by Nicole Morgan

Created on: June 14, 2010

Chanel perfumes are amongst some of the most counterfeited products on the market today. In today’s current economic climate, there are many people searching for a bargain and finding your favourite Chanel perfume for a bargain price is a great way to save some money. But remember the old adage, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Take your time when buying a Chanel perfume and follow some basic tips and hopefully you won’t find yourself spending your hard earned cash on a fake bottle of perfume.

Take time to examine both the bottle itself and the contents.  If you’ve never bought an authentic Chanel perfume before, have a look at a bottle in a department store where you can be sure that it is the real deal.  Take note of the colour, the shape and quality of the bottle and the writing on both the bottle and the box.  Once you know what a genuine bottle of Chanel perfume should look like, you’re far less likely to be duped into buying a fake item.

When buying from an unknown seller, look at the perfume itself.  Is the colour the same as that of an authentic perfume or is it too light or too dark?  Is the perfume clear? If it’s cloudy or there is debris in the bottle, it’s almost certainly a fake.  You can also check for air bubbles in the tube leading to the spray mechanism.  You’ll always find these in a genuine bottle of designer perfume, but you’re far less likely to spot them in counterfeit fragrances.

Look at the bottle itself. Chanel perfumes are premium products and this is reflected in the quality of the bottle and the packaging.  The glass should be unwarped and made of a heavyset glass.  Turn the bottle upside down and check the cap stays on.  An ill-fitting cap or spray mechanism should set alarm bells ringing.  Everything on the bottle should be of a high standard.  Labels will be parallel and central.  The writing will also endure a scrape with a fingernail on an authentic bottle.  On cheap copies, you will tend to find that the writing rubs off easily.

Smell the perfume. Most counterfeiters invest time and money into getting the packaging as close to the authentic product as possible.  In my experience, fake perfumes smell nothing like the real thing.  But if you’re not sure, allow the perfume to settle on your skin and smell it again in 20 minutes.  An authentic eau de parfum should still smell strongly after this time.

If you have any doubts at all, then it’s likely that the perfume you’re looking to buy isn’t authentic and you should keep hold of your money.  It’s rare to find genuine Chanel perfume selling at much less than it would cost in a department store.  Instead, it might be worth considering a cheaper brand of perfume or try adding it to your Christmas or Birthday wish list and see if someone else will treat you!

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