One of the highlights of many holidays is browsing through duty-free shops at the airport. This is where you can stock up on some of your favourite beauty spoils at a fraction of the cost – and who doesn’t love a good deal? Since fragrances are one of the more expensive items, buying them duty-free can save you a lot of money. Here are some useful tips you should know before you splurge.
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Do your homework
We know there’s a lot of admin that has to be done before going on a trip, but here’s one more item to add to your to-do list: go for a sniff around your local fragrance department and test out some scents. Make a note of the ones you love and how much they cost. This way you have a list of what you want to buy and how much they cost in SA so that you can make an informed decision when you are roaming the duty-free aisles.
Opt for tried-and-tested favourites
If you didn’t get around to doing your pre-holiday homework, then the wisest thing to do if you want to buy perfume at duty-free shops is to replace perfumes you have owned and loved. You probably won’t have much time in the airport to see how a new scent wears throughout the day and there’s nothing worse than arriving home with your new scent and realising it just isn’t for you. You really can’t go wrong with a tried-and-tested favourite.
Related: 5 need-to-know fragrance terms
Keep it fresh
Many perfume wearers enjoy strong, powerful scents, but they are also the most difficult to shop for. You really need to test them and keep them on for a full day to see how the scent develops and whether you like all the notes. Shopping for fresh scents and colognes, however, is much easier because they are heavier on the top notes. This means that you will have a better idea of how the fragrance will smell after a full day’s wear.
Remember, it’s all or nothing
Airports are busy, bustling places where it’s easy to experience sensory overload. This can make it trickier to come to a decision about whether you like a fragrance. If you aren’t 100% sure of a scent, it’s best to walk away rather than handing over loads of cash. Spray it on, see how you like it on board and then decide if it’s something you would want to buy another time.
PHOTO: iStock/izusek
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