Fragrance Purchasing In The Hot/Warm Months Of The Year

**jcastano** · 6th August 2010, 11:04 PM

Hello my fellow Basenoters,

I hope all is well with you guy/gals! I had a question regarding purchasing fragrances online with either ebay, fragrancenet, department store websites, or any other fragrance retailers that ship usps or ups. I know the rule of thumb is to keep fragrances away from intense heat or heat at all for that matter, correct? Well, everytime I order fragrances online in the warm/hot months, I recieve them alright except for one thing, the bottles are always warm or hot. The glass on the bottles actually, but it isn't a hot that is unbearable where I can't hold the bottle but they are hot. The reason probably is because the frags are in blaring weather, sitting in a hot truck until they get delivered at my door step or mailbox. Wouldn't that in turn have a horrible affect on a fragrance because the heated glass would heat up the fragrance inside or does it not do anything at all? It's something I've alway wondered so I'm curious to hear your thoughts

Best Regards,

-Jose

**PaulSC** · 6th August 2010, 11:52 PM

You know, I've often wondered about this, but I've never had a problem with UPS-shipped fragrances being heat-damaged. (I've never had a bottle arrive feeling "hot," however, just slightly warmer than room temp.)

On the other hand, are shipments to department stores and other brick & morter vendors made using climate-controlled transport? Maybe that stuff is just as likely to sit in an overheated trailer for a day or two (?)

**jcastano** · 7th August 2010, 12:06 AM

Originally Posted by PaulSC

You know, I've often wondered about this, but I've never had a problem with UPS-shipped fragrances being heat-damaged. (I've never had a bottle arrive feeling "hot," however, just slightly warmer than room temp.)

On the other hand, are shipments to department stores and other brick & morter vendors made using climate-controlled transport? Maybe that stuff is just as likely to sit in an overheated trailer for a day or two (?)

Hey Yeah, that's true too! I remember seeing a Macys truck delivering boxes of frags on a hot day here in texas! I never remembered that! Thanks!

**actiasluna** · 7th August 2010, 12:10 AM

I just wouldn't consider it (although honestly I have done so. Which in part may be why my vintage Arpege smells like old stale perfume, but maybe it was stale when I bought it and the seller just doesn't have a nose for such things)... it has been too hot here to chance it (and that's actually a good thing as I really don't need another scent right now). Doesn't stop me wanting 'em though! The UPS truck isn't climate-controlled and it's a "crapshoot" how long a bottle sits in the truck.

**jcastano** · 8th August 2010, 05:15 AM

Originally Posted by actiasluna

I just wouldn't consider it (although honestly I have done so. Which in part may be why my vintage Arpege smells like old stale perfume, but maybe it was stale when I bought it and the seller just doesn't have a nose for such things)... it has been too hot here to chance it (and that's actually a good thing as I really don't need another scent right now). Doesn't stop me wanting 'em though! The UPS truck isn't climate-controlled and it's a "crapshoot" how long a bottle sits in the truck.

I agree although it makes me wonder if trucks shipping to department stores more and likely have the same issue, then wouldn't those products go stale? On another note, I know fragrances go bad/rancid after a long while, granted that one at least tries to take care of them, but what does it mean when they go stale? Do they still smell good or something along those lines?