Did you know that you can save more than 30% by shopping for your favorite perfumes from the best fragrance discounters?
Our beloved hobby can become very expensive if we only opt to buy via retail stores. That’s why if you have ever wondered if there is an affordable way to get cologne deals, then this is an article for you.
Online perfume shops are all over the internet these days, and I have gathered the best and most legitimate ones in one place.
In this article, you will discover the best fragrance discounters with a focus on the following topics:
- How safe it is to buy fragrance from online discounters?
- Pros. and Cons. when buying retail and online
- How can you tell if you got a fake perfume?
- The list of the best discount websites
So, why don’t you join me as we explore the best Scent Grail picks, otherwise known as the grey market. Don’t be shy to share your favorite online source for perfumes in the comment section.
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Fragrance Discount Websites Explained
As the title suggests, Fragrance Discount Websites are legitimate 24/7 beauty businesses that operate only online.
- Skincare products
- Hair products
- Candles
- Aromatherapy products
- Body and Oral care products
These websites offer products for men and women sometimes discounted from 30% up to 60% from their retail competition. So, the next question you may ask yourself is if buying cologne online is 100% safe?
In most cases, you are 99% safe, but you’ll have to keep in mind that most of these online stores are not official and authorized sellers for the brands you see there.
This is where the “grey market” term comes in place. Simply put, the grey perfume market means products that are imported abroad and sold outside the regular channels.
They usually buy cosmetics and beauty related products by something known as “container sale”. Each purchased container contains something like this:
- 30% of high-end stuff
- 30% of designer mainstream perfumes
- 30% cheapies and low-end products
Mind I say, each container is “blind bought” without the ability to know what’s inside.
While this ain’t illegal in most cases(the USA and Canada), you have no guarantee that you are receiving a properly stored product. The risk of getting a fake perfume is also higher when buying this way.
Also, it is easy to guess that by buying something from let’s say Morocco is far cheaper than it would be if it was purchased in the U.S.A. And there is how you get that price differentiation.
Now, let’s not get discouraged and avoid grey market fragrance discounters since there are great places to shop and save money.
In all my years of online perfume shopping, I’ve only received a fake product once, and that was the Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male. That’s why I highly recommend perfume discount websites.
Pros. and Cons.
Now that we know what are these websites and how they operate, let’s check out the both sides of coin when purchasing online vs. retail.
BUYING RETAIL
– higher prices in most cases
– shop and go
– ability to get professional and personal assistance
– free product samples
– occasionally big discounts
– membership clubs
– ability to purchase new releases as soon as they hit the market
– 100% real and properly stores products
– product variety can be limited
BUYING ONLINE
– big discounts
– 24/7 service
– your products have to be delivered
– small chance of getting a fake or spoiled product
– customer service can be problematic
– a huge variety of products and all in one place
– membership clubs
– ability to purchase tester products
A SIMPLE WAY TO TELL IF YOUR PERFUME IS AUTHENTIC
Since there is no one magical way to tell if you received an authentic product, I recommend following these simple guidelines:
- compare your product with the product in the retail shop(cellophane wrapping, cardboard quality, details on box and bottle)
- check the batch code on CheckFresh
- compare the smell and longevity with retail counterpart
CAN FAKE PERFUME BE HARMFUL?
While buying a fake perfume may be harmless, but rest assured, it ain’t. The problem with these products is that no matter how good of a “deal” you get, you should stay away from them.
You cannot be 100% sure what goes into these counterfeit products and it can do more damage than good.
Is it OK to buy a tester perfume?
Tester perfumes are 100% authentic products as normal perfumes you buy in stores. They are bottled in the same place and there is no difference in you have a tester or retail product in your hand.
Contrary to what you have heard about tester products, I assure you that you are safe if purchased via legitimate ways.
The only difference between retail products are:
- Testers come in plain boxes
- Testers may not have a cap
- Testers and new and unused
All in all, if you don’t care for fancy box and a cap, testers are a great way to save even more money and have the same experience.
The List
Although, new online perfume shops seem to come out every day, this list contains only the well-known beauty webshop which are used by millions are praised highly.
As the time goes, this list will be updated accordingly so that you always have the best shops in one place.
Let’s start.
FragranceX
PRODUCT RANGE: FragranceX is the largest Fragrance Outlet in America and offers almost everything that you’ll need. They offer both men and women perfumes and specialized only in perfume products. It’s not unusual to find “hard to get” or discontinued fragrances on FragranceX.
PRICING AND DISCOUNTS: Prices are good and you can find from your Davidoff Cool Water cheapos to niche Creed Aventus perfumes on the discount. You can join their mail list to receive promotional coupons as well. A rewards program will allow you to earn extra discounts and offers.
SHIPPING AND DELIVERY: FragranceX offers international shipping to over 220 countries and they even have a shipping calculator where you can calculate shipping costs and ETA of delivery. Delivery takes 2 – 5 business days for the U.S.A. and 4 – 12 business days for Worldwide orders.
RETURN POLICY: You can return your orders within 30 days after the ship date for a full refund minus shipping and gift wrap charges. You will get a full refund for unopened products. Or, if you have used it, it will be subject to a partial refund.
CUSTOMER SUPPORT: FragranceX customer support can be contacted via chat one the website, e-mail, phone, and fax.
PAYMENT METHODS: FragranceX.com accepts Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express, JCB, and Paypal.
SOCIAL MEDIA: Facebook – Twitter – Pinterest – Instagram – Youtube
FRAGRANCEX CUSTOMER REVIEWS: 4.7 score out of 15.000 Trustpilot reviews.
OVERALL RECOMMENDATION: I recommend highly FragranceX for their fantastic product variety, worldwide shipping, fast delivery, and ability to buy testers.
FragranceNet
PRODUCT RANGE: FragranceNet is a trusted American beauty company since 1997 which has shipped over 30 million packages and has sold over $1 billion in beauty products. They have over 17.000 products and besides perfumes, they also offer skincare, haircare, and cosmetic products. Keep in mind that FragranceNet is more focused on a designer range of perfumes, rather than niche perfumes.
PRICING AND DISCOUNTS: They have regular discount offers which are occasionally sitewide. The discount range goes from 10% to 80%. Depending on what are you looking for. Let’s not forget that their pricing is fantastic, and to put the cherry on the top of the cake, you can join their Coupon Program and get 25% off instantly. Well, that’s not all. Each month, you can participate in their monthly “$250 Shopping Spree Giveaway.
SHIPPING AND DELIVERY: They offer free standard shipping for orders over $59.00. U.S. orders will be shipped via UPS, FedEx, or U.S. Postal Service. You can expect your order within 4-7 business days for the U.S.A. FragranceNet also offers International shipping which typically takes 4-15 business days. They also offer a shipping calculator so that you know in advance how much will everything cost.
RETURN POLICY: You may return any unopened products within 30 days of purchase. Any return shipping costs will not be refunded. Keep in mind that they don’t offer refunds or exchanges on Skincare, Haircare, or Makeup items due to health reasons.
CUSTOMER SUPPORT: FragranceNet support can be contacted via chat on their website or via email, fax, phone, and regular mail.
PAYMENT METHODS: MasterCard, Visa, American Express, Discover Card, Diners Club, PayPal, PayPal Credit, Amazon Payments, Afterpay & Apple Pay. All orders are charged in U.S. dollars.
SOCIAL MEDIA: Facebook – Instagram
FRAGRANCENET CUSTOMER REVIEWS: 4.5 score out of 37.000 Trustpilot reviews.
OVERALL RECOMMENDATION: With a good offering and a great reputation, FragranceNet is highly recommended. It is a fantastic website which is used by many satisfied customers.
Perfume.com
PRODUCT RANGE: If you haven’t heard about it yet, Perfume.com is the same brand as the FragranceX, and they are owned by them. They offer more than 13,000 women’s and men’s authentic fragrances and have everything for first-time shoppers and fragrance enthusiasts.
PRICING AND DISCOUNTS: Pricing of Perfume.com is usually a little bit cheaper so it’s well worth it to check both websites when looking for a particular perfume. You can join their membership and coupon programs to save even more with regular promotions.
SHIPPING AND DELIVERY: Free for orders over $35 and delivery via UPS, FedEx, or Postal Service arrives in 2 – 5 business days in the U.S.A. Worldwide Shipping is also available and it takes 4 – 12 business days with tracking. Keep in mind that their parcels arrive duty-free, but you may be subject to import duties and taxes once a shipment reaches your country.
RETURN POLICY: Returns are free within US. If you are outside States, you will be still refunded minus packaging and shipping.
CUSTOMER SUPPORT: Support is available via chat, phone, email, and fax.
PAYMENT METHODS: Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express, JCB, Paypal, Afterpay, and Apple Pay.
SOCIAL MEDIA: Facebook – Instagram – Pinterest – Twitter
PERFUME.COM CUSTOMER REVIEWS: 4.7 score out of 14.000 Trustpilot reviews
OVERALL RECOMMENDATION: Perfume.com comes with a very high recommendation. If you are already a satisfied customer of fragrancex.com, then you know what to expect. Save money and check out perfume.com
MaxAroma
PRODUCT RANGE: A new player in the online fragrance discounter game. They are based in New York since 2010. Not only do they offer a massive range of designer and niche fragrances, but they also do wholesale and dropshipping programs as well.
PRICING AND DISCOUNTS: Pricing is in the range of other discounters, but don’t expect anything wild. By signing up for their newsletter, you get 10% on your first purchase. They also have a Reward Point Program which I recommend using to its full potential, and you may also send you a free perfume sample with your order.
SHIPPING AND DELIVERY: MaxAroma offers free domestic shipping on all orders, to anywhere in the United States. Your orders will take between 5 to 8 business days.
RETURN POLICY: MaxAroma strives to achieve 100% customer satisfaction. If you are from U.S., you can do this within 30 days of purchase, and the item must be unused. On the other hand, International shipping is expensive, and you should probably think twice before ordering from them if you are from E.U. or other regions. Delivery also takes extremely long. From 15 – 35 business days. Hope this changes in the future.
CUSTOMER SUPPORT: Phone(National and International), and email.
PAYMENT METHODS: PayPal Checkout, Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, and Amazon Payments.
SOCIAL MEDIA: Facebook – Instagram – Twitter – Pinterest – Youtube
MAXAROMA CUSTOMER REVIEWS: 4.6 score out of 300 Trustpilot reviews.
OVERALL RECOMMENDATION: MaxAroma is a reputable and reliable fragrance discounter that has fantastic product offer. Hopefully, they’ll improve their International Shipping in the near future.
Fragrancebuy.ca
PRODUCT RANGE: Fragrancebuy is the biggest fragrance discounter website in Canada. They offer a wide variety of authentic designer and niche fragrances for men and women. Keep in mind that you’ll have to Google fragrance notes if you want to know more about a particular fragrance.
PRICING AND DISCOUNTS: Most of the fragrance prices are in the range of other discounters. I recommend doing a thorough check of the website since you can find fantastic deals from time to time. Deals & promotions are regular things on Fragrancebuy, so just check out that particular page often. Once per year, CAD 1000 giveaways included.
SHIPPING AND DELIVERY: In Canada, shipping takes anywhere from 1 to 9 business days. If you are from the United States, you can also order from them. For 11.59 USD, your parcel will be delivered within 5 business days.
RETURN POLICY: To be eligible for a full refund return, your product must be unused, unopened, and in the same condition that you received it. Their policy lasts 14 days from the date of purchase.
CUSTOMER SUPPORT: Phone and e-mail.
PAYMENT METHODS: PayPal, Visa, American Express, Mastercard, and Discover.
SOCIAL MEDIA: Pinterest – Facebook – Twitter – Instagram
FRAGRANCEBUY CUSTOMER REVIEWS: 4.9 score out of 4.300 Trustpilot reviews.
OVERALL RECOMMENDATION: Fragrancebuy offers excellent and fast service, and has a positive reputation. Recommended to fellow Canadians.
Luckyscent
PRODUCT RANGE: In their own words, Luckyscent offers exceptional offerings since 2002(online and retail). Besides the big perfume collection, which includes rare brands, Luckyscent offers candles, grooming, bath, and body wellness products as well. What makes them a little bit unique from others is that you can watch a collection of knowledgeable perfume videos directly on their website. Niche enthusiasts will love the wide variety of niche selection.
PRICING AND DISCOUNTS: Prices are not too much and won’t do any big harm to your wallet. Luckyscent offers sample packs based on new brands or particular themes. Gifts with purchases included.
SHIPPING AND DELIVERY: Shipping for the continental United States takes 3-5 business days and it’s fairly priced. But, keep an eye if you are trying to ship outside the continental area or worldwide. In that case, delivery time and shipping costs can get a little bit out of hand.
RETURN POLICY: Product returns are accepted if the item is returned within 30 days unused and undamaged(doesn’t applies if the product arrived liked this in the first place). Used products will be refunded 50%.
CUSTOMER SUPPORT: Phone, Email, or via visiting one of their three physical stores.
PAYMENT METHODS: American Express, VISA, MasterCard, Discover, and PayPal.
SOCIAL MEDIA: Instagram – Facebook – Youtube – Twitter – Pinterest
LUCKYSCENT CUSTOMER REVIEWS: 3.1. score out of 13 Trustpilot reviews
OVERALL RECOMMENDATION: Looking for a niche or rare fragrances? Luckyscent is a place for you. It has a great reputation with its customers, and I would take the above-mentioned low score with a grain of salt.
Notino
PRODUCT RANGE: Notino is the fragrance discounter website of my choice. They offer a huge amount of 55.000 different products and other stuff such as makeup, hair and body care, and more. A couple of months ago, everything from LVMH disappeared from the website, so I hope that they get these important brands in stock soon enough.
PRICING AND DISCOUNTS: Nothing too crazy, but still, you can get great prices there. They have weekly sales with additionally discounted stuff which is worth checking out. Also, subscribing to the Notino newsletter will make you first to know about discount codes and sales.
SHIPPING AND DELIVERY: Shipping takes 2 – 4 business days and costs from 4 GBP to 11 GBP(sometimes you get free delivery on certain products). Never had any issues with them.
RETURN POLICY: Your purchase is secured with 90 days return policy. Unfortunately, the only way you can know more about their return terms is to contact them directly via e-mail or phone.
CUSTOMER SUPPORT: Phone, e-mail, and ticket system.
PAYMENT METHODS: Visa, MasterCard, and PayPal.
SOCIAL MEDIA: Facebook – Twitter – Instagram – Pinterest – Youtube
NOTINO CUSTOMER REVIEWS: 4.4 score out of 3.500 Trustpilot reviews.
OVERALL RECOMMENDATION: Notino offers great service, but still, I would check other local fragrance discounter websites for price comparison first. Nonetheless, they come with high recommendations from their customers and me.
Amazon
PRODUCT RANGE: Amazon is a source of a great number of reputable sellers and official perfume brands. It’s also a great way to see if a seller is selling authentic perfumes due to their great review system. Either way, trust your gut if you see a deal too good to be true.
PRICING AND DISCOUNTS: As with other websites, prices vary, and if you are an experienced in this perfume game, you’ll spot deals easily.
SHIPPING AND DELIVERY: Shipping prices vary, and if you are a Prime user, make sure to use that bonus. Delivery time ranges anywhere from 1 day onward. Again, depending on the product, seller, and account status.
RETURN POLICY: You may return most new, unopened items sold and fulfilled by Amazon within 30 days of delivery for a full refund.
CUSTOMER SUPPORT: Amazon Faq, and their support library.
PAYMENT METHODS: Visa, Amazon Store Card, Amazon Credit Builder, MasterCard/EuroCard, Discover Network, American Express, Diner’s Club, JCB, NYCE, STAR, China UnionPay, and Visa, MasterCard, or American Express prepaid credit or gift cards.
SOCIAL MEDIA: yes, but it’s not related to this article.
AMAZON CUSTOMER REVIEWS: each product and seller should be reviewed individually by you, the customer.
OVERALL RECOMMENDATION: Amazon is the largest online store in the world, so they get the high fives for sure. Don’t forget to keep an eye for fakes.
Strawberrynet
PRODUCT RANGE: Strawberrynet offers more than 33.000 products from over 800 brands with free shipping anywhere in the world. They have a vast selection of designer and niche fragrances in stock. They are still the most recognizable online fragrance webshop in the world.
PRICING AND DISCOUNTS: Prices and affordable and you can expect a regular discount site-wide. You can earn shopping points in the reward program on every purchase, and then use your points towards future purchases like cash. Students also get 10% off.
SHIPPING AND DELIVERY: One advantage that Strawberrynet has against other discounters here is free worldwide shipping. Most deliveries take 8-10 postal days, depending on where you live.
RETURN POLICY: If you’re not 100% satisfied in any way with an item you’ve received, you can return it within 3 months of order and receive a full refund.
CUSTOMER SUPPORT: Faq library, or e-mail.
PAYMENT METHODS: Strawberry accepts all major cards on market. From Visa to UnionPay. Almost everything is covered.
SOCIAL MEDIA: Facebook – Twitter – Pinterest – Instagram – Youtube
STRAWBERRYNET CUSTOMER REVIEWS: 4.4 score out of 23.000 Trustpilot reviews.
OVERALL RECOMMENDATION: Great selection of perfumes, free worldwide shipping, and no-hassle three-month return policy. Recommended!
Fragrance Direct
PRODUCT RANGE: Fragrance Direct is the biggest fragrance discount website in the United Kingdom, stocking over 14.000 products across 600 brands. Fragrance Direct offers both niche and designer fragrance range.
PRICING AND DISCOUNTS: Multiple variations of codes and promotions are available on the website. Make sure to check that section before you make a purchase. Also 10% off for students also available.
SHIPPING AND DELIVERY: U.K. citizens have standard free delivery for orders over GBP 25 which are delivered from 3-5 working days from date of dispatch. They also ship internationally within 3-6 working days from the date of dispatch. Shipping costs range from GBP 5 – 7.
RETURN POLICY: You can return any unopened products to Fragrance Direct within 90 days of receiving and they will offer you a full refund to your original payment method, at the price you paid for the product(paid postage not included).
CUSTOMER SUPPORT: Chat, Phone, and e-mail.
PAYMENT METHODS: Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover.
SOCIAL MEDIA: Facebook – Twitter – Youtube – Pinterest – Instagram
FRAGRANCE DIRECT CUSTOMER REVIEWS: 4.6 score out of 27.000 Trustpilot reviews.
OVERALL RECOMMENDATION: Top-tier products and highly reputable fragrance discounter wrapped up on the intuitive website. Recommended!
Conclusion
As we saw, each of these best fragrance discounters has it’s strengths. The best way to determine which one should you use is to combine the pros. from each pick and see what suits you.
I recommend sticking up only with reputable discount websites such as these to avoid getting in trouble with fake perfumes.
What are your most used perfume webshops? Have you found anything rare while doing research? Make sure to leave a comment in the comment section below.
While you are here, why don’t you check some of my other articles as well:
- Creed Erolfa Review (2024): Forgotten Legend
- Creed Virgin Island Water Review (2024): Easy Summer Choice
- Clive Christian L For Men Review (2024): Terrific Release
- Frapin 1270 Eau De Parfum Review (2024): Superstar from The Yesteryear
- Ormonde Jayne Montabaco Verano Review (2024): Missed Opportunity
Until next time, smell great and be safe!
Best, Marin!
#scentgrail #scentgrailtribe
Your number one resource for Holy Grail Signature Scents.
– Marin Kristic
Can you a blog entry on ordering from foreign websites? there are some scents not available in the states that I have seen on foreign sites but difficult to order
HI! Thank you for reaching out. I would recommend checking out Fragrance Direct, and Strawberrynet as well. Also, often official brands’ webshops offer perfumes at great prices. In case you still cannot find the desired fragrance for an acceptable price, check out Nose Paris. They have a great selection of niche perfumes, often rare, and offer fair prices with great shipping costs.
Don’t hesitate to reach out again!
Cheers,
Marin 🙂