How to recognize a fake perfume?
Perfume creation is a long process that requires at least one year including up to 600 trials by the creator.
There are also other actors that contribute to a perfect perfume realization, for example: perfumer, evaluator, graphic designer, packaging manufacturer, glass manufacturer, dermatological testing company.
Fragrances are submitted to fairly expensive dermatological tests to ensure the absence of problems or intolerances, a file is submitted to the poison control center. The manufacturers of fake perfumes don’t do it.
How to recognize a fake perfume?
Here are some tips to identify fake perfumes.
First tip: look at the price
If the price is significantly lower than the original one, or really too cheap, it is already a warning sign.
You can get 20% to 30% off on some major brands, but getting more is rare. Except for official perfumeries that have special offers or propose sets at specific times of the year, otherwise beware.
If you are offered perfumes with matches, for example number 10 matches Shalimar by Guerlain, you will inevitably have a fake perfume of bad quality.
Second tip: buy in a perfumery or on an official website
This is the best guarantee against fake perfumes. The brands have a list of official distributors of their perfumes and no other actor is allowed to sell the products.
If you buy perfume online, the risk is higher. You should check if the brand authorizes this website to sell its perfumes. Check the customer reviews and look at the pictures of real products received.
If you buy a perfume in a market or abroad on the street, it is obviously a fake perfume.
Beware of perfumes sold in factories in Grasse. When you visit a factory, it is almost always fake perfumes or copies because the creation centers of big brands are often based in Paris, Geneva or New York.
Third tip: look carefully at the packaging
To recognize a fake perfume, you should pay close attention to the packaging.
- Look carefully at the external box.
If it is not or poorly wrapped, with false folds, it is a sign of fake perfume.
- Look at the labels carefully.
If the label is badly stuck or crooked, it doesn't necessarily mean that it's a fake perfume, but it should be taken into account.
The law states that the label must indicate the main components and the list of allergens, a barcode, a batch number and a traceability number, the alcohol content, the ecological packaging symbol (two arrows forming a circle).
- Look carefully at the inner hold.
Big brands or confidential brands pay attention to every detail. If the paper is greyish or of poor quality, if the bottle is not well wedged, if the wedge is not well adjusted or has been created with poor quality paper compared to what is usually used. You may be looking at a fake perfume.
- Examine the bottle carefully.
It should have no seams, it should be worked in one piece, it should be smooth, it must match the original design perfectly. The cap should be centered and should fit snugly. If the dispenser tube is bent in the bottle or if it is too long, it can be a sign of fake perfume.
The scent of a fake perfume
A fake perfume can be misleading in the first few minutes because the top notes are often neat, but a few minutes later you might notice the difference.
It will be of poor quality or far from your expectations. A fake perfume, especially on the skin, will not have a nice evolution over time.
Be careful, because often the fake fragrances will not be composed with good quality raw materials and could be harmful, even toxic and allergenic, because they are built without respecting the laws (IFRA) in force. And above all, they will not have been tested.
Conclusion on fake perfumes
Fake perfumes copy the most famous perfumes, the mythical perfumes (N°5 by Chanel) and not the perfumes of the confidential or niche perfumery.
Fake perfumes or copies of perfumes are counterfeit and therefore subject to infringements of copyright and liable to prosecution or fines. Buying a fake perfume is not a trivial act, the buyer may also get a fine.
To avoid any problem, buy from a reliable website and check if the brand is distributed in any points of sale in the world, or in a perfumery.
Sylvaine Delacourte fragrances
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