To return a bottle of Chanel's Allure as it does not smell as it should?

[BewilderedPiskie]

I have been wearing Allure for 30 years; it's the only perfume I have found that doesn't give me headaches and nausea as it's so light and floral with no musky notes and I have stuck with it.
It's my annual Mother's day gift and the large bottle just about lasts me a year. I've just sprayed from the new bottle I received this morning and it smells grim. Really heavy and musky and sickly sweet, properly bleurgh and the nausea and headache are already kicking in. I've checked with DH and he agrees it does not smell as it should. The bottle was about £90 I think which is a lot of money to waste but there is no way I can use it.
Am I being unreasonable to return it? Can you even do that with perfume? How can I prove this doesn't smell like the perfume I've been using for the last 30 years. I literally finished the old bottle a few days ago and am somewhat stumped as to how to go about getting the money back. Is it possible Chanel has changed the fragrance? I can't find mention of this online. I'm so confused!!
Has any one else ever had this issue?

[Ludo19]

I wonder if they've changed the formula?

[TheChosenTwo]

I don’t know! I think I’d just pass it on to someone else - but I’ve never tried sending perfume back so not sure if they’ll take it or not. Worth a try certainly.

[tothelefttotheleft]

Take it back to where it's purchased from and explain and they can smell it too.

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

First off , have there been any reviews about the change to the smell (on Chanel review site etc)

Can you go into the shop with no perfume on and ask to have a sample stritz to compare ? You'll know straight off if the top notes are different then after a while it'll settle .
Then you can show them your bottle and spray on your other wrist .

You can only find out its different if you try it out .
Where did your DH buy it ? Perfume store , high street store or online ?

[Candleabra]

Is it the right version? I love Chanel allure and someone bought me a new bottle (I asked for it) but they bought me a Chanel allure limited edition version that smelt completely different. The box looked exactly the same apart from very pale embossed small text with the name of the limited edition. It was very disappointing and it was almost impossible to see that it was different to the standard version.

[stopringingme]

Do you have the empty bottle still as you would still be able to compare the scents.

Where did they buy it, if it was a department store or boots I would certainly try taking it back.

If online there are different rules so you would need to look them up.

[BewilderedPiskie]

It was purchased from Boots.

[TinySaltLick]

Of course you can swap it over if it smells wrong, it literally is a bottle of smell

Surely the retailer will swap it and send that one back to chanel as faulty

[BewilderedPiskie]

I can't see mention of it being a limited edition on the box.

[BusterGonad]

Channel are excellent ime with returns. Make sure you have the receipt and take it in and explain. They'll either send it off to be checked or offer you a new one. I very much doubt they'll dismiss you.

[KalvinPhillipsBoots]

YABU you have opened it and used it

[WeeOrcadian]

If you have a part bottle, take that with you so the member of staff can smell the difference. Maybe they've changed the formula or ingredients?

[WeeOrcadian]

If you have a part bottle, take that with you so the member of staff can smell the difference. Maybe they've changed the formula or ingredients?

[WolfFoxHare]

I don’t know - I managed to return a bottle of Clarins toning lotion to John Lewis because it smelled wrong to me - they didn’t even sniff it, they just refunded me. I bought another bottle which smelled fine so I think that one was ‘off’/contaminated in some way.

[Ponderoveryonder]

Yes i I have worn Chanel allure for around 15years, eau de parfum. Bought a bottle in 2021, it’s horrible …nothing like it previously was. I bought mademoiselle (also edp) at the same time and the same issue, both have changed . Both were coincidentally purchased from boots, but you’d assume that’s the genuine article. I’ve spritzed samples since in department stores and they’re the same so I assume they changed the formula (such a common problem with scents in recent years). Really disappointing. Mine make me ill when I wear them , my teens wear it now and don’t seem to mind but it’s just a totally different product.

[Growlybear83]

You've been using the perfume for years and you should know exactly what to expect. if this one doesn't smell right, it may have gone off and is faulty so of course you can take it back. It's like anything else that's faulty.

[So1invictus]

If it's definitely not a flanker, then it's probably a reformulation. Allure has been reformulated at least 4 times since it first came out.
You might get a refund, worth a try.

[SnarkyBag]

IME Boots are pretty good at returning things like this. When they change the formula to no7. Foundation I used it and took it back as it didn’t look the same as what I’d been using for years. I didn’t even have a receipt and they refunded cash.
I don’t see why you shouldn’t try returning it

[BusterGonad]

I make sure you go to the chanel counter, not the perfume couter.

[TimeForMeToF1y]

@KalvinPhillipsBoots

YABU you have opened it and used it

Well obviously or how would she know it was a different amell?

I don't really get this type of thread, why wouldn't you take it back and have a conversatiion about it witb the shop?

Have people somehow lost the art of returning stuff? When I wa growing up no one would bat an eyelid about this, now they have to take to the internet to ask posters who can't possibly know what the shop will say


Just go back and politely ask for a refund

[Nolosomi]

I would return & have done in the past when a bottle of perfume smelled not right.

The posters saying you’ve opened it and can’t return are talking absolute bollocks. You aren’t looking for a refund, just a bottle that smells right.

[SplunkPostGres]

Another vote for going to Boots in store. Take the bottle and the receipt and explain that it doesn’t smell right. They may check against a test sample bottle but it’s likely they’ll just exchange for another bottle.

[RestingMurderousFace]

Many Chanels were reformulated around 2020. Definitely take it back to Boots and try for a refund. Good luck.