Fragrance Lovers Dilemma.

Tresor-L-Absolu : Unisex

Fragrance Lovers. Hello. My name is Lancelot. I am a fragrance locator. I source hard to find authentic name brand perfumes & colognes for aficionados of exquisite aromas.

I work with an exclusive clientele of fragrance lovers, who absolutely refuse to wear mass produced and marketed fragrances.

Provide a verifiable lowest price fragrance quote, and I will beat that price.

However, I do more than unite Fragrance Lovers with their favorite but hard to locate aromas. I strive to highlight consumer discontentment within the fragrance industry.

Here, a platform is provided to make the concerns of fragrance lovers known to the movers and shakers in the fragrance industry. All are encouraged to freely express themselves by participating in this blog. Your comments are welcomed.

Areas of Consumer Dissatisfaction

There is an increasing buzz of discontentment amongst consumers of perfumes and other fragrances. These disgruntled fragrance consumers are displeased for two major reasons.

• Dissatisfaction with the sampling methods currently utilized at many brick & mortar establishments.
• The unavailability of complimentary .04 oz / .05 oz fragrance samples at brick & mortar fragrance counters.

It is common knowledge that brick and mortar perfume counters are some of the most popular outlets at which fragrances are purchased. However, such fragrance establishments are not the ideal setting for the sampling of fragrances under consideration for purchase.

Here is why

On approach to a typical brick & mortar department store fragrance counter, a prospective fragrance customer’s sense of smell becomes tainted by the heavily fused odor, of many different fragrances which permeate the air.

Under such conditions, it is impossible to grasp the true aroma of a fragrance under consideration for purchase.

Sniff the Whiffer Strip

At the fragrance counter one’s perfume or cologne selection is sprayed onto a whiffer strip. A Whiffer Strip is a small piece of paper onto which a prospective purchaser’s fragrance selection is sprayed.

The fragrance prospect is then expected to sniff the fragrance drenched paper strip. Then, a decision as to the acceptability of the aroma is expected to be made.

How ridiculous!

It is unreasonable to ask perfume consumers to base a fragrance selection on the aroma that emanates from a fragrance sprayed onto a piece of paper. That is not where the aroma will be worn. Such a sampling method is unacceptable. It denies the fragrance prospect the opportunity to make a sound suitability and purchase decision.

Fragrance Suitability Test

The only way to determine if a fragrance suits the desires of the wearer, is to put it on. Wear it at the time of day the manufacturer suggests. Apply a small amount of the fragrance behind the ears, the nape of the neck, behind the knees and inner arms.

A fair sampling period should be at least one week to ten days. It will take that long to learn how the fragrance interacts with the user’s body.

Fragrance Lovers Assessment

•  What comments do your friends and family members make about your aroma when you wear it? Are they favorable?
•  Is the fragrance long lasting?
•  Does it enhance your attitude in some meaningful way?
•  Is there a welcomed harmony between your body’s chemistry and the fragrance?
•  Is the fragrance worth the investment of a full sized bottle?

Those and other personal factors should be considered in the fragrance suitability and purchasing assessment process.

In order to perform these necessary pre-purchase evaluations, fragrance samples of sufficient quantity should be readily available.

Fragrance Lovers Beware

Acquiring fragrance samples from brick & mortar establishments have become increasingly difficult. Brick & Mortar fragrance counter reps, complain that fragrance manufacturers, continue to demonstrate an unwillingness to provide complimentary fragrance samples in .04 /.05 oz vial sizes.

The shortage of the availability of fragrance samples at brick & mortar fragrance counters, has given rise to online sales of the very same sample sized vials of fragrances. Evidence of this can be found in the growing number of online merchants retailing the very same sample sizes of fragrances.

It begs the questions. If fragrance manufacturers are withholding or not producing fragrance samples in the aforementioned sizes, then where are etailers acquiring the very name brand fragrance samples they offer for sale?

Are those samples authentic? Can we as consumers be assured that the contents of these samples are genuine name brand fragrances? Something is askew and requires clarification and attention.

It is Scandalous

The sale of fragrance samples constitutes an act of immorality. Fragrance consumers should refrain from purchasing fragrance samples. Especially so since many of those purchased, .04 oz /.05 oz vials, clearly bear the words “NOT FOR RESALE” on the vials and its accompanying literature.

Further, those unfair practices infringe on the rights of consumers everywhere. It denies fragrance consumers the opportunity to properly evaluate a fragrance, prior to making a purchase.

That concept of fragrance sampling which worked for the aroma industry in the past is in jeopardy today. Such practices, if allowed to continue without curtailment from the International Fragrance Association, will result in fewer fragrance sales. This matter over time will carry with it a negative backlash on the entire industry.

At samplethefragrance.com we are working at encouraging fragrance manufacturers to continue to make complimentary .04 oz /.05 oz. vials of fragrance samples available to the public in adequate quantity.

Fragrance Lovers Unite  

This is a global call to Fragrance Lovers. I call for fragrance lovers to pose a unified appeal to manufacturers. Return to the complimentary fragrance sampling model. Also, supply in reasonably ample quantities.

Also, I plead for a general rejection of the fragrance sampling methods in practice at many brick and mortar fragrance outlets.

Use this blog as a forum for making our voices heard. Post your comments today.

Let’s talk about it. I will use my online marketing savvy to bring our comments to Fragrance Lovers and manufacturers the world over. Let’s make a loud plea to the fragrance industry and voice a global position on the issue.

Fragrance manufacturers will take notice and implement action to amend the short comings of their practices.

Thank you.

Lancelot Murray