Cologne Testers: Stronger Or A Marketing Ploy?

There is a common misconception that cologne testers are stronger than the fragrances sold in retail packaging. However, the liquid inside a tester bottle is identical to the retail fragrances. The purpose of a tester product is to display and try fragrances before purchase. Testers are usually offered at a lower price, and this is due to differences in packaging, such as plain boxes or the absence of a lid or cap.

Testers are the same as perfumes in original retail packaging

The fragrance inside a tester bottle is of the same identical ingredient quality as its retail counterpart. The misconception that testers are diluted or have a higher concentration of oils stems from the fact that fragrances inside the bottles mature with usage. By the time you use the bottle to about 50%, the fragrance has been subtly altered by the air that came inside with each spray.

Other reasons why a tester might smell different include reformulations, wrong storage conditions, the psychological effect of testing the perfume on paper strips versus testing it on the skin, and weather conditions.

While some people think that tester bottles have better or stronger juice, others doubt this. One source suggests that occasionally, tester bottles are a little more concentrated to better ensure sales, but this is never done officially.

Testers are offered in an outer carton box without cellophane or a label

The bottle and the perfume inside a tester are original. However, tester perfumes sometimes do not come with a lid or cap. Beautinow, for example, purchases testers in bulk from official brand resellers, and sells them as new, unopened, and unused.

Testers are ideal for personal use if you are not concerned about the packaging and are more interested in the lower price. However, it is not good practice to gift a tester perfume, unless the recipient is someone who knows you well.

Testers are ideal for personal use, not as gifts

Testers are ideal for personal use, especially if you don't care about the packaging and are looking for a good deal. They are significantly cheaper than their fully packaged counterparts, often between 20-50% less. This is because the outer packaging is different: testers are offered in a carton box without cellophane or a label, and sometimes the perfume bottle has a ''not for sale' label. Sometimes, they don't come with a lid or cap.

However, testers are not ideal as gifts. Gifting a tester may be considered bad practice, especially if the receiver is someone you don't know well. Most people prefer to receive nicely wrapped and unopened gifts in their original packaging. If you are gifting perfume, it is better to purchase the fully packaged, regular retail version.

Testers are cheaper due to basic packaging

Testers are cheaper than their fully packaged counterparts due to their basic packaging. They are often presented in plain white or brown boxes without cellophane, or in an outer carton box without cellophane or a label. Sometimes, the packaging box or the perfume bottle will have a 'not for sale' label. Testers may also be missing the lid or cap, and occasionally, they are unboxed altogether.

The lower price of tester colognes is ideal for those who are unbothered by the lack of standard packaging and are instead focused on the contents of the bottle. However, if you are gifting the cologne, it is recommended to purchase the fully packaged version, as it is considered good practice.

Testers are produced by the brands themselves and are often bought in bulk by retailers. They are authentic, new, unopened, and unused. The liquid inside is identical to the retail fragrances, though there may be batch differences.

Testers are authentic perfumes

The purpose of tester products is to display and try fragrances before purchasing. They are also used by brands to present their fragrances to brand distributors and to allow distributors to offer customers the possibility to smell fragrances before they buy.

Testers are usually offered in 100ml variants but can be found in other sizes as well. They are often 20-50% cheaper than perfumes in retail packaging.

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