Definition
An official decant, also called a house decant or authorized decant, is a small-format perfume bottle that runs from 1 to 30 ml, most often 5, 7.5 or 10 ml, and is sold directly by the house or by an authorized retailer. The term stands against community split decants, which are rebottled from a larger flacon by a third party, a practice tolerated but unauthorized by the brands (source: Fragrantica). What defines the format is the origin of the bottle, not its size.
Origin and history
Brand-issued small formats have long existed as travel sets, but the phrase official decant only took hold in the early 2020s as houses pushed back against the grey market. Community split decants, popularized on platforms such as Surrender to Chance and Scent Split, pressured brands to release their own smaller volumes and reclaim control of distribution (source: Basenotes). Frédéric Malle and Le Labo were among the first to standardize a 5 to 10 ml in-store offer.
Use in perfumery
The official decant works as a travel companion and a low-friction entry point under the price of a full bottle. Le Labo sells a refillable 10 ml Travel Tube, Maison Francis Kurkdjian offers most of its line in 11 ml, By Kilian runs a 7.5 ml refillable Travel Spray, and Diptyque and Atelier des Ors release 7.5 ml decant sets (source: Le Labo Travel Tube). The small size pays for itself by converting buyers to a full bottle.