Creating a perfume requires a lot of work and a certain know-how. So how do you know if the one you have chosen is the original perfume you are looking for? And at the same time how to recognize a “fake”, a counterfeit or a copy? We give you some simple but effective tips to avoid being mistaken!
What is an original perfume?
The creation of a perfume represents a long and meticulous process during which different skills and professions intervene to arrive at the final result. This work requires time and many tests to achieve the fragrance imagined at the beginning. From the perfumer to the evaluator and the dermatological tests, the perfume passes from hand to hand before landing on your dressing table. These same fragrances are also subject to strict legislation and controls. These are all steps, from inspiration to packaging, that attest that you are dealing with an original perfume. This one is then part of the range of a registered trademark and it will be marketed through this trademark and/or its retailers, online or in physical stores.
Original perfume vs copy : how to recognize it ?
5 simple tips to sniff out fake perfume
Smell it!
The very first indicator to recognize a fake perfume from an original fragrance is of course its smell. But be careful because a copy or a counterfeit can easily deceive your nose in the first minutes. Indeed, the top notes of these compositions are often worked… To the detriment of the rest of the olfactory pyramid! So wait a few moments before deciding. After half an hour at least, when the most volatile ingredients have evaporated, you may already smell the difference. The perfume will not evolve well on the skin and will not reveal an interesting wake over time.
Low prices? It doesn’t always smell good!
We are sometimes tempted to give in to the call of all kinds of promotions, staggering discounts or 60% off. But be careful, if the price offered is much lower than the initial one of the perfume you are looking for, it is a clue that can already put you on the alert. Of course, it happens that some brands or stores offer boxed sets at a special price or price reductions at certain times of the year, but when these offers are too good to be true or when they last all year long, beware.
Moreover, at Carrément Belle our policy since the beginning is to offer high quality perfumes at fair prices… all year long! So we never have sales or promotions, and we don’t participate to Black Friday.
Take a closer look at the packaging
We often recognize an original perfume from a counterfeit thanks to its packaging. Indeed, the case plays an important role in the protection of the fragrance. The creators of original perfumes generally use quality materials, and the cases are made in the brand’s colors. If this is not the case, you should skip it. Currently, our packaging is filmed with cellophane: this allows you to see that the perfume has not been used before and guarantees the protection of the box. If you notice that it is poorly wrapped or that the plastic film reveals unsightly folds everywhere, it is again a bad sign.
Once you open the packaging, there are other indicators that can reassure you. To prevent the bottle from breaking or moving in its case, the big houses and niche perfumery brands like ours use wedges. If the wedge is not calibrated properly, if it moves or if the material used seems to be of poor quality compared to what you are used to see, you may have a fake perfume in your hands.
A close look at the bottle and the label
Forgers compete with imagination to create bottles more and more faithful to the originals. It is therefore necessary to study it carefully. Look if it is made in one piece and without “seams”, with a smooth and good quality glass. The transparency of the glass is also a good indicator, as are the dispenser tube and the cap. If the cap doesn’t fit properly, is not centered, or the tube is too long, then you can see a sign.
The label of the perfume, whether it is on the bottle directly or on its case, must include certain mandatory information. In the case of an original perfume, you will necessarily find a barcode and the main components with the list of allergens.
The best guarantee: the place of purchase
Finally, to make sure you choose an original perfume, you have to pay attention to the place where you are going to buy it. For that, we advise you to go to the official eshop/store of the brand or to a perfumery. At Carrément Belle, we have chosen a more confidential distribution network… So that you don’t smell the same as everyone else! You can find our fragrances on our online store or at our retailers, whose list is available here. Buying a perfume on the street or at a market stall is usually a very bad sign. Also beware of online purchases from marketplaces. It is very important to check the identity of the seller, the grammar of the ads and the comments published.
Beware of received ideas
When looking for the original perfume, you have to be careful with some stereotypes. We talked about the price of the perfume above. If a perfume is reasonably priced on the brand’s official (real or online) store, it doesn’t mean that it is a fake or counterfeit. Our fragrances are fairly priced because we invest most of our budget in the main ingredient – the perfume – and not in the packaging or the communication.
Also, the confusion with synthetic ingredients is often made. A perfume that reveals a composition including natural materials as well as synthetic ingredients is not at all a sign of fake perfume. To understand why synthesis is good for perfumery, we tell you everything here. Finally, the durability of a fragrance is an indicator that should also be taken with care. It will reflect the quality of a juice, but the choice of ingredients, the concentration of perfume and the construction of the olfactory pyramid also come into play. The persistence of a composition is not necessarily a revealing index.
And what about equivalencies?
In the highly competitive perfume market, there are also what are called equivalent or generic perfumes. This is in fact a perfume that is supposedly similar to the original but at a more interesting price. By choosing an equivalent you will benefit from an attractive price but rarely from a proven olfactory fidelity. Today, thanks to a device called the chromatograph, it is possible to analyze an important part of the composition of a perfume, allowing to copy it. But the undetectable part of the formulation is often the one that really changes the identity of a fragrance. If the name and the bottle are different from a counterfeit since they do not copy the original directly, it is however an unethical practice…
Now you have all the keys to find an original perfume!
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