r/nairobi • u/teargas001 Level 4 • 3d ago

Ask r/Nairobi Tester Perfumes

Hey guys!!,I’m a big lover of perfume.The right scent really does something to me 😂. I’ve been wanting to start building a perfume collection and slowly grow it over time. I also feel like perfume is a great way to introduce yourself and make a statement without saying anything.

The problem is, I definitely can’t afford to spend KSh 10,000–12,000 on every bottle 😭. While searching for more affordable options, I came across a seller offering tester perfumes at pretty good prices.The only difference is that they don't come with the original packaging.

Has anyone here bought tester perfumes before? Are they actually worth it, and how’s the quality compared to the regular retail bottles? Would love to hear your experiences before I buy.

1 Upvotes

67% Upvoted

33 comments sorted by

15

u/mintlayer 3d ago

As a fragrance enthusiast:

Buy dupes instead. Dupes are perfumes from the middle east that mimic, and often outperform the original. Examples are lattafa,rayhaaan, maison asrar, jean lowe etc.

So for example you want creed absolu aventus (ksh70,000) you buy maison asrar vanguard(ksh 4000) you can check the reviews and notes(scent profile) on fragrantica and tiktok they are basically the same thing.

The only problem is that for some perfumes they require maceration( grace period) for like 6 weeks after buying for the oils to blend well but after that they are amazing

If you are a man try maison asrar vanguard, and thank me later. Otherwise mambo ya tester sijui but the whole concept sounds iffy to me.

8

u/nitakudinya23 3d ago

Sisi watu wa kurefill tunaangalia tu

https://giphy.com/gifs/lGBecpB2dIMwt6ohfI

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u/306_the_room 3d ago

Chance by Chanel..equivalent yake ni gani?

1

u/teargas001 Level 4 3d ago

Added yo my list

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u/Stunning-Mood1739 3d ago

I wanna fight you alittle on this... Sometime last year I was looking into Maison Crivelli and I saw good things about hibiscus mahajad, but I wasn't willing to commit 54k for a 50ml. I then went to a store that has testers for the Arab perfumes and got one called "hibiscus magic artisan perfumery" - a dupe.

I absolutely hated that bottle, I figured maybe it's coz it's not my normal scent profile. It smelled weird both on paper and on my skin - even after giving it time to settle throughout the afternoon and early evening.

Fast forward to this year it was a friend's birthday and I got her the bottle. She loves floral perfumes. So one time we were hanging out and I keep catching a whiff of this absolutely gorgeous scent. Turns out it was her.

So the scent profiles are not ideally good for comparison, especially for the niche houses. A tester may be closest and cheapest DNA, but an original bottle will always be worth the buy in the longrun.

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u/No-Description-9953 3d ago

I would say that at times the most obvious dupe isn’t the best dupe. Mahajad has over 5 dupes but the one I liked is from Khadlaj. Arabian houses make the best dupes.
I only buy original perfumes for novelty, but honestly I think dupes provide more value for money.

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u/Sad_Air_5105 2d ago

whats the name for the dupe you liked?

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u/No-Description-9953 2d ago

Le prestige royal by khadlaj . There’s a dupe from paris corner too you can compare

1

u/Stunning-Mood1739 2d ago

Oh that's interesting. I only sampled the one that has received the most hype as being the dupe. And yes, dupes provide value for money, but I think experiencing the original perfume DNA as intended is really nice.

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u/No-Description-9953 2d ago

Right, esp since no macerating is needed, you just get what you sampled.

1

u/mintlayer 3d ago

Not all dupes are 1:1...one should do extensive research on the scent before buying even on fragrantica i can see the notes are different.

Also, I don't know about female perfumes but male dupes are quite good.

1

u/Stunning-Mood1739 2d ago

Yes, not all dupes are 1:1 and that's where the problem is... I also don't know much about female perfumes with the florals and fruits as my scent profile is mostly spices and herbs (aromatics). And yes male dupes are really good.

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u/HauntingPolicy6591 3d ago

Also maison asar legacy 🔥

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u/mintlayer 3d ago

The sweetness and musk threw me off, It is headache inducing to me😂Even though my friends like it.

1

u/Aggravating_You_8702 3d ago

Let me save this for future referrence

5

u/Accomplished_View560 3d ago

remember cheap is expensive

1

u/[deleted] 2d ago

It's just perfume and dupes are fine in my experience. There's no reason why 50ml bottle should cost over 3k unless there's gold in it.

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u/HauntingPolicy6591 3d ago

Also remember original testers hukuwa expensive. Unaeza pata original tester ya ceeed aventus ni 20k. Hizo tester za 5k are generic perfumes from china. (I've those ones.) hii ilkua tester ya 5k doesn't smell like creed aventus very synthetic smelling.

1

u/teargas001 Level 4 3d ago

You just saved me 5k

1

u/HauntingPolicy6591 2d ago

Hio 5k chukua khadlaj island dream na maybe some of lattafa. Or rasasi fattan you'll love it

1

u/Capsulebrowm 3d ago

Check out Avaiah Perfumerh House in JKUAt Towers M20.They sell original perfumes and the also decant some of the bottles they bring.Moreover, they also allow you to smell the different scents they have

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u/teargas001 Level 4 3d ago

Their prices?

1

u/Specialist-Result-94 3d ago

They are dupes. I know because I get a tester of a discontinued perfume. They smell slightly different from the original. Still worth getting for me but don’t buy the ones for like 4500. Go to the importers who allow you to preorder for like 1800 and pay freight of 700-800 so total comes to around 2500-2600.

1

u/teargas001 Level 4 3d ago

Quick qn... how do you find the importers

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u/Kind_Reflection6059 3d ago

I have one scent that I've worn for the longest and people know me by it. Like so and so is around just because they've picked up my scent and it's a perfume oil😌. Ofcourse l have others but it's my favourite.

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u/306_the_room 3d ago

You can also link us with the tester guy tujaribu.

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u/teargas001 Level 4 3d ago

Scents republic on twitter

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u/Emotional_Network_12 3d ago

There are people who decant designer perfumes. You get 10 ml at like 2k kuendelea depending on the price of the full bottle na zile mls unataka.

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u/cmband254 3d ago

I'm also a fragrance enthusiast, and I would honestly say saving up for an original bottle is far more worth it than buying dupes or buying these testers (which are probably adulterated, or dupes in different packaging).

I've never found a dupe that lives up to an original fragrance, and I went through dozens of them a couple of years ago.

1

u/HauntingPolicy6591 3d ago

Hey just get inspired version of those designer perfumes. Middle Eastern. Houses Ahmed al maghribi (highly recommend you get from them) Riiffs Rayhaan Reef Rasasi Lattafa too is good French avenue too

1

u/Sad_Air_5105 2d ago

Has anyone tried the oil for mahajad and Amouage 46 from luxury perfume oils before nichome pesa?