Got a fake Paco Rabanne 1 Million w/pics! Be careful out there people

[Neil4Speed]

Hey everybody,

More so an informative thread, I wanted to take some good photos so people can get an idea of what to look out for. 1 Million is one of the most common fragrances in the world, and commonly faked, mostly in the 100mL size.

I got this bottle from a reputable basenotes member, I know that he didn't knowingly swap a fake bottle with me - and our transaction took place about 3 months ago, therefore I don't that it would be reasonable to pursue anything.

Your probably asking why did it take me so long to figure this out.

- I recieved the bottle during final exam time, I did notice something a bit off right off the bat, but was super ovewhelmed and didn't have a chance to investigate it.

- I didn't have an original bottle/sample to immediately compare with. I was going with what I remembered from wearing it a few times from Sephora.

I was craving it lately and thats what drew me to buy a bottle directly from Sephora itself. I know I am comparing a 1.7 to the 3.4, but they are identical in attributes other than size.

The first thing that I noticed was the longevity was way off, literally 3 sprays in the exact same spot. 45 minutes later, poof, nothing. I should have picked up on that right away, but still am a bit new to this and didn't. The original, one spray to one spot and it radiates for hours. The scent itself is similar, but less lush, less sweet on the fake.

A few things of notice in regards to the bottle/box itself.

- The color on the 3.4 has more brown hues than gold, very obviously different
- The bottle on the 3.4 is more "roseish gold" rather than actual gold colored - Hard to tell from the pictures
- The 3.4 bottle has slight rippling in the glass, a line in the glass going down one side, and slight abrasion on the sides of the gold accented panels.
- The serial numbers are printed in a different font.
- The printing on the bottom of the 3.4 is not crisp, and is missing a period between 3.4

Just as a lesson, in general, Keep away from 3.4oz bottles online of popular cents from non-confirmed sources. If something is a bit off, pursue it immediately (kind of a rule for life lol).

 

[fitch256]

Tough to tell the differences from the picture,s could be just a difference in the larger bottle versus the smaller, or just general differences in the glass production.

That said, how do you know that this reputable basenoter didn't knowingly swap you a fake? 1 Million is an often talked about fragrance on here, and is one that to anyone who spends time on here knows is very frequently faked. The BN marketplace maintains its integrity based on the feedback system so when fakes are swapped or sold and the buyer doesn't appropriately report it, the integrity is compromised. So I really must ask, how do you know the swapper didn't knowingly send you a fake?

 

[hednic]

Tough to tell the differences from the picture,s could be just a difference in the larger bottle versus the smaller, or just general differences in the glass production.

I would agree.

 

[Shaheen]

I would agree that it's probably a fake given the inconsistencies and the bad juice inside. These fakes are getting more and more difficult to spot. Counterfeiters are getting REALLY GOOD at these fakes! Soon no one will be able to tell except for the liquid itself. Only way to fight back against this crap is to purchase authorized each and every time. And for gods sakes stay away from Ebay.

 

[Redneck Perfumisto]

If you can do an arm-against-arm test of the two, making sure the skin starts out the same (i.e., several days since either arm has borne a pure fragrance), and running it all the way to drydown, then you should be able to prove that one is a fake. If one arm shows up being just as piss-poor as what you described above, then you have a fake. If they're almost the same - weak or strong - then your earlier experience is probably just olfactory fatigue that struck one test and not the other.

Your nose is still the best indicator of a fake, but you need a control.

 

[Neurosis]

Honestly the 3.4oz just looks pretty old...that might explain the juice failing. If it was brand new then it's probably fake, but that just looks like an old, used bottle. My authentic 1.7oz is the same color as your 3.4oz

 

[Bigsly]

I don't know how the . in the 3.4 could not be there in a real one. If the machinery was on the way out, it would just look fainter, wouldn't it?

Update: I went over to ebay to see if there are fake sellers who are really obvious, and I found a review that contained the following about possible fakes of this one:

"Three things you will notice:
1. The box is made of cheap cardboard.
2. The bottle is made of cheap glass and the spray nozzle will start peeling off right away.
3. When you wear it (spray it on yourself), it will not last long vs. 6-8 hours for the original."

 

[fitch256]

Could be old and poorly stored juice.

 

[pawful]

i'm always sceptical about people's claims of fakes that are really close to the original. It's not super easy to make a perfume that smells like something else (despite the myth that it is) It's also not easy, or cheap, to make bottles that are exact replicas, espcially when they have multiple separate components made from different materials. It's also not cheap to print Gold cardboard for the fake box. So i'm sceptical any counterfeiter is going to get a good return on their investment, with all the work they'd have to do to put this product together. I don't think you have been sold a fake.

BUt I dont think the 1 million juice could be old as its only released in 2008. And like all mass market scents it no doubt has a very stable formula. So that doesn't explain the difference in perceived wearing time. Maybe you should test again with a clearer head? Since you seem prone to stress and panicking. Or maybe it was like, boiled or something ( since light cant damage it in its solid bottle)

 

[scentimus]

The same thing happened to me last summer on a purchase from Ebay the fake was good but when I compared to an original purchased for me in duty free you could see how cheap the bottle was. A dead give away was the tube inside the bottle on the original it was the right size to touch the bottom of the bottle. On the fake it looked like it was to long for the bottle and was just shoved in and all bunched and snaked up inside. I am glad that Sephora now carries this and I can know I am getting the real thing.

Sad thing is I believe the seller on Ebay didn't even know they were selling fakes!

 

[Ekove]

Looks real to me, maybe just a bad bottle/bad batch.

Fakes rarely look that good. Mainly because they'd cost too much to make which would defy the whole purpose of making a fake.

 

[Beedo]

I know fakes that look the same [selling 5$ in my country ] but not 99% same as this one LOL
I dont see that this one is a fake maybe it was kept in sun for long time or just bad bottle.
Fakes are different in the colour and colour of the juice at least.

 

[OlfactoryExperience]

I believe this is a fake. Most good fakes are made to be 99% identical, if not 100%. The freaking "period" is missing from the "3.4oz" on the bottom. Plus, I've seen fakes made for less popular fragrances than this, so I don't doubt that you have a fake on your hand. If the juice lasts less than an hour, its a fake. Plain and simple...

 

[TylerMoncrief]

Just wanted to share my experience with Paco Rabanne 1 Million
I own my own photography studio. So I decided to take some "pro"ish pics
I didnt edit anything, so you can get the exact color and tint

I was looking for a new cologne, so I just bought 3 viles of paco rabanne from ebay. All different colognes. And 1 Million struck me the best! That 1st whiff made me say "This is the one forever"

So, I decided to get the 3.4oz from a seller on ebay. Soon as I recieved it, and sprayed it, I said
"OH H*** NO, This is NOT what I smelled the 1st time".....So right now Its up in ebays resolution
center. I had to provide photo's. So I decided to share them here with you all

Pic 1 - The Color was just a dead difference! - You see it. They did pretty good on the fonts

The Barcodes? Yeah, Dead give away!

The Back font is bigger as you can see

As you can see the real stuff, has a very deep embossed logo

This has a deep waffle print for the inside bottle holder!, also the flaps are cut at the edge on a diagonal. And there indentation on the top flaps of the real bottle

Obviously you can tell the difference in packaging here

The plating on the real bottle is deep and very crisply chiseled

Same goes for the bottom. You cant tell in the picture, but on the bottom of the fake, theres a number 5. On the original bottle, there is no numbers at all. On the fake bottle, the bottom glass is very very imperfect. Full of flaws

The Real Bottle blends in with the logo and gold. The fake bottle is just a dead givaway

As you can see the serial number is on the bottom of the real bottle

And as you can see, it matches the bottom of the bottle to the box. The fake one didnt even have a serial number. And the number on the bottom of the box, is the same number thats on the youtube video from another poster

This is a dead give away. The liquid in the real bottle has a deep tone to it. It looks like how it should smell. The fake bottle? It looks like how it does smell, Very weak and watery

The spray mouth has an adjusted piece on the real bottle. The fake just has it placed smack dab in the middle


All in all. The fake one is a gooooood fake! The only give away was the smell for me. Because I didnt kno the difference in the package. Good thing I purchased a travel vile as my 1st time smelling it. Otherwise I may have never known!

 

[Oupavoc]

Nice pictures, this should help out a few members looking to get a bottle :thumbup:

 

[Ih8buffering]

Good write up. Even if i costs me $20 extra I will get it from some place reputable. I even ask before I buy a bottle on here for a swap or sale when and where it was purchased from the seller. Just in case I ask one of you guys dont think I'm being rude. Overseas these are being faked big time since it is really popular in Europe and in the East.

 

[luvinfragsguy]

Even though I'm not a fan on the juice, reps to the OP for giving the fragrance community the heads up. Plus the pictures everyone has been posting.

 

[heperd]

Sucks that there are thousand of people out there that have no idea that they have fake bottles of 1 million....

 

[jgalvan65]

listen dude you can relax if those pics are yours then you have 2 real bottles trust me you didnt get ripped off there real trust me.for one the boxes and the bottles have numbers on them and are shipped seperate before they are put in the boxes the numbers will never match almost impossible your number match the bottle and the box matches there real ill even tell you the maufactor date of the bottle 82241manufactor date was august 12 2008 second bottle was manufactored 01041 april 15 2010... do you feel better now about your purchase oh did i mention THERE REAL old but real

 

[DEMON]

I bought a couple knockoffs for $35 each, and I think they smell better than the real thing. Then again, I am not a fan.