How much do you believe scent reviews ?

[Incendia]

I am becoming more and more skeptical of scent reviews posted on supplier sites. Can there really be so many 5s? Can there really be that many 'this is my best selling scent'? Or 'This is my new favorite!'  Are the reviewers all impartial, or are some of them shills, or ?

 

If I am considering buying a scent, I like to read all the reviews (if there aren't too many). I especially like to read those that are not 5s because sometimes it can be a more fair evaluation. When I buy at Amazon, I especially like reading the 4 star reviews, since I am more likely to get an honest appraisal. I want to know what possible flaws are. The blanket 5s are all too often 'rah-rah, best in the world' sort of reviews. I also like an item that has lots of reviews - more likely to have actual people writing them.

 

I also don't much like reviews that are from people who are in some way compensated for writing one. I think they are less likely to be accurate. When people are grateful to get something in return, they tend to be more generous in their opinion.

 

Also, people in general tend not to like saying something bad about a product. I remember watching a demonstration outside a grocery store, where patrons were given unsweetened lemonade. It was said to be horrible tasting. Yet the unknowing store customers in the test, after tasting this glass of grief, mostly said 'Yummy. Yes, I would buy it.'  Is this also true of buyers of FOs? Do most people just not want to say anything bad about something that IS bad?

 

At this point, I've purchased from about 6 suppliers. From one, I was offered a nice coupon to write a review. Which I did. I happened notice that the same date a few other reviews were posted about that same FO. They were 5 stars with very short comments such as 'Great!', 'Best ever!'  Were these short, non-specific comments just posted to get their coupon? That would be my guess.

 

I also just noticed at another supplier, with very few reviews in general, that one person posted a review about every single scent I looked at. And I looked at a lot of them to see if this was true. That supplier offers 141 scents, and this person seems to have posted reviews about all 141 (though I have not looked at all of them to verify). And she posted all these reviews on the same day. Really? My nose would have gone dead, lol. Almost all of her reviews of course were 5s, but a couple of 4s too. Yet her comments did not match up with the stars. About one 4 star scent she said 'its my best seller. Really nice.'  Ya, uh-huh. Right. Without her comments, the vast majority if fragrances would have had zero comments. Can someone really make a fair appraisal of that many scents? Not to mention all the time that would take to do for free. Call me skeptical.

 

This is what I've learned. Don't blindly trust FO reviews without a grain of salt. Reviews from people here I would believe far more. And... maybe, be more trusting of the larger suppliers with numerous reviews. I am not suggesting to avoid smaller suppliers, but just be careful. All that glitters, and all.

 

 

[WaxingPoetic]

I know exactly what you mean, sometimes reviews look too...generic, I guess ? And I definitely agree about reviews where people are given the products for free ! I always take those with a grain of salt

[kandlekrazy]

I really don't like the ones with all great reviews, makes me think they don't post the just ok or bad reviews.  Scent is so subjective from person to person.  If I leave reviews, I try to keep my personal likes out of it and review just how the scent did in my wax and if it sold.  I never review fo's immediatly, I wait 4-6 months. 

[TallTayl]

I even take reviews from actual people with a grain of salt. My nose and customer base are soooososososo different from just about everyone else. There is no substitute for shelling out the dough on go that sound interesting and trying it myself. 

[Scented]

I'm not inclined to get happy about buying a scent if it's a one or two word comment. If a person is going to review, then review it. Great! Terrific! and My newest best seller tells me nothing. IF a supplier paid for that, they got ripped off. 

When I was more familiar with who was who out there, I would go in search of their reviews, because I found they were pretty spot on. 

Because of how watered down and the lack of genuine reviews, it irritates me and even more when someone says the Great! Terrific! and My newest best seller comments were helpful. Gimme a break! 

 

 

[Ray]

Most of the scents we carry are from reviews on this board. We'll read reviews on the suppliers site, but take those with a grain of salt....especially one in particular.

[GoldieMN]

OMGosh, I never thought of this!  I never leave reviews on sites other than this forum but may just start, good or bad.

Goldie

[CBeardly]

I wish there was a way to block the "I got this product for free/at a discount in exchange for my honest review" reviews. Those are the ones that always have the maximum number of 5 star reviews on Amazon. I avoid those like the plague.

I think multiple places don't post negative reviews or reviews they don't like. I've posted a less than 5 star review on one site & it's no where to be seen. Another place I'm pretty sure I did post a 5 star, but I said it smelled differently from the name & it didn't get posted. 

[Trappeur]

I never knew suppliers offered things in exchange for a review.

 

I get emails from Flaming all the time asking for my reviews which I do post.  But I have never been offered anything.

 

When I look at reviews which I like to read about, I look for people who state what wax they use as I like the reviews that use the same wax as mine.

I do see a lot of mixed reviews where they say smell like this or that.  Of course we all smell differently.  I can't stand it too when they say it's great and that's it.

 

I'm very honest with my reviews and hope they do post them even if it is a negative one.b

 

And I do value peoples opinion on this forum and will go and order on reviews sent from here more so than on a website.

 

Trappeur

[Candybee]

Personally I think you are way overthinking the reviews. Reviews and descriptions give you a very generalized idea of the scent as in 'wide range'. Keeping in mind your product may differ and not everyone smells the same thing given the same scent. What may work in another's product won't work in yours. What smells like grapes to one may smell like cat pee to another. So always take the reviews, and descriptions, with a grain of salt.

 

If it sounds like something you would be interested in go ahead and try it. You won't know how it works or how it smells in your finished product unless you try it.

 

But I am finding that the reviews do tend to help more than not. I just take them under 'advisement' and nothing more.

Edited March 3, 2017 by Candybee

[Lana]

I always look for reviews, but negative or no reviews doesn't stop me from buying. (Although I've learned that in many cases, there is a reason for low stars or a low # of reviews, especially with NG). But anyways, I always give something a shot if I think I might like it or it might sell. 

 

I will admit, in the beginning of my FO trials, I was the one making reviews like "This is great!" but now that I've been doing this for a while and I've worked with so many different waxes, I now try to leave reviews with what wax I used and at what %. Along with my thoughts on the HT/CT and sometimes the scent itself (even though it's different for everyone). 

 

I I haven't reviewed in a while but I plan to sit down and write reviews for some of my recent purchases. Just like its hard to buy candles online when you can't sniff them, it's hard for people to try scents sight unseen (or unsniffed), so I like to give my feedback. 

Edited March 4, 2017 by Lana

[Incendia]

Selling scents is actually different than selling many other things. You can't see a picture of it. Or hear it. You have to smell it yourself, or to a lesser extent to decide on a purchase, trust what someone else is saying about it. And what can be said about a scent to entice you to buy? A catchy name, the supplier's effusive description, and other customers' reviews (including opinions from here).

 

They can name it something cute to catch your attention - Love spell, Butt Naked, Monkey Farts, etc. But those do nothing to tell you what the scent is about. Other names, such as peach, lemon, bourbon, at least give you a clue.

 

Suppliers descriptions probably give, or should give, the best information. But they are trying to sell you their product (not necessarily a bad thing) and many of their descriptions are trying to set a mood more than 'this smells like that' sort of comments. (Hence why one might favor buying from sites that have a track record of earned trust.)

 

So then we get back to reviews. What I realize is that often it is the sheer number of reviews a scent gets that influences me more than what is said. (Unless there are many 3 and 4 stars given.) This only works at the larger sites, but it tells me people are buying and re-buying it. And that it's more likely to be pleasing.

 

In the end, I'll buy pretty much what I want and decide for myself... but it is interesting to me how these scents are sold. Live and learn.

 

 

I almost forgot. Some sites allow giving thumbs up or down for reviews. And I've seen people get negative responses for giving negative reviews. Really? That's another way to prevent honest evaluations.

Edited March 4, 2017 by Incendia