Cheap Smells

As most people know I am totally hooked on perfumes and have a really large collection of them. Over the years I have managed to build up a large collection of approximately 160 or so different perfumes. I often like to treat myself to a new perfume or four every month or two, which costs quite a bit of money depending on the perfume house, type of perfume and size of the bottle etc. As much as I love my perfumes I really hate paying too much for them in the high street stores such as Boots, Debenhams and The Perfume Shop so I resort to buying them online as they cost a lot less compared to buying on the high street . Purchasing perfumes online is something which I have been doing regularly or the past 18months or so ; and there are a few different fragrance websites which I purchase my perfumes from. There is only one downside to purchasing perfumes online and that is the fact that you cant spray the testers on yourself before you buy them like you would do in a high street store; unless you test a perfume in boots and then go home and buy it online.

One of the many fragrance websites I purchase from on a regular basis is a site called Cheap Smells, one of the main reasons I like this website s much is because it sells a lot more than just perfume, you can also purchase hair care, skin care and cosmetic products. This site isn't all good though and does have its downsides as well; especially when the delivery charge is concerned. Some websites charge you a standard fee regardless of how many items you order and other websites charge you a fee for every item you order. In this case Cheap Smells charge you per item so if you are ordering a lot of items then the delivery charge is likely to be high, however if you are only ordering one item then its fairly cheap. Cheap Smells charge you a fee of £0.95 per item ordered and if you are ordering a gift set then the delivery charge is higher and they will charge you £1.95. Regardless of the delivery charge I am still quite happy with placing orders with this website as they seem to have a very large range of products compared to other sites and most of the products on the site are big branded names and designer names.

As soon as you enter the Cheap Smells website by simply entering www.CheapSmells.co.uk into your browser you are greeted with a lovely coloured yet simple looking website which is easy to navigate around and find exactly what you are looking for. The colouring on the website is very easy on the eye as the colouring used isn't very bright or in your face, the colours used are mainly light pastel colours; such as pinks, greens and blues. All of the main parts of the website such as the category sections and the search feature etc are all highlighted in pastel green coloured tabs which run across the top of the homepage. On the left hand of the page there is also a few links which will direct you to the best selling products, new arrivals, award winning products and special offers. The content on the webpage also changes on a regular basis so as you know what's new in and what the best sellers are, Each of the different sections on the homepage are easily accessible so as you can be directed to the area of your choice quickly and efficiently.

Product Categories

Perfumes ~ As the name of the product category suggests you will find all of the perfumes in this section. When you click on the fragrance tab you will be redirected to quite a plain page which has a list of different perfumes houses which are all listed in alphabetical order. Below the name of each perfume house there is a list of all the different fragrances which are available from this particular perfume house. I actually like the layout of the perfume category because you can either click on the perfume houses name and browse through all of the different products and perfumes which they have or you can either click on the name of a perfume and browse the prices and different sized bottles which are available. I actually prefer clicking on the name of the perfume house and browsing through all their different perfumes as it seems to be a quicker and more efficient option.

Aftershave ~ This is the category where you will find all of the men's fragrances, just like the perfume category this category has the same layout whereas the perfume houses are listed alphabetically and the fragrances available are listed below the fragrance houses name. You can also browse by perfume name or house name just like you can do in the Perfume category.

Skincare ~ This is where you will find lots of different deodorants, bubble baths, body lotions, firming lotions etc from different manufacturers. Just like the other categories on the website, the skin care products are listed alphabetically according to the manufacturers name.

Hair Care ~ If you like keeping your hair in tip top condition by using different types of shampoos, conditioners, anti frizz, heat sprays and conditioning treatments etc then this is the perfect category for you as you are sure to find what your looking for. All of the manufacturers are listed alphabetically and there is a list of al their different product ranges below their name. You will find different hair care products from the makers of American Crew, Tigi and L'Oreal here and lots more.

Cosmetics ~ Love looking good then head straight here for all types of make up products such as mascara, eyeliner, foundation, juicy tubes, glitter and loads more. Again all manufacturers are listed alphabetically and a list of their different cosmetics range can be found below their names so browsing for your favourite foundation etc can be made much easier. You will find cosmetics in this section from the manufactures such as Chanel, Christian Dior and Clairns just to name a few.

Bath & Body ~Lots and lots of goodies to choose from in this category. This is another of my favourite categories because there are lots of bath goodies to browse through such as shower gels, bubble baths, shaving gels etc. The reason I like this area of the site as much is because I can get a lot of perfumed shower gels which compliment and layer the scent of perfumes which I own such as Ghost, jean Paul Gaultier etc. All manufacturers are again listed in alphabetical order and have sub category product names below them so browsing for a particular product is made easier.

Gif t Sets ~ Perfumes are my favourites and there's nothing better than being able to buy a perfumed gift set at a reduced price. All of the perfume houses names are again listed alphabetically and their perfume names are listed below this so as you can find what you are looking for easier. The best thing about the gift sets in this category is the fact that they cost a lot less than they would in high street stores such as boots and the Perfume Shop with savings of between 20-60+% off their recommended retail price.

Best Sellers ~ A list of different products which have been the best selling on the website, you will find a few products from different categorized=s on the website in this area.

Special Offers ~ A list of all the special offers on the website, at present there are perfumes, cosmetic and styling products on special offer with between 25-65% off their recommended retail price.

New Arrivals ~ A great section to go to if you are looking for the newest perfume, cosmetics and body products which are on the market at the moment. Lots of savings are to be made in this area especially as most of the products have high percentages slashed off their recommended retail price.

Layout

The website is nicely laid out and easy to navigate around so as finding products is made easier. There is also a search function which you can also use if you know the name of a particular manufacturers product you would like to purchase. The search function is easy to spot on the right hand side of the screen as it is a large green box which has a few different drop down tabs so as you can select whether it is a product for a man or a woman, a specific price range, manufacturer and product mane etc. Or alternatively you could use the search bar by simply typing in the name of a product or manufacturer and hit go to see a list of all different products which match your search criteria.

All of the products on the website have their own assigned page where you get to see a close up image of the product in question; some of the products on the website (not all) also show you a picture of the packaging as well (e.g. perfume box) so as you know exactly how it is going to look when you get it delivered. What is also very useful about the layout is the fact that there is a very detailed product description next to the products. If it is a perfume or aftershave then a description will explain exactly what type of fragrance it is, what the fragrance notes are etc. if it is a moisturiser or a cream then you will be told what the cream is for, if it contains special vitamins or minerals which help to soothe and moisturise your skin. Nearly all of the products contain very detailed product descriptions, however some of them don't really have that much of a description such as shower gels etc as these are mainly self explanatory products.

Above the product descriptions the price of the product is clearly noticeable, it states how much the original price was and how much you would pay if you ordered it from the Cheap Smells website and it also tells you how much of a saving you make in a percentage and monetary value. Some of the products have more than one listing however the contents value inside differ, the cheapest ones contain less and the more expensive ones contain more, all sizes and contents are printed quite boldly on the website so you know exactly what your getting for your money. So before placing your order it is a good idea to check all the sizes available and purchase the size closer to your own personal choice and needs. I find that you save more money if you opt for the larger sized products compared to the smaller ones; especially when perfumes are concerned.

The website also uses some symbols so as you know whether the product you are looking at is for a woman or a man or whether it is a unisex product. Basically the symbols used are a pink lady which states that the product is for the females. A blue man which states the product is for males and if there is a pink and blue figure then the product is unisex and can be used by anyone.

Payment and Delivery

Once you have found a product(s) you would like to purchase from the cheap smells website then all you need to do is select the quantity and add to basket. Once you have finished shopping click on checkout where you will be directed to the payments page. If you are a new customer then you will be asked to create an account where by you enter your email address and contact details including your address. Once your account is set up you wont need to enter your billing information and address every time you want to purchase items from the site. If like me you are an existing customer than all you need to do is enter your email address and password to be logged into the website. You can either log in to the website before you start to shop or enter it at the checkout. I prefer to log in as soon as I enter the homepage as it saves some time.

Before you submit your payment details you have the option to choose from two different delivery options which are standard delivery which costs £0.95 per item or £1.95 per gift set or alternatively you can opt for special recorded delivery however this option can be really expensive as your order is calculated based on the weight of the items. If your parcel weighs less then 100g then you would pay £4.90, if it weighs more than 5kg but less than 10kg then you would pay a fee of £31.50. So delivery via this method is quite expensive and not an option which I would recommend especially if you are ordering lots of items or items which are heavy.

If you are buying a gift from the website for someone then you can also choose whether you would like the item gift wrapped which costs you £2.95 per item and you have the option of adding a personalised message to your gift with up to a maximum of 100 characters.

Payment methods which are accepted by the Cheap Smells website are ~ MasterCard, Visa, Visa Electron, Solo, Maestro and JCB

If you don't have the use of a credit or debit card then you can send a cheque or postal order made out to Cheap Smells.com. Orders can be placed on the website or by phone (if paying by credit card)

Once your order has been submitted and paid for via credit card you will receive a confirmation email which will confirm the order you have just placed. Once confirmation has been received the goods you ordered should arrive at your home within 2-5 working days via first class mail. If you choose special recorded delivery then your items will be received the next day provided they are placed before 1pm on a week day. Items which have been ordered on a Sunday should arrive on Monday or Tuesday.

All of the items which I have ordered from this site have always been wrapped up well in bubble wrap so as they don't get damaged during transit. Every time I have received an order the items have been in perfect condition when I have opened them up.

Returns and Exchanges

The website does offer a refund and exchange service, so if you aren't happy with an item you have received or you have changed your mind about it once received then you can send it back within 30 days for a full refund. All products which are being returned must be unused and contain a covering letter with your name address order number and a reason for returning before a monetary refund will be issued.

I have never felt the need to return a product to the Cheap Smells website so I don't really know what their returns service is like at present. However if I do return a product in the future then I will edit the review and add this information.

My Opinion

I think that Cheap Smells is a fairly good website to order from as there is a wide range of different products to choose from, each product has a great product description so as you know exactly what the product is like and what it does. The best thing about the site is the fact that all of the items are really cheaply priced compared to other online retailers and high street stores; most of the products which appear on the website have a minimum of 20% slashed off their recommended retail price. The products are all 100% genuine and are exactly just like the ones you would buy in a high street shop; the only difference being is the fact that the cheap smells website offers the products at a really cheap price.

There are lots of big branded products on the website from the likes of L'Oreal, Agent Provocateur, St Tropez, Burt Bees, Clairns, YSL, Hugo Boss, Chanel, Lacoste etc just to name a few. There is so much choice and a wide range of different products on the website that your sure to find something which you like or even purchase regularly on the high street. The only down side to ordering from the website is the fact that you are charged £0.95 per order, it doesn't sound like a lot of money per item, but if you are ordering quite a few items the total soon mounts up and costs a lot, especially if you are like me and like perfume gift set as by ordering them from this website you will fork out £1.95 per set delivery charges. Even more money if you would like your orders sent by special recorded delivery.

Setting aside the high delivery charges per item, I still think that Cheap Scents is a great website to use, and one which I will continue to use from time to time. I have ordered from this website approximately 8 or 9 times in the past 12 months or so and haven't experienced any problems what so ever regarding payment, delivery or quality of goods. The standard delivery is speedy and none of my items have get lost in the post or failed to arrive. The longest I had to wait for a delivery from Cheap Smells was 4 days all of my other orders usually arrive between 2 or 3 days after I initially placed my order.

PS Please ignore some of the specific criteria below as it doesn't really apply. i.e how much did you pay and what did you order

For more information on Cheap Smells then take a look at their website which is www.CheapSmells.co.uk

Alternatively more information can be obtained by writing to ~
Cheapsmells.com
PO Box 206
Image Distribution
Pitronnerie Road Industrial Estate
St Peter Port
Guernsey
GY1 3NE

Or by Telephoning 01481 811188
9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday

Thanks for reading
:o) Lisa x

© just.bcoz
2008