The true value of perfume: Sarah McCartney on Natalie Cassidy’s Channel 4 Show - What’s the Big Deal?

Behind every bottle of perfume, there’s a creator who made the original formula, one that takes time, practice, skill and imagination. And, as Sarah McCartney shows in Channel 4’s What’s the Big Deal: Britain’s Best Buys, it’s an art that deserves far more respect than the rising dupe industry gives it. 

Dupes: The smelly elephant in the room

Sarah has never kept her thoughts on dupes a secret: using GC-MS machines to copy a fragrance formula - to replicate something a perfumer has spent time, effort, money, and often a whole wad of passion creating - and then sticking it in a plain bottle to sell for a fraction of the price is theft, and really rather rude.

And I agree. I also suspect many others would too, especially within the world of perfumery, and in particular artisan fragrance. So while that point borders on being indisputable, it opens up a bigger, thornier question:

If it’s so clearly wrong, why do people buy dupes?

This question, to a certain extent, was addressed in Natalie Cassidy’s TV show. Natalie visited Sarah at the 4160Tuesdays studio, where they discussed the process of creating a brand new perfume. Sarah even created Natalie’s very own scent: Buns ‘n’ Roses; a fragrance with notes of pure white snow, fresh bread rolls and red roses, in case you were wondering.

Sarah said her piece about dupes in a respectful and professional manner - although there’s an ever-so-slight chance that might have been down to some intentional editing.

Later in the programme, Natalie went off to visit a man whose dupe company uses what he euphemistically called ‘reverse engineering’. He explained that a dupe is simply a perfume that’s “inspired by” a fragrance that already exists. And who can be sure, but the expression Natalie wasn’t quite able to hide left me thinking she might just be sharing my feelings on the whole thing. But she was polite, and she heard him out.

And on a side note, I do worry that this segment may have actually helped raise awareness of dupes among those who might be inclined, but didn’t already know that it’s possible to buy knock-offs of their favourite scents.

The real issue: ignorance or indifference?

So, again - if taking someone else’s creation, feeding it into a machine, copying the formula and selling it off cheap sounds suspiciously like theft (even if it’s not technically illegal yet), then we have to ask: why are people still buying these things?

After some thought, I think it boils down to two things.

First, a lot of people simply don’t understand what it takes to create an original perfume.

They don’t know the amount of work, training, cost and creative energy involved. It’s not their fault - they’ve never been told. So part of this is a lack of information, or education. That’s something we can address. It will take time, effort, and resources - but it’s solvable.

But in my mind, the real issue is something else entirely: a lot of people just don’t care.

Let’s be honest: sometimes people just don’t give a monkey's

Yes, I’ve said it. People just don’t care.

And I know I’ll have to work hard to bring this back from sounding like a doomsday piece, because that’s not what I’m after. But we do have to look it in the eye.

As someone who is a self-proclaimed ‘giver of damns’, it doesn’t take long - when you sit down and really think about it - to realise that you only care about what you care about.

For example, I care deeply about women’s right to education and equal opportunities, especially in the world’s least developed countries. Meanwhile, a friend of mine who works in sports science is passionate about what happens to professional athletes - often lower paid ones - when they retire in their early thirties, with little support or resources to rebuild their lives.

I agree it’s an important issue. It’s just not one I have that much of a connection to. 

Small questions that make a big difference

Every time we open our wallet, the physical one or the one on our phone, we’re faced with a question: Is this the best version of this item I can buy? Is it kind to our planet? Is it kind to animals? Is it fair to the original maker?

These questions aren’t always obvious. And I get that sometimes we’re too rushed or too overwhelmed to ask them at all. But they’re important. And they apply to more than just the obvious stuff like avoiding single-use plastics or steering clear of factory-farmed meat. These questions apply to perfume too, and where we choose to buy it.

Caring more - without spreadsheets

In fact, they apply to almost everything: your energy provider, your phone network, even the search engine you use. The companies you buy from - are they giving more than they take? Or the shop where you pick up your holiday outfit, does it give more than it takes from our planet?

I agree, this can weigh heavily on us, constantly having a choice to make. But in the long run, surely we all agree it will lead us to a much kinder place to live.

And I’m not talking about opening up your spreadsheet and filling it with mind-boggling formulas every time you want to buy something. I’m just saying: the next time you’re about to buy something you haven’t bought before, take five minutes. Think about the whole journey of it. Who and what it may have affected along the way. Ask yourself: do I feel good spending my money to support more of this?

If the answer’s no, is there an alternative you’d feel better about?

If there’s no good alternative, and you still don’t feel right about it, then maybe ask yourself: do I actually need it?

Affordability and the value of original work

Now, I know price can play a huge part in people’s decisions. And in some cases, that’s because they simply don’t have much disposable income. Other times, though, it’s because they just don’t place the same value on the product or service as the person who made it.

When it comes to creating a new perfume, because that’s where this all started, we need to consider the work that goes into coming up with a new and interesting fragrance. It’s not just formulaic. It’s not just mechanical. It’s creative work. And good perfumers aren’t made overnight. They’ve spent years, sometimes decades, learning their craft. Shouldn’t they be paid fairly for that skill?

We all want to be paid fairly for the work we do, right?

If it doesn’t matter to you - don’t fake it

And perhaps some people simply don’t see much value in a bottle of perfume that's been passionately and expertly created. That’s absolutely fine. But if that’s the case, don’t go out and buy the cheap knock-off version. Just don’t have it.