What is a perfume decant?
A decant is the original perfume, moved from its bottle into a smaller one. Same scent, smaller size, so you can wear it for weeks before you decide on a full bottle.
The short answer
To decant means to pour from one container into another. In perfume, a decant is a smaller bottle filled from the original full bottle. Nothing is added and nothing is diluted, so what you spray is the perfume itself.
At 10ML every decant is filled from an original bottle into a travel atomiser, ready to spray. You choose the perfume and the size; we do the careful part.
A decant is not a free tester
A shop tester or a paper strip gives you a few seconds of a scent. A decant gives you days or weeks of it, on your own skin, in your own life: at work, on a night out, in the rain.
That matters because perfume changes as it wears. The bright opening you smell on a strip fades within the hour. What stays, the heart and the base, is what you actually live with.
3ml, 10ml or 30ml: which size does what
We fill three sizes, and each one has a job.
3ml
Discover
Around 60 sprays. Enough to wear a scent for a week or so and know where you stand.
From €6.90 in our catalogue
10ml
Wear
Around 200 sprays. Weeks of daily wear, in a size that fits a pocket.
From €15.90 in our catalogue
30ml
Keep
Around 600 sprays. For the scent you keep reaching for, and the best value per ml.
From €41.90 in our catalogue
Spray counts are estimates. How long a scent lasts on skin depends on the perfume, not on the bottle it came in.
Why wear it for weeks before buying the bottle
- You meet the whole scent. Top notes fade fast; the dry-down is what people notice on you.
- You try it in real weather. Some scents bloom in the heat and go quiet in the cold, or the other way round.
- You find out if you still reach for it. Liking a perfume on day one and wearing it on day twenty are different things.
- You spend on one bottle, not three. When a scent wins, you buy the bottle knowing you will wear it.
Where to start
Our bestsellers are a good first map, and niche perfumes are where a decant saves you the most guesswork. The guide to choosing a perfume without smelling it walks you through the rest.
Popular first decants
Parfums de Marly
Notes: Aldehydes, Lily-of-the-Valley, Akigalawood
3ml €15.90 · 10ml €43.90 · 30ml €112.90
Louis Vuitton
Notes: Calabrian bergamot, Ceylon Cinnamon, Ambroxan
3ml €20.90 · 10ml €52.90
Maison Francis Kurkdjian
Notes: Bitter Almond, Egyptian Jasmine, Ambergris
3ml €23.90 · 10ml €60.90
Picks follow the order of our bestseller list and refresh when it changes. Prices are in euros and include VAT.
Ready to choose? The perfume decants page has every size and our bestsellers, and about our decants explains how each one is filled.
Questions people ask
Is a decant the original perfume?
Yes. A decant is taken from the original bottle, with nothing added or diluted. 10ML sells original perfume only.
How long does a 10ml decant last?
At three sprays a day, about two months. A 3ml lasts about three weeks and a 30ml more than six months.
Is a decant the same as a sample?
Not quite. A free sample is usually a tiny vial or a spray from a tester. A decant is a size you buy to wear for days or weeks, in an atomiser you can carry.
Can I take a decant on a plane?
Yes. 3ml, 10ml and 30ml are all under the 100 ml limit for liquids in cabin bags. The travel perfume guide has the details.
Is 10ML linked to the perfume houses?
No. 10ML is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the houses whose perfumes we sell.
10ML is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the perfume houses whose fragrances we sell.