How to Open Bath and Body Works Fragrance Mist Bottle

Bath & Body Works Fine Fragrance Mist

I'm a nut for Bath & Body Works. So much so that I threw my name in for employment there, and have been a part of the team at one of the top ten stores in the nation for a year and a half. I've had the fun of trying new products before they're rolled out to the public – some items months before they officially release. One of those early-trial items was Bath & Body Works' new Fine Fragrance Mist, featured in the Influenster Spring Beauty VoxBox.

The fragrance mist package design and formulation was updated and released for general sale in February 2012, but I've been playing with the new design since mid-December 2011. Now, as a Bath & Body Works employee, it is my job to say that this redesign is the best thing since gay bacon strips. As an Influenster reviewer, I'm finally free to say exactly what I think.

The best way to address this is by its pros and cons. So let's just get on with it.

First of all, the design is extremely functional. The tall, thin bottles take up less space than the geometrical nightmares of the last design. The bottles are more stable, not having the problem of being "top-heavy" like the last design. There's also that beefy cap; how many of us have lost those tiny plastic caps off the old bottles, or broken them from accidentally stepping on them? I've never had a problem with these caps getting lost or broken, at home or at the store.

Second pro is in the delivery of product. The new Fine Fragrance Mists are so called because the mist is much more fine with the new design than any of the old designs. This means there is less of a problem with "droplets" appearing on clothing.

Another pro that I have noticed is that the pump never randomly stops working. This was a problem with older designs, if you had a habit of depressing the pump in rapid succession. The only way to fix it was to unscrew the pump to equalize the pressure inside the bottle, re-screw it, and start over. Not a huge deal for most, but it did get on my nerves at time.

The final pro of this new design is the new formula that came with it – which uses less alcohol. This means that the most subtle notes of a fragrance can be more easily detected. It also theoretically means that the fragrance itself will last longer, since there is not as much alcohol to evaporate.

Theoretically. Now we face the cons. Despite the lower alcohol content, employees and fragrance fans alike have noticed that the new Fine Fragrance Mists lack the lasting power of old, standard Fragrance Mists – especially in the newest fragrance, Pink Chiffon, which is extremely light and sweet. Heavier fragrances such as Into the Wild still fare rather well with the new packaging, but delicate fragrances need regular refreshment.

Another con is that it does take more pumps to distribute the fragrance all-over-body. Since it is a finer mist, there isn't much coverage in each pump. So not only am I now using more product to keep the fragrance strong and fresh – I'm using slightly more from the get go.

This next con comes in from my mom, who noted that the new packaging makes it impossible to refill travel-size bottles from the large bottles. The new bottles are completely sealed – there's no unscrewing the cap whatsoever. So if you had a habit of refilling your purse-perfume from your at-home bottles, this might be a dealbreaker.

The last con – and this one is a biggie for me – is the value. Prices have been gradually increasing at Bath and Body Works, with Paris Amour fragrance mist clocking in at $12.50 for an 8oz bottle. This new packaging has seen a dramatic rise in price: $14 for 8oz. Considering the lasting power of the new fragrances, and the additional amount of product one might use to keep their fragrance strong, the value of your dollar crashed about as hard as it did when G W Bush took office.

In sum, there are some good points to the new Fine Fragrance Mists from Bath & Body Works, and while I do enjoy the aesthetic value of the new packaging, I do not find it to be at all practical or economical. The only way the price becomes a worthwhile consideration is if you take advantage of in-store promotions, and only purchase Fine Fragrance Mists or higher-priced items. But even then, is it practical to purchase a fragrance that needs so much attention?

Thankfully, I stocked up on all of my favourite fragrances in the old design at the last Semi-Annual Sale – and they will be back this coming June at cut-rate prices. For future fragrance releases, the travel-size mists are a better value at 3 for $10 ($1.11 per oz when purchasing three travel mists, rather than $1.75 per oz per one bottle of Fine Fragrance Mist off-promotion).

FTC ETC: Items in this review were sent for consideration by Limited Brands and Influenster.com. All opinions in this review are my own.

How to Open Bath and Body Works Fragrance Mist Bottle

Source: http://www.glostix.net/2012/05/bath-body-works-fine-fragrance-mist/

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