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Tester bottles vs Retail bottles - strength ?

post #1 of 16
3/6/13 at 4:06pm
Thread Starter 
Howdy everyone.

I'm sure this has been asked before, but I'm just curious about this, based on a recent experience I had.

I tested the 2012 summer edition of L'Eau D'Issey at a fragrance store. The tester was almost empty (maybe 10% full) - i sprayed it on top of my right hand. For the rest of the day, I could get the smell quite distinctly, and I could quite clearly see the oily patch of perfume where i had sprayed it.

Went back the next day and purchased a bottle, but the scent I purchased seems quite weak. I have tried spraying various places on my body (including hand as per tester), but it becomes a skin scent and quite weak rather quickly, and also I don't really see the patch of perfume where I had sprayed.

Is it a known industry tactic to make testers stronger than retail bottles ? Does anyone else have any similar stories experiences etc. ?

Thanks
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post #2 of 16
3/6/13 at 4:19pm
As far as I know, they are all the same.
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post #3 of 16
3/6/13 at 4:34pm
Like everyone, my first inclination is to automatically say "No...no difference at all." But then, do we really KNOW that with certainty?

I must say that I have noticed that some of my testers are stronger and smell especially great (i.e., Creed Windsor, Angelique Encens). And I've wondered if it's not limited to only the regular-sized tester bottles. I have even received some miniature bottles that smelled much stronger (and better) than the same fragrance in the larger bottle. The one that I'm thinking of is a little miniature bottle of Ralph Lauren's Purple Label. It smells so fantastic in the little bottle, but the larger bottle is nowhere near as strong, and it's not just my imagination.

I think MOST of the time, the testers are the same. But with more expensive fragrances, who knows....a slightly "tweaked" tester bottle at the counter can result in LOTS of sales.
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post #4 of 16
3/6/13 at 4:39pm
In all my experiences, they have been equal.
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post #5 of 16
3/6/13 at 7:18pm
IMO they all are the same.
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post #6 of 16
3/6/13 at 7:45pm
The same.
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post #7 of 16
3/6/13 at 8:10pm
I personally don't think there is a difference. But I will do some tests in the future and post the results as soon as I do
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post #8 of 16
3/6/13 at 8:29pm
Same juice.
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post #9 of 16
3/6/13 at 8:39pm
It's a smart question. I haven't come across it but skepticism always captures my interest. I always look at tester bottles on ebay with contempt and disdain but now I need to rethink that. You gotta put your best foot forward, don't you?
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post #10 of 16
3/6/13 at 9:11pm
I do not detect any differences between Testers and Retail bottles, but who knows?!
Maybe it would be better someone does a real scientific test based on concentration of perfume!
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post #11 of 16
3/6/13 at 9:23pm
I think that more often that the tester bottle are mistreated. Which might give the illusion that the juice is different. I just highly doubt that any of these companies would go through all that trouble to change the solution of a tester. Aside from that, we will never know for sure.
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post #12 of 16
3/6/13 at 9:27pm
Same juice.
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post #13 of 16
3/6/13 at 9:59pm
I think sometimes when you sample something and it's new to your nose, your nose is especially sensitive to it.

Perhaps smelling it a second time and after, is less of a revelation to your nose and you don't get the same effect...?

I have experienced this, almost every time I test a frag I haven't smelt before I get amazing longevity, etc, from it, but after it goes to normal.

Just an idea...
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post #14 of 16
3/6/13 at 10:52pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mick_Trick View Post

I think sometimes when you sample something and it's new to your nose, your nose is especially sensitive to it.

Agree...I feel the juice is the same.
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post #15 of 16
3/6/13 at 11:45pm
Perhaps you might want to look at this a little differently.

If you are dealing with a department store then my theory may not work. But, if you are going to a discounter or a kiosk then maybe it's the product on the shelf that may be suspect. It would be much easier for a less reputable discounter to have one good bottle of a fragrance and have their stock full of bottles that are questionable. Perhaps they may be old or could have sat on a cargo ship for months in the hot sun and turned or lost their potency, or the stock could just be fake.

That's just a theory and I only bring it up because bottles that lack longevity or seem to be a different liquid consistency are big red flags when it comes to less reputable discounters.

But, in general I don't think it would be cost effective to make different batch of juice to put in tester bottles. And if these go to a department store which allows returns it would really be costly when many customers return the real product because it lacks the longevity or strength of the tester.
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post #16 of 16
3/6/13 at 11:59pm
I might be way off here but if the tester bottle had been kept in non-ideal circumstances, and some of the alcohol had evaporated leaving a concentrated amount of oil could that have accounted for the better smell & oily perfume?

I'm just guessing but the reason I thought of this is I found a really old sample at the bottom of a drawer a few weeks ago. It was about 3/4 full when I put it there but its about 1/4 full now. The alcohol seems to have vanished & all that is left is pure vanilla absolute. It smells divine.
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