Most consumers are not aware that they are buying a fake perfume, there are very sophisticated imitations that sneak onto the shelves of large perfume stores. Spending your money on a non-original perfume not only makes you feel cheated, but can even harm your health. However, there are several signs that will help you detect counterfeits and in the following lines we will tell you how you can tell if a perfume is original or not.
1. The design
To avoid legal problems, fake perfumes usually do not have the same design as the original. Be careful! Yes, they are very similar, with only a slight change in the packaging, the bottle, the typography… If you are looking for a specific perfume, make sure to study its design first to avoid making this mistake.
2. Pay attention to the finishes
You should know that counterfeit products always lack good finishes. The glass container may be rough, there are traces of glue, the label is of poor quality, there are traces of product on the closure...
3. Packaging
Original perfumes have a transparent cellophane wrapped around the box, while fakes usually do not come with this wrapping, as it would make their price more expensive. Cellophane plays an important role in identification, as it marks the authenticity of the manufacturer, and an additional barcode is also usually included here.
Apart from the cellophane, don't forget to look at the box, which should also be of quality, with good finishes, clear letters and colours. If you feel that the letters look a little blurry, you may be looking at a fake.
4. The smell
Obviously, another way to identify if a perfume is not original is by its smell, although there are many well-made counterfeits that can be confusing.
If you're not familiar with the world of perfumes, you should know that good quality perfumes have three layers: top notes, middle notes, and base notes. That's why you might smell the perfume differently when you've just put it on, then you'll smell the middle notes, and finally the base notes. However, if it's fake, it will smell similar, but it will be flat and one-dimensional, as if it's missing a whole layer of notes.
Moreover, the original perfume lasts at least 2-3 hours, and counterfeits usually don't last more than 1.
5. The content
Another method used to check if it is original is to shake the bottle. If the perfume is real, the bubbles that appear when you shake the bottle should disappear within about 10-15 seconds, but if it is fake, they will disappear immediately after shaking it.
Continuing with the content of the perfume, you should also keep an eye on its color, as it is a great indicator of authenticity. Fake perfumes can come close to the shade, but they never replicate the exact tone.
It is becoming increasingly difficult to differentiate between original and fake perfumes, because they really do a great job of making it so. The best thing is to always buy them from reliable stores that have a good return policy.