Friday, March 28, 2025

Behind the Scents: The Harsh Reality of Selling Perfume


By Ali Bokhari 

Most fragrance lovers might assume that selling high-end perfumes is a sophisticated, glamorous endeavor-perhaps akin to living inside a luxury magazine ad. They see the gleaming bottles and the polished counters, and they imagine an existence draped in elegance and effortless profit. If only that was the case.

The truth? Unless you're one of the lucky few capitalizing on boatloads of customers that have no idea what a fair price is, selling perfumes as a small independent brick-and-mortar retailer is less about luxury and more about surviving on razor-thin margins, constant stress and the occasional existential crisis. I was not aware of any of this when, for a short time I considered opening my own store. Thank goodness, I thought of contacting retailers first and getting their advice before jumping in.

Small retail stores are caught in a relentless squeeze between aggressive discounters and powerful manufacturers who call the shots. If that sounds fun, wait until you hear the part about how much it costs to even get in the game. Spoiler: it's a lot.

🔗 READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE HERE!:

https://ifragranceofficial.com/the-harsh-reality-of-selling-perfume/

Friday, March 14, 2025

Liquid Brun vs. Althair: Can a $45 Dupe Beat the $300 Original?


I looked at the fragrance shop clerk in shock, staring down at the 125 ml orange Parfums de Marly bottle as if it had burned my hand.

Liquid Brun smells exactly like PDM's Althair!" I somehow managed to get out. "Correction," my friend told me, laughing, "Liquid Brun is Althair!" 

OK, it definitely sounds like hyperbole, but as of 48 hours ago, I am a newly converted believer that a $45 USD Fragrance World clone can be equally as good-or better?-than the original priced in many places at $328 USD.

READ THE WHOLE ARTICLE:



Saturday, March 8, 2025

REVIEW: JPG Le Male Elixir Absolu










Published on I Fragrance on March 8, 2025

Look, I know some folks will come for me for questioning whether or not Jean Paul Gaultier's newest Le Male is a must buy, but my job isn’t to sugarcoat—it’s to be fair, to not pull punches and to tell it like it is. 

If you’re thinking of blind-buying JPG's newest release or know someone who is, you need to read this first. 

🔗 Get the full review here: https://ifragranceofficial.com/jpg-le-male-elixir-absolu-review/