You've seen the guys - they set up shop on busy city streets selling Gucci purses, Rolex watches, and Versace sunglasses. Today, something different! Designer perfume... for only five dollars a bottle! Both men's and women's fragrances: Dior, Vera Wang, Armani, DKNY. For only five dollars, just how legitimate can these perfumes be? 
The counterfeiting of designer goods has become a huge business. According to Harper's Bazaar, American companies lose $20 billion and about 750,000 jobs each year from counterfeit goods. Counterfeit fragrances are particularly tempting because not only are bottles much cheaper than the real thing, but perfume not something that you openly carry around where people could be able to spot the difference. For more information on Counterfeiting and its effect on the economy, click here.
Bargain shoppers, beware! Not only is purchasing counterfeit goods illegal, but fake perfumes and colognes can also be very harmful and dangerous to your skin! The ingredients used in imitation fragrances do not undergo the standard safety protocol that legitimate ones are required to pass. These fakes can in effect cause skin irritation, burning, and rashes. In some cases, traces of urine were found in the fraudulent potions!(That fact right there was reason enough for us to never buy perfume off the street!).
How to Spot a FakeYou can probably assume that if it's coming out of a garbage bag or a van on the city street corner, it's more than likely fake. There are also visual clues to help you detect the fakes even if your nose may not trained to smell the difference. Typically, counterfeit packaging will slightly differ from the real thing. Check out the font and the placement of the wordings, logos, and trademarks. Also, examine the coloring of the actually fragrance itself. In addition, a legitimate seller should be able to provide you with a certification of authenticity. The easiest way to tell if a fragrance is real or counterfeit is to go by your instinct. If the deal is too good to be true, it probably is! That isn't to say that you can't find real discount perfume and colognes online for great low prices. In fact, you can find hundreds of 100% authentic designer fragrances at Discount Beauty Center.