With the market filled with fake perfumes, it has been a necessity to know whether your perfume is authentic or not.
Figuring out the difference between a fake and a genuine perfume is getting tougher every day as they all look identical.
To understand the difference, you must observe the bottle and its box carefully and neatly.
Read till the end to know all the tricks to catch a fake perfume.
How to find out if the perfume is original or fake?
When you buy an expensive perfume, you want to ensure you are purchasing an authentic one. There are many fake designer perfumes sold in the market. You get many perfumes as they are easy to make but don’t waste your money as they don’t have the same quality and scent as genuine perfumes. Understanding the signs of fake perfumes can help you make safe decisions.
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What are the methods to check the perfume’s authenticity?
It might be tricky to determine whether the bottle you buy is genuine. However, it is not impossible. If you observe the design and read the bottle’s label carefully, the clarification of a bottle being fake would be in front of your eyes.
Here are the 7 things you must check before purchasing a bottle:
- The serial number– Check the serial number on the bottom of the bottle and the box. The number should be identical. And the number should be glued on; it should be imprinted with ink.
- Spelling mistakes– Always read the whole label before purchasing perfume. And while reading, try to look for spelling mistakes and any detailing different from the picture given on the original website of the fragrance. Even a very minor change means the perfume is not authentic.
- Check the design– Look beforehand how the perfume you are planning to buy and its box. Sometimes to ignore legal procedures, producers who make fake perfumes make small changes in the fragrance’s design, packing, or font the scent.
- Finishing of the packaging– Fake perfumes always have rough or unflattering finish. Either the glass container would be too uneven, or fonts and characters would scrape off; they have a tacky quality. Real ones are always edgy and smooth.
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- The wrapping– Perfume houses ensure their perfumes are well wrapped using thick and quality cellophane. Make sure the fragrance is not covered poorly, has wrinkles, or thin cellophane is used because that would mean the perfume might be fake.
- Paperboard– Real perfume bottle comes in wrapped paperboard to make it secure from any damage during traveling. Procedures do not care about these small details when producing fake bottles.
- The colour– Original perfumes are manufactured with light colour juices as they use as few chemicals or other substances as possible. So, if you see your bottle has a very eye-catching juice colour, it could indicate that it is fake.
Do fake perfumes smell like the original?
Fake perfume might start its journey the same way as its original but fade away after its loud opening. It lasts only for an hour or less. Perfumers put a lot of thought into making formulations of perfumes, which is never done when the producers copy them. Therefore, the fake ones turn up to be straightforward.
One main reason fake perfumes do not smell like the originals is the ingredients used in their makings. Perfumers use natural and synthetic ingredients to make perfume. This process is expensive, and some of the notes are not even accessible by the small makers of knock-offs.
After counterfeit perfume manufacturers know the key ingredients and formulations of a perfume, they decide which components to keep and where to use them. For not having certain ingredients, they have to be substitutes and creative.\
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Yes, you can say that even fake perfumes have good sillage. When you walk into a room, everyone will notice your scent. But the true magic of the perfumer’s scent can never to received from a counterfeit no matter how much the producer wants it to be.
So, not only do they not smell the same as the original but also anyone who knows a little about perfume would be able to figure out that you are wearing a fake perfume.
And most importantly, as the manufacturers have to use cheap and weak ingredients, they are unsafe for your skin. Many don’t even come close to the original and haven’t undergone the required safety testing and certification.
How to check the original perfume’s barcode?
The barcode of a perfume is mentioned at the bottom of the box. Barcode also shows when and where the scent was manufactured. The barcode of the same fragrance may vary.
Only reading the label of the packaging and bottle is not enough to determine the authenticity of a perfume. Paying close attention to the uniform printing of barcodes and labels is the key. Inconsistent brand name or package misspelling can mean it is a fake fragrance.
If you see the barcode print is faded, it would mean the perfume has been decoded. Decoding means the information showing where the fragrance is intended to be sold been erased.
This usually appears where there is a batch number and a sticker indicating the country of origin of the perfume. If decoded fragrances are sold, they may be sold at a higher price than where they will be distributed. Since the perfume decoding of counterfeit products does not make sense, the probability that such a “decoded” perfume is fake is almost zero.
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What do you need to know before buying a perfume?
Most of the time, blinding a perfume does not bring any luck. It is always essential to do research before getting your hand into a new one.
Here are some tips to follow before buying a perfume:
Perfume notes: A scent has 3 stages of notes. It starts with tip notes you receive right after spraying it and stays for the least time compared with the other 2 stages. After that, middle notes enter the journey; it forms the main body of the fragrance. In the end, base notes come to play, and The base and middle notes include the central theme of the perfume
Perfume concentration: Knowing the different concentrations of a perfume is very important.
The same fragrance has many variants of its concentrations. Parfum contains the most concentration, ranging from 20% to 30%, with 6 to 8 hours of longevity. Then comes Eau de Parfum with 15% to 20% with 5 hours of lasting power.
Eau de toilette is most commonly used as everyday wear with a concentration of 5% to 15% and lasting power of 2 to 3 hours. Eau De Cologne has a fragrance concentrate of up to 2% to 4% and lasts 2 hours.
Storing perfume: It is mandatory to keep your perfumes in the dark and dry place. Sunlight is a big no for them as it breaks down their components.
Choose s fragrance that fits your lifestyle: If you live in a hot and humid country, you have to choose perfumes that are great with heat, and at the same time, for colder countries, go for solid scents.
Conclusion
Buying a perfume means you are investing a good amount of money. Therefore, making sure you purchase an original bottle is a must.
Not only do fake perfumes not smell the same as the original, but they are also not safe to have direct skin contact with you.
Also, you can check out How Do Perfume Notes Work?
If you have any further queries, please feel free to ask them in the comment section, and I would be happy to answer them.
