Did you know that fake perfumes are now being sold in fragrance shops? While you might expect to find fake perfume on a market stall, I'm sure you'd be surprised to find a highly-sophisticated knock-off in a store you previously believed you could trust. Here are 9 sure-fire ways you can tell a genuine branded perfume from a fake:
1. Check the wrapping
The box's wrapping should be neat and thick, as well as folded perfectly to adhere to the box with precision. If the box isn't wrapped properly, it's probably fake.
2. Flawless seams
If the perfume's seams are uneven, has excess glue, or is generally not neat and tidy as you'd expect, it's fake. Genuine branded perfume seams are flawless.
3. Paperboard
A special construction inside the box of a genuine, branded perfume is designed to hold the perfume bottle perfectly in place.
4. Labels and inscriptions
Note the gold circle in the image above. The right-facing arrow should always be darker than the left-facing one. In addition, it's advisable to check the manufacturer's website to see if the information they have published there matches the packaging on the perfume you're considering buying. The smallest mismatch is the sign of a fake.
5. Design
Differences in design from high-end designer perfumes to cheap knock-offs can be spotted with a keen eye. Take a look at the differences between the two images above to see what I mean.
6. Perfume
A genuine branded perfume will never have a lot of dye in it, which is why the color tends to be pale. On the other hand, a fake will have a noticeably artificial-looking color to give the game away.
7. Bottle cap
If there isn't perfect symmetry present in the perfume's bottle cap, then the likelihood that it's fake is high. Obviously this doesn't apply to asymmetrical designs.
8. Serial number
The serial number should be clearly indicated at the bottom of the perfume's box. Also check that the serial number on the box matches the serial number on the perfume bottle itself.
9. Bottle shape
The shape of the perfume bottle should be perfectly smooth and well-shaped. If there's any roughness or contouring to its surface, then the likelihood is that it's fake.
Inspect every detail and a fake will usually reveal itself quicker than you might imagine.
