In the 80s, there was a special tax on luxury goods introduced in France. Extraits, but not eaux de toilette, began to be taxed at 33%, which was an additional 13% on top of the regular VAT. To avoid the extra charge, brands came up with a new, intermediate concentration between the EDT and the extrait, with a price positioning lower than extraits.

Francis Kurkdjian

My recent extrait odyssey is now complete with the publication of an article in the Pefume Society’s award-winning The Scented Letter magazine. Featuring contributions from none other than Thierry Wasser, Mathilde Laurent, Francis Kurkdjian and Neil Chapman, it provides a brief summary of the history of the extrait, looks at the reasons for its apparent demise (including the one quoted above) and examines why it seems to be gaining prominence again at the moment. Needless to say, it also offers recommendations of some extraits currently in the shops. At the moment, the Perfume Society has made the magazine freely available to all, so if you’d like to read my piece, please click on this link: Persolaise on extraits in The Scented Letter.

Persolaise


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