Brand perfume is very expensive so I got into the habit of buying replicas. They may not last as long on my skin or clothes but they're a lot cheaper and with the money I'd pay on a brand bottle I can buy a few replicas to experiment with. In the end, I still smell good and my wallet doesn't get a beating. What about you, are you buying expensive or cheaper perfume?
Not with this because I've heard too many horror stories about what is put inside these products. I know the ones sold at discount stores are okay but weak and may be better in the rinse water when a person does the laundry. However, the ones sold at swap meets, indie stores and online should be avoided. Because my skin is sensitive I just pay full price and keep it for as long as possible.
I would never get a replica on a perfume I love. Even though perfume is expensive, I have a habit of having them and I don't care about the price. Perfumes last several years for me since I only use a little bit every day. I only use tiny little drop behind each ear and that's enough for me. If you think about the price and how long you're going to wear it I don't think it's expensive. Several stores like Sephora and Nordstrom are always having great sales on the best perfumes. I last got a perfume by Lanvin and I paid really cheap and it's one of the best perfumes I have ever smelled. And to be honest I have smelled the replicas before and I find that not only their smell is not identical and some not even similar, but you need more product to get the same effect, doesn't have the same lasting power and contains a lot of alcohol. To me if you do the math afterwards you would notice you pay almost the same for a lower quality item.
I don't buy them because I've never smelled any that were close enough to the real thing. I would rather just buy a smaller bottle of it, such as those 3/4 oz. ones you can get at places like CVS or Wallgreens for like $15. That way you are getting the real thing and still saving money. Plus, I've noticed I often never finish a regular sized bottle of cologne unless it's something I really really like. So it's a safer bet for me to buy the small bottle first to see how often I end up wearing it. Another way of looking at it is, would you rather have three new scents (small bottles) only one new scent for the same price (regular size bottle)? One of my friends once tried to run his own business selling knockoffs of popular fragrances. He ordered some kit online that came with a bunch of bottles of the raw scents as concentrated oils, and he would have to mix them to order with the alcohol and apply the labels. It was a huge mess, and the oils got all over the place and stunk everything up. Plus none of the resulting "cologne's" really smelled exactly like the real thing.
I do buy replicas just for day-to-day use. But if it's a perfume I REALLY love, I have no problem spending the money (if I have the money to spend) to buy the real thing. I like to wear the good stuff for special occasions or nights out.
I remember buying a perfume replica many, many years ago, and I would have to say that the quality isn't as good as the original one, and the smell is "weaker" than the original, and it wears off easily. So I didn't buy any more knock off perfumes after that. I would just opt to buy a cologne than to buy a knock off perfume.
I prefer buying the original as much as possible when it comes to perfumes. The replicas just don't last long enough for me and I find myself wanting to re-apply it after a few hours, which of course isn't very convenient since you'd have to lug around the bottle. Original ones can last for the whole day, from what I can tell, so I think it's worth the price since I feel as though I'm only paying full price for the full product anyway.
I don't buy replicas because I don't like when a company copies the work of someone else. I have also heard the replicas have a lower concentration of fragrance in them so they don't last as long and you have to reapply them so often it makes me question if they're really a money saver. I tend to like more expensive perfumes, so I budget for them.
The real thing only for me. My parents always ask for what I want for birthdays/xmas and if I am running low I tell them. They like to know what to buy me even though I am 47 years old My favorite favorite is Viva La Juicy.
I buy oil based perfume "replicas" or inspired by scents. I like oil perfume, it lasts a lot more than alcohol based one on the skin. I don't wear perfume every day so a little tube of the oil one can last me the entire year. I always buy the oil perfumes from a cart in the mall.
