If you misrepresent the facts and publish false information you run the risk of being sued. Our documentary took aim at the multi-billion-dollar perfume industry and since its publication over 5 years ago we have faced no legal action. In other words, to date we have not been sued. We did receive one “cease and desist” legal letter from one of the perfume oil companies denying that they make “smell alike” perfume oils. But once our legal team sent them the evidence we had, we heard nothing more. Many of the comments below challenged the integrity of our data. We knew when we published this documentary that some people would find the information impossible to believe. But we now feel vindicated that the truth always prevails, even in this world of fake news!
I might be a year late on this but I just wanted to let you know that,unlike 99% of the viewers of this video, THANK YOU for opening my eyes and saving me my hard earned RAND😉🇿🇦✌🏿 #ReKaofela
I'm very curious to find out how the makers of this documentary obtained enough funds to set up radio ads and billboards next to the N1 just to advertise this 12 minute documentary. Something strange is going on here. Clearly this is an add of some kind.
Hi Stephan the documentary, the billboard and radio campaign was funded by Fine Fragrance Collection Ten (Pty) Ltd, which is stated at the end of the documentary. However, before you conclude that it is an advert, let me ask you this question. How many other companies do you know that make an “advert” that reveals how easy it is to make their product, where to get the ingredients i.e. their suppliers and finally how much it costs to make the product? The intent here was twofold : 1. to inform the consumer how easy and cheap it is to make perfume and 2. that they can purchase the Fine Fragrance Collection smell alike or any other smell alike for that matter at a fraction of the cost. We hope that we achieved this objective
So lets do some maths for Fine Fragrances then ... SP R160 - COS R30 = GP R130 (81%) Looked at differently ... R30 is marked up by 430% That's still a HUGE mark up folks ...
I think a similar investigation must be done for the vitamin industry, to reflect if the users really get the intended value, especially if shrinkflation is used extensively by most vitamin suppliers i.e. buy a large vitamin container, but the bottom of this container is not even covered by the vitamin pills. This also give a feeling for me that even a vitamin pill might consist mainly of fillers and very little real vitamins.
Hi Ricky Tomatoes I have no idea what your statement means when you say "You pay for the blending, projection, longevity."? If you mean that we pay an exorbitant price for the originals because of the blending which results in projection and longevity you are quite correct. Lot's of the smell alikes we found do not smell the same or last as long as the "original" version because of poor quality oils and dosage. Please see the point we make at 5:10 in the video. This is the reason I have continually stated in all the comments here that the consumer should test any smell alike perfume before they buy it. This eliminates any risk! Based on this simple smell test the consumer can verify the similarity of the smell and the longevity. And this can be done without one cent leaving the consumer's pocket. No risk!
@@finefragrancecollection3399 Forgot to mention the cost of creativity (the perfumer). And let's be honest, without the originals, there would be no clones.
@@rickytomatoes You are 100% correct. Like with all generics - there cannot be a generic without an original. But I think you may have missed the part at 3:01 where we point out that Givaudan the company that employs the perfumer that created One Million - also offers a generic perfume oil (concentrate) of One Million to the smell alike industry. With this in mind I assume, in the case of One Million, Givaudan either built the cost of the perfumer's creativity/salary into the original, the clone (as you call it) or both. This means the perfumer who created One Million earns a salary and gets paid for his/her creativity whether there is or isn't a clone. Otherwise I very much doubt that he/she would continue to work for the Givaudan where his/her creativity/talent is not adequately remunerated. And this is not unique to Givaudan. Every single perfumer in every single flavour and fragrance company gets paid a salary to create perfumes (originals or clones). That is their job and for this "creativity" they get paid a salary! I hope this adequately covers your point about "Forgot to mention the cost of creativity (the perfumer)"?
Well....not necessarily. It is the designer brands which put in all the financial investment into research and development and high quality packaging. Working with perfumers to develop a specific smell, do consumer research and advertising costs. Once that's done - smell-a-likes simply take the smell that already exists after all the work is done by other businesses so they have the profit with a whole lot less risk other than that they are 'no-name' brand. Somehow after all costs are taken care of I doubt that the profit is necessarily that big even though the mark-up is quite huge. Smell-alikes have much lower distribution costs. Also designer brands have to fork out a lot more money to the retailers selling their product. What's good about having both designer and smell-alike brands is that using lifestyle products or 'luxury' type products that bring a little bit of joy into our lives is not exclusive to only the most priviliged. So I think it's great to give more access to a little feeling of luxury. I've never bought perfume for myself but am lucky enough to occasionally get the designer brand perfume as an Xmas gift and even after watching this I appreciate what has been paid for. Retail is one of the toughest areas to work in. Profits can be really tight. And we may have been duped with all the advertising but it has worked for a reason...and we still love the allure of perfume even though it has never been a necessary product at all. I often just really love my rub on sandalwood oil a lot more than my perfume (and it is a whole lot cheaper).
Hi Erin I think your comments are on point! The only one thing I would say with regards to your point that "smell-a-likes simply take the smell that already exists after all the work is done by other businesses so they have the profit with a whole lot less risk other than that they are 'no-name' brand" In actuality the very same companies that make the perfume oils for the designer brands (these are the ones the perfumers work at and create the "smell") are also the same companies that make the perfume oils for the smell alike industry. Without them offering smell alike oils to the smell alike companies that make the perfume that is sold to the consumer - the smell alike industry would not exist!
@@erinbosenberg271 funny how people thought the same with the polony industry that Woolworths polony cames from some different place until listeriosis out break than we started knowing that the get the raw materials from same company
Filming someone packing a travel case and a plane taking off = Flying to Istanbul... I smell a perfumed RAT!!! BTW, I created my own brand...It's called W45HY0URN457Y455...
Nothing to see here. These perfumes are just like the generic medicine market - One company does all the work/designs/research and the rest copy their efforts. For interest sake, i bought your version of 1 Million and it doesn't come close to the original. Next time use test subjects that doesn't smoke 2 packs a day.
Ok...well...let me be happy and smelling good...not important if is cheaper and I pay expensive...I bet you are lying because nothing that smells as tom ford can be cheaper and easy to design...
Wow, that is one of the more interesting comments I have seen. Did you watch the documentary? :) When next you are close to one of our stores maybe spray some generic Tom Ford on your left wrist (its free we have testers so there is no cost to you) and then visit a store that sells the "original" and spray that on your right wrist. Then wait 5 hours and report back to all of us. :)
@@fenixproject5554 You really really should do a little bit of research before you make public statements of "Knowledge/Fact". :) Tom Ford Noir is made by Givaudan (go to the Fragrantica website - if you do not know it it is like the Wikipedia of perfume) and do a search. Now do you know who sells a "fake/clone creation" of Tom Ford Noir? I am sure you are seeing where I am going with this? You guessed it! Givaudan! The company that makes the original! Wow! The company that makes the original also makes a smell alike. Who would of guessed! I am going to go with the people that made the Odour documentary! No really?? :) I wonder if it smells the same as the original? Givaudan says it does, but what do they know, I mean they only made the original! :) You, of course, must have a much better "knowledge" than them!! :) As I say above when you make public statements of fact it is probably better to check the facts, otherwise you make look uniformed....or maybe something even worse! :) :) :)
So now that you know that the liquid inside a botte of designer perfume that retails for R1500 costs around R20 to make, do you think the other costs you mention including "the cost of bottling,the bottle its self the cap,the logo,the brand..transportation..storage" costs R1480? In reality the cost to make perfume is around about the same as the cost to make mouthwash. And I have never ever seen a bottle of mouthwash even with all the same costs you mention "of bottling,the bottle its self the cap,the logo,the brand..transportation..storage" sell for R1500. In fact the liquid inside every single personal care product (including perfume) such as shower gel, roll on, body lotion, hair gel, shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, mouthwash, etc etc etc costs around R20 to make. And all of them (except perfume) sells for less than a R100. This means that all the other personal care products have a maximum profit of R80, but for perfume it is R1480. Where does the other R1400 go? Now that you know all of this I am sure you will ask "whose clowning who?"
Don't know why everyone is crying. I have spent thousands on perfumes and yes it's always nice to have the real thing but if you can smell nice for less, like a 1/6 of the original price, why not? Not everyone can afford R1000+ for a single bottle of perfume? I use perfume every single day, I have a bottle of Chanel and I feel like I'm spraying R100 on myself every time I use it. So if people love a fragrance and they can't afford it, let them be and enjoy the cheaper version and obviously one should know not to expect the sun, moon and stars, as it is in fact the copy. For the joke of it my mom and I tried these little sample bottles in Pick 'n Pay yesterday, I tried the Armani one to be honest and I kid you not, 1 it smelt amazing and 2 I still smell it on my wrist which never happens with these expensive ones. You think because something is "name brand" it's the best quality, with the best ingredients? No think again, in every single industry they use parts from the same factory and depending on the brand have a 10% markup or 200% markup. And obviously packing in this regard will also play a role in the price. Can you copyright a fragrance... I think not... How may ways are there to make a vanilla scent? Open your minds people.
What is quite apparent in the cost comparisons of the Originals vs. the Smell-alikes is that the Originals have a much higher value chain i.e : Indirectly they create much more jobs than the smell alikes. Whether the consumer wants to support this is off-course another question. What is also conveniently not mentioned is offcourse that without all the research and development of the originals there would be no Smell-alikes. You kind of need the Original industry for the smell-alikes. Almost like generic drugs become available after their patents have lapsed.. A bit of a cheap shot by the Fine Fragrance Collection 10 Company, but yet very clever marketing.
I've bought perfume from fine fragrance for R119 and I'm happy. Then again, I am not big on cologne but this stuff smells good and expensive. Would never spend R1500 on a perfume personally because hey Im only a full time employed human being.
I collect fragrances.. I wish I had known about smell alike.. as I could've kept my branded ones full and on display and used the smell alikes as testers and for daily use.
Very interesting documentary. I love fragrances and this just confirm my theory that i was getting reaped off. Since i came across with smell alikes i stopped loosing money buying perfumes from all these stores. In fact i packed all my other perfume back in their boxes and save them as old trophy ;) Thank you for the doccy
You know that those companies payed professionals as chemical engineers during the time that they spent designing and developing the project? For example 16 months...while those "alike fakes" are as parasites making rich to one chinnesse man that Is copying the work of other person? And you supporting that trash...no I don't work for perfums brands I am in the software business but we have the same worms in our business
After watching this infomercial, I found that they actually tell the most of the truth here. Including that fact that the designer fragrances spend a lot of money on advertisements and packaging and they don't because the biggest part of advertising is done for them.
😎, thank you for the info, I’m switching from ‘premium’ to smell-alike. This information gave me a choice. THANK YOU!! ... guess I’m not going to kramavile tomorrow to stay in that looooooooooooong line 😂
Its very simple - if you cant smell the difference , why pay the difference ?! and if you can smell the difference your money is refunded. No questions asked. As for the comments that the documentary is an ad, all documentary's are adverts. Any content which expresses an idea is done with the intention of influencing the reader, listener or viewer and most documentary's are done with a single focus to influence. This company has not once purported to sell the same or better fragrances, they have stated their fragrances "smell" the same they didn't say 'it is the same" I welcome freedom of choice. Thank you.
I have been using them for over 7yrs while they were still operating from the house in Olivedale, i can't imagine myself using any generic except them. The best choice i have ever made. I smell like a million dollar. Thank you Fine Fragrance collection!!!❤❤❤❤
The thank you is all from us to you! Wow starting in my garage - that is a long time ago. Thank you for ALL the support over the years I appreciate it! :)
Just pop down to Fordsburg everyone and buy some lovely sandalwood & other oils ; ) Or if you prefer Bryanston go to their organic market for the same. And ignore this bizarre waste of time, boring, uneventful advertising. Somehow I am still commenting on this. They've successfully duped me into becoming a reactionary. : ( Support small business.
For all of you folks that saw this video for what it is - a marketing scheme for Fine Fragrances, it’s important that you know (seeing as we are being informative), that’s companies like fine fragrances are usually (not necessarily) members of pyramid schemes and network marketing campaigns. Fine Fragrances are not the only ones in town - there are countless companies that mix oils with alcohol and call it “smell alike”. When I lived in the UK I was also approached and asked if I wanted to attend a network marketing class on how to mix oil and alcohol to create my own brand of copies. They obviously require a fee for you to learn this. A dime a dozen. (Ask any of them they will tell you it costs R30 to make - they were probably taught that in the class) The truth is I have tried a bottle of fine fragrance smell alike and in my own independent opinion as a frag head, it was not worth the money. The perfume didn’t last and it felt and smelled like exxactky what it is - a cheap version of the real thing.
Hi Miguel thank you for your comment. As you say there are many companies (in fact thousands) that mix smell alike perfume. Of course as you will have seen on the doccie, all of them buy their perfume oils from the multi national companies mentioned. What is of course interesting is that these same multinational companies that make the perfume oils for the smell alike industry also make perfume oils for the "original" perfumes. I am not aware of any smell alike company that manufactures their own perfume oils. Please let us know if you perhaps know of one? This of course would make one wonder to use your words "what the real thing" really is. In other words if the "real thing" is made by the same companies that supply the smell alike industry - what actually is the real thing? As you say, there are many smell alike companies that use a multi level marketing or to use your phrase a "pyramid" distribution method to market and sell their products. Then there are others that sell their products through retailers such Checkers, Shoprite and Pick 'n Pay. Of course in all of these outlets there are testers so that the consumer can try before they buy - which I suppose eliminates any risk. Why?Because they can check for both smell and longevity before a cent leaves their wallets. Let us know which brand of the "countless companies that mix oils with alcohol and call it “smell alike”" you tried, that "didn’t last and it felt and smelled like exxactky what it is - a cheap version of the real thing."
Look as I said, I did try one of Fine Fragrances smell alikes and in my experience and personal opinion there was a big difference in not only longevity but also in subtle notes that were just not the same. As a perfume collector and someone who is quite keen on perfumery, you become aware that there are also fragrant engineered imitations of certain natural fine ingredients such as: Oud (a parasite that infects wood and more expensive than gold pound for pound), ambergris (whale intestine secretion), civet (feline urine), Musk (antelope testical secretion) to name but a fraction of them (don’t get me started on the different lilly flower which some only occur on tiny Pacific islands). In these cases I can guarantee you that they cost A LOT more than R30 to produce those oils. Go try buying a single chip of Cambodian agarwood in South east Asia or royal green frankincense in Oman and tell us how much you paid...in USD:) A lot of these designers (Armani, D&G, Hugo Boss, Chanel etc) are using these natural ingredients, thus in my opinion, you advertisement was not thorough and not entirely transparent ( and I call it an ad because you are not independent as you represent a certain brand and therefore incongruent with the objectives, values and ethics of a documentary). This is by no means an attack on your brand but furthermore as a brand I think it’s important that you receive this type of feedback from people who know a little bit about the subject. It just seemed as if you are telling half the story, targeting those who are not really informed on the subject - in that case, yes you have achieved your objective - which was to attract people to this video which promotes your brand at seemingly the expense of other brands (normally referred to as an add).
@@ActiveMindisHabit Hi Miguel if you watch to the end you will see that Fine Fragrance Collection Ten (Pty) Ltd funded the doccie, so I am not sure how much more we could have informed the viewer. Perhaps it would have been better if we started with "In the spirit of transparency Fragrance Collection Ten (Pty) Ltd funded the doccie", so that any one who didn't watch to the end was not left guessing. I assume, however, that everyone that did watch the doccie to the end will work out that this is the reason that the Fine Fragrance Collection smell alike brand was used. However there are many other great smell alike brands out there that the consumer should try if they are not able to find the Fine Fragrance Collection products in their area. Our advice before buying a smell alike. Try before you buy and ask what dosage they are using to verify how long it will last.
I do not agree. You're making a fool of perfumery. The cost of the paint and materials for Picasso, Matisse,.. is also only 20 EUR. Why are their paintings worth so much more?
You are 100% correct the cost to make a perfume oil (the concentrate) is very low. But as you say someone (in this case the perfumer) has to make it. But here is the difference between painters and perfumers. Very few perfumers who create the fragrances that are so well known by the consumer (like the Mona Lisa to use a well known painting as a reference point) work independently. Almost all work for the big flavour and fragrance houses such as Givaudan, Firmenich, Symrise, IFF etc etc and are paid by them. They are not free agents/painters/artists/perfumers. These are the companies that then take the artist's...sorry perfumer's masterpiece and mass produce the painting....sorry perfume oil (the concentrate) that the artist/perfumer has created for them. So, so far we are on the same page. But this is where we diverge. The companies that mass produce the perfume oil are the very same companies that copy the masterpiece that the perfumer created who works for them and then sells them to all and sundry. See the example of 1 million manufactured by Givaudan. The perfumers who work for Givaudan created 1 Million for the owners of the Paco Rabanne brand. Yet Givaudan offers a copy of 1 Million to the smell alike industry. So in your example do you think if Picasso or Matisse worked for a multinational company that paid them would have had any say when the multinational company decided to make 1000' and 1000's of copies of the painting they painted, whose materials cost 20 EUR to paint? And do you think the "masterpiece" would still be expensive and considered a masterpiece if the multinational (that now owned the masterpiece because they paid the painter a salary) made 1000's and 1000's of copies and sold them to every Tom, Dick and Harry they could find? I think not! And here is the reality. Even if one of the big fragrance houses decided not to copy their own creations, all the others would copy it in a heartbeat and sell them as copies to the smell alike industry! Whether you think this is morally right or wrong is somewhat immaterial. Why? Because this is the reality of the designer perfume industry! Whether we like it or not creating a designer perfume is not in the same league as creating a masterpiece painting. Why? Because it very quickly descends to the same value as mouthwash as the entity that owns the recipe copies it over and over and over and over and over again!
I must admit I was surprised to see that the “documentary” was only 11min long, especially if you consider what a billboard must cost. But regardless of the duration of the video it intrigued me because this won’t be the first-time consumers have been swindled nor the last, so I had to find out for myself. Although I don’t own a large collection of perfumes I do own a bottle of issey miyake for which FFC also has a smell a like version. I replicated the test in the video where I sprayed the real thing on my right arm and the fake/smell a like on my left, I applied the original before I left to go to the shop and to use their tester. It would have been awesome if the two products were the same because how cool will it be to be able to buy a R1000.00 product for R129.00, however as in most cases if it sounds too good to be true it probably is. The fake/knockoff perfume smelled liked the original but there is an obvious difference and I could smell the original a lot longer compared to the fake even though I put the original on before the fake. I suppose if you think about it the entire documentary doesn’t make sense - surely the big companies need to protect their product/formula a lot like KFC needs to protect their recipe or alternatively patent it in some way otherwise they won’t make any money because everyone would just copy it and all of the R&D cost will be lost which is another thing which isn’t mentioned in the video, the R&D cost to make/design a new perfume. I suppose there is a bit of swindling going on, but it is being done by Fine Fragrance Collection whereby they attempt to convince consumers that their product is as good as or better than the real thing. But let’s give credit where it is due, although I wasn’t fooled, this is a new type of marketing which may be innovative, but lastly, I think we must ask where does it falls on an ethical scale?
Hi Weyers thank you for your comment. Let me start where you end. Ethics are a really interesting question in this regard. Fine Fragrance Collection along with all the other retailers of smell alike perfumes always seem to pick up the “unethical” tab. I assume that is what you meant. So, let’s go to the source of the product and then decide upon the ethics. There are approximately 20 - 30 multi-national companies world-wide, 13 of whom we found operating in South Arica who make the smell alike perfume oils for the smell alike retailers like FFC. Some of these companies, like Givaudan, actually make perfume oils for the original products and then copy them themselves and then sell them to the smell alike industry. See our example of One Million. I think you may have missed the point that these are the very same companies that do the R&D and by implication, I suppose, own the IP. But let’s get back to the ethics. If you are saying that all the companies in the chain between perfume oil production and the consumer (which include the multi-national companies that make the perfume oil for both the original brands and the smell alike industry and the retailers thereof) are unethical, then I think you would also have to brand all the companies that make generic medicine, compatible motor car parts, printer cartridges and multitudes of other products as unethical as well. Now you may think a world where there are no copies as an “ethical nirvana” but imagine for a moment what would happen if you could personally not afford the original of one of these products but needed it. You may see cheaper alternatives through a different lens. The point I make is that choice is something that all people should be allowed to make. And I really don’t think a cheaper alternative is unethical, I think it is called free market, but that is my opinion. Lastly let me end where you started and get to the practical. All smell alike companies should have testers so that consumers can try before they buy. This will allow them to make an informed decision on smell, longevity and quality, exactly like you have done. My advice to all consumers that are going to buy a smell alike - copy what Weyers did. Do a test to check the quality, without spending a cent of your money, and then make your purchase decision .
Been using fine fragrance perfumes for the past 4 months I'm inlove!!!!!!!!! Especially the Versace Eros😍 smelling expensive at a R50 cost has never been this great!
The billboards bought us here !! We are all for organic Beaty and the perfume industry is definitely making money out of their consumers while destroying the environment.
This is NOT a documentary. This is just a long marketing ADVERTISEMENT for a specific perfume brand where they tell you that designer perfume is over priced and inferior to the advertised product, but they fail to explain why the product the sell cost R160 when they go to great lengths to point out their product only cost R28 to produce.
Danny Botes you do not expect them not to make money do you. they were just talking about the content....not the bottel, the packing, the holding costs, the distribution costs, the overheads of the retail outlets, the costs covering the strategic management, the marketing planning costs, the actual advertising costs, etc etc. those costs need to be covered out of that margin.
Interesting indeed. I will try out your fragrances but interested in the longevity/projection and smell of your collection. After all I judge perfume on how it smells and not necessarily on the brand. People need the judge perfumes based on its Juice and not its price tag. If it smells good wear it.
I emailed all 5 top companies mentioned,they do not create the generic perfumes. This is what I have been told. I managed to get another company in South Africa that makes these generic perfumes. They are called Scentlab. They do not have what I want on their list as Im looking for 3 specific ones. They told me to reproduce a generic I need to order 200kg minimum at R1800 per kg. I might as well create my own brand then.
Seriously what’s going on here? Firstly you guys have billboards and radio ads everywhere then when I watch this “documentary” it’s clearly an ad for “Fine Fragrances”
Hi Tevin thank you for your comment. Fine Fragrance Collection funded this documentary so we used their products to highlight the information. Documentaries are made with the intent of informing the viewer about a particular subject. For instance did you know the liquid inside all bottles of perfume costs less than R30 to make? Did you know that ALL the "original" and the smell alike companies buy their perfume oil (the concentrate) from the same companies? Did you know what dosage is? And that dosage determines how long a fragrance lasts on you skin? Surely now that you do have this information, you will be able to make a more informed decision should you ever buy a bottle of perfume. Whether it be an original, a Fine Fragrance Collection smell alike or a smell alike from many other smell alike perfume companies? And this is bad? Would it be better if you and other consumers didn't have this information? We published the documentary to bring the facts to light about the perfume industry, so that you and any body else that watches it can be better informed. We hope we have achieved this objective!
Simon, as someone who has experimented with perfume creation do not be deluded by these guys. Making your own perfume is bloody difficult and you will soon realise this and give up. You cannot produce a Dior equivalent at home.
Wrong again Muhammed. Simon go to one of the 8 small multi-national companies if you don't want to buy big quantities or one of the big 5 if quantities are no problem mentioned in our doccie and they will supply you copy perfume oils, that one of their perfumers that are in their employ, will guarantee you is a smell alike of any well known Dior product
OK, making an odour is then easy, thats understood, BUT, how will it react to your sweat over time of day, and how will that odour end up to be-?, and will this be a difference between cheap and expensive, TIME is always a factor in every creation.
as a newbie perfumer, this information is somewhat misleading. yes the company made all of these clones.. here in Indonesia we called it a 'Refill Perfume' their quality compare to the original was only 80% for 'Premium Refill Version' from SFA Romani France. this can be much.. much... lower, if the perfume original brand used so many naturals in it!
Hi Agin thank you for your comment. In South Africa each of the multinationals mentioned in the documentary offer clones/generics/smell alikes of most of the recognised perfume brands. You are quite correct in your statement where you say that most of the companies that buy these clones from them buy a much lower quality than the original brands do. However, each of the multinationals mentioned, do offer a one to one match (in other words an identical copy perfume oil) of the designer brands. This perfume is of course more expensive than the lower qualities but is most definitely available. We have letters from numerous of Fine Fragrance Collection's suppliers such as IFF and Symrise that the quality of the perfume oil that Fine Fragrance Collection buys is so called "A" grade. But as I have mentioned on many other posts. Any credible perfume company that interfaces with the consumer should offer testers. These testers allow the consumer to try before they buy. This process eliminates all risk because the customer can verify the quality before they spend one cent of their money. I hope in Indonesia all credible perfume companies offer testers so that the consumer does not get ripped off!
Wow ads are getting smart.. all that billboard money could have been spent on an actual documentary that people would be interested in watching instead of watching this "documentary" where the tests and "facts" are immediately discredited by the fact that they are claimed by the company who wants to use the tests and facts to sell you diluted fragrances. Im also pretty certain I had to unsubscribe a few times from unsolicited bulk mailers from this same company. Video reported.
A lot of the criticism in the comments stems from a lack of understanding or those who stopped watching the documentary half way. Smell-alike is the same perfume oil as the original, in fact it should be better as it has a higher percentage of the active ingredient. I for one will never buy a branded perfume again, now that I know how the industry works. This was a smart project as it can only lead to an increase in overall sales. Those who are happy to blow R 3,000 on a designer bottle just for the status of name dropping will not be persuaded and will continue to cough up. For those of us who were interested in the scent but not willing to spend that money they now get a sale from us. If you are smart with your money you will switch from branded to smell-alike.
I couldn't agree more.... I'm interested on the scent only... and so I will never ever buy designer perfume for R3,000 .... i'll will stick to smell alike for R160 or dilute it myself.
Your comment contains a logical flaw. The fact that the same companies make the smell-alikes does not mean that the ingredients are the same, it's just an implication. Companies often push out copies at lower prices, but not the same quality.
Smell alikes may have a higher dosage of oil but it definitely does not last as long as the original. There's definitely something else that the brand companies do to make it last longer. I use Hugo Boss. With the original the scent remains on my skin for days even after showering. The smell alike evaporates within a few hours. Although this documentary may have been interesting there's definitely something else that the perfume companies do that they are keeping secret. That being said I will still only be using Fine Fragrance smell alikes in future.
Thank you for your comment, but you are 100% wrong! Perfume is made by mixing a concentrate known as perfume oil with alcohol. The more concentrate you put in the mix the longer the fragrance will last on the skin. The originals on average dose at 20% perfume oil 80% alcohol. We dose at 35% perfume oil 65% alcohol. This means our perfumes last longer on the skin than the originals. 🙂 This is not an opinion this is a scientific fact! And how do I know it is a fact! You may have noticed that I make a liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiittle bit of noise about, what I think, is the unethical behaviour of the designer perfume industry. My name is Simon and I own the business. If I was wrong I would have been sued for so much money that my great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great grandchildren wouldn't be able to pay off the damages bill. Yet, to date not one of the owners of the original brands have taken me on legally. Why? They turn US$35billion a year globally, so I do not think it is because they cannot afford a few attorneys. I think it may be because what I say is the truth and as far as I am aware you cannot sue someone for telling the truth! Well not yet, as far as I know! :)
Is there any documented proof you can share that shows the major companies (Firmenich, Givaudan, etc.) have access to/keep the formulas for the fragrances their oils are purchased by designer/fragrance houses to produce, let alone them themselves taking the time to mix and sell smell alikes (even though they apparently have the original formula as you claim)? Do they do this for all the fragrances their oils are sourced to produced or only best sellers? Why would the smell alikes they sell smell and perform differently if they in fact have the original formulas to replicate? They should be able to simply re-use the same exact formula as apparently fragrances cannot be patented. Even if this were the case that they produce these smell alikes (rather than companies such as Fine Fragrances) it could be that they are using lower grade oils, leaving out other non-fragrance oil fixitives, in addition to leaving out non-essential fragrance notes, etc. From videos that can be found on UA-cam you can see for example fragrance houses such as Guerlain have their formulas kept at their location, which I would assume is the case for other fragrance/designer houses, rather than the formulas being kept (let alone then being recreated to sell smell alikes as claimed) by the multi-national fragrance oil companies such as Givaudan.
Hi CosgroveMusic thank you for your comment. Obviously, we have proof that the major companies make smell alikes, but don't take our words for this call them yourself. To be specific, in Givaudan’s case we know that they make smell alikes of their own creations (you can call Kalex their local agent in South Africa and ask) but in the case of Firmenich we were advised by their sales person that they do manufacture smell alikes, but not of their own creations. If you want to know why they do this I suggest you call them once again and ask them. There are some houses such as Chanel, Dior and Hermes that do create their own fragrances, but in reality most of the big flavour and fragrances manufacturers copy these fragrances too, which is how the smell alike companies come by them. With regards to the quality of the smell alike fragrances or any fragrances for that matter, you may have seen that I have said this on other comments - anybody that is buying a smell alike should try before they buy. This means that the consumer can check the quality, smell, body, longevity etc etc of the fragrance before they spend a single cent of their money. This eliminates the risk! I would advise the consumer not to purchase any fragrance from any perfume company that does not have testers available. Testers are exactly that! They allow potential customers the opportunity to check the product out before they purchase it. If you get a chance come back and let us know what the big fragrance and flavour houses say about making smell alikes after you have spoken to them.
@@finefragrancecollection3399 I've just sent emails to these companies so I will need to wait for a reply. To clarify, are you stating that Givaudan for example makes these smell alikes before being requested by companies such as Fine Fragrances and has them stocked at their locations, or are they only produced (using Givaudan, etc.'s own formula) if orders for smell alikes of specific fragrances are requested by companies who would sell these? It would be difficult to believe that they would produce smell alikes of various fragrances letting them sit at their locations hoping that companies will buy them at some point. Or have I misunderstood and they are simply fulfilling orders they receive from companies who sell smell alikes which would be those companies' (Ie: Fine Fragrances) formulas they've determined through Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry or any other method they happen to use? This would make more sense and would explain the (sometimes) lower quality in terms of scent/performance due to them not getting the formula completely correct, purchasing lower-cost fragrance oils, not including the other fixitives and processing.
@@CosgroveMusic Hi CosgroveMusic I have no idea whether these companies have "stock on the shelf" or they "make to order". Your emails to them may clarify this point for you. The point of the documentary is to show 1. that all smell alike companies buy the smell alike perfume oils, in some cases from the same companies that make the perfume oils for the originals and 2. that the cost of the liquid inside a bottle of designer perfume and their smell alike version is around R30. We hope we achieved this objective.
Omg 😯😯😯😯😯I love it i love it love it,🤩😍🥰💁♀️💁♀️💁♀️💁♀️🙋♀️🙋♀️🙋♀️💃💃💃💃💃💃💃 delivery took only 3 days 🚚omg I loooooooove the smell. You guys keep it up👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
Hi there, I really like your doccie (lol at these comments who don't watch the whole thing). I do have one issue, the editing kinda sucks (no offence to anyone who made it, but I do believe it could be better) - I'd love to help with that if I can, in any future products you may have.
I've seen friends of mine who keep EMPTY shoe boxes at home for shoes they bought in 1992 ! Well, leave the shoe boxes alone for a while, if I don't carry around my smell alike bottle everywhere I go, I am just wondering . . . is it possible that I would smell cheaper than someone else who also does NOTTT carry his original bottle around, and ALL he has . . . is a SMELL on his body ? I prefer the word "brand name", Not the word "original" because the word "original" refers to something else COMPLETELY separate from a brand name ! An "original" thing/idea/product does NOTTT need or require to have ANY brand name on it. Originality has FOKOL to do with names and brands.
lmao ROLF, its like saying making clothes is just stitching pieces of material together. Dont compare your BS product with companies that spend millions on marketing and research. Dont get me started on your packaging. And to answer your question on why you have not been sued, well, it is a matter of significance, or in your case, the lack thereof. Simple
Hi Motebang thank you for your comment. I am not sure what BS product you are comparing. Is it perhaps the "BS" perfume oils that come from the same multi national companies that make the perfume oils for both the original and the smell alike industry? I think you may have missed the part in our documentary where we make the point that a company like Givaudan who makes the perfume oil for One Million also sells a smell alike perfume oil of One Million to the smell alike industry. On a practical level they come and tell the manufacturers of smell alike perfumes that this perfume oil smells like One Million and then ask "do you want to buy it?" If you think this is not true call them and ask. I am not sure of the relevance of your analogy of "its like saying making clothes is just stitching pieces of material together"? Surely if the tailor in your analogy makes the same piece of clothing twice then it is the same. Especially if he/she comes and tells you that the two articles of clothing are the same? But leaving analogies aside let's give a real world example - if Givaudan, the company who makes One Million (and spent the apparent millions on marketing and research you claim), offers perfume oil to somebody else besides the company that markets One Million, and says this perfume oil smells like One Million then surely it is the same? Or perhaps I don't understand what the word "same" means. I'm not sure we asked a question in regards to why we haven't been sued, I think we made a statement. But that aside let me answer your statement about significance. I have never found anyone of substance, especially multinational corporations, that have had fabricated accusations made against them, not issuing a cease and desist letter. Reputation is still important I think. But perhaps you are better informed than I am in this area. Let me end with asking you to help us. If you think there is anything that we said on a substantive level, about the industry, that cannot be defended in a court of law please let us know. That being said I do hope that you are better informed about the perfume industry after watching our documentary!
"Mix and pour"? LOL No, somebody has to CREATE those scents... Also, the ingredients on designer brands are wayyy better than the know off stuff... You can't steal somebody's intellectual property, reproduce it (at lower quality mind you) and then turn around and criticize the people you STOLE from.
Hi Kagiso I assume you must have misunderstood the point in the documentary that the smell alike companies buy the perfume oils from some of the same companies that make the perfume oils for the originals. They are the ones that, to use your words "CREATE those scents" and then copy them and sell them. If you watched the documentary to the point where we reveal that a company like Givaudan who makes the original perfume oil for One Million also makes a smell alike perfume oil of One Million, then I am am not sure what you mean when you say "You can't steal somebody's intellectual property, reproduce it (at lower quality mind you) and then turn around and criticize the people you STOLE from." ? Who do you think is stealing the IP? The people who make it? Are they stealing it from themselves? I am not sure you can steal something from yourself? And who is being criticised? We are stating a point of fact - no criticism. As to the quality, I have said this before on other replies - anybody that is buying a smell alike should try before they buy. This means that the consumer can check the quality, smell, body, longevity etc etc of the fragrance before they spend a single cent of their money. This eliminates the risk! I would advise the consumer not to purchase any fragrance from any perfume company that does not have testers available. Testers are exactly that! They allow potential customers the opportunity to check the product out before they purchase it. Hope this response leaves you with more information!
This is a marketing campaign for Fine Fragrances....after seeing the billboards with this documentary I was keen on watching but now I'm not even sure that what I watched is factual or not.. 🙄🙄
Hi Jack the documentary, as we have stated at the end, was funded by Fine Fragrance Collection Ten (Pty) Ltd. If you have a chance, you can verify the information about the manufacturers of the perfume oils for the original products by visiting one of the fragrance websites, such as Fragrantica.com. If you want to check whether the multi-national companies mentioned sell smell alike perfume oils or verify the price of perfume oil you can make a call to anyone of them and ask them for a price list. The data about the dosage we had done at an international laboratory and have it on hand. Lastly, just to ensure that we had all our information correct we checked it all with Andreas Wilhelm (who has no affiliation with Fine Fragrance Collection) an international perfumer with 18 years of experience. We did not take the making of this documentary lightly as we knew that our claims would have to stand up to scrutiny. We challenge anyone to dispute the information we have put out! In other words, let someone be specific in their challenges. Confront the information about who the perfume oil suppliers to the owners of the brands are and whether they also supply the smell alike industry, what the price of perfume oil is and the dosages in the original products and/or the FFC smell alikes. On these issues and any other specifics we welcome any challenges. What we do hope is that this documentary leaves the public with slightly more knowledge about the perfume industry and helps them make a more educated purchase decision the next time they buy a bottle of perfume - whether it be an original or ANY smell alike brand.
Many companies make "knock-offs" of their own products to push at a lower price, larger segment. These copies are often intentionally inferior. You're not stating that the smell-alikes are the same product, simply that they're made by the same company. That's where the logic fails. We're expected to assume they're the same, which is speculation, not fact.
Hi Nico you are absolutely correct. However in the "blind" smell test we did 313 people could not smell a difference and in fact half the respondents said it smelt stronger. In addition, not all the manufacturers of the "original" perfume oils will copy their own creations. As an example the test we did was on Alien. The original Alien is made by IFF, but the smell alike we compared it to is made by one of the other multi-national company's we list. I have said this before on other replies - anybody that is buying a smell alike should try before they buy. This means that the consumer can check the quality, smell, body, longevity etc etc of the fragrance before they spend a single cent of their money. This eliminates the risk! I would advise the consumer not to purchase any fragrance from any perfume company that does not have testers available. Testers are exactly that! They allow potential customers the opportunity to check the product out before they purchase it.
So I sat through a 12 minute advert for Fine Fragrances!!! Without the obvious being stated : dilute your Fine Fragrance Product with the correct alcohol to match the smell of the original. For the original: a 20% oil is 10ml, then the total bottle volume is 50ml. So a 1 part oil to 4 parts alcohol. For the smell alike: a 30% oil is 15ml. Using the 1 to 4 ratio, 15ml * 4 = 60ml alcohol is needed and the total volume will then be 75ml. But only 50ml - 15ml = 35ml alcohol exists. Meaning that 60ml is needed, so 60ml -35ml = 25ml short. So to get the original scent, pour half of the Smell alike perfume mix (25ml) into another bottle and add 25/2 = 12.5ml of alcohol to each bottle. Voila!! You now have the original scent ... for R160 for 75ml ... at 50% more volume. Bonus!!! What cost you R160 for 50 ml, now only costs you R107 per 50ml.
You're missing the point. It's not about matching the smell. They both smell the same. The higher the ratio of oil used, the longer lasting the smell is.
@@mariuspratz7270 buy them for your lady them ... See what she says ... my ex was a super 'smeller' ... super 'taster' ... I trust her feedback. Even to my inferior nose ... the 'smell like' (clue there ... by the way) ... are sharper, less smooth or pleasant on the old olifactory glands. The bottom line ... this is just spam and ambush advertising ...
Hi Yvette I am not sure what you mean. When you say "So you'd like to copy Chanel. No. 5" who do you think the you is? The "you" in this case is all the multi-national companies we mention in the documentary that copy, not only Chanel No5, but any other famous smell. So if you think they will not get the support it may be an idea for you to ask them why they then make copies. I assume they make the copies because they sell a lot of them, but once again that is a question you would need to ask of them.
I love perfume, thank you so much for this very informative documentary. I've been spending a lot of money on original designer perfumes, will now start trying the smell alikes.😊😍
The best and long lasting fragrances. I see myself going broke, but I don't mind. Now my child wants to own every bottle. Truth be told...me too. Bought 4 bottles yesterday and going for more today. ❤❤❤❤❤
If you misrepresent the facts and publish false information you run the risk of being sued. Our documentary took aim at the multi-billion-dollar perfume industry and since its publication over 5 years ago we have faced no legal action. In other words, to date we have not been sued.
We did receive one “cease and desist” legal letter from one of the perfume oil companies denying that they make “smell alike” perfume oils. But once our legal team sent them the evidence we had, we heard nothing more.
Many of the comments below challenged the integrity of our data. We knew when we published this documentary that some people would find the information impossible to believe. But we now feel vindicated that the truth always prevails, even in this world of fake news!
I might be a year late on this but I just wanted to let you know that,unlike 99% of the viewers of this video, THANK YOU for opening my eyes and saving me my hard earned RAND😉🇿🇦✌🏿 #ReKaofela
Sure but this is nothing new or different than many other industries. Luxottica for eyewear is an even worse monopoly.
Thank you. Knowledge is economic power.
I'm here because Namolinah plugged us.
A big shout to her! Thank you! :)
Same!
@@Nqo19 Thank you! :)
Same same
@@reagle7918 :)
I'm very curious to find out how the makers of this documentary obtained enough funds to set up radio ads and billboards next to the N1 just to advertise this 12 minute documentary. Something strange is going on here. Clearly this is an add of some kind.
Hi Stephan the documentary, the billboard and radio campaign was funded by Fine Fragrance Collection Ten (Pty) Ltd, which is stated at the end of the documentary.
However, before you conclude that it is an advert, let me ask you this question. How many other companies do you know that make an “advert” that reveals how easy it is to make their product, where to get the ingredients i.e. their suppliers and finally how much it costs to make the product?
The intent here was twofold :
1. to inform the consumer how easy and cheap it is to make perfume and
2. that they can purchase the Fine Fragrance Collection smell alike or any other smell alike for that matter at a fraction of the cost.
We hope that we achieved this objective
Exactly!...There's probably a new wholesale supplier readying themselves to shake up the market and get public sentiment on their side
Could have saved a plane trip to Turkey and interviewed the agent via Skype/Whatsapp.
@@oomstu true
So lets do some maths for Fine Fragrances then ...
SP R160 - COS R30 = GP R130 (81%)
Looked at differently ...
R30 is marked up by 430%
That's still a HUGE mark up folks ...
I think a similar investigation must be done for the vitamin industry, to reflect if the users really get the intended value, especially if shrinkflation is used extensively by most vitamin suppliers i.e. buy a large vitamin container, but the bottom of this container is not even covered by the vitamin pills. This also give a feeling for me that even a vitamin pill might consist mainly of fillers and very little real vitamins.
Wow lm 3years late but glad l found this. May l repost this with credits of course?
Please do! :-D Thank you for the vote of confidence! :-D
I was plugged by Nomalinah, and here to do business with your product 🙏 but first I would like to try few for myself so I need to order today ☺️
Please let us know what you think.
Can you provide references to the statements made in your video ?
Please contact all the people and/or companies mentioned and verify. :)
Thanx Namolina
❤️
You pay for the blending, projection, longevity. Lots of cloned perfume oils are linear and synthetic smelling.
Hi Ricky Tomatoes I have no idea what your statement means when you say "You pay for the blending, projection, longevity."? If you mean that we pay an exorbitant price for the originals because of the blending which results in projection and longevity you are quite correct.
Lot's of the smell alikes we found do not smell the same or last as long as the "original" version because of poor quality oils and dosage. Please see the point we make at 5:10 in the video.
This is the reason I have continually stated in all the comments here that the consumer should test any smell alike perfume before they buy it. This eliminates any risk! Based on this simple smell test the consumer can verify the similarity of the smell and the longevity. And this can be done without one cent leaving the consumer's pocket. No risk!
@@finefragrancecollection3399 Forgot to mention the cost of creativity (the perfumer). And let's be honest, without the originals, there would be no clones.
@@rickytomatoes You are 100% correct. Like with all generics - there cannot be a generic without an original.
But I think you may have missed the part at 3:01 where we point out that Givaudan the company that employs the perfumer that created One Million - also offers a generic perfume oil (concentrate) of One Million to the smell alike industry.
With this in mind I assume, in the case of One Million, Givaudan either built the cost of the perfumer's creativity/salary into the original, the clone (as you call it) or both. This means the perfumer who created One Million earns a salary and gets paid for his/her creativity whether there is or isn't a clone. Otherwise I very much doubt that he/she would continue to work for the Givaudan where his/her creativity/talent is not adequately remunerated.
And this is not unique to Givaudan. Every single perfumer in every single flavour and fragrance company gets paid a salary to create perfumes (originals or clones). That is their job and for this "creativity" they get paid a salary! I hope this adequately covers your point about "Forgot to mention the cost of creativity (the perfumer)"?
Quite interesting! Seems consumers are being ripped off!
Well....not necessarily. It is the designer brands which put in all the financial investment into research and development and high quality packaging. Working with perfumers to develop a specific smell, do consumer research and advertising costs. Once that's done - smell-a-likes simply take the smell that already exists after all the work is done by other businesses so they have the profit with a whole lot less risk other than that they are 'no-name' brand. Somehow after all costs are taken care of I doubt that the profit is necessarily that big even though the mark-up is quite huge. Smell-alikes have much lower distribution costs. Also designer brands have to fork out a lot more money to the retailers selling their product. What's good about having both designer and smell-alike brands is that using lifestyle products or 'luxury' type products that bring a little bit of joy into our lives is not exclusive to only the most priviliged. So I think it's great to give more access to a little feeling of luxury.
I've never bought perfume for myself but am lucky enough to occasionally get the designer brand perfume as an Xmas gift and even after watching this I appreciate what has been paid for. Retail is one of the toughest areas to work in. Profits can be really tight. And we may have been duped with all the advertising but it has worked for a reason...and we still love the allure of perfume even though it has never been a necessary product at all. I often just really love my rub on sandalwood oil a lot more than my perfume (and it is a whole lot cheaper).
Hi Erin I think your comments are on point! The only one thing I would say with regards to your point that "smell-a-likes simply take the smell that already exists after all the work is done by other businesses so they have the profit with a whole lot less risk other than that they are 'no-name' brand"
In actuality the very same companies that make the perfume oils for the designer brands (these are the ones the perfumers work at and create the "smell") are also the same companies that make the perfume oils for the smell alike industry. Without them offering smell alike oils to the smell alike companies that make the perfume that is sold to the consumer - the smell alike industry would not exist!
@@erinbosenberg271 funny how people thought the same with the polony industry that Woolworths polony cames from some different place until listeriosis out break than we started knowing that the get the raw materials from same company
whenever in the history off retail has the consumer not been ripped off?
Namolinah with the plug 👍
❤️❤️
Filming someone packing a travel case and a plane taking off = Flying to Istanbul... I smell a perfumed RAT!!!
BTW, I created my own brand...It's called W45HY0URN457Y455...
Nothing to see here. These perfumes are just like the generic medicine market - One company does all the work/designs/research and the rest copy their efforts. For interest sake, i bought your version of 1 Million and it doesn't come close to the original. Next time use test subjects that doesn't smoke 2 packs a day.
Fine create your own
I decided to pay for the liquid inside.
And we are so glad to hear that you are paying for what's inside! :-D Thank you so much for your support!
@@finefragrancecollection3399 Thank you too! It was such an important information.
@@premdasyesudasan5778 It is our pleasure! :)
Ok...well...let me be happy and smelling good...not important if is cheaper and I pay expensive...I bet you are lying because nothing that smells as tom ford can be cheaper and easy to design...
Wow, that is one of the more interesting comments I have seen. Did you watch the documentary? :) When next you are close to one of our stores maybe spray some generic Tom Ford on your left wrist (its free we have testers so there is no cost to you) and then visit a store that sells the "original" and spray that on your right wrist. Then wait 5 hours and report back to all of us. :)
@@finefragrancecollection3399 thank you I have the Tom Ford collection, I know its real smell and Don't want smell those other fake/clones creations
@@fenixproject5554 You really really should do a little bit of research before you make public statements of "Knowledge/Fact". :) Tom Ford Noir is made by Givaudan (go to the Fragrantica website - if you do not know it it is like the Wikipedia of perfume) and do a search.
Now do you know who sells a "fake/clone creation" of Tom Ford Noir? I am sure you are seeing where I am going with this? You guessed it! Givaudan! The company that makes the original! Wow! The company that makes the original also makes a smell alike. Who would of guessed! I am going to go with the people that made the Odour documentary! No really?? :) I wonder if it smells the same as the original? Givaudan says it does, but what do they know, I mean they only made the original! :) You, of course, must have a much better "knowledge" than them!! :)
As I say above when you make public statements of fact it is probably better to check the facts, otherwise you make look uniformed....or maybe something even worse! :) :) :)
Youndid not count the cost of bottling,the bottle its self the cap,the logo,the brand..transportation..storage??ure clowning
So now that you know that the liquid inside a botte of designer perfume that retails for R1500 costs around R20 to make, do you think the other costs you mention including "the cost of bottling,the bottle its self the cap,the logo,the brand..transportation..storage" costs R1480?
In reality the cost to make perfume is around about the same as the cost to make mouthwash. And I have never ever seen a bottle of mouthwash even with all the same costs you mention "of bottling,the bottle its self the cap,the logo,the brand..transportation..storage" sell for R1500.
In fact the liquid inside every single personal care product (including perfume) such as shower gel, roll on, body lotion, hair gel, shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, mouthwash, etc etc etc costs around R20 to make. And all of them (except perfume) sells for less than a R100. This means that all the other personal care products have a maximum profit of R80, but for perfume it is R1480. Where does the other R1400 go?
Now that you know all of this I am sure you will ask "whose clowning who?"
Don't know why everyone is crying. I have spent thousands on perfumes and yes it's always nice to have the real thing but if you can smell nice for less, like a 1/6 of the original price, why not? Not everyone can afford R1000+ for a single bottle of perfume? I use perfume every single day, I have a bottle of Chanel and I feel like I'm spraying R100 on myself every time I use it. So if people love a fragrance and they can't afford it, let them be and enjoy the cheaper version and obviously one should know not to expect the sun, moon and stars, as it is in fact the copy. For the joke of it my mom and I tried these little sample bottles in Pick 'n Pay yesterday, I tried the Armani one to be honest and I kid you not, 1 it smelt amazing and 2 I still smell it on my wrist which never happens with these expensive ones. You think because something is "name brand" it's the best quality, with the best ingredients? No think again, in every single industry they use parts from the same factory and depending on the brand have a 10% markup or 200% markup. And obviously packing in this regard will also play a role in the price. Can you copyright a fragrance... I think not... How may ways are there to make a vanilla scent? Open your minds people.
Came here cause of Namonilah🤍
A big shout to her! Thank you! :)
Same here, i actually want to test them.
Please visit our website for all the information you need. 😊 finefragrancecollection.com/
What is quite apparent in the cost comparisons of the Originals vs. the Smell-alikes is that the Originals have a much higher value chain i.e : Indirectly they create much more jobs than the smell alikes. Whether the consumer wants to support this is off-course another question. What is also conveniently not mentioned is offcourse that without all the research and development of the originals there would be no Smell-alikes. You kind of need the Original industry for the smell-alikes. Almost like generic drugs become available after their patents have lapsed.. A bit of a cheap shot by the Fine Fragrance Collection 10 Company, but yet very clever marketing.
I've bought perfume from fine fragrance for R119 and I'm happy. Then again, I am not big on cologne but this stuff smells good and expensive. Would never spend R1500 on a perfume personally because hey Im only a full time employed human being.
I collect fragrances.. I wish
I had known about smell alike.. as I could've kept my branded ones full and on display and used the smell alikes as testers and for daily use.
Very interesting documentary. I love fragrances and this just confirm my theory that i was getting reaped off. Since i came across with smell alikes i stopped loosing money buying perfumes from all these stores. In fact i packed all my other perfume back in their boxes and save them as old trophy ;)
Thank you for the doccy
You know that those companies payed professionals as chemical engineers during the time that they spent designing and developing the project? For example 16 months...while those "alike fakes" are as parasites making rich to one chinnesse man that Is copying the work of other person? And you supporting that trash...no I don't work for perfums brands I am in the software business but we have the same worms in our business
I know this... because I worked at IFF.
Thank you. Always great when someone from the industry backs us up.
Hi
After watching this infomercial, I found that they actually tell the most of the truth here. Including that fact that the designer fragrances spend a lot of money on advertisements and packaging and they don't because the biggest part of advertising is done for them.
😎, thank you for the info, I’m switching from ‘premium’ to smell-alike.
This information gave me a choice. THANK YOU!! ... guess I’m not going to kramavile tomorrow to stay in that looooooooooooong line 😂
How do I get them,am in Kenya
Its very simple - if you cant smell the difference , why pay the difference ?! and if you can smell the difference your money is refunded. No questions asked. As for the comments that the documentary is an ad, all documentary's are adverts. Any content which expresses an idea is done with the intention of influencing the reader, listener or viewer and most documentary's are done with a single focus to influence.
This company has not once purported to sell the same or better fragrances, they have stated their fragrances "smell" the same they didn't say 'it is the same"
I welcome freedom of choice.
Thank you.
But many smell alikes have a different smell over time or reaction to natural chemistry. They start smelling cheap
Hi Ziyanda thank you for your comment. Please watch the documentary at ua-cam.com/video/rZcoWb7E4_Y/v-deo.html and you will see why this is.
and here i thought was was going to be an actual documentary... wasted 12 minutes of my life
I have been using them for over 7yrs while they were still operating from the house in Olivedale, i can't imagine myself using any generic except them. The best choice i have ever made. I smell like a million dollar. Thank you Fine Fragrance collection!!!❤❤❤❤
The thank you is all from us to you! Wow starting in my garage - that is a long time ago. Thank you for ALL the support over the years I appreciate it! :)
Just pop down to Fordsburg everyone and buy some lovely sandalwood & other oils ; ) Or if you prefer Bryanston go to their organic market for the same. And ignore this bizarre waste of time, boring, uneventful advertising. Somehow I am still commenting on this. They've successfully duped me into becoming a reactionary. : ( Support small business.
Pliz help me with the address
For all of you folks that saw this video for what it is - a marketing scheme for Fine Fragrances, it’s important that you know (seeing as we are being informative), that’s companies like fine fragrances are usually (not necessarily) members of pyramid schemes and network marketing campaigns. Fine Fragrances are not the only ones in town - there are countless companies that mix oils with alcohol and call it “smell alike”. When I lived in the UK I was also approached and asked if I wanted to attend a network marketing class on how to mix oil and alcohol to create my own brand of copies. They obviously require a fee for you to learn this. A dime a dozen. (Ask any of them they will tell you it costs R30 to make - they were probably taught that in the class)
The truth is I have tried a bottle of fine fragrance smell alike and in my own independent opinion as a frag head, it was not worth the money. The perfume didn’t last and it felt and smelled like exxactky what it is - a cheap version of the real thing.
Hi Miguel thank you for your comment. As you say there are many companies (in fact thousands) that mix smell alike perfume. Of course as you will have seen on the doccie, all of them buy their perfume oils from the multi national companies mentioned. What is of course interesting is that these same multinational companies that make the perfume oils for the smell alike industry also make perfume oils for the "original" perfumes. I am not aware of any smell alike company that manufactures their own perfume oils. Please let us know if you perhaps know of one?
This of course would make one wonder to use your words "what the real thing" really is. In other words if the "real thing" is made by the same companies that supply the smell alike industry - what actually is the real thing?
As you say, there are many smell alike companies that use a multi level marketing or to use your phrase a "pyramid" distribution method to market and sell their products.
Then there are others that sell their products through retailers such Checkers, Shoprite and Pick 'n Pay. Of course in all of these outlets there are testers so that the consumer can try before they buy - which I suppose eliminates any risk. Why?Because they can check for both smell and longevity before a cent leaves their wallets.
Let us know which brand of the "countless companies that mix oils with alcohol and call it “smell alike”" you tried, that "didn’t last and it felt and smelled like exxactky what it is - a cheap version of the real thing."
How about YOU inform us (the audience of your 12 minute documentary), which brand it is that you are representing?
Look as I said, I did try one of Fine Fragrances smell alikes and in my experience and personal opinion there was a big difference in not only longevity but also in subtle notes that were just not the same. As a perfume collector and someone who is quite keen on perfumery, you become aware that there are also fragrant engineered imitations of certain natural fine ingredients such as: Oud (a parasite that infects wood and more expensive than gold pound for pound), ambergris (whale intestine secretion), civet (feline urine), Musk (antelope testical secretion) to name but a fraction of them (don’t get me started on the different lilly flower which some only occur on tiny Pacific islands).
In these cases I can guarantee you that they cost A LOT more than R30 to produce those oils. Go try buying a single chip of Cambodian agarwood in South east Asia or royal green frankincense in Oman and tell us how much you paid...in USD:)
A lot of these designers (Armani, D&G, Hugo Boss, Chanel etc) are using these natural ingredients, thus in my opinion, you advertisement was not thorough and not entirely transparent ( and I call it an ad because you are not independent as you represent a certain brand and therefore incongruent with the objectives, values and ethics of a documentary).
This is by no means an attack on your brand but furthermore as a brand I think it’s important that you receive this type of feedback from people who know a little bit about the subject.
It just seemed as if you are telling half the story, targeting those who are not really informed on the subject - in that case, yes you have achieved your objective - which was to attract people to this video which promotes your brand at seemingly the expense of other brands (normally referred to as an add).
@@ActiveMindisHabit Hi Miguel if you watch to the end you will see that Fine Fragrance Collection Ten (Pty) Ltd funded the doccie, so I am not sure how much more we could have informed the viewer. Perhaps it would have been better if we started with "In the spirit of transparency Fragrance Collection Ten (Pty) Ltd funded the doccie", so that any one who didn't watch to the end was not left guessing.
I assume, however, that everyone that did watch the doccie to the end will work out that this is the reason that the Fine Fragrance Collection smell alike brand was used.
However there are many other great smell alike brands out there that the consumer should try if they are not able to find the Fine Fragrance Collection products in their area.
Our advice before buying a smell alike. Try before you buy and ask what dosage they are using to verify how long it will last.
I do not agree. You're making a fool of perfumery. The cost of the paint and materials for Picasso, Matisse,.. is also only 20 EUR. Why are their paintings worth so much more?
You are 100% correct the cost to make a perfume oil (the concentrate) is very low. But as you say someone (in this case the perfumer) has to make it.
But here is the difference between painters and perfumers. Very few perfumers who create the fragrances that are so well known by the consumer (like the Mona Lisa to use a well known painting as a reference point) work independently. Almost all work for the big flavour and fragrance houses such as Givaudan, Firmenich, Symrise, IFF etc etc and are paid by them. They are not free agents/painters/artists/perfumers. These are the companies that then take the artist's...sorry perfumer's masterpiece and mass produce the painting....sorry perfume oil (the concentrate) that the artist/perfumer has created for them. So, so far we are on the same page.
But this is where we diverge. The companies that mass produce the perfume oil are the very same companies that copy the masterpiece that the perfumer created who works for them and then sells them to all and sundry. See the example of 1 million manufactured by Givaudan. The perfumers who work for Givaudan created 1 Million for the owners of the Paco Rabanne brand. Yet Givaudan offers a copy of 1 Million to the smell alike industry.
So in your example do you think if Picasso or Matisse worked for a multinational company that paid them would have had any say when the multinational company decided to make 1000' and 1000's of copies of the painting they painted, whose materials cost 20 EUR to paint? And do you think the "masterpiece" would still be expensive and considered a masterpiece if the multinational (that now owned the masterpiece because they paid the painter a salary) made 1000's and 1000's of copies and sold them to every Tom, Dick and Harry they could find? I think not!
And here is the reality. Even if one of the big fragrance houses decided not to copy their own creations, all the others would copy it in a heartbeat and sell them as copies to the smell alike industry! Whether you think this is morally right or wrong is somewhat immaterial. Why? Because this is the reality of the designer perfume industry! Whether we like it or not creating a designer perfume is not in the same league as creating a masterpiece painting. Why? Because it very quickly descends to the same value as mouthwash as the entity that owns the recipe copies it over and over and over and over and over again!
I must admit I was surprised to see that the “documentary” was only 11min long, especially if you consider what a billboard must cost.
But regardless of the duration of the video it intrigued me because this won’t be the first-time consumers have been swindled nor the last, so I had to find out for myself.
Although I don’t own a large collection of perfumes I do own a bottle of issey miyake for which FFC also has a smell a like version. I replicated the test in the video where I sprayed the real thing on my right arm and the fake/smell a like on my left, I applied the original before I left to go to the shop and to use their tester.
It would have been awesome if the two products were the same because how cool will it be to be able to buy a R1000.00 product for R129.00, however as in most cases if it sounds too good to be true it probably is.
The fake/knockoff perfume smelled liked the original but there is an obvious difference and I could smell the original a lot longer compared to the fake even though I put the original on before the fake.
I suppose if you think about it the entire documentary doesn’t make sense - surely the big companies need to protect their product/formula a lot like KFC needs to protect their recipe or alternatively patent it in some way otherwise they won’t make any money because everyone would just copy it and all of the R&D cost will be lost which is another thing which isn’t mentioned in the video, the R&D cost to make/design a new perfume.
I suppose there is a bit of swindling going on, but it is being done by Fine Fragrance Collection whereby they attempt to convince consumers that their product is as good as or better than the real thing. But let’s give credit where it is due, although I wasn’t fooled, this is a new type of marketing which may be innovative, but lastly, I think we must ask where does it falls on an ethical scale?
Hi Weyers thank you for your comment. Let me start where you end. Ethics are a really interesting question in this regard. Fine Fragrance Collection along with all the other retailers of smell alike perfumes always seem to pick up the “unethical” tab. I assume that is what you meant.
So, let’s go to the source of the product and then decide upon the ethics. There are approximately 20 - 30 multi-national companies world-wide, 13 of whom we found operating in South Arica who make the smell alike perfume oils for the smell alike retailers like FFC. Some of these companies, like Givaudan, actually make perfume oils for the original products and then copy them themselves and then sell them to the smell alike industry. See our example of One Million. I think you may have missed the point that these are the very same companies that do the R&D and by implication, I suppose, own the IP.
But let’s get back to the ethics. If you are saying that all the companies in the chain between perfume oil production and the consumer (which include the multi-national companies that make the perfume oil for both the original brands and the smell alike industry and the retailers thereof) are unethical, then I think you would also have to brand all the companies that make generic medicine, compatible motor car parts, printer cartridges and multitudes of other products as unethical as well.
Now you may think a world where there are no copies as an “ethical nirvana” but imagine for a moment what would happen if you could personally not afford the original of one of these products but needed it. You may see cheaper alternatives through a different lens. The point I make is that choice is something that all people should be allowed to make. And I really don’t think a cheaper alternative is unethical, I think it is called free market, but that is my opinion.
Lastly let me end where you started and get to the practical. All smell alike companies should have testers so that consumers can try before they buy. This will allow them to make an informed decision on smell, longevity and quality, exactly like you have done.
My advice to all consumers that are going to buy a smell alike - copy what Weyers did. Do a test to check the quality, without spending a cent of your money, and then make your purchase decision
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Been using fine fragrance perfumes for the past 4 months I'm inlove!!!!!!!!! Especially the Versace Eros😍 smelling expensive at a R50 cost has never been this great!
Thank you for your kind words and your support I appreciate it! :)
The billboards bought us here !! We are all for organic Beaty and the perfume industry is definitely making money out of their consumers while destroying the environment.
Please do one on graphic design and web development. I will gladly assist as I am in the industry for over 15 years. Let us educate clients.
This is NOT a documentary. This is just a long marketing ADVERTISEMENT for a specific perfume brand where they tell you that designer perfume is over priced and inferior to the advertised product, but they fail to explain why the product the sell cost R160 when they go to great lengths to point out their product only cost R28 to produce.
Danny Botes you do not expect them not to make money do you. they were just talking about the content....not the bottel, the packing, the holding costs, the distribution costs, the overheads of the retail outlets, the costs covering the strategic management, the marketing planning costs, the actual advertising costs, etc etc. those costs need to be covered out of that margin.
I smell a new fragrance company on the verge of being born. I for one am in.
Interesting indeed. I will try out your fragrances but interested in the longevity/projection and smell of your collection. After all I judge perfume on how it smells and not necessarily on the brand. People need the judge perfumes based on its Juice and not its price tag. If it smells good wear it.
When you do try our perfumes, please let us know what you think.
I emailed all 5 top companies mentioned,they do not create the generic perfumes.
This is what I have been told.
I managed to get another company in South Africa that makes these generic perfumes.
They are called Scentlab.
They do not have what I want on their list as Im looking for 3 specific ones.
They told me to reproduce a generic I need to order 200kg minimum at R1800 per kg.
I might as well create my own brand then.
Call Sensetek. They will help you. 011 608 4944
A million thank you's
💓
@@maureenkauraisa1119 Pleasure. :)
Seriously what’s going on here? Firstly you guys have billboards and radio ads everywhere then when I watch this “documentary” it’s clearly an ad for “Fine Fragrances”
Hi Tevin thank you for your comment. Fine Fragrance Collection funded this documentary so we used their products to highlight the information. Documentaries are made with the intent of informing the viewer about a particular subject.
For instance did you know the liquid inside all bottles of perfume costs less than R30 to make? Did you know that ALL the "original" and the smell alike companies buy their perfume oil (the concentrate) from the same companies? Did you know what dosage is? And that dosage determines how long a fragrance lasts on you skin?
Surely now that you do have this information, you will be able to make a more informed decision should you ever buy a bottle of perfume. Whether it be an original, a Fine Fragrance Collection smell alike or a smell alike from many other smell alike perfume companies? And this is bad? Would it be better if you and other consumers didn't have this information?
We published the documentary to bring the facts to light about the perfume industry, so that you and any body else that watches it can be better informed. We hope we have achieved this objective!
So basically I can make my own Cologne for way less than what I'd pay at Dior ?
Hi Simon you would have to make a fair bit, but yes you can!
Simon, as someone who has experimented with perfume creation do not be deluded by these guys. Making your own perfume is bloody difficult and you will soon realise this and give up. You cannot produce a Dior equivalent at home.
Wrong again Muhammed. Simon go to one of the 8 small multi-national companies if you don't want to buy big quantities or one of the big 5 if quantities are no problem mentioned in our doccie and they will supply you copy perfume oils, that one of their perfumers that are in their employ, will guarantee you is a smell alike of any well known Dior product
OK, making an odour is then easy, thats understood, BUT, how will it react to your sweat over time of day, and how will that odour end up to be-?, and will this be a difference between cheap and expensive, TIME is always a factor in every creation.
Plug from Nomalinah
❤️❤️
Just waisted 11min watching an ad for rip-off products :(
I use smell alikes i buy for R22.00
@world peace jhb CbD
Although an advertising stunt there is some validity here. Being a bargain hunter I will test it out for myself.
How can
Please visit our website for more details :-D.
www.finefragrancecollection.com
Absolutely brilliant!
as a newbie perfumer, this information is somewhat misleading. yes the company made all of these clones.. here in Indonesia we called it a 'Refill Perfume'
their quality compare to the original was only 80% for 'Premium Refill Version' from SFA Romani France.
this can be much.. much... lower, if the perfume original brand used so many naturals in it!
Hi Agin thank you for your comment. In South Africa each of the multinationals mentioned in the documentary offer clones/generics/smell alikes of most of the recognised perfume brands. You are quite correct in your statement where you say that most of the companies that buy these clones from them buy a much lower quality than the original brands do.
However, each of the multinationals mentioned, do offer a one to one match (in other words an identical copy perfume oil) of the designer brands. This perfume is of course more expensive than the lower qualities but is most definitely available.
We have letters from numerous of Fine Fragrance Collection's suppliers such as IFF and Symrise that the quality of the perfume oil that Fine Fragrance Collection buys is so called "A" grade.
But as I have mentioned on many other posts. Any credible perfume company that interfaces with the consumer should offer testers. These testers allow the consumer to try before they buy. This process eliminates all risk because the customer can verify the quality before they spend one cent of their money. I hope in Indonesia all credible perfume companies offer testers so that the consumer does not get ripped off!
Coffee cost 10 Rs
Coffee cost 1000 RS
You know what is different
I assume it is the same coffee at a different price??? :) :)
Hahahaha. LOL
I love this, never mind the bashing. Will love to see Colab with our beautiful Namolinah♥️💖
Thank you! :)
Wow ads are getting smart.. all that billboard money could have been spent on an actual documentary that people would be interested in watching instead of watching this "documentary" where the tests and "facts" are immediately discredited by the fact that they are claimed by the company who wants to use the tests and facts to sell you diluted fragrances. Im also pretty certain I had to unsubscribe a few times from unsolicited bulk mailers from this same company. Video reported.
I actually always buy all my colognes from y’all 😭❤️insanely love this brand
❤️
Thank you! :)
@@finefragrancecollection3399 keep doing the lord’s work 😂❤️💫
Received my order yesterday... Let's just say I'm gonna keep buying because wow they are amazing
@@nolwazizwane4114 That is very kind of you to say. Thank you! :)
Me too...it's been over yrs!!!!!❤❤❤
A lot of the criticism in the comments stems from a lack of understanding or those who stopped watching the documentary half way. Smell-alike is the same perfume oil as the original, in fact it should be better as it has a higher percentage of the active ingredient. I for one will never buy a branded perfume again, now that I know how the industry works.
This was a smart project as it can only lead to an increase in overall sales. Those who are happy to blow R 3,000 on a designer bottle just for the status of name dropping will not be persuaded and will continue to cough up. For those of us who were interested in the scent but not willing to spend that money they now get a sale from us.
If you are smart with your money you will switch from branded to smell-alike.
We are happy for your delusions.
I agree. 80% of yall don't seem to understand the documentary.
I agree. 80% of yall don't seem to understand the documentary.
I couldn't agree more.... I'm interested on the scent only... and so I will never ever buy designer perfume for R3,000 .... i'll will stick to smell alike for R160 or dilute it myself.
Your comment contains a logical flaw. The fact that the same companies make the smell-alikes does not mean that the ingredients are the same, it's just an implication. Companies often push out copies at lower prices, but not the same quality.
Smell alikes may have a higher dosage of oil but it definitely does not last as long as the original. There's definitely something else that the brand companies do to make it last longer. I use Hugo Boss. With the original the scent remains on my skin for days even after showering. The smell alike evaporates within a few hours. Although this documentary may have been interesting there's definitely something else that the perfume companies do that they are keeping secret. That being said I will still only be using Fine Fragrance smell alikes in future.
Thank you for your comment, but you are 100% wrong! Perfume is made by mixing a concentrate known as perfume oil with alcohol. The more concentrate you put in the mix the longer the fragrance will last on the skin. The originals on average dose at 20% perfume oil 80% alcohol. We dose at 35% perfume oil 65% alcohol. This means our perfumes last longer on the skin than the originals. 🙂 This is not an opinion this is a scientific fact!
And how do I know it is a fact! You may have noticed that I make a liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiittle bit of noise about, what I think, is the unethical behaviour of the designer perfume industry. My name is Simon and I own the business. If I was wrong I would have been sued for so much money that my great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great grandchildren wouldn't be able to pay off the damages bill. Yet, to date not one of the owners of the original brands have taken me on legally. Why? They turn US$35billion a year globally, so I do not think it is because they cannot afford a few attorneys. I think it may be because what I say is the truth and as far as I am aware you cannot sue someone for telling the truth! Well not yet, as far as I know! :)
Thank you for this educational video. I’m buying this next week
Thank you! :)
Is there any documented proof you can share that shows the major companies (Firmenich, Givaudan, etc.) have access to/keep the formulas for the fragrances their oils are purchased by designer/fragrance houses to produce, let alone them themselves taking the time to mix and sell smell alikes (even though they apparently have the original formula as you claim)? Do they do this for all the fragrances their oils are sourced to produced or only best sellers? Why would the smell alikes they sell smell and perform differently if they in fact have the original formulas to replicate? They should be able to simply re-use the same exact formula as apparently fragrances cannot be patented. Even if this were the case that they produce these smell alikes (rather than companies such as Fine Fragrances) it could be that they are using lower grade oils, leaving out other non-fragrance oil fixitives, in addition to leaving out non-essential fragrance notes, etc. From videos that can be found on UA-cam you can see for example fragrance houses such as Guerlain have their formulas kept at their location, which I would assume is the case for other fragrance/designer houses, rather than the formulas being kept (let alone then being recreated to sell smell alikes as claimed) by the multi-national fragrance oil companies such as Givaudan.
Hi CosgroveMusic thank you for your comment. Obviously, we have proof that the major companies make smell alikes, but don't take our words for this call them yourself. To be specific, in Givaudan’s case we know that they make smell alikes of their own creations (you can call Kalex their local agent in South Africa and ask) but in the case of Firmenich we were advised by their sales person that they do manufacture smell alikes, but not of their own creations. If you want to know why they do this I suggest you call them once again and ask them.
There are some houses such as Chanel, Dior and Hermes that do create their own fragrances, but in reality most of the big flavour and fragrances manufacturers copy these fragrances too, which is how the smell alike companies come by them.
With regards to the quality of the smell alike fragrances or any fragrances for that matter, you may have seen that I have said this on other comments - anybody that is buying a smell alike should try before they buy. This means that the consumer can check the quality, smell, body, longevity etc etc of the fragrance before they spend a single cent of their money. This eliminates the risk!
I would advise the consumer not to purchase any fragrance from any perfume company that does not have testers available. Testers are exactly that! They allow potential customers the opportunity to check the product out before they purchase it.
If you get a chance come back and let us know what the big fragrance and flavour houses say about making smell alikes after you have spoken to them.
@@finefragrancecollection3399 I've just sent emails to these companies so I will need to wait for a reply. To clarify, are you stating that Givaudan for example makes these smell alikes before being requested by companies such as Fine Fragrances and has them stocked at their locations, or are they only produced (using Givaudan, etc.'s own formula) if orders for smell alikes of specific fragrances are requested by companies who would sell these? It would be difficult to believe that they would produce smell alikes of various fragrances letting them sit at their locations hoping that companies will buy them at some point. Or have I misunderstood and they are simply fulfilling orders they receive from companies who sell smell alikes which would be those companies' (Ie: Fine Fragrances) formulas they've determined through Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry or any other method they happen to use? This would make more sense and would explain the (sometimes) lower quality in terms of scent/performance due to them not getting the formula completely correct, purchasing lower-cost fragrance oils, not including the other fixitives and processing.
@@CosgroveMusic Hi CosgroveMusic I have no idea whether these companies have "stock on the shelf" or they "make to order". Your emails to them may clarify this point for you.
The point of the documentary is to show 1. that all smell alike companies buy the smell alike perfume oils, in some cases from the same companies that make the perfume oils for the originals and 2. that the cost of the liquid inside a bottle of designer perfume and their smell alike version is around R30. We hope we achieved this objective.
My order only took 3 days I'm so happy 😀💓💚 can't wait
Thank you for letting us know. How do they smell? :)
Today I decided to open my order ooooomg🤩🥰😍 I love it, love love love how strong and comforting the smell is
@@zinhlexulu172 Thank you for your support, I appreciate it, and thank you for choosing Fine Fragrance Collection🔥
Namolinah said. I should watch this.... Now I'm invested
Thank you! Let us know what you think if you decide to buy a bottle! :)
Let me not waste time and purchase some🥳
🔥🎉
Omg 😯😯😯😯😯I love it i love it love it,🤩😍🥰💁♀️💁♀️💁♀️💁♀️🙋♀️🙋♀️🙋♀️💃💃💃💃💃💃💃 delivery took only 3 days 🚚omg I loooooooove the smell. You guys keep it up👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
Wow!!! Thank you for your kind words and support!🥰
Hi there, I really like your doccie (lol at these comments who don't watch the whole thing). I do have one issue, the editing kinda sucks (no offence to anyone who made it, but I do believe it could be better) - I'd love to help with that if I can, in any future products you may have.
I've seen friends of mine who keep EMPTY shoe boxes at home for shoes they bought in 1992 ! Well, leave the shoe boxes alone for a while, if I don't carry around my smell alike bottle everywhere I go, I am just wondering . . . is it possible that I would smell cheaper than someone else who also does NOTTT carry his original bottle around, and ALL he has . . . is a SMELL on his body ? I prefer the word "brand name", Not the word "original" because the word "original" refers to something else COMPLETELY separate from a brand name ! An "original" thing/idea/product does NOTTT need or require to have ANY brand name on it. Originality has FOKOL to do with names and brands.
We do appreciate your feedback! :-D
Namolinah sent me here🤗👌
We appreciate Namolinah for bringing you here! :-D
So who is your supplier
We use different suppliers. :)
i would like to oreder
Please visit our website to order. 😊
lmao ROLF, its like saying making clothes is just stitching pieces of material together. Dont compare your BS product with companies that spend millions on marketing and research. Dont get me started on your packaging. And to answer your question on why you have not been sued, well, it is a matter of significance, or in your case, the lack thereof. Simple
Hi Motebang thank you for your comment. I am not sure what BS product you are comparing. Is it perhaps the "BS" perfume oils that come from the same multi national companies that make the perfume oils for both the original and the smell alike industry? I think you may have missed the part in our documentary where we make the point that a company like Givaudan who makes the perfume oil for One Million also sells a smell alike perfume oil of One Million to the smell alike industry. On a practical level they come and tell the manufacturers of smell alike perfumes that this perfume oil smells like One Million and then ask "do you want to buy it?" If you think this is not true call them and ask.
I am not sure of the relevance of your analogy of "its like saying making clothes is just stitching pieces of material together"? Surely if the tailor in your analogy makes the same piece of clothing twice then it is the same. Especially if he/she comes and tells you that the two articles of clothing are the same? But leaving analogies aside let's give a real world example - if Givaudan, the company who makes One Million (and spent the apparent millions on marketing and research you claim), offers perfume oil to somebody else besides the company that markets One Million, and says this perfume oil smells like One Million then surely it is the same? Or perhaps I don't understand what the word "same" means.
I'm not sure we asked a question in regards to why we haven't been sued, I think we made a statement. But that aside let me answer your statement about significance. I have never found anyone of substance, especially multinational corporations, that have had fabricated accusations made against them, not issuing a cease and desist letter. Reputation is still important I think. But perhaps you are better informed than I am in this area.
Let me end with asking you to help us. If you think there is anything that we said on a substantive level, about the industry, that cannot be defended in a court of law please let us know.
That being said I do hope that you are better informed about the perfume industry after watching our documentary!
Just came across this. Definately intrigued😍. Looking forward to purchasing some soon and reviewing them.
Thank you for your business, we appreciate your support. Please do let us know what you think!
Ohk cool.
"Mix and pour"? LOL No, somebody has to CREATE those scents... Also, the ingredients on designer brands are wayyy better than the know off stuff... You can't steal somebody's intellectual property, reproduce it (at lower quality mind you) and then turn around and criticize the people you STOLE from.
Hi Kagiso I assume you must have misunderstood the point in the documentary that the smell alike companies buy the perfume oils from some of the same companies that make the perfume oils for the originals. They are the ones that, to use your words "CREATE those scents" and then copy them and sell them.
If you watched the documentary to the point where we reveal that a company like Givaudan who makes the original perfume oil for One Million also makes a smell alike perfume oil of One Million, then I am am not sure what you mean when you say "You can't steal somebody's intellectual property, reproduce it (at lower quality mind you) and then turn around and criticize the people you STOLE from." ? Who do you think is stealing the IP? The people who make it? Are they stealing it from themselves? I am not sure you can steal something from yourself? And who is being criticised? We are stating a point of fact - no criticism.
As to the quality, I have said this before on other replies - anybody that is buying a smell alike should try before they buy. This means that the consumer can check the quality, smell, body, longevity etc etc of the fragrance before they spend a single cent of their money. This eliminates the risk!
I would advise the consumer not to purchase any fragrance from any perfume company that does not have testers available. Testers are exactly that! They allow potential customers the opportunity to check the product out before they purchase it.
Hope this response leaves you with more information!
Please make the terrible background music go away.
This is a marketing campaign for Fine Fragrances....after seeing the billboards with this documentary I was keen on watching but now I'm not even sure that what I watched is factual or not.. 🙄🙄
Hi Jack the documentary, as we have stated at the end, was funded by Fine Fragrance Collection Ten (Pty) Ltd.
If you have a chance, you can verify the information about the manufacturers of the perfume oils for the original products by visiting one of the fragrance websites, such as Fragrantica.com. If you want to check whether the multi-national companies mentioned sell smell alike perfume oils or verify the price of perfume oil you can make a call to anyone of them and ask them for a price list.
The data about the dosage we had done at an international laboratory and have it on hand. Lastly, just to ensure that we had all our information correct we checked it all with Andreas Wilhelm (who has no affiliation with Fine Fragrance Collection) an international perfumer with 18 years of experience.
We did not take the making of this documentary lightly as we knew that our claims would have to stand up to scrutiny. We challenge anyone to dispute the information we have put out! In other words, let someone be specific in their challenges. Confront the information about who the perfume oil suppliers to the owners of the brands are and whether they also supply the smell alike industry, what the price of perfume oil is and the dosages in the original products and/or the FFC smell alikes. On these issues and any other specifics we welcome any challenges.
What we do hope is that this documentary leaves the public with slightly more knowledge about the perfume industry and helps them make a more educated purchase decision the next time they buy a bottle of perfume - whether it be an original or ANY smell alike brand.
God bless u
And to you ❤️
Namolinah brought me here
Thank you for checking in. We are so very grateful to her! :)
@@finefragrancecollection3399 great work on the documentary, very informative video.
@@stateofeuphoriah Thank you and thank you! 🙏🙏🙏
this is just a long ad... lame.
where do we get these smell alike perfumes then ?? otherwise this was useless to watch.
Hi Zamokwakhe please watch to the end.
Many companies make "knock-offs" of their own products to push at a lower price, larger segment. These copies are often intentionally inferior. You're not stating that the smell-alikes are the same product, simply that they're made by the same company. That's where the logic fails. We're expected to assume they're the same, which is speculation, not fact.
Hi Nico you are absolutely correct. However in the "blind" smell test we did 313 people could not smell a difference and in fact half the respondents said it smelt stronger. In addition, not all the manufacturers of the "original" perfume oils will copy their own creations. As an example the test we did was on Alien. The original Alien is made by IFF, but the smell alike we compared it to is made by one of the other multi-national company's we list.
I have said this before on other replies - anybody that is buying a smell alike should try before they buy. This means that the consumer can check the quality, smell, body, longevity etc etc of the fragrance before they spend a single cent of their money. This eliminates the risk!
I would advise the consumer not to purchase any fragrance from any perfume company that does not have testers available. Testers are exactly that! They allow potential customers the opportunity to check the product out before they purchase it.
@@finefragrancecollection3399 Good reply. Thank you.
@@Potemkin2000 Pleasure!
saya selamat tiba disini.. apa khabar Malaysia
now if I only knew a brand like this that sells in the US lol
We hope to be in the US by the end of this year! :)
So I sat through a 12 minute advert for Fine Fragrances!!! Without the obvious being stated : dilute your Fine Fragrance Product with the correct alcohol to match the smell of the original.
For the original: a 20% oil is 10ml, then the total bottle volume is 50ml. So a 1 part oil to 4 parts alcohol.
For the smell alike: a 30% oil is 15ml. Using the 1 to 4 ratio, 15ml * 4 = 60ml alcohol is needed and the total volume will then be 75ml.
But only 50ml - 15ml = 35ml alcohol exists. Meaning that 60ml is needed, so 60ml -35ml = 25ml short.
So to get the original scent, pour half of the Smell alike perfume mix (25ml) into another bottle and add 25/2 = 12.5ml of alcohol to each bottle. Voila!!
You now have the original scent ... for R160 for 75ml ... at 50% more volume. Bonus!!! What cost you R160 for 50 ml, now only costs you R107 per 50ml.
You're missing the point. It's not about matching the smell. They both smell the same. The higher the ratio of oil used, the longer lasting the smell is.
@@mariuspratz7270 buy them for your lady them ...
See what she says ... my ex was a super 'smeller' ... super 'taster' ... I trust her feedback.
Even to my inferior nose ... the 'smell like' (clue there ... by the way) ... are sharper, less smooth or pleasant on the old olifactory glands.
The bottom line ... this is just spam and ambush advertising ...
Point taken. I was only referring to what was mentioned in the documentary.
I want to place an order, how do I do that?
Please visit our website to order. 😊
The way my eyes have been opened...🤯🤯🤯
Great to hear! :)
Namolinah is a plug, i came here straight from her UA-cam channel. Trust me I'm placing my order immediately nextweek.
Thank you! :)
How to place order?
🙏
Please visit our website for all the information you need. 😊 finefragrancecollection.com/
Thank you sooo much for this information
Pleasure! :)
Wowir smell alike is still expensive
Wow. Well done!
Interesting documentary, however dynamics of the consumer market must be taken into account.
Smell alikes give me a headache
So you'd like to copy Chanel. No. 5 that took years to design and has stood the test of time ? I don't think you'll set the support you think
Hi Yvette I am not sure what you mean. When you say "So you'd like to copy Chanel. No. 5" who do you think the you is? The "you" in this case is all the multi-national companies we mention in the documentary that copy, not only Chanel No5, but any other famous smell. So if you think they will not get the support it may be an idea for you to ask them why they then make copies. I assume they make the copies because they sell a lot of them, but once again that is a question you would need to ask of them.
I love perfume, thank you so much for this very informative documentary. I've been spending a lot of money on original designer perfumes, will now start trying the smell alikes.😊😍
Absolute pleasure. We hope to see you in one of our stores. :)
Where about in small street
Please visit our website for all the information you need. 😊 finefragrancecollection.com/
@Namolinah = SA Plug Extraordinaire 🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦
Thank you for consistently plugging us. Dankie
We are so thankful and grateful to Namolinah! Thank you, thank you and thank you to her!! :)
@@finefragrancecollection3399
ua-cam.com/video/-VIec8aaInA/v-deo.html
❤️
The best and long lasting fragrances. I see myself going broke, but I don't mind. Now my child wants to own every bottle. Truth be told...me too. Bought 4 bottles yesterday and going for more today. ❤❤❤❤❤
Wow! Thank you and your daughter for the support!
way to go