How to Tell Real Arabian Perfume from Fakes — A Shopkeeper's Guide
Share
Arabian perfume has never been more popular in the UK — and the counterfeiters have noticed. Brands like Lattafa have gone from fragrance-forum favourites to viral phenomena, and wherever demand grows that fast, fakes follow. We run an independent perfumery in Edinburgh, and people regularly bring in bottles they've bought online, asking whether what they have is real.
So here is the checklist we use ourselves. It works for any bottle from any seller — including ours. We'd rather you know how to check than take anyone's word for it.
1. Check the QR code or security label
Lattafa now places a holographic security label with a QR code on its packaging. Scan it with your phone camera. A genuine product leads to Lattafa's own verification system and shows a low scan count. Two warning signs: a code that the system doesn't recognise at all, or a code that's been scanned hundreds or thousands of times — that suggests a cloned label copied onto many fake boxes.
Not every product line carries the label yet, so its absence alone isn't proof of a fake — but if it's present, it's the fastest check available.
2. Match the batch codes
Every genuine bottle has a batch code — a short alphanumeric string, usually printed on the bottom of the bottle and on the box. The two must match. A missing, smudged, or mismatched code is a red flag.
One honest caveat most guides skip: counterfeiters can copy real batch codes. A matching code makes a fake less likely, but it isn't a guarantee on its own. Use it as one signal among several, never the only one.
3. Feel the packaging
Genuine boxes use substantial cardboard with sharp, high-resolution printing. Fakes tend to give themselves away with blurry logos, faded colours, spelling mistakes, or flimsy material. The cellophane matters too — real products are wrapped tightly and professionally; a loose, wrinkled, or resealed wrap is a warning sign.
4. Look at the bottle itself
Genuine bottles are made from clear, well-finished glass with a noticeable weight to them. Bubbles in the glass, visible seams, uneven surfaces, or a cap that sits loosely on the neck all point the other way. If a bottle feels cheap in the hand, trust that instinct.
5. Test the wear time
This is the check fakes fail most reliably. Arabian eau de parfums are known for lasting — many wear comfortably for eight hours or more on skin. Counterfeits are usually diluted alcohol with a surface-level scent: if your new bottle disappears within half an hour, something is wrong.
6. Question the price
These fragrances are genuinely affordable — that's part of their appeal — but there's a floor. A "£15 oud" from an unknown marketplace seller is almost certainly not what it claims to be. Legitimate discounts exist; prices drastically below every other retailer don't.
7. Weigh up the seller
Fakes cluster on open marketplaces where third-party sellers come and go. Signals worth checking on any seller, online or in person: a real business address you can find on Companies House, a phone number that gets answered, reviews attached to a physical location, and a returns policy in plain English. Sellers with nothing to hide make themselves easy to find.
The one test no counterfeiter can beat
Smell it before you buy it. Notes lists and bottle photos can be copied; a fragrance on your own skin can't. A genuine Arabian perfume opens, develops, and settles over hours. A fake smells flat, sharp, or simply vanishes.
That's the honest advantage of buying from a shop with a door you can walk through — any shop, not just ours. If you're in Edinburgh, we're at 6 Nicolson Square: every bottle we stock is out on the shelf, and you're welcome to check our batch codes, scan our labels, and spray before you spend anything. That's how buying perfume should work.
SDM Perfumes · 6 Nicolson Square, Edinburgh · +44 131 281 0380 · sdmperfumes.co.uk · @sdm_perfumes · Open daily from 11am