Chanel Chance Eau Tendre

The Chanel Chance lineage of fragrances has always been marketed toward younger woman. And seems that with each flanker the age group gets bumped down even more. Chance was a good, easily worn fragrance for women in and around their thirties and younger. Eau Fraîche knocked it down to mid-twenties and younger. Now There’s Eau Tendre. Eau Tendre

In Bottle: Marc Jacobs Daisy. The resemblance has been noted before and I will confirm them. This smells like Daisy. The wet, green grassy, lightly floral top notes of Daisy.

Applied: Daisy’s still there, and I can’t get over this barrier of how much it smells like Daisy. It’s like I’ve sprayed Daisy on myself instead of a Chanel fragrance. I’m waiting this one out though, because Daisy does lose that wet green and grassy scent when it progresses into its mid-stage and I want to see if Eau Tendre does as well. So far, Eau Tendre hangs onto its top notes a little better and longer and I do like Daisy’s top notes but I want this smell in my bottle with the rubber flowers not in Chanel. As Eau Tendre dries down the mid-stage has moved on from its Daisy-like personality and has developed a rose and jasmine with a bite of citrus and a woody note sandwiching the flowers. The mid-stage is probably the least remarkable part of Eau Tendre. It smells rather generic and pedestrian and kind of dull. Normally, I’d just say this smells nice and young but Chanel’s built a reputation on a solid base of very respectable fragrances that Eau Tendre hits a sore spot because it’s like a trip in an otherwise rather smooth road. This doesn’t smell like a Chanel. While I could see the appeal of the original Chance, that was a well composed fragrance that had a lot of class. Eau Tendre smells like most other recent releases with none of the familiar Chanel soul in place. The dry down is not that much better as the cedarwood in this amps up and the florals grow a bit quieter. The one thing I can say for Eau Tendre is that like many Chanel fragrances it has good sillage and decent projection. I just don’t think it’s very creative or very reflective what Chanel fragrances have been for the past century.

Extra: Chanel Chance is a very popular fragrance line that targets younger women and tries to introduce them to the Chanel line of perfumes. It has, so far, two flankers. The first is Eau Fraîche and the second is Eau Tendre.

Design: Eau Tendre is bottled like its Chance sisters. Held in a round glass bottle with a square cap the juice inside is a light, very girly pink. The glass has a nice, light weight to it. The presentation is clean and fits well with other Chanel fragrance bottles. I do think of all the fragrance houses, Chanel’s one of the better ones in terms of packaging.

Fragrance Family: Floral

Notes: Grapefruit, hyacinth, jasmine, iris, white musk, amber, cedarwood.

Unremarkable as this is, I don’t doubt that it will sell well because it’s a really good reflection of where fragrance trends are headed now. So if you’re young and you want to own a Chanel perfume but you think many of them are too old or too sophisticated then Chance Eau Tendre deserves a sniff. Don’t let my disappointment color you away from this fragrance. It’s a Chanel and it’s well-done for what it is.

Reviewed in This Post: Chance Eau Tendre, 2010, Eau de Toilette.


The Popular Classics You Have to Smell

Anybody interested in perfume and perfume history would know about most of the popular classic fragrances. Many perfumistas probably own some. But for the rest of us who are fledgling perfumistas and curious bystanders here is a list of popular and accessible classics that I believe everyone should have a sniff of. The older the better! But smelling some of the new stuff will still lend you a pretty good idea–most of the time.

In no particular order:

Chanel No. 5 – Anyone with a nose has probably caught a whiff of this timeless aldehyde. Released in 1921, Chanel No. 5 continues to top the charts as one of the most successful and popular fragrances of the 20th and 21st century. If you want to know what a classic aldehyde smells like, look no further.

Robert Piguet Fracas – A bed of potent tuberose strong enough to clear the sinuses of everyone within a hundred yard radius. Fracas is the quintessential tuberose scent unleashed on the world in 1948.

Guerlain Mitsouko – Mitsouko is as relevant today as she was in 1919 when she was released. Built off of Coty’s Chypre, Mitsouko has stood the test of time and is now the scent to smell if you are interested in a fruity chypre.

Guerlain Shalimar – No list is complete without Shalimar, the elegant sensual oriental whose popularity hasn’t waned since its release in 1925.

Estée Lauder Youth Dew – The fragrance that people most often refer to as, “Smells Like Grandma”. Youth Dew is actually a beautifully done, extremely potent spicy oriental that rocketed to fame in the 1950s and was one of the first perfumes to be endorsed by Hollywood Starlets.

Estée Lauder White Linen – The classic clean rose aldehyde with a touch of civet. Released in 1978.

Ralph Lauren Polo – One of the most iconic and recognizable men’s fragrances. Polo was released in 1978, a true 70s Powerhouse.

Joy by Jean Patou – Released in 1930, Joy smelled like a little ray of floral sunshine during one of the United States’ most trying eras. Funny enough, it was once billed as the most expensive fragrance in the world.

Yves Saint Laurent Opium – Opium is the poster child oriental fragrance released in 1977.

Thierry Mugler Angel – The youngest classic that I’m willing to put on this list, Angel was everywhere following its 1992 release and it is still everywhere as a testament to its achievement as the first gourmand.

To  round things out, please remember that the fragrances featured on this list are accessible and popular. There are many, many classics that I wanted to add from Coty, Caron, Hubigant, many more Guerlains, and Chanels but this list had to remain accessible so anything that I couldn’t readily find at a department store had to be cut.

Start your classics sniffing with this list but don’t stop here. This is just a stepping stone as there are hundreds of classics out here that need to be sniffed too. If you feel that I’ve missed something on this list please leave a comment.


Bleu de Chanel

Bleu de Chanel is the latest mainstream release of men’s fragrances by the house. If you’ve been following Chanel’s fragrance releases, you might notice they’ve taken a few steps back from their classic style of fragrances and have gotten a bit more mainstream and mass market. Bleu de Chanel is just another indication of that. Bleu de Chanel

In Bottle: Smells like Cool Water by Davidoff. Also smells like Bath and Body Works’ Dancing Waters scent. Heck, while we’re still here let’s throw in a dash of Lacoste Essential. Yeah, I just compared a Chanel to Cool Water, Essential, and Bath and Body Works.

Applied: The truth is, Bleu de Chanel does one thing very, very well. It combines every aquatics based sporty men’s fragrance together to form this  amalgamation of sport men’s fragrances. If you own a bottle of Bleu de Chanel, you could conceivably replace every other bottle of aquatic sporty men’s fragrance you own. It’s just that generic. Bleu de Chanel opens with a sweet, sharp, clean aquatic note that reminds me immediately of aforementioned Dancing Waters, Cool Water and Essential combined together. Let it dry down a bit and it will evolve into a mixture of Dolce and Gabanna Light Blue pour Homme and Acqua di Gio. In truth, it’s got a fresh, spicy, woodsy mid-stage with an aromatic backing. Fairly on par for the course. The last act  is a woodsy base with citrus dashed in there for good measure. Also not particularly fascinating but highly wearable.

Extra: Hard to believe that Bleu de Chanel came from the same house that made No. 5, No. 22, No. 19, Coco, Coromandel, Sycamore. But times change and while a lot of perfumistas are going to be disappointed with Bleu de Chanel, this fragrance is a sign of the times. I hope that Chanel sells Bleu de Chanel very well. I hope it draws in a new following of perfume lovers but keeps the classics around and releases some some fragrances reminiscent of Chanel’s long heritage of sophistication.

Design: Bleu de Chanel is bottled in a gorgeous dark tinted glass rectangular bottle with a metallic cap that’s reminiscent of their Les Exclusifs line of fragrances. My favorite part of this fragrance is honestly the cap. I’m a sucker for magnets, what can I say? The quality of the packaging is excellent, as should be expected with Chanel, and the design is simple but very nice.

Fragrance Family: Fresh Aromatic

Notes: Bergamot, lemon, grapefruit, aqua, peppermint, pink pepper, nutmeg, ginger, jasmine, cedar, vetiver, patchouli, labdanum, frankincense.

I know a lot of perfume lovers are hating on Bleu de Chanel right now. I don’t blame them. I’m just as disappointed with this release as they are. But beneath the disappointment Bleu de Chanel is a pleasant, well-blended, easy to wear fragrance. It really does combine a good proportion of the aquatic sport men’s fragrance genre together to make a coherent and ultimately well-composed scent. I do highly recommend people who are looking for a really good aquatic sport fragrance to give Bleu de Chanel a sniff. It’s a good scent. It just doesn’t smell like a Chanel should.

Reviewed in This Post: Bleu de Chanel, 2010, Eau de Toilette.


Chanel Platinum Egoiste

Platinum Égoïste is the well known Chanel men’s fragrance that many people claim exudes confidence. I can’t say it exudes confidence so much as it’s a pleasant, professional, quality fragrance. It’s loud but not shrieking, it’s pleasant but not boring, and it’ll last ’til the end of time. Platinum Égoïste is a clean, soap-like, aromatic that’s so versatile you’d be hard pressed to find a time when you can’t wear it.  Platinum Egoiste

In Bottle: Aromatics up my nose. Help. My very first reaction to this was that it smells very familiar. It took a few moments before I realized it. Holy hell, it smells like my fiance’s soap or shampoo.

Applied: Aromatics that mix together to make that masculine soap and shampoo scent. This is like Prada’s d’Homme but done much louder and a bit better. It’s clean, fresh, very familiar to the Acqua di Gio crowd but much more expensive and sophisticated while at the same time being pleasant and approachable. As Égoïste ages, it turns into a sharp lemon and aromatic which eventually fades back into a nicer, less abrasive floral heart with a pleasant touch of aqua. The dry down is a light, crisp cedar and musk. To get anywhere near the dry down you have to wait hours. Like with most Chanel fragrances, the scent stays on you for a long time. Which makes this a great office fragrance that you don’t have to worry about touching up. So long as you go light on it because while this stuff smells pleasant, sophisticated and approachable it is also extremely strong.

Extra: Platinum Égoïste sometimes gets accused of being boring or overpriced for what it is due to its similarity to Acqua di Gio fresh and other fairly typical aqua fragrances. I don’t smell Acqua di Gio in this, it has a very subtle sophistication to it that a pure AdG clone tends to lack. As for overpriced? I’d have to point to Creed’s Virgin Island Water or Green Irish Tweed if we’re banking on that argument. There’s an overarching feel  to Platinum Égoïste that sets it in the same mood as Acqua di Gio, but to me, there’s a bit of spin in this stuff that also sets it aside. It smells better, more expensive, and better made. In the end, if it smells the same to you as another fragrance then don’t buy it. As for me, I love it.

Design: Comes in a nicely made rectangular glass bottle with a metal cap. Has that nice weighty feel that most Chanel bottles have. Simple, elegant, not at all gaudy or over the top. Just minimalist and lovely.

Fragrance Family: Aromatic Fresh

Notes: Lavender, rosemary, petitgrain, clary sage, geranium, galbanum, vetiver, cedarwood, labdanum, treemoss.

Reviewed in This Post: Platinum Egoiste , 2009, Eau de Toilette.


The Grey Market and How it Works

Most fragrance consumers are content with buying their perfumes at drugstores, Sephora, or department stores. But the more adventurous or avid fragrance junkie will soon discover that their perfume habit is getting a bit expensive. Perhaps a little too expensive. So they turn to the grey market or online perfume retailers.

When it comes to perfumes, what you pay and what you get in return isn’t always a 1:1 ratio. Given what I mentioned in an earlier article revealing an underwhelming research and development budget of 3% per perfume with the rest of said budget getting dumped into packaging, advertising, celebrity endorsements, and taxes.

Adding to that mess is the fact that perfumes are luxury items. We can safely assume that any luxury item will be sold at inflated prices. True, you pay a certain percentage toward the quality of the item but the rest of the cost is just being funneled into the idea of owning something with a famous designer’s name on it. Therefore, we can agree that chasing Chanel, Guerlain, Creed, Yves Saint Laurent and the other big name houses is going to get expensive.

It’s natural for consumers to see online discounters selling normally expensive perfume brands at 25% to 75% off as enticing. However, remember the age old problem with counterfeits and the very human reaction to something perceived to be “too good to be true”. I bet that will put a damper on anyone’s parade.

Thankfully, you can rest easy, perfume discounters are–by and large–legitimate businesses that sell legitimate brand name fragrances. So you can purchase from places like beautyencounter.com knowing that you are getting the real deal–most of the time.

So what’s the catch? Sometimes you will encounter a fake. However, legitimate fragrance discounters should accept returns (with restocking fees that range from 10% to 20%). So if you do encounter a fake, you can return it or get a refund without losing hundreds of dollars.

Now that begs the question; how do these places make any money?

Let’s use a bottle of Creed’s Green Irish Tweed (GIT) for example purposes in this article. You can expect to drop $120USD on a 50ml bottle of GIT at Neiman Marcus. How can beautyencounter.com afford to sell a legitimate bottle for $76USD? Are they taking a loss? Is it old stock? What’s going on here?

Let’s put aside the discussion about counterfeits cycling around in the grey market for a moment and just focus on how all of this works.

But first, if you didn’t know by now, perfume discounters are referred to as the grey market. How they got their name is through the means of how they acquired their stock and what their stock consists of.

How do grey market perfume sellers acquire their stock?

Put quite simply, grey market sellers acquire their stock from other countries where the perfume is being sold for less. Or, as ReferenceforBusiness.com eloquently puts it:

The gray market refers to those goods that are legitimately imported from abroad, carry a recognizable trademark or brand name, and are sold at significant discounts outside of the manufacturer’s normal channels of distribution.

Let’s pretend there’s a business out there called Joe’s Cheap Perfume, an online grey market perfume discounter. Joe frequently stocks Creed’s Green Irish Tweed. Joe usually gets his stock by importing it from–oh, I don’t know–Mustacheana, the country of unkempt mustaches. Creed Mustacheana, themselves, sell Green Irish Tweed at a reasonable price given the country’s economic climate and other forms of international economic mumbo-jumbo that my economist fiance would be able to explain but I can’t. Anyway, in very simple terms, Green Irish Tweed usually retails for $250USD in America. Whereas in Mustacheana (whose currency is called the beardie) the exact same bottle only sells for the equivalent of $50USD. Grey market sellers simply import this stock of Green Irish Tweed at a steal of a deal by buying it from foreign distributors who also make a small profit from selling it to the grey market. After Joe gets his stock he then marks it up to whatever price he feels would still net him a decent profit in America. Usually this price undercuts those that Creed intended for the American market.

So is it illegal?

No. Grey market products, how the grey market operates, and you buying from the grey market is not illegal. It is frowned upon by the original distributors and licensed importers because it goes beyond their intended channels of distribution. You can’t really blame them. Distributors make money off these products, importers make money when people buy these products from them. When a distributor sends a product to Mustacheana intending to sell it for $5oUSD, they obviously don’t want Joe to come in, buy that up and resell it in his own store for a profit. A profit he didn’t really help to distribute, create, or pay for a license to sell. Currently in the US and Canada, it is not illegal to import and sell gray market goods. in the EU it is a little more complicated, thanks ReferenceforBusiness.com:

While gray marketing is not illegal in the United States and Canada, the European Union (EU) has banned gray market goods, or parallel imports, into the EU from non-EU countries.

This is not an illegal practice because it isn’t illegal to import legal goods from one country to another. Don’t mix up grey market with black market. The grey market is grey because it goes outside of an original manufacturer’s intended avenues of sale but the products are totally legal and not restricted in terms of importing and reselling. The black market is illegal because it trades and sells illegal or restricted products.

Is it okay to buy from the grey market?

I know that fragrance houses and distributors try very hard to restrain the grey market citing things like how the grey market cuts into their profits, introduces and encourages counterfeits, puts consumers at risk when it sells merchandise that may be fake, and lowers the esteem of brand names by selling them for discount prices. Again, I’ll let ReferenceforBusiness.com field this one:

Manufacturers argue that gray marketing undermines and discourages investment in legitimate distribution channels, especially in developing nations. They also believe that gray market goods have a negative impact on the value of established brand names—brands the manufacturers have invested a lot of money in to develop.

I can only say that as a consumer, I am willing to pay for the full treatment when I go to a department store where I expect to get good service and I am also willing to take my lumps when I go to a grey market seller where service is at a minimum but the product is often cheaper.

So let me get this straight, grey market fragrances aren’t counterfeits?

Grey market fragrances are not counterfeits. Just want to make that clear. They are the legitimate fragrances only imported from another country. However, due to the means of importing, the prestige of the brands, and the lowered attention to quality control you will encounter counterfeit fragrances in the grey market more often. If you purchase through a legitimate grey market seller, the chances of you getting a fake bottle is not high but it exists at a higher percentage than if you were to buy from a licensed importer and seller like Holt Renfrew or other department stores and boutiques.

I bought a bottle of perfume on the grey market/discounter and noticed its serial/lot numbers were filed off? What gives?

Most bottles of perfume with filed off serial numbers are grey market bottles. Relax, you are not holding a counterfeit–probably not anyway. If the bottle, fragrance and box are fine despite the filed off serial number, you are probably not holding a fake. The grey market seller likely filed off the serial number to prevent tracking.

I bought a bottle of perfume and noticed there’s Arabic words on it? What gives?

Those Arabic words are probably going to translate to something along the lines of, “This product may only be sold by a licensed distributor”, “for external use only”, or something equally as mundane. Not a counterfeit. It’s likely that bottle was just meant to be sold in a middle-eastern country and it’s a good indication that the bottle you’re holding is grey market.

Where do you typically encounter grey market fragrances?

In a lot more places than you might think. There’s been reports of grey market fragrances showing up in department stores, drug stores, and definitely online. If you had the lofty idea of avoiding all grey market stuff, you may find the task a bit difficult.

Summarize this whole post in one easy to understand paragraph.

Grey market fragrances are legitimate fragrances imported from different countries. These are not the same as fakes, knock-offs, or counterfeits. It is not illegal to trade, buy, or own grey market fragrances.  However, if you do want to buy grey market, you should be prepared to deal with the inevitable counterfeit that you may encounter. Otherwise, go nuts.

Thanks to:
ReferenceforBusiness.com
Basenotes.net


Pronouncing Fragrance House Names

If you’re like me and you lack any sort of French language skills, you’ll probably find yourself at one point struggling to figure out how to pronounce some of the fragrance house names. If you’re also like me, you’ll go through the majority of your young life saying it wrong and liberally confusing everyone you try to communicate with as you tell them the fragrance you’re wearing is by “Theory Muggler”.

Here’s a guide on how to pronounce some of the fragrance house names. Please understand that I am not a French speaker and how I pronounce these names is as close an interpretation as I can get to the actual pronunciations. If you have a better suggestion or have a correction, please let me know.

Annick Goutal: “An-neek Goo-Tahl”, (Aneek Gootahl).

Chanel: “Shan-elle”, (Shannel).

Givenchy: “Jee-Vohn-Shee”, (Jeevohnshee).

Guerlain: “Gyehr-Lan”, (Gyerlan).

Hermès: “Air-Mez”, (Air Mez).

Houbigant: “Oo-Bee-Gahn” (Oobeegan).

Jean Paul Gaultier: “Zohn Pall Go-Tee-Ahy”, (Zohn Pall Goteeay). “Zohn” (like zone with emphasis on the “oh”), Pall, Goteeay (like goate then “eh”).

Thierry Mugler: “Tea-arry Mew-Glehyr”, (Teearry Mewglehyr).

Yves Saint Laurent: “Eve San Lor-rohn”, (Eve San Lorron).

Got any corrections? Suggestions? Leave a comment.

For more (and in audio) pronunciations check out Frag Name of the Day.


The Dangers of Counterfeit Perfumes

Perfume is a luxury and as a luxury, it is naturally expensive. A 100ml bottle of niche perfume can be hundreds of dollars. And even if you’ve caught the fume bug, paying hundreds of bucks for a fragrance can be absurd or just plain impossible for some people.

This is where counterfeits come into play. Imagine going onto eBay and coming across an auction offering Amouage’s Homage Attar for $20 (Homage Attar normally retails for approx. $350). The photo the seller supplies looks like a real bottle of Homage Attar. The seller claims they’re a professional. They claim to only sell authentic fragrances. And they seem to have pretty good ratings from buyers. The price is just so good that to not buy would be a prime opportunity lost. But is it too good to be true?

Why do people buy counterfeit perfumes?

There are two types of people who end up buying counterfeit perfumes. The knowing buyer and the unknowing buyer. People who knowingly buy counterfeit perfumes believe the fakes to be as good as the real deal but at a fraction of the cost. This is completely untrue as counterfeits are often made using lower grade materials.

Unknowing buyers purchase counterfeits because they were lied to or just don’t know they’re walking off with a fake. Buying a fake bottle that you thought was real is an embarrassing and frustrating ordeal. But as the fragrance industry grows, so does the counterfeiting industry. The counterfeit problem doesn’t go away no matter what you’re into. There are counterfeit clothes, counterfeit handbags, counterfeit electronics, even children’s toys are counterfeited. Your best defense against buying a shoddy product is research and knowledge.

Why do counterfeits exist?

Perfume is a multi-billion dollar industry. People love fragrances. And a lot of fragrances, particularly the designer and more popular niche brands, rake in a lot of money. They also tend to be expensive and many people believe perfumes are overpriced. So you end up with a lot of consumers who are looking for deals. Add  expensive and desirable luxury items to consumers who want them but don’t feel they’re the appropriate price and you get a prime environment for counterfeits.

Where are counterfeits sold?

The vast majority of people who encounter counterfeit perfumes find them online. There are many unscrupulous sellers claiming to be legitimate discounters, fake websites claiming to sell authentic products, or bad eBay sellers hocking fake products to unknowing online buyers. Flea markets, street stands, and bargain stores are also rife with fake perfumes because the people selling them either don’t know they’re selling fakes or know full well and just want to make a quick buck. One of the ways to tell if a perfume is fake is by looking at the price. If it’s too good to be true then it probably is.

Why are counterfeits bad?

Counterfeit fragrances can sometimes smell similar to the real thing but are always composed of cheaper ingredients or have been watered down. In the end, counterfeits are bad because you don’t know what went into them and they could harm your health. The creators of those fakes don’t comply with regulatory standards and don’t care if someone gets hurt from using the product. They could be using harsh chemicals, low-quality alcohol, use too much of a volatile component, have carcinogenic components, poor quality water, and who knows what else.

Which perfumes are counterfeited the most?

All mainstream perfumes suffer from counterfeiting from Britney Spears Fantasy to Chanel No.5. Smaller, lesser known niche houses are a little bit safer, but beware of cheap Creed fragrances and never assume that just because you’re buying niche, that you are completely immune to counterfeits. Some of the most counterfeited fragrances are Coco Mademoiselle, Chanel No.5, Chanel Chance, and  Green Irish Tweed by Creed. In fact, Green Irish Tweed has so many counterfeits due to its popularity and status that some of the counterfeits have gotten the look and details of the packaging down to near perfection. As a result, it can be really tricky to spot a fake Green Irish Tweed. Fortunately, due to how popular Green Irish Tweed and the Creed label are, there are lots of people who have used them for years and can help you identify a real from a fake.

How do I avoid buying a counterfeit fragrance?

The best, safest way, to buy perfume is to go to the perfume house directly, pull up a chair and watch them blend your perfume right in front of you. Obviously this isn’t going to happen to anybody any time soon.

So, on a more serious note, the most realistic and safest way to get your perfumes is through a department store counter  (Neiman Marcus, Holt Renfrew, Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy’s, etc.) or the fragrance’s boutique store where you can smell the stuff yourself and buy there. This, however, is expensive. That’s not to mention that not everyone has a department or boutique store within reasonable distance. And some people don’t want to purchase fragrances online from these stores because they haven’t smelled it first and samples are not available. Besides, the department stores don’t always carry what you’re looking for.

Next step is to get online and purchase from reputable online retailers (Beauty Encounter, Lucky Scent [who also have a physical store in West Hollywood, California]). The key is to do your research before you buy. Online discounters can start out good, but go bad for one reason or another. That’s why it’s important to keep up to date with discounter reviews and fragrance news. Something everyone should be doing if they purchase goods online is reading reviews from legitimate sources about the stores they’re going to buy from. Look the retailer up on Google. See if anyone has written a review on the retailer. Look for a second, third, fourth, tenth opinion on different review sites if possible.

Pay attention to what those reviewers are saying about the company, look at the tone of the reviews. Some seedy companies will go out and write glowing reviews for themselves. It is important to be able to tell whether reviews are actually from customers or if it’s just someone from the company talking themselves up. There are a few great retailers offering perfumes at reasonable discounts and these guys will usually have a lot of reviews written up on them by a wide variety of people.

If you must buy from a smaller, lesser known discounter, be aware of the risks associated with this. Not all small discounters are bad, and you may just have the next great deal on your hands, the key is to be alert and aware of the position you’re  putting yourself in.

What about eBay?

eBay can be a godsend for people seeking out old, discontinued, vintage fragrances. And it could be a nice place to snag that latest trendy perfume too. But eBay is a risky venture when it comes to fragrances. There are some very, very convincing fakes out there and there is no guarantee that the picture you’re seeing on an eBay auction is an actual picture of the bottle.

Some counterfeiters will swipe photos people took of their bottles online and use them to sell their lots (hence why all the Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab bottles featured on this blog have a  watermark on them). Another popular technique some counterfeiters use is to list the item with a press or company image of the bottle. For example, you can go to chanel.com and view photos of pretty much every fragrance they offer at the moment. It is easy for an eBay seller to take one of those photos to use in their listing. As a general rule, I tend to be suspicious of a listing for a fragrance that’s only using a company photo and will always ask the seller to provide actual photographs of their bottle or I won’t buy.

If you must buy from eBay, put the seller under a microscope before you bid. Don’t feel guilty about scrutinizing a seller. You’re buying a product, and you want to make sure you get exactly what you paid for. Inspect their feedback and see what others have said about them. Check their negative feedback for consistent or repeated problems other buyers have had. Look at their other items for sale. If they’re selling a huge quantity of the same fragrance, be leery but don’t jump to conclusions yet.

If you are looking at used, unboxed perfume bottles then you are likely to be on safer ground than if you were looking at buying brand new, factory-sealed fragrances. If you are going for factory-sealed it becomes very important that you scrutinize the outer packaging. Ask for pictures of all dimensions of the box. Specify that these pictures should be large. You’re about to drop a lot of money on this perfume so make sure it is legitimate by scrutinizing everything and making sure it is absolutely real. You’ll need to do the legwork by researching the appearance of your fragrance. Pay attention to the markings on authentic bottles and boxes and make sure they match up to the photos on the listing.

Sometimes shady sellers may have some really good dupes on the outside so check the cellophane. It is also not unheard of for shady sellers to open an authentic box, take out the authentic fragrance and replace it with a shoddy copy. So the cellophane should be neatly folded, evenly dispersed and glued down nicely. If the cellophane looks wrinkled, crooked, or poorly glued then be suspicious. If the cellophane was open, the seller should have a good reason for doing so and since it’s already been opened, ask the seller to take shots of the bottle inside the box.

Depending on how accommodating a seller is, you should try to get some more information out of them. If you suspect the photos on the auction were swiped, try asking the seller to take more photographs, specifically of the logos and other branding, the informational labels on the fragrance, a photo of the bottle next to a piece of paper with a word or username you specified written on it, and so on. Finally, look at the price. If you’re looking at a brand new bottle of perfume that would normally be $100 going for $10, it is too good to be true.

How can I tell if I have a counterfeit?

Counterfeiters are getting increasingly sophisticated with their fakes. At least on the outside. It is extremely difficult for a counterfeiter to completely replicate the actual perfume itself because creating the exact same product wouldn’t be cost effective for them. It is a bit easier for them to get the packaging details right but they often slip up as well. The following are some things to look out for when you suspect you’ve got a fake:

1. The outer packaging.
Look at the shrink wrap and the box your fragrance came in. The shrink wrap should fit cleanly and snugly around your box. It should be made of high quality cellophane that is clear and unwrinkled. The glue should be applied carefully and evenly and come away clean and easily. The box itself should have sharp, even corners, and be made of durable or high quality materials. The box will also contain the fragrance’s name, the company that made it, and a cursory list of ingredients in the fragrance itself. Read everything on the box. There should be no spelling, punctuation, duplication of words, or grammar errors.

2. The bottle.
Real perfume bottles are detailed and made of glass with specific design elements that make it easy for the user to spray or apply the fragrance (Burberry Brit’s bottle defies all logic and is a terrible example). If your fragrance bottle has visible faults in the glass, isn’t made of the materials it should be, has a defective sprayer, is featured in a color that isn’t typical, or lacks the usual markings in the right places (brand name, fragrance name, logos, serial numbers, lot numbers) then be very suspicious. Some counterfeits also use cheap stickers to attach a perfume’s name to the bottle instead of embossing the name like most real bottles tend to have.
For most mainstream bottles, you can look some pictures up online to get an idea of what your bottle is supposed to look like. Make sure you get the right name and year when you Google because many fragrances have flankers which can be colored or designed differently. Or you may have an older bottle with a different design.
Again, check for typos or spelling errors. On the bottom of most perfumes, there should be general information about the perfume (concentration, amount, fragrance name, fragrance house) either etched into the glass or attached with a well fixed, well-fitted sticker. If the sticker does not fit the bottom of the bottle, be wary. Some houses also affix information using ink. This inked information should be difficult to remove. If you find that the information is easily scratched off or rubbed off, be very wary.

3. The juice inside the bottle.
Real perfume liquid should be crystal clear. There should be nothing swimming in there like sediment. If you’ve got cloudy perfume, or perfume that has mysterious bits and pieces in it, return it. Perfumes are often colored and if you have an older, authentic bottle handy, try comparing the color of the two. Make sure your authentic bottle is not expired because expired or many years old because perfumes will change color as it ages. Anyway, if both bottles are fresh, the colors should be the same.

4. The fragrance itself.
It is good practice to have a sampler or an excellent idea of what your fragrance is supposed to smell like. Whether you have a sampler for reference or have smelled it a few times in a store. This is the best way to tell if you have a fake fragrance or not. Real fragrances are complex and have three layers, top notes, middle notes, and base notes. Most counterfeits won’t smell like the real thing. They may smell similar but have a flat, one-dimensional quality to them like they’re missing an entire layer of notes.
You can test out the suspected fake by spraying a sample of the real thing and the suspected fake on different blotters. Never test a suspected fake fragrance on your skin. You do not know what components went into making the counterfeits and there could be something in there that might harm you.
Please keep in mind as you are testing that some perfumes may change as they age and therefore smell different. Different concentrations (EDT vs. EDP) may also smell different. Don’t jump to conclusions immediately if a fragrance smells different than it should. It could be old, or you may be trying to test two difference concentrations and getting different results.

If you just don’t know where to start telling if your fragrance is real or not, it seems very authentic but you’re still concerned, or you just can’t find any reference photos, then ask the online community. There are forums and people who have probably used that fragrance for years and can tell you what to look out for or tell you if you’ve got an authentic fragrance or a fake if you provide them with a few photos.

I think I have a counterfeit, what do I do?

If you purchased a fake fragrance, send or take it back to the store or retailer and explain what happened to them. Reputable stores should take the bottle back and either issue you a real bottle or give you a refund. If the retailer doesn’t accept refunds, your only recourse is to warn others of what happened to you, throw the fragrance you bought out, and take steps to ensure that this won’t happen to you again.

Remember, if it’s too good to be true then it probably is. If you suspect you have a fake, ask someone for a second opinion. And never wear a counterfeit fragrance because there is no way, short of sending it off for laboratory testing, to tell what’s in it.


Chanel No.5 Eau Premiere

Commence the raving, Chanel No.5 Eau Premiere makes the regular No.5 and twists it into a modern, clean but still classic smelling fragrance. Eau Premiere was made to capture that lost subsection of individuals who thought the original No.5 was just “too much”. That No.5 smelled too much of aldehydes or far too old. In essence, Eau Premiere is an updated, stripped away, younger version.  Eau Premiere

In Bottle: Bright, fresh citrus over that familiar Chanel No.5 smell. But there’s something clearly lacking. The aldehydes that come up immediately upon first sniff have been toned down. The sparkle is a bit duller but Eau Premiere still has that No.5 base, it’s just less blatant now.

Applied: Citrus and a shout of florals before Eau Premiere settles down. Imagine Chanel No.5, then take away most of that sparkle by toning down its aldehydes. Tweak the florals so they dance and float in the air like a pretty, flighty piece of transparent cloth. The powder is noticeably toned down in Eau Premiere to further “update” this fragrance and make it more youthful. The final dry down also lacks that heady, dense, muskiness in the original No.5. Eau Premiere is a younger class of lady. She’s a pale gown and a diamond necklace compared to Chanel No.5’s sleek black dress and pearls. I get that same, but subdued clean, floral, jasmine fragrance but it’s lighter, greener, more fresh and less dense. Nevertheless, the essence of the old classic is still in there.

Extra: Beautiful as it is, Eau Premiere is a flanker. And flankers are not always bad. Though the ones that come immediately to mind for me weren’t to my tastes. Still, when you think about all the different products Chanel has with No.5’s essence, soaps, lotions, body gels, powders, and on and on, another flanker based on No.5 might seem excessive. But if you love Chanel No.5, it’s daughter, Eau Premiere is worth a try. She’s got the same breeding but is obviously in a younger style.

Design: Presented in a tall rectangular glass bottle with the house name and fragrance name embossed onto the glass. The bottle takes its inspiration from the original Chanel No.5 bottle but in a taller, easier to hold form. The cap is especially familiar, being made of a denser material. Chanel’s bottle designs have always been beautiful and Eau Premiere’s is no exception.

Fragrance Family: Fresh Floral

Notes: Mandarin, bergamot, aldehydes, jasmine, neroli, ylang-ylang, rose, vetiver, vanilla.

Eau Premiere was tweaked by Chanel’s in-house perfumer, Jacques Polge. Polge was responsible for the wildly popular, and very successful Chanel fragrance, Coco Mademoiselle. He’s also done Cormandel, Egoiste, and Allure Homme.

Reviewed in This Post: Chanel No.5 Eau Premiere, 2009, Eau Premiere.


Chanel No.5

What could anyone possibly say about Chanel No.5 that hasn’t already been said ten times over? So all that remains to be said is to share my experience like anyone else would have to do at this point. Simply put, No.5 is the perfume people think of when they hear the word, “Perfume”. It’s misunderstood, well-loved, adored, respected, hated, revered, confusing, complex, and familiar. Any fragrance lover worth his or her salt knows what Chanel No.5 smells like. Chanel No5

In Bottle: Loud sparkling aldehydes and florals. Heady but clean and vivid in the sense that the fragrance is immediately recognizable. Chanel No.5 was not meant to be contained to a blotter though. It’s a fragrance that demands wearing.

Applied: Freshness from citrus and aldehydes. There are some fragrances that overdo the citrus but No.5’s initial citrus is tame. It smells very necessary as the scent settles down giving off aldehydes and florals. I can smell the ylang-ylang, the rose, and jasmine. The aldehydes are giving this a very clean, crisp feel. There’s something slightly dry about this, like desert air, as the fragrance starts to age and the florals are joined by powder and this dry airiness. No.5 is not for the lighthearted. It lasts and lasts and will continue to last for hours while it has trouble settling between floral, dryness and floral, powder. The final dry down of this scent may very well happen late into the night if you applied this in the morning. It’s fade loses most of the aldehydes and gives way a clean, sandalwoodsy, musk.

Extra: Chanel No.5 was released in 1921 when it became the raging success it is today. Hundreds of stories surround the creation of Chanel No.5, even more about who wore it and why. There are fan clubs dedicated to No.5, people who have written songs featuring No.5, and people who go their entire lives wearing No.5. Even through its various reformulations, Chanel No.5 has kept its core personality as a classic.

Design: Iconic perfume bottle for the eau de parfum version. Rectangular glass with Chanel No.5 label set in the middle. The cap is a heavier, nicer material that snaps onto the top to protect the sprayer that distributes an even, fine mist. There is a small Chanel logo running along the band on the cap. The juice itself is a dark yellow amber color.

Fragrance Family: Floral

Notes: Ylang-Ylang, neroli, aldehydes, jasmine, mayrose, sandalwood, vetiver.

Chanel No.5 is probably the fragrance most accused of smelling like “old lady”. While everyone’s perceptions of old lady smell is different, No.5 to me, is way too fresh, way too sparkling to be an old lady smell. But neroli and powder are the two marks of an old lady fragrance and I cannot deny that it has a certain feel to it that excludes it from being young.

Reviewed in This Post: Chanel No.5, 2009, Eau de Parfum.


Chanel Allure

Chanel has a fairly consistent fragrance sector as many of their creations have become classics, or just have that classic and sophisticated smell. Talk to anyone with some sense of the perfume industry and ask them if they know about Chanel No.5. Their eyes should light up. If they don’t, it’s a sad day in fragrance history.

Much like most things House Chanel puts out, Allure has that classic and sophisticated feel. It’s a modern fragrance, to be sure, but it also has this sense about it. This unspoken aura that proclaims loudly and proudly that it is a perfume and it is not going anywhere, anytime soon. er1sintf

In Bottle: Slightly powdery, sweet feminine fragrance. I’m thinking of sweet florals, a warm field of flowers set in vanilla with the lingering threads of alcohol. Allure is a modern fragrance, claimed to be built in a special way so the wearer can enjoy a unique experience atypical of other perfumes. But then, so many new perfumes also have that claim. Right now, Allure is a nice strong but welcoming warm vanilla floral. Let’s see how she does applied.

Applied: Immediately I smell the vanilla coming up on the sweetness and the florals. There’s a creamy quality to this that replaces that powder I smelled off-skin. This mixture of warmth and sweetness makes Allure a golden fragrance to my nose.It reminds me of L’Instant de Guerlain in color and sweetness but L’Instant had a distinct amber and honey feel that Allure doesn’t possess. Allure instead is backed by a fine mist of soft florals as it trails off into sweet, creamy vanilla.

Extra: While Chanel has enjoyed success as a major fragrance house. Particularly thanks to the ever present and ever iconic, No.5, it has also garnered some reputation of making “old lady” perfumes. The powdery scent in these might be doing it but I also think it’s in part due to the brand’s reputation. I smell Allure and get nothing but sophisticated and modern. “Old lady”, of course, has different connotations to different people but it’s hard for me to associate Allure to an old woman. Allure is simply a sweet, vanilla floral.

Design: Allure’s bottle design, much like most of Chanel’s other fragrances, is minimalistic but functional and beautiful at the same time. Presented in a tall, clear rectangular bottle, the name of the fragrance is embossed near the top while the fragrance house, other vital information is embossed on the bottom. While the design itself does look similar to that of Burberry Brit, you can literally feel the better quality that was put into Chanel Allure. It’s simple but refined whereas Brit’s bottle just looks like a mishmash of poor design decisions. Yes, I am still harping on Burberry Brit’s bottle. The bottle cap is metal with a ring running its perimeter with CHANEL written on it. Simple but elegant. A great design for those with minimalist tastes.

Fragrance Family: Floral Oriental

Notes: Lily of the valley, magnolia, honeysuckle, citrus, passion fruit, mandarin, jasmine, rose, vanilla.

One of the best things about trying different fragrances is finding out what I like. In L’Instant and Allure, I’ve discovered a love for golden, warm and sweet creamy fragrances. Something that doesn’t quite touch the shores of gourmand but skirts the outer edge.

Reviewed in This Post: Allure, 2010, Eau de Parfum.