23.99 and After Effect, £23.99; the cheapest 100ml extrait is Royal Blend, £24.99; and the hero EDP is Liquid Brun, £27.49. For the sweet side of the range, see our guide to French Avenue gourmand perfumes; for the cheapest bottles overall, the best French Avenue perfumes under £30; and for the ranked best of the brand, the best French Avenue perfumes UK 2026.
How to store extrait de parfum
Extrait’s higher oil content does not protect it from the enemies of all perfume: heat, light and air. Keep extrait bottles in their boxes, in a cool, dark drawer or wardrobe shelf, never in the bathroom and never on a sunny windowsill. Two extra cautions apply to extrait specifically: keep the cap on tight, because the richer oils lose their top notes faster once air gets in; and never decant extrait into a cheap plastic atomiser for long storage — the oils can interact with low-grade plastic.
Glass decants are fine for travel; plastic is for the week, not the year.
Layering extrait with EDP
Extrait and EDP from the same family layer better than two extraits or two EDPs do, because their weights differ. Spray the EDP first — it is lighter and opens faster — then add one spray of extrait over it. The EDP gives the opening lift; the extrait gives the base weight and staying power.
Keep the total spray count the same as for one perfume: one spray of EDP plus one of extrait is plenty. Never layer two extraits together — the combined oil load turns heavy and muddy fast.
Decanting extrait for travel
Extrait’s 80ml and 100ml bottles are poor travel companions, and decanting solves that — with one rule. Use a small glass atomiser, fill it from the bottle’s sprayer (never pour from an open bottle, which wastes oil and lets air in), and label it with the scent name and the date.
A decant is for weeks of travel, not months of storage: the small amount of air in the atomiser will flatten the top notes over time. For a single trip, a 5ml or 10ml glass decant is ideal; for the shelf at home, keep the original bottle.
Frequently asked questions
Is Extrait de Parfum stronger than Eau de Parfum?
Yes, in concentration: extrait has the highest proportion of perfume oils and the least alcohol of any concentration sold. In practice it tends to sit closer to the skin, develop more slowly and need fewer sprays, while an EDP projects more. Neither is objectively better — they are different presentations.
Which French Avenue fragrances are Extrait de Parfum?
Twenty-two in the range at Arabic Aura, including Atlantis (£29.99), Chaos Extrait (£31.99), El Dorado (£38.99), Royal Blend (£24.99), Nomad (£28.99), Marmara (£33.99), Aether (£29.99), Royal Blend Sequoia (£29.99), Ravine Ginger (£34.99), Ravine Ice (£39.99), Carnal Desire (£35.99) and Forbidden Fruits (£34.99), the Spirito pair (£38.99 each) and the Aromatix extraits. The full list with prices is in the table above.
Is French Avenue extrait worth the price?
The extraits run from £23.99 to £39.99, and most are 100ml — strong value against designer extraits, which can cost several times as much for the same size. The cheapest way to try the concentration is Rose Explosion, Paradigm or After Effect at £23.99 each, or Royal Blend at £24.99 for a 100ml bottle.
How many sprays of French Avenue extrait should I use?
One or two sprays on pulse points is the usual starting point. Extrait is the most concentrated form, so it is applied more sparingly than EDP. Give it a few minutes to settle before judging it, and apply to skin rather than clothes where possible.
Can I layer extrait with EDP?
Yes — EDP first, then one spray of extrait over it, keeping the total spray count the same as for one perfume. The EDP gives lift, the extrait gives weight. Never layer two extraits together.
How should I store extrait de parfum?
In its box, in a cool, dark place, cap on tight — never the bathroom, never a sunny windowsill. Higher oil content does not protect extrait from heat, light or air; it makes a tight cap matter more.
Does extrait go off faster than EDP?
No. Concentration does not shorten shelf life — heat, light and air do, for extrait and EDP alike. A well-stored extrait keeps as long as a well-stored EDP; a poorly stored one goes off just as fast.
