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Buying cheap perfume will cost more in the long run, so why do people opt for this as an alternative? Whenever we hear the word designer, we instantly think of expensive brands, celebrities, and quality products, whether it’s a clothing range, cosmetics, shoes, or perfume.

We do get what we pay for, although many would agree that some designer brands are overpriced. Customers can feel ripped off when they see a huge price tag that perhaps doesn’t justify the item being purchased.

We’ve all been there. A spot of retail therapy can lift the mood, but at what cost?

Men and women love to shop, especially if they know what they intend to buy. While women are more prone to window shopping than men, buying something new can lift the mood.

Some may say buying impulsively can have the opposite effect, leaving you with the panic of overspending and falling into a debt hole, especially if your purchase is on the more expensive side. It’s important to balance the two.

I’m not a big fan of shopping, aimlessly walking around the shops hoping that something will catch my eye. I prefer a more purposeful visit so that I know exactly what I am shopping for.

On the other hand, my sister and late mother would shop till they dropped! We all have the idea of shopping and saving simultaneously, so it’s very much done to buy more for our money. That makes sense.

Looking for cheaper options

There will be products on the market that will work in our favour. Clothes, for instance, can be bought much cheaper, and some will still last just as long and come out of the wash the same size as they went in!

What about products such as cosmetics? These, too, can be bought cheaper, but if you are prone to sensitive skin, purchasing a more expensive brand will always be the better option to avoid skin allergies. When it comes to perfumes, we all know the price we pay to own a designer bottle of Chanel.

An iconic perfume

Chanel perfume was also the most popular and highest-ranked brand for women in the UK in 2020, with an estimated 4.9million women enjoying its unique fragrance. That’s a massive amount of sales for just one designer bottle.

So what about when shops sell copies of designer perfumes at a fraction of the price? We already know that we can buy the real thing at Duty-Free, and they will often be a little cheaper.

It is a cheeky purchase for the upcoming holiday that we all look forward to having. It is almost obligatory to visit one before boarding the plane.

Some wait until this time to purchase their favourite or ask a family member or friend to pick one up on their way through or on the plane because the price is a little lower.

Copies of our favourite perfumes

Recently, Poundland has released a selection of fragrances, all in the same packaging and bottles as the designer brands, but with a huge difference—the price tag.

For as little as £1, customers can purchase a copy of their favourite bottle, but at what cost? We’re all bargain hunters inside, even those who can afford the real thing more than some. Everyone loves a saving. It leaves more money and opportunity to spend the rest on something else.

A walk into Poundland is everyone’s idea of the perfect shop. It is a shop everyone loves because it offers bargain prices on household products, cosmetics, birthday cards, and food. While walking through, we see a display of designer fragrances from Chanel, Creed, Carolina Herrera, and Paco Rabanne. Or are they?

We all know that Poundland is just that, a pound shop. It is a place that almost seems too good to be true when we can purchase hand wash or toothpaste for just £1. Some would argue that such items can be bought cheaper from the big stores such as Asda and Sainsbury’s. Indeed, they can, so it’s essential to be savvy when we shop.

So what about buying your favourite perfume for £1? A fragrance such as Paco Rabanne’s Lady Million would leave your purse short of around £83 for the real thing. Can it be bought for £1 instead?

Of course, we all love to save money, but at what cost?

Perfume and beauty resources

Buying cheap perfume will cost more

On the first initial spray, we are surprised by the similarity in fragrance notes, but the real key is how long the scent will last.

Lady Million is a trendy fragrance and the third most favourite scent for women.

This perfume’s scent is instantly noticed with its first spray. It contains notes of raspberry, jasmine, patchouli, and amber.

The packaging alone suggests that this isn’t the real deal. Poundland cleverly uses slightly different names for its duped fragrances, which allows it to sell a product with similar scents to real perfumes. Trying to sell a fake product off as the real thing is counterfeit.

So Lady Million is labelled as Queen in Million. Although the design of the bottles may be similar, companies change their bottles so they are not identical to the real item.

A clever marketing strategy

We know purchasing a bottle for £1 won’t give us a designer brand in our shopping basket.

Many will be on a shopping budget, so buying such an affordable fragrance will be appealing. What about the longevity, though? Whilst it’s a great purchase to buy a similar bottle to one of our favourites at a fraction of the cost, is it worth it?

Cheaper alternatives

A spray of a cheaper alternative will definitely save money for other things, but at what cost? Imagine you have picked up a dupe bottle of Black Opium by Yves St Laurent, which is named Black Dust in Poundland.

A great bottle and packaging inspired by authentic designer perfume, it doesn’t look out of place on the shelf.

It had a pleasant smell, just like Black Opium, with a sweet scent but instantly too overpowering with sweetness. The depth that Black Opium carries wasn’t a match though for this alternative.

When we use perfume, we apply it in the morning, preferably on clean, moisturized skin, to get the most out of the fragrance. 

Purchasing a Poundland alternative will leave you using it more as a body spray, as the initial spray is gone within minutes. No one wants to keep reapplying their scent throughout the day to make it last.

Speaking of making perfume last, this bottle will not last very long if it constantly needs to be reapplied throughout the day.

The chances of anyone around you noticing the whiff of scent will be very slim, too, unless they are standing beside you when you spray.

So the £1 bottle of fragrance that initially saved you a fair amount of money will eventually cost you more. You will constantly be spending money on replacing the bottle that’s only lasted a week!

Purchasing for the younger generation would be the only reason to buy a £1 fragrance. They don’t need overpowering scents to make an impression and will still feel like they are a part of the grown-up world with a bottle of designer spritz.

If buying a dupe bottle seems to be the only option for owning a scent similar to your favourite designer perfume, there is another option.

At FM World, we sell designer-inspired fragrances.

What does that mean? Check out my article on Do you sell designer perfume

Looking for gift ideas?

Pop along here to our perfume resources page for some great products!

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