Why are some perfumes so expensive?

Are they really worth it?

 

I was walking around in the airport after a flight when my eyes caught sight of a certain celebrity on a poster advertising a perfume near a store. I had to get going but I was inclined to go check it out. I finally succumbed and had a look…

 

Truth be told, I was amazed at the prices of some of the perfumes available; 450$, even 1500$. I later found out there was a perfume going for even $1 million. I came home that day pondering the questions:

Why are these perfumes so expensive? And are they really worth the price?

 

If you’re here, chances are you’ve had the same questions. Lucky for you, I will answer them in this article.

 

Firstly, let’s see why these are so pricey…

1. |The Magic Ingredients

 

Did the inner nine-year-old in you get excited? Ha. Not so fast. By magic of course, I mean ingredients that are needed in large quantities, ingredients that are rare and also, raw materials that are hard to find and obtain.

 

Quantity- For most of the extravagant perfumes, the case is that the ingredients are needed in exorbitant amounts to make even a single drop of the heavenly aromatic. Some are needed in tens of thousands and even tons!

 

A good example for this are the perfumes made of jasmine flowers (Not the synthetic, but real one of course). It takes about 2,000 pounds of jasmine flowers to produce one pound of oil and 8,000 jasmine flowers to yield 1/25 ounce of the absolute oil (the concentrated oil). Sounds crazy right? Well… not really. 2,000 pounds of jasmine flowers seems okay, when you realize it takes about 10,000 pounds of rose petals to distill one pound of the highly coveted rose oil.

 

Rare in number- Musk. Nope, not the billionaire founder of Tesla, the deer that lives in the Nepal region. The “grains” obtained from the harvested glands of musks, are used to make perfumes. And since musks are an endangered species and they have to be killed to make the perfume, Musk perfumes are very costly.

 

Ingredients that are hard to find and obtain- Some flowers only bloom one month per year and others have to be plucked before sunrise. Moreover, there is a type of perfume made using “ambergris” which is a substance of a dull grey or blackish color produced in the digestive system of sperm whales. One can imagine how hard it is to find and obtain this. Hence the high price.

 

Moreover, while we are on the topic of raw materials that are hard to obtain, one cannot miss the iris bulb, where ONE TON of iris plant bulbs that have been aged 2 to 5 years are needed to produce 2 kilos (4.4 pounds) of the essential oil known as Orris. Or, Oud which comes from the tree called Agar which has to be infected with a certain mold. Due to the rarity of this mold, and of course the exquisite fragrance it is no wonder that Oud perfumes come in lavish prices.

 

2. |The packaging

Think of a shop which is beautifully decorated on the outside as opposed to a shop selling the same thing but looks rather ordinary. Which one would you go to? That’s right, the former. And companies are well aware of this. That’s why they spend on creating the perfect bottle and box which ultimately adds to the cost.

Perfume companies know the value of the first impression. When a customer sees a finely crafted bottle, which is unique, it makes an impact on the sale. Also, they think whether the bottle would look good on their dresser. These are the aspects of a perfume package important for the sale. That’s why companies spend a hefty amount on them. For example, some of the world’s most expensive perfumes come in Baccarat crystal bottles.

Baccarat is a French company that creates and sells the finest crystal today.

 

Other reasons for companies spending on expensive packaging are to give the perfume adequate protection from light and heat and to give it a long shelf life.

Some perfume cases, for instance, Clive Christian’s imperial Majesty boasts an impressive case which has to be so finely crafted, that many attempts to make it turn out to be unsuccessful.

But when all is said and done, these will be added to the cost and you will have to pay for it. Not a bang for the buck type scenario eh? Or is it?

If you want to some beautiful perfumes but not empty your pocket brands like Armaf has taken up the challenge in creating good looking packaging without costing you a fortune.

Click the Image Below for over 70% off on branded perfumes.

3. |The Marketing and Advertising

As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, my quest for answers on pricey perfumes began when I walked into a store at the airport. Remember why I walked in?  Yes, because I saw a celebrity on a perfume poster.

 

 

Just like in my case, celebrity endorsements and using famous spokespersons turn a lot of heads and undoubtedly pushes the customers to buy the product at least to a certain extent. One of the most notable examples for this is the 2004 Chanel No.5 ad featuring the Hollywood A-lister; Nicole Kidman which yielded record sales for the iconic perfume. However, it came with a price. The ad cost a whopping $33 million to produce. And everyone who bought the perfume paid a wee bit of the ad money too.

 

Add to that the money spent on countless magazine ads, billboards, television commercials, samples and various other kinds of promotion, a substantial amount is spent on marketing which is ultimately added to the price of the perfume.

 

You can have the most exotic scent in the world, but it won’t sell if no one knows about it. Therefore, companies push the product as much as they can, thus making the product more expensive. 

 

4. |The brand name

 

Like any other branded product, you will be charged for the prestige associated with the product simply being of the respective brand. You will be entitled to boast a little about the brand when you own a genuine product.

 

Some perfumes are more expensive because they are limited edition Meaning that only a few are manufactured. Collectors quickly buy these and also others possibly due to the fact that they can rightfully brag about having something that is one of a kind.

 

5. |Other added costs

 

Perfumers are the “ghost” companies that actually make the “juice” even for the well-known companies. They are mostly unknown to the vast majority but what is known is that they keep a big profit margin.

 

Then there’s the retailers who need to pay staff salaries and maintenance fees in their department stores and therefore sell the perfumes at a higher price while keeping a profit for themselves.

 

Thankfully, the digital era has ushered in a more convenient, efficient and cheaper way to purchase perfume. Websites like the reputable and reliable online store Perfume N Cologne cuts off the middle man and reduces your expenditure and saves your time while bringing maximum value to your table. If you’re lucky and you catch them on sale or giving offers, you’re sure to catch some big fish…

  

Now, are those expensive perfumes really worth the cost?

 

Well, here’s my two cents on it.

 

Yes, it’s true that you will get exotic ingredients in your branded scent and yes it will come in the most glorious casing conceivable by mankind. It is also true that you will reap the many benefits of having a good perfume that suits you which I will not expand on in this article, but you may read more about that here.

 

Nevertheless, it is also true that you will pay for the marketing and other expenses which will not benefit you entirely.

 

So, in my humble opinion, it all comes down to your budget and how much you are willing to invest in your perfume (which also in my opinion, is an important investment).

 

But one things for sure… It is crucial that you buy it from the right place at the right time which will give you maximum value for your money.

 

Just to recap, perfumes are expensive because of their extravagant ingredients, the packaging, the brand name, the marketing that goes into selling them and also other expenses. Whether they are worth the cost or not, entirely depends on your view. But you should be smart about where and when you buy them.

 

Did this article help you? And what are your thoughts on expensive aromatics? How much are you willing to spend? Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comment section below.

Also make sure to check Perfume N Cologne to get amazing deals on your next perfume.