Fragrances

Fragrances covers perfume, eau de parfum, body sprays and mists, deodorants, and alcohol-free attars and perfume oils — imported from the UAE, India, the UK and the USA, for men and for women.

Body Mist, EDT, EDP, Attar — What the Words Mean

This is the most useful thing to know before buying any fragrance, and almost no listing anywhere explains it. The difference is how much perfume oil is in the bottle, and it decides both how long it lasts and what it should cost:

• Body mist / splash / spray — about 1-3% oil. Light and refreshing, gone in one to two hours, made to be reapplied. This is why they come in 100ml and 135ml bottles.

• Eau de Toilette (EDT) — about 5-15%. Three to five hours. The everyday office strength.

• Eau de Parfum (EDP) — about 15-20%. Five to eight hours, and it projects further.

• Attar / perfume oil — undiluted, alcohol-free. It sits close to the skin rather than filling a room, and it can outlast an EDP because there is no alcohol evaporating. A 6ml bottle lasts months.

• None is better than the others. A body mist after a shower on a hot afternoon is the right product; so is an EDP at a wedding. Buying the wrong one for the occasion is why people say a fragrance “does not last”.

Making a Fragrance Last

• Moisturise first. Dry skin will not hold scent. This is the single biggest difference between two hours and six.

• Apply to pulse points — inner wrists, sides of the neck, behind the ears — where warmth lifts the scent.

• Do not rub your wrists together. Everybody does it, and the friction breaks the top notes.

• Spray clothes as well as skin — fabric holds fragrance far longer — but test a hidden seam first on silk or pale colours.

• Store it cool and dark, not in the bathroom. The daily steam-and-cool swing is the worst place in the house for perfume.

Genuine Products

Much of this catalogue is imported, and imported shelves are where fakes and repacks appear. Whoever you buy from, these are worth checking:

• The seal. An intact shrink wrap or safety ring is what tells you a product has not been opened.

• The batch number and expiry printed on the pack itself, not on a sticker over it. A sticker covering the original printing is the commonest sign of a repack.

• A price far below everyone else’s is information — sometimes a genuine clearance, often a fake or something close to expiry.

If what arrives does not match its listing, tell us. We would rather take a return than leave a wrong description standing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does the same perfume smell different on me?

Skin chemistry, skin type and heat. Oily and well-moisturised skin holds fragrance longer and develops the base notes more; dry skin loses the top notes fast. It is why testing on your own skin beats testing on a card.

Does perfume expire?

It degrades rather than spoils. Kept cool and dark, an unopened bottle lasts years and an opened one is at its best for two to three. A fragrance that has turned smells sharp or sour at the top and usually darkens in colour.

What is the difference between an attar and a perfume?

An attar is concentrated oil with no alcohol. It has no top-note burst, it opens slowly on the skin over ten or fifteen minutes, it stays close to you rather than projecting, and it lasts a very long time. It is also the usual choice for anyone avoiding alcohol.

How do I know the product is genuine?

Check the seal, the batch number and the expiry printed on the pack itself rather than on a sticker over it. Everything we sell is sourced to arrive sealed and within date, and if what you receive does not match the listing we will put it right.

How long does delivery take?

Inside Dhaka, usually one to three working days. Outside Dhaka, generally two to five, depending on the courier and your location. We contact you to confirm the order before it is dispatched.