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Smells can be nostalgic, warn us of danger, let us know when something needs to be cleaned, or tell us about a person's hygiene. We all want to smell nice and present ourselves as fresh and clean, which is why a good spritz of perfume can be so important for us. We all have unique "tastes" when it comes to scents that we're drawn to, so the perfume we wear makes a statement about us and even our romantic partners too.
Perfume isn't just the cherry on top of a hot shower to make us smell pleasant throughout the day. It's also good to have around for those times when we got a little too sweaty sprinting to catch the bus, when we need to run errands after the gym, or if it's been a little too long since we've been able to catch a break and bathe. It's a quick way to be presentable even when you don't feel like it. Needless to say, it's important to have a bottle or two of perfume on hand.
Wednesday, March 22nd
Strawberrynet, also referred to as just "Strawberry" , is based out of Hong Kong and dedicated to supplying customers with all types of discounted beauty products. They call themselves the "Fresh Beauty Company" because their products are 100% fresh, they sell authentic items, and their deals are sweet, just like a strawberry. They serve customers in over 190 countries who come looking for their skincare, hair care, makeup, perfume, home scents, and other products.
Great product reviews
There are over 3,600 results for women's perfume at Strawberrynet and 1,900 for men's cologne. You can refine the available products by brand and specials like fragrances on sale, low price picks, new arrivals, and more. The website looks a little outdated, but it doesn't seem to take away from the quality of their products. Customers can leave reviews on their purchases and most of them report very high satisfaction.
Freshness guaranteed
Strawberrynet guarantees that all their beauty products are 100% genuine. They source their products from all around the world, so you may receive a product that looks slightly different than what you already have at home, but Strawberrynet guarantees them to be genuine and produced by the original manufacturer. All of their stock is kept in temperature-controlled environments and undergoes consistent quality checks.
Decent shipping prices
If you spend $100 on your order, you can provide Strawberrynet your email address and they'll send you a code for $18 off. If you spend over $65, you will qualify for free shipping as well. Any purchases under $65 will incur a $6 shipping fee. A banner at the top of Strawberrynet's website does say that for the foreseeable future, orders may be delayed and are all subject to a 3.5% freight surcharge, so keep that in mind as you're shopping here.
Fragrances are ineligible for returns
Strawberrynet prides themselves on being able to dispatch orders within 24 hours. If you're not happy with your perfume once it arrives, unfortunately you are not able to return it under any circumstances due to international aviation restrictions. Any other beauty products purchased from Strawberrynet are returnable within 30 days as long as they are unopened.
Highly recommend
Strawberrynet is not rated or accredited by the Better Business Bureau. They do have tens of thousands of customer reviews other places online that vouch for the legitimacy and professionalism of their business. This is undoubtedly one of the best places to shop for genuine, affordable name-brand perfumes. Their biggest downfall is not having fragrances eligible for returns. However, because Strawberrynet is reliable and offers high-quality perfumes, hopefully most people won't need a return policy. We highly recommend browsing the inventory of perfumes at Strawberrynet.
Ulta is an American chain of beauty stores that carry cosmetics, skincare products, fragrances, nail products, and bath and body products. They pride themselves on employee diversity and having over 92% of their store associates be women. They have over 1,120 brick-and-mortar locations in addition to a flourishing online store where customers can have all their beauty needs met.
Comprehensive website
Unlike many other perfume stores in our review, Ulta isn't hyper-focused on providing massive discounts on their perfumes. They are simply a retailer where people can go to get genuine, high quality, name-brand fragrances. There are 585 results for women and 193 for men and most fragrances come in multiple sizes. You can easily narrow down the selection by scent, preference (paraben-free, sulfate-free, vegan, silicone-free, etc.), brand, price and special offers. Ulta has one of the most comprehensive websites of any perfume retailers we've seen.
High praises on products
Customers can leave reviews on each product they buy and most of them have hundreds if not thousands of reviews. Almost every fragrance Ulta sells has a rating averaging nearly 5 out of 5 stars, proving that Ulta's selection of perfumes is highly satisfying. The Better Business Bureau gives Ulta a "A+" rating on top of this, so we feel confident about shopping online through Ulta.
Stay in the loop on discounts
Prices at Ulta are fair and what you would expect to pay for name-brand products. It's not uncommon for your purchase to come with a free gift or qualify for a seasonal deal like buy one, get one free. Ulta runs a lot of major discounts, so it's a good idea to subscribe to their email list and frequently check their website to take advantage of them.
Hassle-free delivery and returns
Shipping is free if you spend $35 or more online at Ulta. You can also buy your perfume online and pick it up same-day if you live near one of their stores. If you need to return your items once they arrive, they have a generous 60-day return policy that allows you to get a full refund on your purchase. You could skip the hassle of mailing back your items and return them in-store if you choose to.
One of the best
Ulta is one of the most popular beauty chains, so if you're wanting to shop somewhere that gets a lot of traffic and has proved themselves a reliable retailer, this is a great option. You won't find "cheap" products here, but you'll find quality and won't have to worry about buying counterfeit fragrances. No doubt Ulta is one of the best places online to buy perfume or other beauty products and they've earned one of our highest ratings.
The Perfume Box has been in operation for over 30 years and is a family-owned company. They provide genuine perfumes and colognes to customers at highly discounted prices. The Perfume Box sends all their products in the original manufacturer packaging and guarantees all their products to be 100% authentic.
Shop for individual products or sets
You'll find fragrances for both men and women from The Perfume Box. There are over 1,700 results for women and 1,300 results for men's fragrances. You can buy individual perfumes and colognes or shop gift sets that come with a combination of body creams, hair and body mists, perfumes, colognes, or mini sprays depending on the set you choose.
Popular brands found here
The Perfume Box carries all the major brands of fragrances you could hope for. You'll find Abercrombie & Fitch, Bebe, Beyonce, Calvin Klein, Christian Dior, Kate Spade, Marc Jacobs, Tommy Bahama, Victoria's Secret, and hundreds more! We noticed that although there are a few thousand fragrances for men and women, there are also quite a few items marked as "Sold Out" . Hopefully they restock quickly so you can find your favorite perfume.
Up to 80% off
The most expensive perfume you'll find is $425 but you can find fragrances for as little as $5, with most ranging from $20 - $40. These prices are discounted up to 80% off of what you'd find at a retail store! For any orders of $59 or more, shipping is free, so it's not a bad idea to find a few of your favorite scents and order them all together.
Cancel quick if you change your mind
If you receive your items from The Perfume Box and they are faulty or damaged, you can return the items within 30 days and receive either a refund or a replacement. Photo proof of the damaged product(s) may be required. If you change your mind about your order once you receive it, you must contact customer service within 30 days from the date of delivery and return all the goods. If they have been opened or used before you return them, a 20% restocking fee plus shipping and handling will be assessed.
Low BBB score
We were disappointed to see that The Perfume Box has an "F" rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB). The reason for the low rating is due to complaints filed against the business, some of which were ignored by The Perfume Box. However, there is only one complaint thread displayed on the BBB profile, so we weren't overwhelmed by a bunch of negative complaints.
Positive customer reviews
Customers have reviewed The Perfume Box other places online and overall have fantastic things to say about the company. People say prices are on point, delivery is fast, and the selection is good. In spite of the low BBB rating, we feel there are enough positive things about The Perfume Box to overcome it. The Perfume Box is a good choice for your next perfume purchase.
Based out of New Jersey, The Perfume Spot is a family-owned business that has been selling wholesale perfumes since 1986. They are proud of their awards like the Bizrate Platinum Circle of Excellence, Yahoo Top Service, Easy Shopping, and Top Destination. In addition to perfume and cologne, The Perfume Spot sells bath and body products and candles.
Lacking an intuitive online shopping process
The shopping experience at The Perfume Spot is one of the most difficult of any retailer we've browsed. When you click to view any category, you'll see a long list of perfume names from A-Z. Each perfume image represents all the other perfumes sold by The Perfume Spot that start with the same letter. Once you click the letter of the perfumes you want to view, you can scroll through the inventory and see names, quantities, and prices for each fragrance. Rather than being able to view all perfumes or sort them by criteria like price or brand, you have to view everything alphabetically.
Affordable name-brand perfumes
Pricing at The Perfume Spot is affordable. They don't show how discounted their perfumes are compared to normal retail prices, so even though they boast their products are up to 70% off, it's hard to know how much savings you're really getting. However, most fragrances are well under $100 even for name brands, so customers are sure to find affordable options. It's unclear exactly how many perfumes are available at The Perfume Spot since it's not easy to view a full list, but it's well over a few hundred between fragrances for men, women, and children.
Standard 30-day return policy
All orders, regardless of the price total, qualify for free standard shipping. To expedite your delivery costs $4.95. If you receive your perfume and decide it isn't what you wanted, you have 30 days from the date of purchase to send it back in original packaging for a full refund. Opened items will be charged a 20% restocking fee.
Not a bad choice
We never saw any individual products with reviews less than a perfect 5 out of 5 stars. This either means that The Perfume Spot has incredible products or that they filter reviews to only show favorable feedback. They only have a "B" rating from the Better Business Bureau due to reported and unresolved customer complaints. They don't have nearly as many customer reviews online as their competitors do, so it's not easy to gauge people's overall experiences. We believe this is a reliable business and their prices are fair: although it's not our top choice, it's not a bad idea to check out the perfume inventory at The Perfume Spot.
Planet Beauty is an online retailer based out of Irvine, California that sells makeup, skincare, hair care, body treatments, and more in addition to perfume and cologne. They were founded in 1992 with the goal to provide customers with a one-stop shop for all their professional beauty and personal needs. They have hundreds of name-brand beauty products for sale, but unfortunately fragrances are one of their weakest areas.
Tiny selection
Women looking to buy a fragrance from Planet Beauty will only have 51 options to choose from. For men, the selection is even more dismal with only 16 choices. On top of this, many of the fragrances include deodorant, lotion, after shave, and bath soak. Narrowing down the fragrances leaves women with 20 perfumes and men with 2 colognes made by lesser-known brands. This alone is a good reason people are probably not using Planet Beauty as their first stop for perfume.
Unfiltered product reviews
Even though you don't have much to choose from when buying perfume or cologne, you can feel confident in any purchase you make from Planet Beauty with their unfiltered product reviews. Customers are able to rank any products from 1-5 after purchase and have it posted on the website. We wish we could read customer reasoning for their ratings, but it at least helps to gauge how people felt about a product overall.
Reasonable prices
Prices are fair for the perfume and cologne sold by Planet Beauty. This isn't a retailer that claims to give massive discounts, so you should expect to pay a reasonable price for a high-quality fragrance here. When you subscribe to receive Planet Beauty's latest news and promotions with your email, you'll receive a code for 20% off your next order. Unlike many other perfume retailers, Planet Beauty also makes you provide your phone number and agree to receive marketing text messages, which might be annoying.
Free shipping and 30 days for returns
Any dollar amount you spend over $39 at Planet Beauty ensures that your items will ship for free. Anything less will cost $6.50. If you need to initiate a return on your items, you can do so within 30 days from the original purchase date. You'll receive a full refund back to your original form of payment once your return has been processed.
Solid customer feedback
Planet Beauty has an "A+" from the Better Business Bureau (BBB), but they aren't accredited and don't have customer reviews on their BBB profile. However, customers have posted thousands of reviews about the company in other places online. They have overwhelmingly positive feedback with new, 5-star reviews being posted almost daily with nothing but great things to say about the business practices, products, prices, and shipping at Planet Beauty. This is obviously a retailer with a strong customer backing, which is a great sign. We wish they had a better selection of fragrances, but if you like what you see, it's not a bad place to shop for perfume or any other beauty product.
Sobelia sells luxury perfumes for men, women, and children. They began in 2004 when they were originally selling perfumes on eBay and Amazon. Sobelia is based out of the United States, but they sell to customers all throughout the world and their website can be translated into different languages based on the country you select.
Over 5,000 name-brand fragrances
Sobelia's selection of fragrances are up to 60% cheaper than normal retail prices. You can sort their 5,000+ products by price, volume, brand and category. Most of their perfumes can be purchased for under $100, but they do have some higher-end fragrances that cost as much as $700. You'll find popular, highly sought-after brands like Abercrombie & Fitch, Burberry, Calvin Klein, Christian Dior, Gucci, Hugo Boss, Lancome, Versace, and many others.
Lacking important company information
Something that Sobelia lacks is a website that gives customers all the information they need about their purchases. All you can view are their perfumes, country/language options, and a customer service phone number. We were interested in finding out their return policy, so we found their FAQ page where we realized they have no return policy listed. A lot of their FAQ answers are in broken English, so Sobelia could use some website updates and a second pair of eyes to make sure all their information checks out.
Tight cancellation policy
A quick internet search led us to a separate page about Sobelia's policies, including a vague section about returns. Customers will need to send back their items in new, unused condition within 14 days in order to qualify for what Sobelia calls a "cancellation" . Customers are responsible for return shipping costs and if items arrive and don't meet all the criteria for a product return, a non-specified amount of money will be deducted from the overall refund. Overall it seems a little risky to send your perfume back to Sobelia and expect a full refund.
Pay shipping per item
For your first item, shipping is $5.99. For any additional items, you'll pay $0.99 per item. Delivery times range from 3-7 days after an order is placed. Since orders are delivered through USPS, they should be trackable.
Worth shopping their site
The Better Business Bureau does not have a rating for Sobelia. They aren't accredited and have no information listed about the company. However, customers who have gone online and left feedback about their shopping experience with Sobelia generally have good things to say. People say prices are fair, delivery is reliable, and perfumes seem genuine and long-lasting. If you have a perfume you love and want it at a great deal, Sobelia is worth taking a look at.
Beauty Encounter's mission is to be the trusted and affordable destination online that delivers a vast selection of beauty products at competitive prices. They boast that they have over 20,000 fragrance, skincare, haircare, and makeup products on their site. Their company was launched in 2000 and has continued to try and make it affordable and easy for customers to buy perfume online.
Big selection
At Beauty Encounter there are over 6,800 fragrances for women, 3,690 fragrances for men, and 57 for children. They also have 1,167 unisex fragrances which are scents that both men and women could wear. You can sort all your options by brand and price. To help with your selection, some perfumes have customer reviews for you to read, but many of them are from years ago and there are usually very few. The product description of all fragrances includes details about some of the ingredients (not a full list), season, age range, audience, personality, and more. You can also see how soon the item will be ready to ship.
Big discounts
You'll notice that almost all of the perfumes are discounted significantly compared to what you'd find in a department store or through the perfume company directly. The majority of fragrances range from $35 - $50. Beauty Encounter says the way they are able to offer such good deals on name-brand fragrances is by negotiating the best deals with sellers so that they can pass on savings to their customers. If you want to save even more on your perfume purchase, you should consider signing up for Beauty Encounter's email list. You'll receive a code for 10% off your first order. In addition, all orders of $35 or more qualify for free shipping.
Unimpressive ratings
Although they claim to be accredited by the Better Business Bureau, Beauty Encounter is not. They have a "B-" rating from them, which isn't very impressive. However, the rating is due to them not responding to one customer complaint, so we aren't too concerned about that. What we are concerned about are the customer reviews we've read from people who report that they seemed to have received counterfeit perfumes. Even though Beauty Encounter says they have an authentic product guarantee, they don't seem to be 100% reliable and customer service is hard to deal with.
Don't take a chance
If you're unsatisfied with your perfume from Beauty Encounter or are one of the unlucky people who receives a fake product, you have 30 days to send it back as long as it is unused and in its original packaging. The downside of this is that all returns for a refund come with a 15% restocking fee. If you want to opt for a store credit instead, the 15% restocking fee is waived. This isn't a great return policy, so on top of people not being thrilled with their items, it doesn't seem like a great idea to take a chance on buying perfume from Beauty Encounter.
Perfumania began in 1999 and is one of America's largest fragrance retailers and related gifts for men, women, and children. They have over 100 discount retail stores throughout the United States. You'll find one of the biggest selection of brands at Perfumania with hundreds of options to choose from like Burberry, Christian Dior, Prada, Tom Ford, Calvin Klein, Gucci, and more.
Lots of sold-out products
There are over 3,400 results for women's perfume and 1,900 for men's cologne at Perfumania, minus the hundreds of products marked as "sold out" . You can sort by brand, price, or type to narrow down the fragrance you want. If you have questions about your online shopping experience, you can chat with one of their representatives in real time through their pop-up chat box.
Lots of unorganized beauty products
In addition to perfumes and colognes, you'll find eye repair creams, mask and face exfoliators, skin therapy oil, eye serums, lotions, and more at Perfumania. Although they have a good selection of beauty products, they aren't organized by type, so you'll have to scroll through over 40 pages to view everything they have. We wish their website was more clearly organized to provide a better shopping experience.
Big discounts
All the fragrances from Perfumania are discounted significantly. The majority of fragrances are priced between $50 and $75. To see the price of a product, you'll have to click on it which may take extra time to browse. Every so often, Perfumania runs promotions where customers get additional deals like buying 1 item and getting the 2nd one free. If you spend over $59 at Perfumania's online store, you'll get free shipping. For orders less than $59, you'll pay a flat rate of $7.50 for delivery.
30-day return policy
If you are unhappy with your order from Perfumania, you have 30 days to return unopened and unused merchandise in its original condition for a full refund. Due to health reasons, products like cosmetics, skincare, and hair care items are non returnable.
Warnings from customers
The Better Business Bureau gives Perfumania an "A+" rating, which is usually a reassuring sign that the company is honest and legitimate. However, customer reviews say otherwise. The majority of what's been written about Perfumania warns others that the perfumes and colognes seem watered down and are nothing like originals people have purchased from other stores. There isn't anything about Perfumania that stands out above their competitors and we are concerned about the quality of their products, so they've earned a low rating from us.
FragranceX says they provide the world's largest selection of fragrances at the lowest costs. They are headquartered in Long Island, New York where they started in 2001. The Better Business Bureau gives FragranceX a "B+" rating and hundreds of complaints have been issued about this company. Alongside thousands of suspiciously, overwhelmingly positive customer reviews, there are a lot of people who claim FragranceX is a scam and they never ship products that are purchased.
Big selection of name-brands
In addition to perfume and cologne, FragranceX has a selection of name-brand options, deodorant, shower gel, soap, body powder, aftershave, and more. The company says they stock over 12,500 discount fragrances every day and that their inventory and prices change daily. However, when we looked through all the fragrances for men and women, there were 6,624 options to choose from. You can narrow down the results by brand, type, department, scent notes, or price.
Shockingly low prices
FrangranceX will give customers 15% off their next purchase if they sign up for their email list. This won't end up being a lot since the cost of all the fragrances are honestly hard to believe. For example, you can get Prada perfume for as low as $31, Coach for $23, or Burberry for $10. As much as we want to be excited about how affordable these deals are, they make us question if you're going to get an authentic product every time.
They'll nickel and dime you for returns
Customers who choose to return their perfume to FragranceX have 30 days after the ship date to get a full refund. The company says that as long as the item is not used in excess, you'll get all your money back minus shipping and gift wrap charges. It's unclear if gift wrap charges are deducted from every order and how much it amounts to. All refunds are also docked by $5.95 for shipping, which goes against FragranceX's "free returns" that they advertise on their website.
Suspicious customer reviews
When it comes to customer reviews for FragranceX, the results are interesting. There are over 20,000 reviews from customers who have shopped perfumes and body products from FragranceX on their website. They come from buyers all throughout the world and most of them are extremely positive. We did notice a lot of similarities among reviews, and we quickly became skeptical of their legitimacy because of the frequency, quantity, and repetitive themes. We are concerned that their customer reviews about how happy people are with the low prices, smooth checkout process, easy-to-navigate website, and quality of products are manufactured by the company.
More questionable patterns
Not only does this seem to raise a red flag, but the Better Business Bureau (BBB) has over 160 people who have left reviews about FragranceX, and again, most of them are very good if you read what was posted in 2019 or earlier. People left reviews at least daily and it appears that it was an effort to boost the overall BBB rating and may not be from real customers. Similar patterns appear other places online to try and drown out negative reviews from people who say they never received their orders from FragranceX and were never able to contact customer service.
Too many questions
It's true that the prices listed on FragranceX are hard to beat - and sometimes hard to believe. Unfortunately, the issues surrounding returns, suspicious customer reviews, and real customer complaints leave some pretty big red flags. We feel there are better choices to be found for your next perfume purchase.
Hott Perfume offers discount designer fragrances. They carry brands that many customers come looking for like Ralph Lauren, Burberry, Gucci, Calvin Klein, and more. Unfortunately, there is no information about the background of the company since they don't have an "About Us" page or any other company resources. Their contact information offers nothing more than a simple email address.
Small selection
You'll find women's perfume and men's cologne at Hott Perfume. You can only sort by brand, so this is definitely not one of the easiest websites to navigate. Unless you use the search bar to find what you want, you'll probably have to look through all of the available products. There are barely over 150 options for women's perfume and 140 for men. In addition, many of the items are sold out: the selection here is weak compared to other perfume stores.
Major discounts
If you're looking to buy perfume solely on its price tag, you will find some great deals at Hott Perfume. Most perfumes and colognes are around 30-50% off of retail pricing. However, because not every product has a market value price to compare with, it's not always obvious if you're getting a good deal or not.
Varying shipping charges
The shipping policy at Hott Perfume isn't as straightforward as it is at most companies. Ground shipping is $5 for the first item and $1 per additional item within the United States. On the coupons page, you will see a code for free shipping if you spend $49 or more. They also ship internationally and the price depends on the destination country.
Steep restocking fees
The return policy at Hott Perfume isn't any better than their shipping policy. You can return any unused merchandise within 14 days, but shipping is non-refundable and you'll be charged a 20% restocking fee. The only way to avoid a restocking fee is to opt for an exchange rather than a return.
Untrustworthy customer reviews
Hott Perfume has a "B" rating from the Better Business Bureau. This is due to the amount of complaints filed against the business. We noticed that they have over 100 positive reviews on their BBB profile as well as other great recommendations from customers online. However, upon further investigation, we believe that they are creating fake reviews much like other companies in our evaluation that earned low ratings. Every day or so, a new positive 5-star review appears with a short statement about how people think the bottles are pretty or how service was "outstanding" . The pattern these reviews follow is in line with other fraudulent practices that we've seen from low-ranking companies. There are also plenty of people who complained that the perfume and cologne they received was a counterfeit.
Buy your perfume from a higher-ranked retailer
On top of having untrustworthy reviews, Hott Fragrance doesn't provide transparent information about their company background, they have a small selection, and their return policy isn't appealing. We don't recommend buying perfume here.
When it comes to buying perfume, it can be hard to choose a scent you really like. If you've been through a perfume section at a department store, you might feel overwhelmed by the strong smells coming at you from every direction. Eventually all the perfumes blend together and you feel like you've lost your sense of smell completely. Buying online not only saves you from expensive mark-ups you'll find in-store, but makes it easy to browse all the options, read descriptions, and see reviews from other customers.
When deciding where to purchase perfume, here are a few important things to consider:
TopConsumerReviews.com has reviewed and ranked the best places to buy perfume online. We hope this information helps you find a fragrance you love that makes you feel fresh and confident!
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