Fake Jo Malones are Everywhere (Part 2 of Tips on How to Spot Fake Jo Malones)

As promised in my previous post, I made this follow-up post on how to spot fake Jo Malones.  This time, I have included tips based on my actual observations and actual photos showing differences between authentic Jo Malones and fake ones.

Here's a link to my earlier post, if you have not read it yet:
https://littlemisskuripot.blogspot.com/2017/11/fake-jo-malone-perfumes-are-every-where.html

I now own twelve bottles of authentic Jo Malones (yay!). Unfortunately, as I relayed in Part 1 of this post, I was also sold a fake bottle  by a seller in the Carousell app.  So, how did I find out that the fake Jo Malone was indeed fake? I compared it with my authentic bottles and the differences are immediately noticeable. These differences will be discussed later. Because of this negative experience, I have made it my life's mission (naks!) to share information on how to spot fake Jo Malones, so that others may be spared from the same ill fate.

Of course, the best and foolproof way to ensure that you are getting an authentic Jo Malone perfume is to buy from actual Jo Malone stores and authorized distributors (you may check the Jo Malone website for listings). However, if, like me, you are always on the lookout for good bargains, you may find yourself tempted to buy from an online seller who may be selling a bottle for half the price. In this case, let me give you some pointers to help you avoid ending up with a bottle of a fake Jo Malone perfume.

1. Quality of the bottle and its parts 

Being a high-end perfume, it is expected that efforts are taken to ensure the quality not only of the perfume itself but also the packaging. With the authentic bottles, you will notice that the lines and grooves are smooth, while with the fake bottles, there may be some imperfections in the bottle, like bumps or crooked edges. There is also a difference in the quality of the different parts of the bottle like the materials which the caps and tubes are made of. It is difficult to explain in words the differences in quality, but when you hold a fake and an authentic bottle together, you will understand what I am talking about. 

2. The Box

Counterfeiters have done a good job in copying Jo Malone boxes, but as you can see in the photos below, the difference will be noticeable when you compare a fake box with an authentic box.

The box of the fake one stands out from these five boxes as it is on the yellowish side as opposed to the creamy color of the authentic boxes.  Aside from the color, the texture of a fake box is coarser than the authentic box. if you run your fingers along the fake box, you can feel that it is more grainy and made of a thinner type of paper whereas the texture of the authentic box is finer yet made of a thicker type of paper. 

in the photo at the bottom, you can also see that portions of the paper on the fake bottle have started to be scratched off, revealing white portions underneath. On the other hand, you can see in the upper left photo that that even though the paper on one of the authentic bottles was already starting to be peeled off, there is no sign of scratching on the paper itself.

A look inside the boxes will also reveal a noticeable difference between fake and authentic packaging.

As may be seen in the photo below, authentic boxes come only with black tissue, while for the fake box (middle) there is a foam/styro-type material with a cut-out of the Jo Malone bottle. 

The foam/styro-type "cushion" in the box may be removed and here is a closer look at it.  None of the authentic Jo Malones I have bought ever came with this, so having this inside a Jo Malone box may be an indication that you're getting a counterfeit.

The photos above are of boxes for 100ml bottles, below are photos of the boxes for 50ml bottles. Each of them are authentic, but interestingly, they are not similar. The square box on top was from a store in Paris for a 30 ml bottle bought in November 2017. Like the boxes for 100ml bottles, it came only with a black tissue inside.

On the other hand, the box on the bottom left was from the Jo Malone store in Greenbelt 5 for a 30ml bottle bought in December 2017.  As you can see, the box came with a black cardboard/cartolina with a cut-out of the bottle.  Unlike the other boxes, it does not have a recycle icon.

Finally, the box on the bottom right was from the Jo Malone store in Carrousel du Louvre in Paris for a 30ml bottle bought in September 2016. There is a black cardboard/cartolina with a cut-out of the bottle inside and a recycle icon. 

Meanwhile, all the 100ml Jo Malone boxes I own have a recycle icon at the bottom. While in authentic boxes, the recycle icon is embossed (much like embossed invitations which were the fad in the 90s), the recycle icon in the fake one (middle) is placed at the bottom with a sticker. 

3. SPRAYER CONNECTOR

I use the term "sprayer connector" to describe the portion that connects the sprayer head (which is pressed to dispense the perfume) and the long tube that runs to the bottom of the bottle. Based on the perfume bottles I have seen in person and those which are sold online, I think this part of the bottle is a good indicator of authenticity of a particular Jo Malone perfume.

The connector on authentic bottles may be described as translucent, which is somewhere between being totally transparent and totally opaque.

In the photo below, the connector in the bottles labelled fake is either transparent/clear (top right) or opaque/white (bottom, second from the left).

I noticed that the opaque or white connectors also tend to be longer that the connectors in authentic ones. Here is a closer look at the connectors:

I browsed online selling sites for Jo Malones and here are photos of those with opaque or white connectors, which I believe are fake:

Here are photos of those with clear or transparent connectors, which I also believe are fake:

4. SPRAYER HEAD

The sprayer head on fake Jo Malones are a little longer/taller than the sprayer heads in authentic ones. Also, the sprayer hole in authentic ones are nearer to the top. As you can see in the photo below, the sprayer holes in the authentic bottles almost touch the top of the cap. The sprayer hole in the fake one is closer to the center and also appears bigger and rounder.

Here is a photo after I removed the sprayer head and laid them side by side. The height difference between the fake and authentic ones is very obvious.

When you turn the heads over, you will also see that in the authentic ones, the tube where the perfume passes when it is sprayed has a black material inside, like in the photos below:

In the caps of the fake bottles, the black material is either smaller or cannot be seen at all. The plastic material inside the caps of the fake ones also look different from the material of the caps in the authentic ones.

5. SPRAYER TUBE

The material of the inner part of the sprayer mechanism is the most tell-tale indication of whether a Jo Malone perfume is authentic.

As seen in the photos below, in fake Jo Malone bottles, this portion is made of aluminum or some kind of metal while in authentic bottles, this part is made of thick plastic. At once, it can be seen that the fake ones look cheap while the authentic ones look clean and luxurious. 

There is also a difference in the protruding tube that connects to the sprayer head.  In the fake bottles, the tube is thinner, sometimes longer and plain straight. On the other hand, the tube in the authentic bottle is wider in diameter and made of thicker material. It also has a ring/disc (portion that looks like a belt or ring around the tube) near the base:

So if youyare buying from an online seller, insist that they remove the sprayer cap and to send you photos of the inner portion. That way, you can easily see if the items they are selling are authentic. Remember, Jo Malone boxes and bottles are NOT supposed to be sealed, so the sellers have no valid reason to refuse your request. In case a seller refuses, then you will know that he/she is hiding something. 🙄🤔

6. PERFUME CAP

Upon removing the perfume cap, I immediately noticed that the cap of the fake Jo Malone is considerably heavier than the cap of authentic ones. I also noticed that caps of authentic bottles are interchangeable as they are of the exact same size. Each cap can fit on any authentic bottle without any problem. This was not the case with the fake one. 

Caps of fake Jo Malones will either be too tight or too loose on an authentic bottle. Hence, if you have an authentic bottle with you, one way to test the authenticity of a Jo Malone perfume is to remove the cap and try it on your authentic bottle. If it doesn't fit,then it's definitely fake. 

When you turn the cap over an look inside, you'll see the reason why fake caps won't fit on authentic bottles. As you can see in the photo below, the protruding plastic along the wall of the cap of the authentic Jo Malone is wider and flatter that those in the cap of the fake one. Take note, however, that I have encountered a fake Jo Malone with a cap  similar to the authentic one. So, do not rely on appearance alone but try to fit it on an original bottle.

So there. Those are the tips I have so far based on the fake Jo Malones I have encountered. May you find these tips helpful and may they help you avoid falling victim to unscrupulous sellers out there.

If I missed any thing or if you have more tips to add, feel free to comment below. :)