I'd sample the exact perfume version before paying extra for an eau de parfum or extrait. CHANEL N°5 Eau de Toilette and Eau de Parfum have different stated compositions. N°5 L'Eau is another interpretation, even though it is also an eau de toilette. With Baccarat Rouge 540, the 70 ml extrait costs £110 more than the 70 ml EDP. That premium should buy a version you prefer.
The comparisons below use official UK product descriptions and listed prices checked on 15 November 2026. They are a guide to choosing what to sample, with no claimed Insider Beauty wear test or measured longevity ranking.
What EDT, EDP and parfum tell you
EDT means eau de toilette; EDP means eau de parfum. Parfum and extrait de parfum are names used for more concentrated interpretations. Within a fragrance family, these labels help distinguish versions, but they do not tell you the complete composition or how many hours you will enjoy wearing it.
CHANEL describes its concentrations as different interpretations of a fragrance identity. Its individual product pages make the practical point more clearly: the featured notes change. Buying an EDP after liking the EDT can therefore be a change of scent as well as a change of concentration.
| Term | The question it answers | What to check separately |
|---|---|---|
| Concentration label | Which EDT, EDP or parfum version is this? | The precise product name, composition and format |
| Projection | How noticeable is the scent around the wearer? | Whether that amount of presence suits your setting |
| Longevity | How long can the scent still be detected? | Whether you like its later stages, and by whom it is being detected |
| Dry-down | What remains as the fragrance develops after application? | Whether you prefer it to the opening |
| Flanker | Is this a separately named variation within the same family? | The extra words in the name, even if the concentration matches |
I wouldn't turn a generic concentration chart into an hours-of-wear promise. For shopping, the exact bottle, its stated character and a trial on your own skin are more useful than a percentage a brand has not published for that product.
CHANEL N°5: two EDTs that need separate samples
CHANEL describes N°5 Eau de Toilette around rose, jasmine and ylang-ylang, with aldehydes, sandalwood and vetiver. Its current presentation emphasises a woody interpretation. I'd put this on the sampling list for someone interested in those woodier notes.
Le N°5 Eau de Parfum description centres on rose and jasmine, with citrus at the opening and vanilla in the trail. If the EDP is the perfume you already know, I would not substitute the EDT solely because its price per millilitre is lower.
N°5 L'Eau is also labelled eau de toilette, but CHANEL describes a separate interpretation led by citrus, with rose, jasmine and ylang-ylang. “L'Eau” is part of the product identity. Dropping it from a shopping note could send someone home with the other EDT.
These are the brand's descriptions, not a claim that everyone will perceive each note or prefer the version suggested by them. Use them to narrow the counter visit, then compare the samples.
| Exact UK product | Listed bottle | Listed price | Normalised cost per 100 ml |
|---|---|---|---|
| N°5 Eau de Toilette Spray, ref. 105670 | 75 ml | £127 | £169.33 |
| N°5 Eau de Parfum Spray, ref. 125430 | 50 ml | £115 | £230.00 |
| N°5 L'Eau Eau de Toilette Spray, ref. 105520 | 50 ml | £112 | £224.00 |
These are the selected sizes on the linked pages, not a claim that each line has the same size options. The last column makes their unit prices comparable; it does not represent the price of an actual 100 ml bottle. Other sizes can have different unit prices.
The EDP costs £3 more than L'Eau at 50 ml. That small gap gives you little reason to compromise on the scent you prefer. The 75 ml EDT costs more at checkout but less per millilitre, so “the cheaper one” depends on which calculation you mean.
Baccarat Rouge 540: what the extrait premium buys
Maison Francis Kurkdjian describes Baccarat Rouge 540 Eau de Parfum through jasmine and saffron, an ambergris-like accord and dry woody tones. Its extrait description introduces bitter almond alongside jasmine, with a woody, ambery and musky accord.
That gives the extrait its own sampling question: do you prefer that interpretation? The brand's stronger positioning does not establish that it will be the more enjoyable everyday purchase for you.
| Exact UK product | Format | Listed price | Cost per 100 ml |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baccarat Rouge 540 Eau de Parfum | 70 ml | £265 | £378.57 |
| Baccarat Rouge 540 Extrait de Parfum | 70 ml | £375 | £535.71 |
The extrait adds £110 for the same volume, about 42% above the EDP price. I would want a clear preference after sampling before spending that difference. The calculation compares purchase cost, not the number of wears: that would require knowing how much of each you actually use.
An almond note in a perfume description is not an ingredient or allergy declaration. Notes describe an intended smell. For ingredient avoidance, use the full pack label and advice relevant to your particular allergy rather than treating the note list as a recipe.
How I'd compare versions before buying
Start with two exact candidates. Write the full name and concentration on each blotter or sample, including words such as L'Eau or Extrait. A photo of the shelf label helps prevent a naming mix-up later.
Use blotters to decide which versions you want to try on skin. Then wear one candidate on an ordinary day, following its directions. Keep other scented products out of that comparison where practical. Give the other candidate a separate day in a similar setting; several perfumes competing on the same arm can make the choice harder.
My notes would cover three moments: the opening, a later check during the day, and the end of the period I wanted it to last. Record the actual time and amount applied rather than inventing a standard spray count. The atomiser is part of the experience, too.
| What to record | A useful observation |
|---|---|
| Exact product and format | Brand, full name, concentration, sample or bottle |
| Opening | Whether you enjoy it once the initial spray has settled |
| Later character | What you still like, or what starts to bother you |
| Presence | Whether it feels appropriate at your desk, on a commute or at dinner |
| Desire to wear it again | Which sample you reach for when you are free to choose |
If you stop noticing a perfume, don't immediately add more. CHANEL's FAQ discusses olfactory habituation, where you become less aware of a familiar scent. Your own inability to smell it is not a reliable measurement of how far it projects to other people.
Keep concentration, bottle size and reformulation separate
Choose the version first, then decide the size. A large EDP at a favourable unit price is poor value if you preferred the EDT. Our perfume bottle-size guide deals with estimating uses; our discovery-set guide checks when sample credits make financial sense.
A reformulation is another issue. Even a matching name and concentration do not tell you that a bottle sold years ago is identical to today's product. For a replacement gift, ask for a photograph of the current bottle and box, and confirm whether the recipient wants that exact version or is happy to sample a newer one.
Before opening a full bottle, read the seller's return terms and check whether a separate sample is included. Keep the packaging until you've confirmed that the name, concentration and size match the order. Those three details are more useful than asking the shop for “the stronger one.”