Authentic Fragrances at Vintage Decants and procedures we do to validate them

Learn about our authenticity:  

 Hello fragrance fam! My name is John, and I've been collecting fragrance for over twenty years. I'd like to use this page to help address questions we're frequently asked like; where we source our bottles, how we authenticate them, how to tell the difference between a counterfeit bottle or a batch variation, does fragrance expire and much more! If you'd like to read about the origin of VintageDecants.Com visit our About Us page. 

 Authentication: 

For dating perfume here's examples of timelines from when icons were first printed on the box. 

 At Vintage Decants we believe in authenticity and transparency. Every perfume we offer has underwent a rigorous quality check and authentication process prior to it's listing on the site. It's to be noted that discontinued and vintage fragrances are no longer produced by the manufacturer. Therefore, there's no official way to purchase them from the brand. Every fragrance we offer was sourced from a third-party such as a; perfume store, fellow collector, eBay, Mercari, estate sales, internationally, etc. The primary key to successfully purchasing healthy authentic vintage fragrance is done by the amount of research that's done prior to the purchase.

 

 The Authentication Process: 

An example of a timeline of bottle changes that occured for Opium for women

 Prior to any purchase of a full bottle we do an extensive amount of research on the perfume. Once the bottle is in question, we first cross reference it visually with other images of the same perfume from it's shared time-line. This is to compare if the liquid is the right color for it's age, if the icons on the bottle or box are appropriate, if the style of lettering, atomizer or any other visual clues would suggest foul play.

  

 The Accuracy and Quality Check: 

With every bottle we compare the version of the scent with reviews from fragrance forums to see if the scent-profile matches.

 Secondly, after we receive the bottle every fragrance is given a full wearing tested on skin. We then reference it's scent profile based from reviews and articles we read on fragrance forums to validate if it matches the correct ingredient listing and potency for it's era. 

 

 How to wake up bottles: 

 I've purchased and smelled thousands of perfumes in my lifetime. Contrary to popular belief fragrance can be a very durable product, as long as the perfume has not spoiled there's a process that can help bring back potency and depth to most fragrances.

To wake up a vintage fragrance is two easy steps. 

1. Shake it lightly to mix the ingredients that may have settled. 

2. Spray the atomizer Six or seven times to clear out the old liquid from the stem.

You can repeat this process over a few days if it doesn't work immediately, but in most cases it can bring a muted fragrance back to life. Try it out you'd be surprised. You only need to do this process if the bottle hasn't been used in years.

 

 Counterfeits: 

Example's of a counterfeit YSL L'Homme Bleu Electrique bottle I purchased. 

 Do we still encounter spoiled or counterfeit perfumes? Yes of course, when it happens you throw it away, you don't put it back into circulation. This is a sad reality in the perfume world. However with the homework we do prior to a purchase we have an average of a 95% success rate. With 1% being spoiled and the other 4% generally from counterfeit modern (newer than 2018) perfumes. Our job is to accept and remove the risk of you encountering any counterfeit or spoiled fragrances. 

 

 Batch Variations: 

Visual reformulation examples of a perfumes oakmoss note being reduced and eventually removed.

 Often people may confuse a counterfeit bottle with a bottle that's had a batch variation. Routinely fragrances have their ingredients modified (reformulated) every 3 to 5 years. Sometimes it's a minor change, sometimes it's major. As an example a majority of existing perfumes have recently changed their scent-profiles after the 2024 reformulation, Ifra's amendment 51. I've read allot of comments how a majority of people think they purchased a counterfeit bottle, when it may actually be batch variation.

 

 Features Exclusive to VintageDecants.Com: 

 At Vintage Decants you'll encounter features within the way our product listings are structured you may not be familiar with.

We don't use stock photos. Were one of the only decant websites that shows you with multiple photos the exact bottle your sample comes from. This is very important to know because of batch variations. 

We're also the first and only website to ever assemble and publish a full reformulation timeline here. You can use this to identify when and what ingredients your perfume may have changed. 

  

After a major reformulation often the perfumes bottle or box will receive changes to it's appearance. We list the easiest aesthetic to help you identify a vintage formulation. This can help you purchase your own vintage version if you decide to pursue it.

 

When available, we also list batch variation information in the description and carry multiple versions of the same fragrance from different eras for you to compare.

 

 At Vintage Decants it's our job and pleasure to provide you with access to a safe hub to experience quality rare and discontinued fragrances. Thank you and enjoy the Journey. 

-John AKA VintageDecants