Spilling The Tea | The Decline of our Fragrance Mists  

Hi Jenn! This is a really great topic!! The reason we all complain about the longevity and weakness is exactly what your title says. It is because we have noticed the DECLINE in the quality over the years. My dad worked for Bath and Body Works corporate back in the late 90s-early 2000s as a builder. He would build them prototype like shelves and build-ins for the stores. Then they got some sort of giant printer thing that they could do it on the computer and print it out and no longer needed him to actually build the stuff anymore. I hope that makes sense lol Anyway, he always was so impressed by how much effort and money they put into the quality of products. He said they had some sort of light that they would put behind whole pallets of the body washes to check the color of them and sometimes they would throw out whole pallets because the color wasn’t right. And now we get product with wopperjawed labels and weird colors(green Blueberry Bundt Cake shower gel) and candles that have no smell, etc. And regardless of how much we pay $4.95 or $18.95 it is very frustrating and sad to see something you have loved for years and remember when it truly was great have a faint smell. I am sure if they actually listened to their customers and made the scents the way they do new releases or like they used to and charged more, say $6.95 on sale rather than $4.95 or $5.95 we would be more than happy to continue to buy it! These mists weren’t perfume back in the early 2000s, yet somehow, they were stronger… and we remember that!!!! This is why I was so blown away by the Everyday Luxuries collection!!! It is actually what got me back into Bath and Body Works. Because I was getting tired of weak mists that lasted less than 15 min. on my skin. And when I ask people shortly after spraying if they can smell it and they can’t, well that is really annoying. I was sick of spending my money on a bottle of lightly scented alcohol water!!!! I return A LOT at this store because I refuse to keep something that smells like nothing!! I am really hoping that they don’t ruin Together Weather this year! I only got one bottle on the initial release and it is half gone. Thanks to channels like your’s and forums I now know that if I like something I need to buy several back ups because it will certainly be ruined the next time they release it!

I wish BBW would put more of their mists in the travel size and put those on sale. I like to carry those around in my purse and spray throughout the day. Also the seasonal scents i dont want a full bottle. I cant be the only one that wants more mini varieties

$5.95 is the highest I will spend on a BBW mist!

I totally agree with you. The Everyday Luxury Line was amazing! Those scents smelt so much more expensive than many of BBW scents. So they’re great but not in stores…why? Just gave us a quick taste of how great their mists can be and then make it more difficult to obtain them so then we’re willing to pay more + shipping. Annoying. Thanks and keep doing what you do girl!

as a luminous lover, i can def agree with you that they had it on the shelves FOREVERRR lol i thought it flopped too but i was like welp… more for me then 🤷🏾‍♀️

I agree some BBW scents don’t have great longevity but I also think depending on the scents types. Some people prefer mature scents, some prefer sweeter, fruity, green, aquatic, relaxing scents. All that plays a role. Everyone likes different things. There’s always going to be some scents selling more than others due to preferences and longevity. Honestly what I find irritating is $180- $300 ish bottles of perfumes that has the same longevity of body spray/ mist. That to me is absolutely crazy 😂

My personal price point is $4.95, and I rarely do the $5.95 sales. If something is $3.95 or below and I like the scent enough then I'll purchase, I've been trying to stop purchasing products just because of the inexpensive prices though. I only ever do $5.95 if I have a coupon and I really want something.

Everyday luxuries were strong.....why cant they all be like this .

It means we should stock up on luxury collection right now, we know it will be weaker next time they release any one of them.

Calypso clementine lasts me over 5 hours on my skin in the mist so yeah they can! I have WCM and I have to spray all day to smell it haha.

I ❤️ the Whipped Coconut Milkshake!❤❤❤ ...they really missed on the packaging though....I didn't know that that scent was that soft and dreamy by looking at the package. I agree that they can make that lovely type of scent just as lasting as the heavier scents... I just don't like the heavier scents.

Hi Jenn! Interesting topic....I have been shopping on and off at BBW since the early 2000's for the most part. BBW had expanded their market to Canada back in 2008 and is most common in most malls here with my experience. Yes, I'm a Canadian so I have a bit of an outsider perspective in comparison to U.S. BBW consumers. My experiences have been different in comparison. We have outlet stores, BBW/White Barn and stand alone stores. One of the very few U.S. companies I feel that have been successful here in Canada. We also have a Canadian website which I have ordered through from a few times as there were products not available at my local store as I live in a smaller city. I used to live in the city of Toronto which was a much larger city so there were more locations to shop at. The price points here in Canada are generally higher, but not always though. I usually wait for set priced sale and the major sales like FFM sales do happen at the same time like in U.S. The price points are normally $1 more than the U.S. Also, there is no rewards program here in Canada as of yet. Apparently, from speaking with one of the senior store clerks at my local store was telling me BBW Canada has a lot of rules/regulations which is why there is no rewards program and no BOPIS here in Canada. Just too much red tape so to speak. We do get coupons in store at the check out and BBW Canada is starting to send coupons with online orders. Let me tell you....The coupons I get in store and online do help A LOT My local store allows coupon stacking with sales. The rewards program sounds too complicated anyways in my opinion as I learn more about it from U.S. subscribers. Happy with the coupons. Just keep it simple. However, I noticed that BBW Canada does not get all of the same products which is weird as BBW Canada coincide with the same seasons as the U.S. does. The Luxury line was not available at all here in Canada in store and online. Rumor has it The Luxury may come back in the Fall, but I'm not holding my breath. This Summer SAS for 2024 there were some products like Dahlia that were not part of the sale like in the U.S. along with others, so there are some differences. I do follow Tess's blog and U.S. RU-vidrs. However, as a Canadian I kind of just take notes as I do not know if the same sales will be happening or if BBW Canada will get the same products. I used Tess's blog somewhat of a guide really and don't expect everything to be the same here in Canada. I recently had a generous friend from the U.S. who did an online order for herself and asked if I wanted anything from the U.S. website that is not available here in Canada. We exchange packages once or twice a year for a number of years and sometimes they will include BBW products. I asked her to order 3-4 of the Luxury collection for me, so I cannot compare at the moment. I'm also not a completest when it comes to BBW so I do not purchase everything from a collection. I mainly purchase the mists as they last the longest and I've never had a mist go bad on me ever. With my experience sometimes a mist takes time to macerate to get stronger. It also depends on your body chemistry. For example, I purchased Dahlia in the beveled bottle during the holidays of 2023 and to me it was light, but now that I've had it for awhile to me it's much stronger. I wear fragrances depending on my mood generally, but I feel like depending on the season a fragrance is worn is when you will get the best result. I feel like some fragrances like Luminous which was released around the holidays for 2023 does well with the cooler months as opposed to the warmer months. Luminous was not sticking around for a long time. I think it "failed" because it's a fragrance that does better during the cooler months at least where I live. I feel like someone who lives in a warmer climate may not gravitate towards it for that reason. What about fragrances like Dream Bright? That one was part of the signature line for a very long time and was just discontinued technically last winter SAS. It sold rather well according to my local store, so not sure why it was discontinued. Anyways, just my opinion. I probably will do a video about this very subject down the road.

Thanks for sharing Jenn!

Hi Jenn, new subs here. I completely agree with you. They also keep bringing back the same scents and not reaching back into the vault and bringing back what we love. None of the scents are worth buy 3 get 3 anymore. I only purchase when there is a good sale.

I liked the Get Ready with Me style video! Most BBW videos are just reviews lifting up the bottle. Felt more personal

I thought the same about Luminous as well- a flop.😂. It stuck around and there was so much of it in my store.

I'm from Canada and we have the $5.95 sale going on right now ,I purchased Blueberry bundt cake and pumpkin swirl cake with a 20% off coupon it came to $10.66🎉 I thought I was going to like the Blueberry scent more than the pumpkin 🎃 but omgoodness the pumpkin one was fantastic I will need a backup. Just found your channel and subscribed 😊

Anyone who is just discovering Wild Madagascar Vanilla, please seek out an original sheer perfume mist from one of the selling sites to know the pure magic of that scent. It's pure heaven with zero alcohol smell.

I still have a Bath and Body Works Peach Splash that I swear is from about 20+ years ago lol! The longevity of the old formulas is insane lol!

All mists should be $5. If the packaging is making it more expensive then have bare bones packaging i care about quality of the scent

20:18 If you received the last coupon sent, use the 9.95 free coupon to get the pumpkin scent mini, just until you can get the big one on sale, but I did hear that a mist sale is this upcoming Friday… Hope this helps dear🥰

I guess I’m different, because I LOVE Luminous! Thankfully I have purchased a lot of it, so it will last me a long time. It’s the most long lasting fragrance I’ve ever purchased from them, and it smells gorgeous to me. That’s what I love about it - it’s not watered down like most of the others. It has great projection and lasting power for a body mist. Meanwhile, scents that smell like literal hairspray have been around for years and years - such as Sweet Pea?! I don’t get it at all.

I have to agree that the longevity has definitely changed. I still love the mists, but i believe theyre overpriced. That being said, sometimes I'll do a buy 3 get three, but i try to hold out for a $5.95 sale.

I like to sho when they are on sale 😊

New sub here, really enjoyed ❤

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I really liked Luminous but yes each store seems to have lots of it. I also feel the same about Tropidelic. It was a total flop. I only buy mists on sale. The last Cherry scent and the luxury ones were the only one I bought full price. FYI that mascara is amazing! It really brought out your lashes.

Personally when it comes to bath and body works I never pay full price for any of it, because eventually it all goes on sale and if I am meant to have it, it will still be available. So I know with wax that some fragrance oils are stronger than others so the same vendor can have a scent that is super strong and then another scent that is not very strong.

I feel that the dry down smells the same for a ton of the scents. Especially summer scents.

I agree, $5.95 is my price point now. I haven’t done a buy 3, get 3 in years. As for the quality, BBW needs to explain why we are getting Bodycology quality at nearly $20 per bottle now. Otherwise, I’m going to stop buying this stuff because I have plenty. My daughter keeps telling me that BBW is selling us the same few scents but in different bottles, lol. But now I’m wondering if she’s right. 🤔

I'm a guy and I actually loved Luminous. The powdery aspect is what made it unpopular. People dislike Japanese Cherry Blossom for the same reason. In their minds powdery equals old lady scent.

Unfortunately, the Pumpkin Swirl Cake smelled like curry on my skin😂 I exchanged it for more blueberry. It is funny too how back in the day it used to be called body splash I think. And now with much lower quality it is called fine fragrance mist. The only ones worthy of that name are the Everyday Luxuries, the ones you mentioned(Into the Night, Luminous, etc.) You’re the One, and some of the other original releases. Butterfly is one I do not understand all the love for, I thought it was extremely weak. Dressed in White was impressive to me! And so was Brightest Bloom! Now if they would come out with an impressive gourmand!!!

I really enjoy this series!! I’m not a fan of Luminous. My store definitely had a ton set out for SAS.

Leaves was so strong....i wanted to love it because it was so strong ...but was off putting 😂 . I kept spraying it every store visit

I said that day one of the SAS...the scents appeared to be watered down from previous years....yesterday i was at BBW and was disappointed about Blueberry Bundt Cake...within 10 minutes of spraying on skin the scent faded..on the test strip as well...fans that have been shopping since the 1990's can spot the lack of quality quick

Jenn, oh my goodness, saying the quiet part out loud! I would pick Sensual Amber any day over Luminous. As far as price point, B3G3free used to be a good deal, especially with a 20% off coupon tacked on. Now, I wouldn't pay over $7 for a body care product.ッ

I have paid full if i want it or i wait for a sale my store is small so i am wandered it will run out i do miss out on some if i dont have any money i am looking forward to the Halloween stuff love your videos

I feel like Bath and Bodyworks puts most of their effort/money/marketing into their signature scents since they are their best sellers. Since they put more money and effort into them, their packaging and quality tends to be better. I understand this from a business standpoint, but as a consumer I'm disappointed in the quality of some of these scents these days. Not only am I disappointed in the quality of the mist itself, but also the packaging. I felt like the SAS packaging had no effort put in at all. Anyways, loved this vid as always 💗💗💗

It's not worth it to me to get worked up about it, BBW isn't going to change their business model over a few of our opinions. I spent so long being just not pleased with the strength and longevity and inconsistency of the mists--- I just not going to bother with them anymore. Then I can just focus on spending my money towards perfumes which will give me the strength and longetivity I desire. But if im not spending the money on BBW, I won't feel bad saving it and buying the one I want. Onecould get 5 of the Valentino purse size perfumes for the price of a $200 bbw haul

I only buy mists when they have the one day mist sales. Blueberry Shortbread smells like Blueberry Maple Pancakes that I already own so I wont buy that one. The Luxury line is coming back in the Fall. I wonder if they will be the same strength or lighter?

I firmly believe the mists that came back for SAS and sold for no more than 4.95 were specifically manufactured weaker than the mists they price at $17 to $19. I still can't believe they ruined the stellar reputation of the original Wild Madagascar Vanilla with that cheap new version.

And I will be willing to bet too that if they can do these sales of $4.95 and $5.95 that it costs no more than $2(even for the mists with the most expensive ingredients) per bottle to manufacture. Probably less than that. So why can’t they charge a little more and make them like they used to!?! I love the Blueberry Bundt Cake but it is weak!

my price point that i’d i purchase a mist is $5.95-7.95 but more than that.. NOPE B&BW is expensive lol

Mist only willing to pay 5.95 or less for mist or any body care ...and if i have a coupon to get any lower (sometimes i double think 5.95 if no coupon or an email exclusive where u cant use a coupon ) ... they aren't worth more than that .

Might be many comments.....Luminous was a failure it was long lasting but that la vie est Belle scent profile does not appeal to most that scent profile has its die hard fans (that's why the perfume has been around so long) but most skew older that are attracted to that scent profile. I personally dont like it only got the perfume at 75% off nothing else/not sure I'll keep

Luminous was not my cup of tea 😂

I think you mean Denatured not indentured baby