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Fragrencenet.com Fake?

post #1 of 18
11/28/12 at 11:14pm
Thread Starter 
I just got my order of Armani Code and Acqua di Gio in the mail. I'm not sure what Code is suppose to smell like (blind buy), but I like it. My issue is that the ADG does not smell like my current ADG that I bought from Kohls.

I am extremely less talented at picking up scents than most of you, but if I had to describe the difference, my original bottle has more of a fresh, lemony smell right away while the stuff I just got in the mail smells very synthetic like a run-of-the-much walmart spray.

This could very well me by pessimism. I sprayed a sample on similar fabric and well smell them in the morning because I feel like my nose is all sorts of confused ATM.

Does anybody have a tip on how to distinguish a fake from a legit scent?
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post #2 of 18
11/29/12 at 12:04am
It could be a reformulation rather than a fake. They usually don't tell the public when they do it, hence all the threads about it here on BN. Spray you ankles or lower legs with one spray from each bottle. That way you can use your hand to waft the smell up from one or the other. If you do one then the other within a minute, you should not be able to smell much from the second one due to olfactory fatigue. If you waft up the second one and you're picking up strong notes, those are the ones that are not in the first scent you smelled. In this case, you should smell nothing because they are identical, but again reformulation is possible. With Code, when I take the cap off my bottle I get a very strong wood note, but I may just be really sensitive to wood notes. I doubt if you got a fake from this company but I wouldn't be shocked, because I have always worried about someone doing a return and returning a fake bottle, keeping the real one for themselves. Then the person who buys that returned product gets a fake, unless the company discards the returned product, which would really surprise me (among the online discounter sites, at least).
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post #3 of 18
11/29/12 at 2:02am
Reputable company. If you are not satisfied tell them as much along with your worries. They will take it back.
Bigsly is right about the smelling the difference tactic. Could be reformulation, could be one is older, and I never thought about people returning fakes; although adg is so popular I can see it as a prime target.
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post #4 of 18
11/29/12 at 2:28am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nosebud View Post

Reputable company. If you are not satisfied tell them as much along with your worries. They will take it back.
Bigsly is right about the smelling the difference tactic. Could be reformulation, could be one is older, and I never thought about people returning fakes; although adg is so popular I can see it as a prime target.

Totes McGoats
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post #5 of 18
11/29/12 at 2:58am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nosebud View Post

Reputable company. If you are not satisfied tell them as much along with your worries. They will take it back.

True, so no need to worry.
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post #6 of 18
11/29/12 at 3:24am
I have purchased many, many fragrances from fragrancenet. I have never had a problem with fakes. You probably have a re-formulation version.
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post #7 of 18
11/29/12 at 5:17am
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the replies goes, I will try that routine. I'll have to find a thread about reformulation too.
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post #8 of 18
11/29/12 at 6:36am
Another possibility is the AdG was sitting on the shelf for so long that it's "dull" right now. I had the same problem with a couple purchases from fragrancex.com but I just used the product 3-4 times in the row and it seemed to "liven" up a bit the more I used it.
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post #9 of 18
11/29/12 at 10:07am
ive done business with fragnet over a dozen times. haven't been scammed once.
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post #10 of 18
11/29/12 at 11:18am
Thread Starter 
I guess I should wear the product for a day before questioning it. 1 spray to the chest this morning and 5 hours later and I'm still picking up the beloved AdG scent.

This is why so many people pass up on good scents at stores... They spray a strip, smell, decide.

Anyways, thanks for the re-assurance everyone.

- - - Updated - - -

And on a side note, I'm digging the Armani Code scent too. I will wear it for the first time tomorrow night at a college bar. I bought it because I learned on here:

1. Acqua di Gio is not a good winter scent.
2. Armani Code is a good winter / club scent. (I like to hit the dance floor).
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post #11 of 18
11/29/12 at 12:58pm
I agree with everyone above me who said that FragranceNet is a reputable company. They ship quickly and clearly take pride in their service, so I can only imagine they will be accommodating if you find it is not to your liking (or possibly fake or reformulated).

As for your update there, I agree that Code is a nice scent. It's actually the first fragrance I ever owned and while I don't wear it that much now, I can see why others would say it is a good scent for clubbing. I'd say you would stand out reasonably well above all the A*Mens and 1 Millions in the crowd as more sophisticated and more powdery.
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post #12 of 18
11/29/12 at 5:10pm
Fragrancenet is good, tho can be a little slow with delivery compared to others.

FragranceX is the only internet frag outfit I've had trouble with.
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post #13 of 18
11/29/12 at 5:36pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by bigsteve View Post

Fragrancenet is good, tho can be a little slow with delivery compared to others.

FragranceX is the only internet frag outfit I've had trouble with.

What happened with Fragrancex, just curious...
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post #14 of 18
12/2/12 at 7:57pm
what do you guys mean when you say re-formulation?

I'm considering buying a Creed cologne from fragrancenet.com and im a little concerned because it's so much cheaper than buying it from Creed. How are they able to sell it so much cheaper?
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post #15 of 18
12/3/12 at 3:25am
Quote:
Originally Posted by senore01 View Post

I have purchased many, many fragrances from fragrancenet. I have never had a problem with fakes. You probably have a re-formulation version.

This has been my experience with Fragrancenet as well. Always received first rate products from them. And, as others have said they do have a good return policy if you choose to go that route.
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post #16 of 18
12/3/12 at 5:14pm
I doubt it's a fake.
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post #17 of 18
12/3/12 at 7:20pm
I'm sure that it is not a fake. Don't worry about it.
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post #18 of 18
12/3/12 at 8:00pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by rimshot42 View Post

what do you guys mean when you say re-formulation?

I'm considering buying a Creed cologne from fragrancenet.com and im a little concerned because it's so much cheaper than buying it from Creed. How are they able to sell it so much cheaper?

Creed doesn't really reformulate, they just have batch variations due to "natural ingredients" if you buy that. Reformulation just means a company decided to change the proportions of ingredients or change the "recipe" if you will for whatever reason (usually to cut costs or "update" a fragrance). As for how they are cheaper, it's just a grey market thing. A lot of fragrances are cheaper online, but I would trust fragnet for sure. I may be getting some Himalaya from them before long.
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