How to tell if your perfume is expired

Sweet like candy, spicy like hot sauce or subtle like a quiet night in, no matter your taste, perfumes are usually one of our favourite products. Although some people are faithful to one fragrance or even a certain brand, others enjoy collecting a variety of lots of different smells instead. As a result, they often end up with lots of open bottles of perfumes and forget when they actually opened them.

Does my perfume have an expiration date?

When you look at beauty products (this includes make-up products as well), you will often find an expiration date on the label or on the packaging somewhere. However, this date is more difficult to find on perfume bottles. Even though popular belief may have led you to believe that you can keep perfume forever, it turns out that this really isn’t the case. Over the years, your fragrance may end up turning and the smell could turn quite rancid as a result.

Is my perfume out of date?

To find how long your perfume lasts for, you need to know a little more about the fragrance itself. Bottles containing woody, amber or musky notes that last for longer on your skin will keep for longer and age quite well. On the other hand, more natural smells, as well as those with lemony notes, tend to evaporate more easily.

But in general, you can keep perfumes for between three to five years.

How do I know if my perfume has expired?

Do you suspect your perfume may have gone off? If you want to know for sure, just have a quick look at it.

• Its visual appearance has changed

When perfumes go off, the colour changes and they become darker. They can even take on a bit of an amber tinge.

• Its smell has changed

If, when you spray a bit of your perfume, you notice that the smell is stronger, more pungent or even peppery, this is because it has gone off.

To avoid this happening, it’s best to store your perfume correctly. But there’s more. When you’re shopping, it’s a good idea to choose the smallest bottle. For example, a 30ml perfume will keep much better than a 100ml bottle.