FM perfumes - feedback/views?

[elisabeth]

Hi,

Ive recently encountered FM perfumes, essentially perfume sold through a direct selling model (perfume parties etc). Has anyone tried / had any experience with them? Views/thoughts..?

A typical re-seller site: http://ww.fmforperfume.cm/

cheers,
Ellie

 

[Niles]

When I saw this thread title, I thought of Frederic Malle's fragrances. I don't know anything about FM perfumes. Sorry.

 

[Rain]

Stay away. The story is they sell the same stuff as brand name perfumes at fraction of the price, because they don't include clever marketing and pretty packaging. Now, I won't disagree that alot of brand name perfumes don't invest a lot in the juice itself, but much more in promotion, but that is beside the point, especially when you check out their (FM) websites and then it becomes obvious that FM group is a pyramid scheme group that invests a lot of money in their... marketing!!! I find the whole thing hilarious, but not in a good way. To anyone who has smelled more then ten perfumes in their lifetime the difference is obvious. If you don't want to spend a lot of money, there are chinese knock-offs, discount internet shopping, ebay...

 

[elisabeth]

thanks for feedback very useful. I had somehow similar impression..

 

[ohhmygod]

The website is extremely unprofessional. Stay away. Stick to the ones on basenotes.

 

[Pollux]

Edit: THis is so long that I split the post in two:

1. Non BN members looking for inexpensive scents: I guess it is a good option if you have a "no frills" attitude towards scents. As far my experience goes, FM buyers will get a decent-quality version of 1 Million, Black Code or whatever for a fairly good price, albeit a little more expensive that knock-offs sold in drugstores. Plus the added problem that since sales are personally done, buyers might be pressed to buy when asking for information due to the fact sales operations are based in personal selling.

2. BN members with time to read:

Well.. here is my experience.

I found about this company and contacted them in order to try them. Some 10 e-mails after they asked me if I could go to their offices, so I did. In there I met a lady who had a folder with around 40 or 60 vials of different perfumes for men, and almost a 100 vials of perfumes for women and a catalogue describing the scents with minimal information as per the notes, albeit full of really cheesy metaphorical descriptions.

She told me that we were to wait for the expert in perfumes (she actually resorted to the word "perfumist"), so after 20 minutes there this man showed up, a guy in his late twenties. After he arrived, an italian guy in his late fifties showed up, apparently, a very succesful salesman with networks around many countries that took the chance of making non-related comments to us. In the meantime we hold a cliché conversation flavoured with positive comments on multilevel marketing and questions about my interest in these kind of business or people who might be interested in...

Finally we could get to the point, so I started smelling the ones she told me were the most succesfull ones - the usual ones like 1 Million, Le Mâle, Armani Code, and so forth. Frankly, I could not tell differences between these and the original ones as per my memory. After giving her the chance of showing me the "good ones", I told her that I was not interested in these kind of scents, rather in traditonally blended aromatic fougeres as well as orientals (woody and spicy).

The expert in perfumes suggested some but he could not do it as per the families mentioned, so I had to tell them brandnames... which they were not familiar with: they did not of traditional houses like Guerlain, so mentioning that Habit Rouge was one of my fav's was useless. I asked them if they knew L'Instant at least, the expert told me that it was out of fashion and that I was supposed to look after more contemporary scents - at this point if the meeting I was asking myself what the hell was I doing there.

Well, I had the chance of identifying five scents I liked, but I could not find any of them distinctive enough as to justify buying a full bottle. Anyway, I sarted to short list them. After half and hour the one I chose happened to be their version of Davidoff's Adventure, a scent described as "run of the mill and bland" as per reviews here in Base Notes. Well, just to cut this story short, I told the sales lady I had to give this a thought, so I was going to get in touch with her in the near future... which I never did.

To the point: their own version of Adventure is much better than the original, it is more complex and longer living, but the blend is akin to many scents sold in the mass market, no originality whatsoever. In general, their perfumes are done according to blends being bestsellers, so as far as I realized, you won't be able to get much distinctiveness from them.

Now, if you are among the ones prefering Amouage, Federic Malle, L'Artisan, MPG, or even Demeter, or if among designers your favour houses like YSL and Chanel, cherish the gone and forgotten scents from the 1950's - 1980's or if you are fond of Trumper's and Truefitt & Hill or even L'Erbolario and you have absolutely no problem using Old Spice, Canoe, Pinaud's Clubman or even organic juniper or vetiver EO, just avoid this and save your money as well as your time.

I did, for I could spend saved money on expensive niche fumes.

 

[L'Aventurier]

Interesting account, I enjoyed reading your experience with this company. The only issue I would have with a company like FM, is that they probably don't stick to IFRA regulations or thoroughly test their fragrances before selling them (to avoid allergic or toxic reactions). This could be a plus to some (as they might use natural oakmoss, which is no longer allowed to be used in high concentrations) but I imagine a company like FM would use only the cheapest materials they can get their hands on, so you wouldn't find natural oakmoss in their fragrances anyway. (It's hard to say though, as I have no experience with their fragrances).

In the end, I would just stick to the real fragrances too. Sometimes it's worth it to pay a little more and just not worry about things.

 

[Pollux]

... In the end, I would just stick to the real fragrances too. Sometimes it's worth it to pay a little more and just not worry about things.

Agree, rather use Canoé or any of the Dana's than spending money in them.

 

[hirch_duckfinder]

Who knows what could be in those frags?

 

[Pollux]

Who knows what could be in those frags?

IMHO, nothing different than you would find in blends like Terre D'Hermes: did you notice the fixatives present in that one? Or better still, Bogart pour Homme is well known for causing skin rashes in many people. What about the headaches caused by Iso E Super? And so forth.

I asked about the origin of the scents and they told me that they have two factories, one in Monaco and the other one in Austria.

My problem with FM is that they have a clear business policiy, that of blending scents after best sellers. Now, I ask myself, why don't they work on their own blends? That would be more interesting for us perfume aficionados.

 

[ian and birute]

:thumbsup: we have had the best of experiences with the FM Group since taking a decison to make it our family business in Sept 2009 with five family members being distributors in their own

the products are of the highest quality and sell themselves with very little effort, the fragrance range sit in the self same groups as all perfumes whatever their origin and are available through a worldwide group of individual distributors like us who are seeking to change their lives financially

for the uninformed pyramid selling is outlawed being based on financial input with no actual product; FM Group is network marketing at its very best with amazing rewards, ask yourself have Avon, FLP and the like been outlawed ?

quite apart from retail profit and commission from the parent company we have, this past 6 weeks enjoyed a 'reward day' at Mercedes Benz World down in Surrey and just today returned from the parent company's annual Pic Nic in Wroclaw where we had a fantastic weekend in the company of about 3500 FM distributors from all around the world

recession, what recession ? join up and enjoy

Ian and Birute

 

[Judith18]

I would like to comment on some aspects (mentioned above):
Pyramid Selling: this usually occurs when there is little or no emphasis on selling the product but a strong emphasis on "front loading" (buying stock or inventory) and / or a high PV (personal volume) - encouraging recruits to buy for themselves (even what they don't need!). This leads to constant recruiting and no growth. FM Group places a high emphasis on selling products, does not encourage front loading and has the lowest PV of any MLM company I have ever come accross (I have 30 years experience in the direct selling industry).
FM Perfumes: All perfumes are created by Drom International (have a look at ww. drom.com). This is a very reputable company - creators and manufacturers of fine perfumes to the industry (many well known brands are affiliated to Drom). Therefore there is no concern about "who knows what they put into the perfumes".
FM Perfumes and "similar to" fragrances: Although FM markets fragrances similar to (in the same fragrance family for instance) as some well known brands, they also have a selection or signature perfumes.
FM Group Structure for growth and compensation plan: Unfortunately you will always have individuals who will use "strong arm" tactics, unethical approaches and even bullying to try and recruit new distributors (this happens everywhere and in all direct selling / mlm companies). The FM ethos, however, is one of "paying it forward". Helping others to become as successful as you are. The FM idea is more of a "mini franchise" concept and a person with vision and drive should be able to build a strong and solid business.
Lastly: Not everybody can afford brand names and I do believe quality rendition perfumes like the FM brand and Le Reve (Australia) have a firm place in today's marketplace.

 

[ian and birute]

thank you Diane;

great to see such a response from someone with someone experieneced in direct selling and networking marketing.

being architypically 'english' my barriers were up from day one [sept 2009] having been conditioned by parents to work hard at school, work hard at uni to get qualifications and get a job for life !!

only problem with a traditional job is the money stops when you do and you work for 40/45 years to collect a pitiful state pension as most private pension funds are broke or breaking

having embraced network marketing with FM World my mindset is radically different as is my lifestyle; of our three daughters two being educated and wordly wise [or so they would have us believe] see the advantages and mix conventional study with being distributors/networkers in their own right and expect to finish uni debt free;

roll on retirement !!

 

[socalwoman]

This thread is no longer in keeping with the guidelines for business owners posted here: http://www.basenotes.net/threads/254071