We’ve all had the moment – you’ve just run your favourite perfume down to its last drops and when you go to replace it, you can’t. It’s been – the dreaded word – discontinued. 

As annoying as this is, scents being discontinued is not that uncommon. For many reasons, including low sales or new regulations regarding the ingredients, companies might decide to stop making a particular perfume, so unless your signature scent is a classic like CK1 or Chanel no.5, we would always advise stocking up on what you like once you’ve found it. 

Kept unopened and in a cool, dark place, most perfumes will last between 3-5 years unless otherwise stated on the bottle.  

Another handy hint, especially if you favour a more obscure brand, is to keep a label somewhere. This will make it easier for you to say what base notes and other characteristics the scent has if you need to replace it. 

If that time comes, here are the steps we recommend taking to find a suitable replacement. 

Check With the Maker 

First things first, the makers of your preferred scent will likely have other scents in their range that are similar, so you might find something there that you like. We highly recommend in-person scent-testing where possible, as the description might not do justice to the contents of the bottle.  

Online Sleuthing 

There are many websites dedicated to the art and appreciation of perfume and these are a great place to find out what others think of different brands. Someone else might have already discovered what you’re looking for and posted it online, so this could be a valuable shortcut. 

With so many perfumes available today, finding something similar shouldn’t be impossible but if looking for something similar leaves you making constant comparisons, it might be time to try something new.  

In this case, you might be better simply starting afresh – put your discontinued scent to the back of your mind, have a sniff around and see what catches your attention. 

Checking to see if there are any brand-new scents available is a great way to keep yourself one step ahead of the crowd. You could also try checking websites and blogs to see what other people in the same boat are currently looking at. 

A simple way to find a suitable scent is with our online fragrance finder.

Scents and beauty products should be something we enjoy, so don’t get disheartened, get looking and see if our website can help you out along the way.