FAQ

Our impressions are our own oil-based interpretations of well-known designer fragrances. We make each one to capture the scent that inspired it, at a much lower price than the original. They're interpretations, not copies, and we're not affiliated with the brands behind them.

Every impression is our own take on a fragrance people love. We aim for its character and its key notes, not a molecule-for-molecule copy. Our customer feedback says many of ours come very close, but close is the honest word. No impression is an exact replica, and we don't guarantee one. How a scent reads on you also depends on your skin chemistry and how you apply it, and since our oils sit in an oil base rather than alcohol, they wear closer to the skin than the original spray. What we do promise is a well-made oil that captures the spirit of a fragrance you love. If matching the original closely matters to you, start with a 1ml sample before committing to a full bottle. And to be clear, we can't accept returns or refunds on opened or tried oils on the grounds that an impression differs from the original. That's what the 1ml samples are for.

Most perfume is alcohol based, and alcohol evaporates fast, which is one reason sprays can fade quickly. Our oils use an oil base instead, so the scent sits close to your skin rather than projecting across the room. They're also more concentrated than sprays, so you don't need much.

Our oils come in 10ml or 1ml roll-on bottles you apply straight to the skin. The best spots are your pulse points: wrists, inside of the elbows, behind the ears, and the neck. The scent holds best on clean, moisturized skin, so apply after a shower with unscented soap and follow with an unscented moisturizer if you can.

Honestly, it varies. Your skin, the weather, and the scent itself all play a part, so we won't promise you a number. What we can tell you is what our own testing and customer feedback show: most people get up to a few hours of wear from a single application, and some get less. Oils sit closer to the skin than sprays, so the people near you catch it rather than the whole room.

Cool, dark place, cap on tight, bottles upright. Sunlight and heat slowly break a fragrance down, and so does air, so keep that cap closed between uses.

Stored properly, most fragrance oils stay good for one to three years. We suggest using yours within about a year of purchase.

Totally normal. Natural ingredients like flowers and resins vary a little from harvest to harvest, and even careful production leaves tiny batch-to-batch differences. A colour shift on its own doesn't mean anything is wrong with the oil.

We work hard to keep every batch consistent, but natural ingredients vary, so there can be very subtle differences in both colour and scent from batch to batch. How long a batch has been sitting plays a part too. In our experience, an older batch can read a touch stronger, while a freshly bottled one keeps developing for the first few weeks and often smells a bit stronger once it settles. So if your new bottle seems slightly different at first, give it a couple of weeks before judging it. The core fragrance will still be recognizable either way.

Some do, some don't. A few of our oils use a small amount of alcohol for blending and preservation, even though they're roll-ons, not sprays. Check the product page for the one you're eyeing, or ask us and we will confirm.

No, our perfume oils do not contain parabens.

Some of our scents may. The phthalate used in fragrance is diethyl phthalate, or DEP, a solvent and fixative that helps a scent blend evenly and last, and it has been used in fine fragrance for decades. DEP is not the phthalate behind the headlines: those are plasticizers used in plastics, and they have been banned from cosmetics in the EU since 2004, where our oils are crafted. DEP itself has been reviewed by the FDA, the EU's scientific committee on consumer safety, and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review panel in the US, all of whom consider it safe as used in cosmetics. If you'd rather avoid phthalates entirely, email us with the scent you're considering and we'll tell you whether that one contains any before you buy.

At the time of publishing this FAQ our perfume oils are crafted in France under strict cosmetic regulations.

Of course. Just ask and we'll send the full list for any scent, no purchase needed. Handy if you have allergies or you're running it past a doctor.

Yes and yes. No animal testing, no animal-derived ingredients.

No. Champagne Socialist has no affiliation with, endorsement from, or connection to any designer, fragrance house, or manufacturer. When we name a brand or scent, it's purely so you know which fragrance inspired our impression. Our oils are our own formulations, and they're never sold as, or meant to be confused with, the originals.

Any personal care product carries some risk, and concentrated oils are no exception. If your skin is sensitive or you have allergies, patch test first: dab a little on your inner arm, wait 24 hours, and if you see redness, itching, or anything else off, skip it. If symptoms linger or get worse, see a doctor.

We can't promise they are, and we'd rather say that plainly than guess. Every scent is its own blend, our oils are more concentrated than typical fragrances, and how you react to scent can change during pregnancy. Talk to your doctor or midwife first. If it helps, we'll gladly send the full ingredient list for any scent so you can go through it together.

Better not to. These are concentrated oils and they can stain, especially silk, leather, and light-coloured fabric. Keep them on skin, and heads up: staining isn't covered by our return policy.

We bottle each order as it comes in, and most orders ship or are ready for pickup within 3-5 business days. In a rush? Email us and we'll do what we can.

Because we bottle as orders arrive, we can only change or cancel within 12-24 hours of purchase. Once your order has been bottled or shipped, it's out of our hands. Need to make a change? Email us as quickly as you can.

Shipping is free for orders over $40 USD to the states and over $50 CAD for Canadian orders. Flat rate shipping is $10 CAD in Canada and $9 USD to America. Give us 3-5 business days to bottle and pack, then figure on 3-8 business days within Canada, 4-14 to the US, and 5-21 internationally. You'll get a tracking number by email as soon as your order ships.

We do. We're in Little Portugal, Toronto. Choose Local Pickup at checkout, then message the WhatsApp number when you receive your pickup is ready notification. We will give you the exact address for pickup at that time.

If allowed, quite possibly. Get in touch and we'll see what we can work out.

Unless you're charged duties and taxes at checkout, they're due on delivery. You're the importer of record, so those fees land with you, not us. They're set by your country's customs office and aren't part of the price or shipping you paid. Want a ballpark before ordering? Your local customs office can give you an estimate.

It happens. Make sure your contact details at checkout are complete and correct so they can find you.

The parcel can be delayed, sent back, or in some cases abandoned, and we can't refund orders that never reach you for those reasons. That includes times customs couldn't reach you because of missing contact info. Keep an eye on your tracking.

If tracking hasn't moved in 7 business days, contact us immediately and we'll open a claim with the carrier and work it out with you.

Marked delivered but never turned up is a different thing, and package protection is what covers it. If you added protection at checkout, file a claim as per the instructions.

If you passed on it, we have to be straight with you: once the carrier confirms delivery to the address you gave us, we can't cover parcels that go missing afterward, porch pirates included. We'll still try to help any way we can.

If a parcel comes back because of a wrong address, a refused delivery, or nobody claiming it, we'll reach out to arrange reshipping. Reshipping is at your expense, and the original shipping cost isn't refundable, so it's worth double-checking your address before you check out.

One code per order, and codes can't be combined with each other or with the signup discount. But you can always try ;)

If an item has been opened, we can't take it back, even if the oil itself was never touched. Once opened, the product can't be resold, and we'd never send a customer something we wouldn't be happy to receive ourselves. It's a hygiene rule, and it's the one policy we can't bend. Thanks for understanding.

If a return has been approved, return shipping is your responsibility. We recommend a tracked service, since we can't refund or exchange anything that doesn't make it back to us.

We always recommend starting with a 1ml sample before investing in a full-size bottle.

Contact us within 7 days of delivery with your order number and a quick photo, and we'll solve the issue with you.

Yes. Wedding favours, shower gifts, gift bags, retail shelves: if you need volume, we can help. For wholesale we've teamed up with Faire, so you can browse and order at champagnesocialist.faire.com, or contact us for a personalized quote.

Sign up for our emails for 15% off your first order, try the 1ml samples before committing to full bottles, and ask about bulk pricing for events and stores. We also do pop-ups in Toronto where we have some great deals so follow our Instagram for what's coming up. 

Not at the moment, sorry.

Email us. Genuinely. We believe everyone should be able to wear a fragrance they love without spending an arm and a leg, and that's not just a line on a page. If a scent you want is out of reach right now, tell us which one and we'll work out a price you can manage. No questions asked, and no proof wanted. Our 1ml samples exist for the same reason.