Why Are Perfumes So Expensive? (Here’s Why!)

Written By Nazia Haque

We can’t help but acknowledge and appreciate the creativity that goes behind making a fragrance.

As perfume enthusiasts, we know we can never have enough perfumes because of the hefty prices.

There must be many more questions circling in your mind, so keep reading to find the reasons and justifications.

Why Are Perfumes So Expensive? (Here’s Why!)

Why Are Perfumes So Expensive?

Perfumes are so expensive because of their ingredients. The production cost is not even as close as the ingredients that make up the scent. The unique ingredients and essential oils are what drive the price. That is why we get beautiful high-quality fragrances.

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Why Is Perfume So Expensive?

Want to smell divine? Well, that’s gonna cost you a muscular amount of bucks.

Perfumes can do wonders; whatever feeling or memory you wish to smell like a fragrance can make that happen.

Expensive fragrances are made from exquisite oils extracted from delicate flower petals, tree roots, or even musk from male deer.

The unique ingredients and essential oils are what make a perfume expensive. Some of the world’s most expensive ingredients are:

Ambergris – $5,000/kg

It is a waxy substance that is produced from the sperms of whales.

Oud – $3,000/kg

It is an oil distilled from the heartwood of agarwood affected by a particular type of mold.

Orris – $3,000/kg

It is one of the rarest perfume ingredients derived from the root of the iris.

Ingredients are the main reason that perfumes are expensive. The rare flower petals or unusual roots require a lot of effort to acquire hence the price. Here are 2 of the flowers used for expensive perfumes:

Jasmin: It takes around 24,000 handpicked Jasmine to yield one ounce of essential oil.

Bulgarian Rose: These roses are handpicked each May from a valley in Bulgaria, where they have been cultivated for centuries.

Also, sometimes luxury fragrances contain synthetic ingredients that are difficult or expensive to make.

The most expensive perfumes come from the most exclusive high-end brands. The companies spend millions on marketing and branding their fragrances. Even celebrities endorse brands.

Let’s not forget the high-end packaging. Perfume is a luxury item, and it looks the part as well. The packaging is always unique which makes it stand out.

The expensive perfumes use thick glass bottles carved with artistic visions. It makes the fragrances more protective.

High-end perfumes are extraordinarily expensive because of their rare ingredients more than their posh branding.

Is Expensive Perfume Worth It?

Yes, expensive perfumes are worth every penny of your wallet if you chose the correct one as per your taste. They have a higher percentage of fragrance oil, so the scents linger around longer. Expensive perfumes use natural organic ingredients, ensuring the best experience.

The quality of expensive perfumes is definitely better than less expensive ones.

The more expensive a fragrance is, the more time and money has been spent perfecting it.

So, you are guaranteed to receive the best quality product when you are spending a lot on expensive perfume.

Costly perfumes offer exotic ingredients that are rare and cost a lot to acquire.

Most expensive high-end perfumes are made with natural or organic oils, making them less likely to cause any skin irritation.

Synthetic ingredients found in cheap fragrances can cause skin rashes or other skin reactions.

For those of you who have sensitive skin, it is always better to go for expensive perfumes.

Also, costly perfumes are packaged in a limited edition bottle. Many of these perfumes are bottled in delicate crystals.

Furthermore, some bottles are even made with gold plating, making them very desirable.

For collectors out there, buying these high-end perfumes is worthwhile.

Buying expensive perfume doesn’t always mean that you will like the fragrance over lower-priced fragrances.

However, the quality promised by the high-end niche brands is undoubtedly top-notch.

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Which Is The Most Expensive Perfume?

The world’s most expensive fragrances typically have the world’s rarest and priciest ingredients.

A good perfume costs quite a penny, and it has all the good reasons for it.

The more you pay, the less likely you will come across someone else wearing the same perfume or be disappointed. Now, that is what luxury is all about.

Perfumes can be extremely expensive because of the precious ingredients used in making them. These materials are scarce and costly. The most expensive perfume in the world is:

Shumukh

It costs around USD 1.29 million. Shumukh had a grand introduction to the world, unveiled at the Burj Khalifa.

It is created from beautiful ingredients like Indian agarwood, sandalwood, musk, Turkish rose, and many more.

The packaging of Shimukh is a work of art itself. The master perfumer Asghar Adam Ali from Dubai made no hesitation in making it a masterpiece.

The base has a trio of Arabian gold with three silver clamshells, each attached with pearls. Also, you can see three beautiful roses in pink gold, diamond dust, and mini globes with gold continents.

It also has three marble pillars supporting a golden dome on top made with diamond-studded gold falcon sits.

No doubt, Shimukh is an exceptional perfume and a vision of beauty and luxury.

As we move further to 2021, we can certainly do one thing: spraying the bad memories of 2020 away. Here are 9 most expensive perfumes of 2021 after Shumukh:

JAR Bolt of Lightning – USD 765 per ounce

It has strong floral notes with ingredients like tuberose and oriental flowers such as Delilah. Another key feature of JAR is its beautiful hand-cut bottle.

Joy by Jean Patou – USD 850 per ounce

Joy was first discovered back in 1929. Among the many ingredients, the different varieties of roses and 10,000 Jasmine flowers do wonders. After all these years, it is still a world-famous fragrance.

Caron Poivre – USD 1,000 per ounce

It belongs to one of the oldest French perfume houses. It is an exclusive fragrance with dominating spicy notes. After five decades, this signature fragrance is an art itself.

Hermes 24 Faubourg – USD 1,500 per ounce

It has notes like orange and vanilla. Hermes is a rare perfume as only 1000 bottles were released crafted in beautiful St.Louis crystals.

Clive Christian No.1 – USD 2,150 per ounce

It is available for both men and women handcrafted in a beautiful crystal bottle with 24k gold plating on the neck.

Chanel Grand Extrait – USD 4,200 per ounce

Chanel is a very well-known brand with a masterpiece design. It is a high-end fragrance created with several layers of artistic complexity.

Baccarat Les Larmes Sacrée de Thèbes – USD 6,800 per ounce

It was only released in three bottles all over the world created by a world-famous crystal maker. The design will catch your eyes, handcrafted pyramid-shaped crystal bottles with an amethyst cap.

Clive Christian No. 1 Imperial Majesty – USD 12,722 per ounce

The name suits the beholder. It is a majestic creation that will give you an aromatic floral blend from rose oil, Jasmine, and Tahitian vanilla. It is made with 18k gold and 5 diamonds, making you feel no less than a royal.

DKNY Golden Delicious – USD 1 million

It once held the title of ‘The Most Expensive Perfume In The World’ until Shumukh. However, it was undoubtedly deserving. The bottle contains almost 3000 precious stones; among them are 2700 white diamonds and 183 yellow sapphires.

What Makes A Perfume Smell Expensive?

Your fragrance can make you feel confident, beautiful and certainly leave a pleasant impression of yourself when you meet and greet people.

Perfumes can easily leave you feeling just that tad bit more polished.

But it’s okay if you wonder if cheap perfumes can make you smell just as good and desirable as expensive ones?

Well, there are distinct differences between expensive and cheap perfumes. And their fragrances are poles apart. Here are 4 reasons that make a perfume smell expensive:

1. Levels of Fragrance

The notes of the expensive perfume are very distinct and clear. You quickly smell the levels of notes as they don’t hide their characteristics.

Expensive perfumes have top notes, heart notes, and base notes. Once you spray a costly perfume, you are hit with the top notes right then and there, and you can enjoy it for a decent time.

After the top notes welcome you, the middle notes, also known as the heart notes, take you into a ride of flavors lasting until you feel every ingredient added.

In the end, the base notes settle you down to a subtle ride of scents. Unlike cheaper fragrances, expensive ones can show you the levels of fragrances there are in a perfume.

In cheap fragrances, you only get the top notes and maybe sometimes the middle notes. It fades so quickly that it can’t even reach all the notes.

2. Less Sweeter

Expensive perfumes use high-quality, unique ingredients to make the mark smell.

However, inexpensive perfumes use sweeter-smelling ingredients because they are cheap.

3. Longevity

Expensive scents linger around you longer, and you get to enjoy the notes vividly.

Again, it is because of the ingredients and the formulas formulated to make them last longer for us to enjoy.

4. Exclusivity

Luxury does not come cheap, so owning a perfume is definitely a luxury. Most expensive perfumes are often rare and high-end.

When you are spending a lot on a perfume that costs a LOT, you automatically guarantee that not many people will smell like you.

You can be like a rare flower amongst the bunch. Who wouldn’t want to feel special!

How Expensive Perfumes Are Made?

Not all perfumes are created equally. It is the most significant reason fragrances are so different from one another.

Perfume compliments us and can make people compliment us as well.

We wear perfume for many reasons, from smelling good to feeling or even impressing a special someone.

Expensive perfumes can guarantee that you get the experience you dream of before purchasing a fragrance.

However, when you understand how an expensive perfume is made, you will appreciate and acknowledge the extra mile behind it. Here is a checklist to ensure a pleasing fragrance:

The Ingredients

The ingredients are an essential factor in making a good quality perfume. Ingredients make up a perfume; its quality and scent.

High-end perfumes’ ingredients are always rare and unique, which makes them a very costly item.

Raw materials are gathered from all around the world. Some luxury brands even have their own plantation so that they never miss the best.

These ingredients are not just expensive but also organic and natural. So we don’t have to worry about health issues that synthetic materials can cause us.

Extraction Methods

The oils extracted from plants and flowers create a fragrance. Niche brands use labor instead of machines to get better quality oils.

After extracting thousands of expensive plants and flowers, they only get like an ounce.

Blending the Oils

To make just the formula of expensive perfume, the makers spend even years testing and mixing to get the best results.

After perfecting the formula, the extracted oil is mixed and diluted with alcohol.

However, the proportion of alcohol varies to a great extent among expensive and cheap perfumes.

That is why expensive perfumes always last longer, and we get all the scents from the notes.

The Aging Process

It starts by blending the extracted oils and mixing them with alcohol to get the final mixture and starts the aging process.

The aging process is essential because it ensures that the ingredients are all mixed thoroughly, leaving no impurities.

The perfume is set aside in a dark and cool place. The expensive perfumes are left for even a year to get the best product.

After the aging process, the perfume is tested several times again to ensure a perfect result.

How Long Does Expensive Perfume Last?

Who wouldn’t want to smell great all the time, right! That is why we spend on perfumes right to smell amazing.

However, if you only smell good for a short while, that can obviously make you disappointed.

Cheap fragrance lasts less because they aren’t made for the longevity run.

Meanwhile, one of the best traits of expensive perfume is that it lasts longer.

It is because the ingredients of inexpensive perfumes are bound so well that they linger around you, carrying the scent.

Some expensive perfumes even last 24 hours. Regardless, the top note alone lasts for so long that we get the complete detailed scents.

In the end, when we reach the base note, it can support you throughout the rest of the party without any worries.

So, when you get an expensive perfume, you don’t have to worry about the scent fading and smelling bad.

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Conclusion

Perfume is a luxury item. It is an art that brands sell to match our taste. There are so many things you invest your time and money into. So, why not invest in your fragrances?

After all, your perfume can not only make you smell amazing but also leave a lasting effect.

Your perfume is a signature part of who you are. How much you invest in your fragrance can tell how much you take care of yourself.

An expensive perfume is worth indulging in because it has so much to offer. A lot of research and time goes into making them so that you only end up with perfection.

Moreover, high-quality and expensive ingredients are only considered to create a costly perfume. It ensures your health over cheap perfumes.

However, buying an expensive perfume doesn’t always mean that you will like it’s scent over a cheap fragrance.

So it is really up to you as to the kind of luxury you are aiming for because expensive perfumes explain their price tags with their design, quality, and so much more.

Regardless of your final thoughts on expensive perfumes, I really hope you found your answers.

And, I do encourage you to share your thoughts in the comment section below.

About The Author
Nazia is passionate about perfumes. Her love for perfumes started with her father whom she lost in 2017. She’d often reminisce his memories with the help of his fragrances’. Writing about fragrances makes her happy as she can share its wonders with the world. She also loves reading sci-fi novels and traveling.

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