We found a recent study by Total Beauty, a digital publisher of beauty and health content, filled with some surprising behaviors and purchasing motivations, including:

*About 59% of respondents said that scent strips and in-store trials were key drivers in their buying decisions, rather than a celebrity endorsement, as they were reluctant to admit that celebrity associations were influential to their purchase behaviors in the fragrance category, even if many did like celeb scents.

*In an uncertain economy, fragrance is the luxury of choice for lower-income women. For example, 40% of women with a household income under $25,000 spent upwards of $150 on fragrance over the past year and purchased fragrances at specialty retailers, not mass merchants, thus transforming the shopping experience into one of indulgence, with 39% of shoppers buying fragrance at specialty retailers, 34% at department stores and 26% at mass retailers.

*Women with an annual household income of more than $150,000 said they are more likely to purchase fragrances when there is a free gift with the purchase (about 18%), whereas less than 8.5% of women with lower household incomes were influenced. And, the higher a woman’s income, the more likely she is to be influenced by a celebrity endorsement.

*Women over the age of 55 are more apt to treat themselves to fragrances. About 71% of respondents in the 55+ age group spent $50 to $149 on fragrances over the last year, but only 43% purchased fragrances as a gift.