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Where and how to buy fragrances

post #1 of 11
8/6/08 at 2:26pm
Thread Starter 
Just wondering if anyone has any tips with respect to acquiring frangrances in the most cost effective manner for a newbie lookie to expand his collection. For example, is buying on ebay a good idea or what about sites that sell Versace Dreamer cologne for $29.99 for a 3.3 oz bottle (1stperfume.com), is it real? Thanks!
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post #2 of 11
8/6/08 at 2:53pm
Hi and welcome to BN!

First of all, I´m not an expert on perfume sites... But you can read about the one you mentioned in this thread:
http://community.basenotes.net/showthread.php?t=185700

Second, sampling before buying is always good. In the long run it will save you money, and it is fun also. I recommend a visit to this site:
http://theperfumedcourt.com/
Here you can buy and try almost anything and they also offer different beginners kit. I have bought a lot and learned a lot.

Good luck!
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post #3 of 11
8/6/08 at 3:32pm
Good question. Here are some thoughts from a somewhat-noob:

1. Check out the City Shopping Guide on BN for your local area:

http://community.basenotes.net/forumdisplay.php?f=19

There's info on online retailers below the country subfora. Avoid 1stperfume.com (see the first or second thread after the state/country listings). There's a thread on this here on BN. Some people do OK; a lot don't.
2. Ebay can be OK if the vendor has lots of good feedback (not just positive votes) and the juice isn't rare or expensive/popular. I've purchased from vendors on eBay with good luck. But I wanted frags that aren't popular or expensive.
3. I second Pelle's suggestion of samples from The Perfumed Court. They have a whole section of men's sample packs. They have nice groupings so you can get to know families and you can try some very expensive stuff relatively cheaply. You can also order samples of fragrances from www.luckyscent.com. Lucky Scent also has a storefront in LA called ScentBar. Another good resource is www.beautyhabit.com, which also has a storefront in the LA area.

You want to try scents at your leisure - they develop and change during the day. Something may start out smelling great and an hour later, you need to wash it off. Or vice-versa.

If you sample at local stores, only spray one or two scents. Then walk away. Let it develop. It will still be there the next day (or week) if you want it.
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post #4 of 11
8/6/08 at 3:36pm
I don't see any problems with purchasing some of the cheaper scents on ebay as most counterfeiters will go for more expensive scents like Creed since there's more money to be made there. There are also several other places with good reputation online that a little search will tell you. I like to also look on amazon for cheaper prices and had good finds. Try and buy testers as these tends to be cheaper for the same product.

For niche samples, buy from Aedes www.aedes.com instead of Perfumed Court as it tends to be cheaper.
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post #5 of 11
8/7/08 at 9:26am
Thread Starter 
Sage advise so far from you guys, it is greatly appreciated also. That is funny about the 1stperfume comment becasuse my very first purchase ever about 6 mos. ago was from 1stpefume.com and after i bought the cologne (Versace's Dreamer) i had a severe case of buyer's remorse bc i feel into all the comments online. I checked the comments on their site which are misleading bc they appear to have a great score w. all these ratings systems. It also bothered me when i looked them up on BBB because i realized they were based in NYC which is a hub for fakes. In any event, the Dreamer arrived and appears to be real, packed well and i even went to Sephora and compared boxes, etc.. and it looks legit and smells fine. Maybe i got lucky with them (as i did have the package delivered to the law firm i work at so maybe that made them more cautious), but based upon the comments on basenotes i will never buy from them again!!
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post #6 of 11
8/7/08 at 9:35am
Thread Starter 
Wow-that perfumedcourt.com site is really useful!
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post #7 of 11
8/7/08 at 10:21am
Thread Starter 
A few days ago I bought a cologne (Lolitita Lempicka) from a fellow basenoter who has sold,bought and/or traded over 200 colognes with 100% rating so i felt pretty good about that and i should recieve the fragrance in a few days. Have you guys had alot of success buying,selling, and/or trading on basenotes?
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post #8 of 11
8/7/08 at 10:45am
Quote:
Originally Posted by TheAttorney View Post

Wow-that perfumedcourt.com site is really useful!

It's a really good resource, and I've had nothing but good experiences when buying from them.
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post #9 of 11
8/7/08 at 11:10am
The best deals are here in the basenotes sales forum! The problem is that someone may beat you to the sale. Also, BNers can help you choose a frag that will meet your needs, if you are not sure which frag is best (office, evening, casual, etc.). I've helped a few people already. They all thanked me for pointing them in the right direction.
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post #10 of 11
8/7/08 at 11:20am
forget online shopping...as a beginner, the best way to go try fragrances is to get out there and go to the shops!

i must admit, this is very easy in NYC....but you live in LA...i'm SURE you can find plenty of places to go...so get out there!
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post #11 of 11
8/7/08 at 11:26am
Thread Starter 
I actually have been to a number of shops so when i smell something i like then i look online, i.e., my purchase of Lolita.
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Basenotes › Basenotes Forums › Fragrance Discussion › Just Starting Out › Where and how to buy fragrances