How can you tell an expired perfume?

I’ve encountered two issues that I think may or may not signify that the perfume has gone off. The first instance is when the liquid only has a faint slightly chemical smell. The second is that there is a strong and harsh smell of something like burnt rubber that can be mixed with some pleasant notes or not. There is more uncertainty in the second case because I am not sure if that smell is not some innovative note that is legitimate if not universally liked. I’ve come across someone complaining that they have been palmed off an expired perfume in a swap, but the other swapper defended herself that she did not realise it was spoilt but assumed instead that it simply did not mix well with her ‘skin chemistry’. A penny for your thoughts.

Hi @Sassafras, 

This is a hard one! Because both could be the case. I have certain 'chypres' that, on my skin, always smell bitter in a bad (BO-like) way and I'm sure it is 'me' and about a blend of Pathouli and Oakmoss. I now know I have to, at least, sample those kind of scents first (because it really depends on the blend and in a few cases they smell nice) to see if they match with my skin and my perception of the scent. The funny thing is that only I smell this bitterness, when I offer my wrist to my boyfriend, he doesn't smell anything 'bitter' so it could be that it is not just about skin chemistry, but also about our own perception of scents. (like some of us aren't able to smell certain chemicals or notes in a fragrance, where others can)

I actually have no experience with scents that have 'gone off' but I often read comments about a 'rubbery' smell, even when it concerns newly bought scents, so I guess it can be just about notes that on some smell good and on some smell like rubber or are perceived as such by the wearer. Sorry, don't think this really helps...  

I can tell when a perfume has gone off if it smells like a mix of nail polish remover and vinegar. That’s a clear sign the perfume has "turned." It’s hard to argue about vintage fragrances because, while the top notes may be missing, the base can still smell fantastic. Sometimes people are disappointed because a fragrance doesn’t smell the way they remember, but it’s often their perception that has changed.

I usually don’t fuss over evaporated citrus or other fleeting notes, but if it smells like vinegar and the seller knew the perfume had turned, they should disclose that they’re selling bottles for collectors only.

In general, I don’t have unrealistic expectations that, say, a 50-year-old perfume should smell fresh, retain all its notes, and perform like it did when new. I have an old bottle of Samsara — most of the top/mid notes have evaporated, but the rich base of pure Mysore sandalwood is gorgeous! Has it turned? Somewhat. Do I still love it? Absolutely.

So, it really depends on what you're looking for. Sometimes, really old fragrances can smell like chemical warfare when first applied, but give them five minutes to settle on the skin, and the unpleasant odors disappear, revealing a beautiful vintage composition.

I read about the acetone/vinegar smell of spoilage but have not yet experienced that one. That’s why I posted my question: my two problems are different and as described. 

I don’t have any experience with vintages either, except for a bottle with a few drops of perfume remaining that I had kept for about a decade a long time ago. It retained its wonderful fragrance all that time until one day when it just ‘died’. But still it did not turn to acetone/vinegar. 

Also, only two of my problematic purchases were from the group of ‘legacy perfumes’ that you mention, the ones that often take time to unfurl after a rough start. These two were Il Bacio and First, which I returned because they simply had no smell - not at the beginning, not ever. 

Your experiences are interesting nonetheless and I wish to thank you very much for responding and sharing. Both of you!

Oh...well when First has no smell...that is really peculiar!! The EDT as well as the EDP are quite strong, are you sure (if one can ever be unless purchased in a Perfumery) that it wasn't fake? Could you check the Batchcode for instance? 

One of my friends who worked in a perfumery once told me that, back in the days, brands used to send some fake bottles in unusual big sizes or standard sizes to the shops. These bottles were used as window displays and their content was colored water.

Maybe did you receive 2 of them?

This happened with a few of the perfumes I bought from different retail discounters, whom I have no reason to distrust because I buy from them regularly without issues. I don’t think any of these were fake (and who would fake cheap frags anyway). They looked legit and had legit codes. Could this be what people call a ‘bad bottle’ or ‘bad batch’? Thankfully, I was able to return most of these purchases, but got stuck with two of such only faintly smelling bottles - Anna Sui EDP and Versace Woman EDP. I wanted to ‘give them a chance’ and waited too long so that it was too late to return. 

Regarding that god awful acrid smell (the second kind of problem), the absolute worst was Wall Street by Who is Elijah, then Amber Al Oudh Intense, also Khamrah and Jardin Exclusif Mancera. Light Blue Eau Intense is also affected partially. It starts off pleasant but then this acridity raises its ugly head making it unwearable. But again, it’s not the smell of acetone or vinegar. And I’m not talking about skin or sniffing from up close.