Perfume Factory
Perfume Factory
2.5
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2.5
201 reviews
Excellent
36
Very good
33
Average
18
Poor
19
Terrible
95
Taz1524
Toronto, Canada18 contributions
Jan 2020
Like others, we were taken here by our tour guide and told we were under no obligation to buy. My husband and I had no intention of buying anything but we both fell in love with the lotus flower smell. Even though we both figured it was overpriced we figured we’d support the local economy. We negotiated a price of 80 US dollars for a large bottle and 2 small oil diffusers. Never did we imagine we wouldn’t get what we paid for. When we got home and burned the oil in the diffuser , at first there was a slight aroma , but after about 10 min the smell was gone. In addition, the oil just turned yellow and had no scent at all. Really dismayed that the government and tour guides would continue to allow this place to run when they are scamming tourists. Egypt is a beautiful country with honest hard working people. This experience will make tourists question the motives of everyone, and make people either not buy at all or only if it’s really really cheap.
Written February 19, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Anna-Stefani K
2 contributions
Apr 2022 • Couples
Honestly I’m disappointed of the service there! After a great presentation, me and my boyfriend liked the same fragrance, so we asked for two bottles “tom ford tobacco vanille”. I specifically asked for the same smell in two packages, so one of the ladies smelled to make sure, they spilled the same one in two places and than packed it for us, asking not to open it before the flight, because it might spill. Guess what… one of the bottles contains different extraction than the other. So be careful, check your products before buying.
Written May 1, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Charles T
Cologne, Germany31 contributions
Apr 2023 • Couples
The presentation was ok but where all the oils and Parfums came from could not be verified. I personally don't think it's legit quality at all. Therefore the high prices of the oils and Parfums are not justified. Even for Europeans. I recommend not to buy anything. But the owners are nice and friendly and they offer you free drinks like Tee and water. We are in Egypt so you have to expect these kind of scams.
Written April 15, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Milly Martinez
Perth Amboy, NJ22 contributions
Apr 2019 • Couples
My husband and I did not know we were going to this store until we started our tour, which was a private tour. The people were very nice. Once we tried the oils we were in love with a couple. We decided to get a couple. When we got home from our trip and decided to use one of the oil found out we were scammed. This is the worst place and the tour companies should not add this place to their tour itinerary. It was so disappointing.
Written March 22, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jemma R
1 contribution
May 2022 • Friends
I went to Cairo in May and was taken to the Perfume Factory by our tour guide, who we’d hired to show us the pyramids and museums. As many people have said, the men presenting the perfumes to you are charismatic and funny.
Being a Brit and not used to haggling I bought a bottle of rose oil for £170, I originally only wanted a small bottle but he persuaded me to get a larger one. This is definitely not a place to visit if you’re a people-pleaser!
The oil made it home and does still smell good, but it’s absolutely not a pure essential oil. I found a simple test online to show if an oil is essential or diluted with another oil. Put a drop of the oil on a white piece of paper, a true essential oil will completely vanish when it dries, a diluted oil will leave an oily stain on the paper. I have a small jar of real lavender essential oil at home and the proof was there, the rose oil left a stain, the lavender oil did not.
I have no idea what type of oil they diluted it with and that makes me uneasy about using it on my skin.
The sad thing is, they seem to think that we think ‘bigger is better’ when that just isn’t the case. They could sell much smaller bottles of real essential oils for the same prices and everyone would be happy. There would be no bad reviews. I didn’t want a giant bottle of useless oil, I would’ve been happy with a small bottle of something real that I could actually use. If anyone from the shop is reading this, stop scamming people and just sell small amounts of the real thing. You could still charge a ton of money for the real oil and people would end up recommending you instead of leaving bad reviews.
Being a Brit and not used to haggling I bought a bottle of rose oil for £170, I originally only wanted a small bottle but he persuaded me to get a larger one. This is definitely not a place to visit if you’re a people-pleaser!
The oil made it home and does still smell good, but it’s absolutely not a pure essential oil. I found a simple test online to show if an oil is essential or diluted with another oil. Put a drop of the oil on a white piece of paper, a true essential oil will completely vanish when it dries, a diluted oil will leave an oily stain on the paper. I have a small jar of real lavender essential oil at home and the proof was there, the rose oil left a stain, the lavender oil did not.
I have no idea what type of oil they diluted it with and that makes me uneasy about using it on my skin.
The sad thing is, they seem to think that we think ‘bigger is better’ when that just isn’t the case. They could sell much smaller bottles of real essential oils for the same prices and everyone would be happy. There would be no bad reviews. I didn’t want a giant bottle of useless oil, I would’ve been happy with a small bottle of something real that I could actually use. If anyone from the shop is reading this, stop scamming people and just sell small amounts of the real thing. You could still charge a ton of money for the real oil and people would end up recommending you instead of leaving bad reviews.
Written October 1, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dani Tran
Cusco, Peru14 contributions
Sep 2022 • Friends
I travelled with Travel Talk Tours and the tour guide took us to this shop in Cairo. They let us smell many different essential oils and they all smell so nice and strong. I decided to buy a bottle of Sandal Wood oil. They had a deal of buying 3 and get one free so I teamed up with my friends and got 4 bottles. What they let us smell and what they poured into a bottle are completely two different things. The bottle I got at home has no smell and just thick oil. Something seems a little odd to me when I was at the store but I couldn’t pinpoint what it was, now I know that the real essential oil can’t be that thick. The one I got from dottera smell very authentic and a little viscous but not completely thick like cooking oil. So please BEWARE of this store but I guess by the time you read this review, it might be too late. If you happen to be there, just double check what they pour into your bottle before leaving. Please CALL THEM OUT if they try to cheat. I checked with one of my friends but it seem that her bottle is okay, has some smell of Jasmine. I guess they mismatched real and the fake bottle so those that get the real bottle can give them a good review.
Written October 3, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
David K
4 contributions
Apr 2023 • Couples
As many others have told it before, this is a scam. Our guide (from Emo Tours) took us here although it was of course not on the itinerary. They are really good salespeople, but asking $100 for a perfume is really too much. We gave them some change and said we don't want to buy anything, of course they became very different in a fraction of a second. If you ever come here, tell them you don't wanna buy anything in advance... or even better, run away lol
Written April 29, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Priscila L
1 contribution
Oct 2023 • Couples
As a rule of thumb: NEVER buy anything with your tour guide since most likely you will be part of a scam. But unfortunately, I overlooked this wise rule and bought essence oils in Cairo in a store named "Siwa Essence Oils". This is a trap! I repeat a trap! They will show and try on you the true essences oils, and these will be divine, but this is NOT what they sell to you. Even though I was reluctant to buy, somehow I get convinced perhaps by the fact that I wouldn't have time to buy the oils in a different place and I wanted them. The scam is works as the following: after you decide which ones you want, they will proceed to pack them in a different area, not in front of you. You will receive a very well sealed containers of what you think is what you tried in the store. But what a surprise... when my husband and arrived home and I tried my 'exquisite essences'... these were soooo diluted that you can barely smell the 'perfume' and they did not last even half an hour. So, again: never buy with your tour guides, do your research and go by yourself, do not go to Siwa in Cairo and never allow a seller/store to pack something without you seeing what you are getting.
Written October 10, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Peterson T
1 contribution
Jun 2023 • Solo
In June I hired a guide who insisted and took me to Lotus Garden Aromaterapia Perfumes, where I bought a Sandalo essence for 50 dollars. It was very well packaged, and when I arrived in Brazil I had a sad surprise: what was in the bottle was not essence, but some substance similar to Vaseline. I was deceived by the guide and the store attendant. I recommend that no one else goes to this establishment.
Written March 7, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
gurijosan81
Sydney, Australia2 contributions
Mar 2024 • Family
Do not buy anything. It’s so overpriced and you can get the same one outside for 5 dollars. They just do the sweet talk and will say things like it’s controlled by government just to make you feel it’s real. Also your guide gets commission for every customer they take there.
Written May 31, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I purchased Papyrus oil on my last visit to the perfume factory in Cairo. I would like to buy it again. Can you let me know if you carry it and what sizes and prices. Shipping to the USA thanks
Written March 23, 2019
when I bought there oils I ask them this exact question and they told me to contact them through their website and they can arrange you to purchase stuff
Written April 13, 2019
lornalewis302
Mumbai, India
I would like to know how Lilac is used and for what ailment.
Written March 21, 2017
It's used for aromatherapy, perfume, to treat rashes, sunburn, and as an anti-fungal/anti-bacterial. I've heard it can also be used as a toner for younger looking skin.
Written March 21, 2017
Greetings to you from Bangalore, India!
I visited your shop in October 2015 and bought 4 bottles of medicines/perfumes of 140ml each. I do not remember what medicine is to be used for what and how to use it.
Please tell me how to use these medicines for what ailment or purpose. I bought the following medicines from you:
13) Jilac
45) Myrrh
48) Menth
51) Argan Oil
Please give me your instructions for use, by replying to this email. If you are on WhatsApp, we can chat or send messages on it. My mobile phone number is: +91 98455 88239. Please reply!
Wishing you a Happy Year of 2016,
M.J. Arul (+919845588239)
Written January 20, 2016
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