When I was younger, I saved for years to buy a bottle of Boucheron eau de parfum. Boucheron used to be an incredibly expensive and luxurious brand. When I had saved enough, I went to the store. In the end I did not return with the original Boucheron, but with Boucheron Jaïpur, a fragrance that was new at the time. Finding Jaipur now is like seeing a unicorn, the scent has long been discontinued and is hard find.
Anyway, the moral of the story; Boucheron used to be an extremely expensive brand. It was not available everywhere and in terms of prices it was comparable to Chanel and Dior. In fact it was on par with any niche brand today. In the shops where you could buy Boucheron, often luxurious private perfumery shops or chic department stores, Lalique was also often present, or Van Cleef & Arpels and Chopard. All these brands have one thing in common these days, along with a handful of other previously chic brands, they are very cheap these days!
Of course, buying a really good perfume for little money makes almost everyone happy, including me! Still, I wonder how it is possible that these types of brands are sold so cheaply. It is not that it only concerns the older releases, you often see the new perfumes from these brands on discount websites within a few months. Of course, large stocks may be bought from retailers that have gone bankrupt, but it is a global phenomenon that has been occurring for at least 10 years. You almost wonder why these brands continue to create perfumes. The funny thing is that the perfumes on the brand's site itself are not often discounted, but are offered for very high prices.
I keep wondering how this phenomenon came about. I can also imagine that the brands mentioned are not very happy with such downward marketing. What would Tom Ford, aka Estee Lauder, do in cases like this, I think. What I think is a shame is that buying such a brand of perfume immediately gives the feeling of "cheap", which in my opinion is not justified at all. Because did you know that the original Boucheron for women was once voted the best perfume in the world?
Yet, especially after the Corona pandemic, I do see a change in this phenomenon. Stock at discounters is shrinking, old productions are being stopped and scents are disappearing or being given a new look. In any case, there are far fewer perfumes available that are sold for very low prices. Does that make me happy? Yes and no. As I wrote before: it is very nice if you love perfumes, like me, to get a good deal, but I can also be very bothered feeling cheap when I'm wearing a great creation.
In the photo you see Boucheron Fève Tonka de Canaima. This is Boucheron's attempt to conquer the niche market I think. Several brands have taken these types of actions to differentiate themselves from the rest. This line is extremely popular and is sold in the retail sector for very high prices, only to be sold at half price at discounters. Super popular with YouTubers, but apparently not popular enough to be sold in stores...
You can also see Lalique Living in the photo. Unfortunately taken off the market. This is truly one of the best scents Lalique has ever made. A woody lavender scent, the predecessor of YSL Libre, so to speak, but unfortunately released a little too early, in 2015, when most women probably felt this scent was too unisex.
And last but not least, Cabochard Chérie from Parfums Grès. A modernized sweet version of the popular chypre fragrance Cabochard from the same brand. I have always found Cabochard a bit too intense, but I think Chérie is a wonderful scent. Grès used to be the equivalent of Chanel, a fashion house that was just as popular as Chanel. The couture was worn by many celebrities, as well as the perfumes of that house. Grès can no longer be found in department stores and perfume shops and has been relegated to the Internet. I don't understand that at all. How can Chanel always remain chic and Grès not? Even the recently deceased couturier Azzedine Alaïa was a great admirer and owned an enormous collection of the fashion house. It will even be on display until January 2024 at the Palais Galliera in Paris. How can it be that a fashion house like Grès and its perfumes have become so unpopular?
Judith, founder