A perfume tester is a way in which a particular fragrance or cologne is sold without the fancy packaging box of the retail trademark. These testers tend to come in a plain white or cardboard box, or in some situations no box at all. Several perfume manufacturers have gone a step further in reducing production costs by running their test products not only without a box but also without caps. A cap is the decorative top of the perfume bottle that can be easy to decorate depending on the fragrance. Caps are not the same as the spray nozzles that all fragrance sprays are equipped with. Note that splash or aftershave fragrances do not have a spray nozzle.

Testers can come in several different ways:

1. boxed with cap

2. In box without lid

3. No box with a cap

4. without box and without lid

No matter which version of packaging the fragrance is sold in, testers usually come in the same bottle style as the original fragrance. In most cases, perfume test bottles are specifically produced by the manufacturer for that purpose and are not meant to hit department store shelves. Perfume testers will contain the full quantity and quality of the original fragrance found in the packaged boxes and will be unused and direct from the manufacturer.

Perfumes made by major fashion brands can be more expensive than some of our personal clothes. Knowing that there is an alternative to buying a huge vial at full price is attractive to many women. This not only allows us to ‘try on’ the fragrance before paying full price, but also ensures that we are not left with a disliked full price bottle of perfume after taking it home.

Care should be taken when looking for a discount perfume. It has been reported that counterfeit and spoiled perfume bottles have been sold on some of the most popular online websites. Buying these inexpensive fragrances in larger bottles may save you money in the long run, but the perfume may lose its effectiveness if not used within a certain period of time.

If the packaging of the perfume does not matter to you, then buying a perfume tester can be very profitable. Many testers make great gifts for women who love their designer fragrances without the added cost of packaging.