Are Perfumes Worth the Money? Should You Even Use Them?

You know that feeling when you walk into a department store and you are blown away by the smell of perfume? It smells so good, but when you decide to buy it, you realize that perfumes are so expensive! Do perfumes really need to be this pricey? Are they even worth the money?

Perfumes are worth the money if they leave a distinct, pleasant, and long-lasting impression. Good perfumes can enhance your personality and combine with your skin to produce a scent that is unique to you. Most affluent people have an educated nose and can pick up when you’re wearing a good perfume.

The rest of this article will help you evaluate at a deeper level whether perfumes are worth the money. You will find out why perfumes are expensive, which ones are worth the money, and whether you really need a fragrance in the first place! Most importantly, you’ll learn the mistakes most beginners make when shopping for perfume so that you can avoid them!

So, let’s get started!

Why is Perfume So Expensive?

The perfume market reached a global market value of $32.8 billion in 2020. This market boom corresponds with the rising demand for luxury perfumes and scented wearable oils. Those unfamiliar with the industry, though, might think it strange that perfume bottles command such high prices and wonder whether they’re worth it.

You’ll notice that most mass-produced perfumes cost five dollars while certain luxury perfumes command over $500 per bottle; it is reasonable then to wonder why the higher-end entries are so expensive.

Perfumes are expensive because of three costs incurred in their production and sales: the price of extracting rare oils, the perfumer’s service charges, and branding, advertising, and marketing costs. Cheaper perfumes bypass all of these and are therefore worth much less on the market.

While this might make some conceptual sense, you can truly appreciate the time, resources, and effort that goes into bringing these fragrances to the market only once you get to know each of these factors in-depth.

If you want to read the reasons in detail, make sure you check my other article on – Why is a Perfume Expensive? [With Tips to Buy it Cheap!]

Although I have covered the reasons why a perfume is expensive in far more detail in the link I stated above, but here’s a quick summary of the reasons –

Extraction of Oils is Expensive

Depending on the type of perfume, one or more special extracts or oils might be required to manufacture the end product. This can be labor-intensive, require a lot of time, or simply need a rare raw material that drives up production costs.

For instance, an ounce of Jasmine oil requires 240,000 individually picked flowers. As for oud, one needs 380 lbs of agarwood that’s been infected by a very specific mold to produce less than 2 ounces of the fragrant oil.

Perfumers’ Charge a Lot of Money

The cost of manufacturing a perfume doesn’t consist solely of the raw materials. It also involves the amount paid to chemists and perfumers to create the formula and oversee the process. Even a slight hiccup can lead to wasted batches worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Cartier’s perfumer Mathilde Laurent is reported to be worth $5 million.

Cost of Branding and Advertising Can be in Millions

Finally, we have to acknowledge the cost of marketing these perfumes into prestigious stature that makes them desirable on a global scale. It is only because of these efforts that affluent individuals buy these perfumes and those with educated noses come to recognize these prized acquisitions. 

Celebrities are often contracted to be the face of such fragrances’ campaigns. Robert Pattinson signed a $12 million deal to represent Dior fragrances back in 2012. This doesn’t account for the amount that goes into advertising. LVMH spent over $4 billion in global ads for its luxury products, including perfumes.

Are Perfumes a Waste of Money?

With the costs of perfume production and sales established, we can now discuss whether this expensive process is just a waste of money or if it serves a purpose. After all, one can use a cheap dollar store perfume to mask body odor, right? Wrong.

Perfumes are not a waste of money because they allow you to make a positive impression and cultivate a personal identity with the third sense: smell. You’re judged by looks, sound, and smell. Compared to the money spent trying to look better, perfume costs are a bargain.

You cannot control how you look or sound as much as you can control how you smell. And as far as the senses are concerned, looking good or smelling good can both leave a positive impression. If every time you’re with someone, their sense of smell is positively stimulated, they associate you with a good time. The opposite is also true, and we’re not even talking about body odor.

Cheap perfumes try to mimic the scent of high-end perfumes and, in doing so, create an invasive overpowering smell that invades one’s nostrils and eyes simultaneously without subtlety.

Furthermore, said smell quickly evaporates, making them ineffective. What’s the point of smelling good in your drawing room only to smell neutral by the time you arrive at a venue. Late into an event or evening with cheap perfume, you have no protection against body odor.

Do You Really Need Perfume?

At this point, you can see that if one has to buy a perfume, it doesn’t have to be a cheap overpowering kind but one that is high-end, albeit in one’s budget. Not every expensive fragrance costs more than $500 like Eau de Narcisse Bleu. You can purchase high-end perfumes starting at only $100.

That said, some branded perfumes can cost less than $50 and still be really good! (I’ve suggested some below). But, the question really is, do you even need one?

Also Read – 15 Reasons Why Perfume is Important! [Wish I Knew THESE Benefits!]

You really need perfume if you spend most of your day outside your home. Perfumes can protect against the foul smell of your body sweat by creating a diversion of the sweet-smelling fragrance! It also helps cultivate a positive, welcome presence wherever you go.

Furthermore, many people have mentioned that using perfume makes them feel fresh and confident no matter what task they are handling! Moreover, it can immediately create a positive impression by enthralling the sense of smell of those around you.

A Few Perfumes that are Totally Worth it (And Still Inexpensive)

If you are starting your perfume journey, it is easy to spend a lot of money and get it all wrong! So, in this section, we’ll talk about perfumes that are totally worth it and yet won’t burn a hole in your pocket (especially as a beginner).

I will recommend 3 of my personal favorites. If you are not able to make up your mind, I would recommend going with Davidoff Cool Water. Do note that all of them are amazing perfumes. They are branded, popular, effective, and usually cost less than $40 (Davidoff can sometimes be available as low as $20!)

1. Versace Dreamer

In my opinion, the Dreamer brings out the masculinity of a man. I won’t recommend using it when you are in a professional setup as the main note of this perfume is tobacco. But, apart from that, it works great for most settings especially if you are on a budget!

2. Davidoff Cool Water

The only drawback to this perfume is that since it has been in circulation for so many years and a lot of people tend to use this perfume (because of the cheap price and longevity), you are less likely to smell unique. But that should be okay, as you will still get a lot of compliments! (Plus, this is the best perfume you can wear on a budget!)

Davidoff Cool Water is also available for women. The women’s version is slightly more feminine, but still definitely worth it for women! Check out Davidoff Cool Water for Women on this link.

3. Salvatore Ferragamo

Salvatore Ferragamo will easily last about 8 to 12 hours; a great plus point when you want to buy a perfume that is worth the money! I would recommend using just 2 or 3 spritzes. If you use too much then the pepper note becomes a bit overpowering and you may get less compliments as some people may not like it as much.

Salvatore Ferragamo also has some nice perfumes for women. I would recommend going with this Salvatore Ferragamo perfume for women. For the men’s version, simply click on the buy button to check it out!

Top Perfume Mistakes Beginners Make

We must remember that the above effects come only from choosing the right perfume and applying it correctly. Most novices try to figure out their way around scents instead of relying on a resource like this website. Here are some mistakes they make (and you must avoid) in the process.

1. Using Different Perfumes

Your perfume choice is your brand. Think of the HBO logo that appears before their shows or the iconic producer tag in a rap song. These things build a deeper connection with each repetition. 

You have the chance to have the same effect by consistently using a perfume of your choice. It can help others expect you on a subconscious level seconds before they notice your presence. Novices wear whatever’s around the house, and even worse, whatever’s on their friends’ dressers.

2. Not Picking a Unique Perfume

Within your circle, your perfume must not be the same as anyone else’s simply so you can smell different. Even though a perfume mixes with your body moisture to have a slightly different scent than what someone else would have with the same fragrance, it is not distinct enough to form a memorable impression. Therefore, you must make sure the perfume you purchase isn’t the same as your friends or even your family members.

3. Applying Perfume Over Clothes

You just read above how perfumes merge with one’s body essence to birth a unique smell. This isn’t possible when you spray one over your clothes. More importantly, this damages the fabric of your clothes. You should apply perfume directly to your body, especially in regions that get warm. The warmth unlocks new notes in the fragrance throughout the day.

4. Buying Cheap Perfumes

Finally, buying knock-offs or cheap perfumes is the greatest error one can make when shopping for a fragrance. It’s already covered how these perfumes don’t last, leaving you hanging unperfumed right when you’re starting to sweat. And when the smell is present, it is strong and overpowering. If you can avoid this mistake, all the above can be forgiven (to an extent).

More Related Topics

1. Should Perfume be Sprayed on Skin or Clothes? A Definitive Guide!
2. 9 Best Perfumes for a Date! [For Him & Her]
3. Deodorant vs Perfume: What’s the Difference? [Complete Guide!]
4. 19 Tips to Buy Genuine Perfume for Cheap! [And Save Money]
5. Does Perfume Stain Your Clothes? [With Tips to Avoid the Stains!]
6. 13 Reasons Why Your Perfume Fades So Quickly!

Credit to Valeria Boltneva for the featured image of this article