Don't buy because of perfume hype or looks alone...
Sometimes it is easy to get lured into buying a perfume because of the hype surrounding it. Or maybe it just looks too alluring and attractive and you just cannot resist buying it. Here is our step by step guide to buying quality perfume and making sure that it lives up to the quality you deserve.
Check the source
Ensure that you are buying from a reputable dealer or retailer. Be cautious if the price is too cheap – if it seems too good an opportunity to miss – you probably should consider missing it. Check around to see what should be the going rate for this perfume and avoid any variance which is too far below this. Cheap knock off perfumes may smell like the original perfume, but they will be made with cheaper perfume oils and will not last as long as quality perfumes. For a detailed guide on spotting fakes check this out.
Check the packaging
Check the packaging to see if it looks like a genuine quality perfume. See if there are batch codes or proper cellophane neatly wrapped on the perfume box. Look at the glass quality to see if it is smooth and if there are air bubbles on the base of the glass. Check the printing on the box to see if everything is correct, ensure there are no spelling errors.
Perfume filtering and mixing
Sometimes a cheap manufacturer may not filter the perfume properly, in this case you will see particles floating in the liquid. A quality perfume factory must blend the ingredients carefully together and allow it to macerate. Cheaper suppliers may skip this process, which is why you may get that alcohol smell when you spray a perfume. Good quality perfume doesn’t have this strong alcohol smell, as a good perfume house will blend and macerate until the perfume is ready to fill. A well macerated perfume smells fuller and well rounded.
Ingredient quality
High quality perfume brands like Scent of Dunes use high quality ingredients from France. It is always important to source ingredients from factories where there is the highest quality control and a long heritage in perfume making.
Try before you buy
It is always best to “try before you buy” to avoid disappointment, as not everyone’s skin reacts to perfume the same way. Spray the perfume on your wrist and see how the perfume develops over the day. If your skin PH is too acidic or your skin is too dry, even a high quality perfume may not smell good or last long. Spray onto well moisturised skin to give it a real opportunity to shine. A well rounded perfume should evolve in three distinct stages – top notes – middle notes and base notes. Cheaper fake fragrances often feel flatter and often feel more one dimensional, as they use cheaper ingredients with less depth.
If you would like to know more about perfume selection, feel free to read our blog post about how to select the right perfume within the House of Scent of Dunes.