In late 2005, I posted a little lament about my perfume spending:
I first became seriously interested in fragrance in late 2003. I bought one bottle in November, and another in December. A flurry of spending early in 2004 eventually led to a self-imposed limit of 2 bottles per month. I stuck to that (more or less) for the remainder of the year. This year, I have slowed down, but all the same my "to buy" list currently comprises 15 fragrances, only 2 of which are to replace bottles that are nearly empty.
My total perfume intake for 2005 ended up at 11 bottles. Not too bad, and in 2006, I did even better. I bought 6.5 bottles (the .5 was a bottle of Sel de Vetiver that I split with a friend), plus a bottle of Jardin Sur Le Nil body lotion. The lotion, as it turns out, gets more use than anything else I bought last year — if you love Sur Le Nil, do try the lotion!
What bothers me about my spending for 2006 is not the amount — 6.5 bottles won't lead to bankruptcy — but that almost all of them were impulse purchases, perfumes I bought on the spur of the moment because I just felt like buying something. And despite my frequent injunctions about not buying unsniffed — don't do it! — 3 of those 6.5 bottles were bought blind, and notably, if I had sniffed the fragrances first, I only would have needed one of them (L'Artisan Dzongkha).
So how am I doing this year? Well, so far in 2007 I have bought nothing. Nada! And so now I have some advice for anyone looking for a way to curtail their out-of-control fragrance spending: start a blog. Then set out to test everything that is released, even things that sound utterly unappealing, and at the same time, try to smell all those hundreds of classics you missed along the way. Unless you have way more time, money and energy than I do, you won't quite manage it, but if you're anything like me, even making the effort will seriously dampen any impulse you might have to add more perfume to your collection. Perfume is no longer something I wear, it is something I test. Most of my favorites sit unloved and neglected, and on those days when I don't have anything I need to test, going fragrance-free seems like a luxury.
I'm exaggerating, of course — I do still wear fragrance just for myself. I still spray on Philosykos or Luctor et Emergo to read in bed. After I showered off Miss Boucheron yesterday, I put on a touch of Bahiana, and when I had a few stressful days last week, Ouarzazate turned out to be the perfect calming agent. This morning, I'm wearing Eau Exotique, a gorgeous and entirely underrated fruity floral (really!) by Parfums de Nicolaï, and one of my full bottle purchases from last year that has been largely ignored (March of Perfume Posse reminded me how great it is). But there are many days, weekends especially, when I can't be bothered with scent. So buying a new 50 ml bottle of perfume seems a little crazy. It might as well be a gallon: I'll never, ever use it up.
End of lament, on to the poll:
Are there any upcoming releases that you'll just have to buy unsniffed this year?
My answer: Kelly Caleche! Must have it! Will have it!
Do you buy perfume on impulse, or give serious consideration to what ought to be in your collection?
Already answered that: I'm an impulse buyer.
What should I buy next? What will you buy next?
I'm trying to stick to the perfumes that I absolutely adore but don't own, or that are so different from the other things I own that they seem necessary. A few choices: Caron Alpona, CB I Hate Perfume Memory of Kindness, Frederic Malle Carnal Flower, Juozas Statkevicius, Kenzo Flower Oriental (this one is going to disappear soon, I'd guess), Lubin Idole, Prada Man. I am tempted by a bell jar of Iris Silver Mist, and I don't know why I don't own Diorrisimo in Parfum. Also tempted to add a new summery citrus, possibly Santa Maria Novella Eva? Paul Smith Story? Or I also have a few empty or nearly empty bottles that are going to need to be replaced eventually, including i Profumi di Firenze Spezie de Medici and Ormonde Jayne Champaca. What little is left of my Delrae Debut has turned, so I'd like to replace it but am wary about the shelf life.
So the other reason I don't buy: I want so many things that I can't make up my mind! Your vote?
Note: image shows the aptly named Covet by Sarah Jessica Parker. Tag line: She Had To Have It!
R: I've saved so much money since last Oct. when I discovered the world of 'miniatures'. If you looked in my pefume cabinet now you'd assume I share it with a Ken doll: there are MY big bottles and Ken's tiny, literally, collection. I'm amazed at what you can find in miniatures…and a bottle that size is about right.
If Givenchy DOES, as noted in WWD, reissue its classic Vetiver this year I will buy it unsniffed. K
“Perfume is no longer something I wear, it is something I test.” – S Very True.
Are there any upcoming releases that you'll just have to buy unsniffed this year? – My answer is Kelly Caleche too. 🙂
Do you buy perfume on impulse, or give serious consideration to what ought to be in your collection? – I always thought I was an impulse buyer, but looking back and analyzing what I bought, I realized that I am in fact not. Although I do sometimes buy unsniffed, overall I test first and deliberate for a while.
What should I buy next? What will you buy next? – You should buy Kelly Caleche 🙂 So should I. I will also -eventually- get Un Crime Exotique, Vacances, Des Lys, Velvet Gardenia…
LOL at “Ken's tiny collection”!
On the Givenchy — why? I've never heard a darned thing about it, is it supposed to be fabulous? I don't think of Givenchy as a house with a tremendous back catalog of forgotten treasures, but what do I know.
Ack, forgot about Crime Exotique and googled it to your site. Sigh. Is it that great?
Are there any upcoming releases that you'll just have to buy unsniffed this year?
I'd have said Kelly Caleche, too, but since I work literally around the corner from the Hermes boutique, I highly doubt it. ;D I don't think I'll be buying anything unsniffed this year. I think those days are over. Working in perfume shop certainly helps.
Do you buy perfume on impulse, or give serious consideration to what ought to be in your collection?
I'm about 10% impulse buyer. I usually prefer to give serious consideration.
What should I buy next? What will you buy next?
I think you should by ISM and Diorissimo in parfum. As for me, boring as it might sound, I won't be buying anything for a while. Well, maybe that Mure et Musc travel set. I'm currently in love with the Extreme version. 🙂
Well, maybe I'm losing my mind. I was sure when we had a “vetiver” conversation last year there was an article you sent me that said Givenchy Vetiver had been the best vetiver ever and was deeply mourned by those who had worn it. Must investigate…. K
LOL — I have the memory retention skills of a head of cabbage. You're probably right, I'll have to go find that file!
Lucky you, in L'Artisan and around the corner from Hermes!
The ISM & Diorissimo are the masterpieces of that list, no doubt.
I did wonder whether you were still in love with Philosykos, which for whatever reason I think of as your Signature Scent, although I know the idea would probably make you giggle. I just associate it with you. Anyway, now I know. It was great fun for me to read a list of what you really “wear” as opposed to whatever you're testing.
I think I own way fewer bottles than most nuts; I'm mostly overrun with samples. I tend to “impulse buy” based on an immediate one-sniff infatuation (hello, Worth Courtesan!) and I think I should consider, sometime, those bottles and how well they've stood up over time.
I need to go read your Exotique review now. I'm (you guessed it) kind of kicking myself for not buying it along with Fig-Tea, but I know I can always get another.
-Are there any upcoming releases that you'll just have to buy unsniffed this year?
No. I gave up doing that after I bought the Long Lost Perfumes version of Elizabeth Arden's old Memoire Cherie and hated it.
That said, Rosine's Diabolo Rose is mighty tempting. But I'll wait to test it first.
– Do you buy perfume on impulse, or give serious consideration to what ought to be in your collection?
I used to be, but not anymore. I've reached that point where I have found the few (relatively speaking, of course!) fragrances that I love.
However, I do enjoy testing new (and new to me) things.
– What should I buy next? What will you buy next?
You should buy whatever you are sure that you will love!
I just bought a decant of Attrape Coeur. My next big purchase will be a refill of my Caron N'Aimez Que Moi spray bottle.
That does make me giggle! But it probably does get more wear than some others, because I so associate it with reading in bed and because it is such an old friend. Eau Sauvage is what I wear when I'm in a rush and want *something*, OJ Frangipani when I need instant beauty. But every so often I pull out a bottle or decant and am shocked at how little use it's gotten. My poor Parfum de Therese, ignored!!
Diabolo Rose *is* tempting! But the few references I've seen have been less than thrilling, so am waiting for it to hit the US.
But you are no help on my next purchase — I'm sure I'll love all of those! Sure I'll wear them regularly is another matter 🙂
Okay then, I vote for Diorissimo parfum!
LOL — see, we FORCE you to vote 🙂
Oh boy, I'm too much of an impulse buyer, but I'm really trying to rein that in! Right now I'm longing for a bottle of Paloma, Bal a Versailles in parfum, and Coup de Fouet. I want Diorama desperately, even though I've never smelled it (thank you Marina for lighting that unquenchable fire!). Still, compared to a year ago, I'm much better at fighting off impulse buys, and I know I've saved myself cash and heartache that way. In fact, it's satisfying when I do sample something that I thought I had to have and then realize I don't like it or it's too much like something else I already own.
Well, that's the argument for the bottle — if you want to put something on, it's likely to be an easy-to-spot bottle rather than rooting through your decants, unless you've something particular in mind. So I suppose that's how it is that we wear our fragrance tee shirts while the masterpieces hang unworn in the closet… on the other hand, what price comfort? My sweet, friendly Annicks get worn that way, all out of proportion.
I am always surprised by how many people wear fragrance to/at bedtime. I'm so … sick of it by then. I'll welcome the whispers of something I've worn and enjoyed that day, but otherwise it's a vigorous scrub. I actually got into the habit of bathing at bedtime for that reason. Now that you mention it, I should consider a bedtime scent.
I have yet to achieve a real unsniffed success, so I pretty much bite my hand off to stop myself hitting the 'Order' key. I've also learned that I have to wear something for several whole days – and not be bored by it – to make it worth a bottle. My very worst purchases have been in London department stores, where my nose gets somehow desensitised and I fall hopelessly for something that smells like the essence of light sophistication in Harrods, and like candy-sick when I step off the train into the leafy air of my town. The only success was DK Wenge, which smelled pale and loitering in Harvey Nicks, but transmuted at home into something forcefully woody (I don't think I care for that phraseology, but hey, I'm tired, it's evening here…), and has become a major RELIABLE favourite. I've learned to discern between the WOW – so brave! scents that I will sniff from the bottle but rarely wear, and the duller but attractive ones that I will reach for again and again. But I do like bottles; there's something wonderful about holding a whole bottle of juice in your hand. And I am about to fiinish my 100ml bottle of Cuir Ottoman, and will have to (am I really saying this?) buy a new one soon. So it can be done.
Well, it is true that I have no desire to wear something new or thought provoking to bed — there are just a few old faves that I can wear without thinking about them, and I actually keep little vials of them in my bedside drawer. In addition to Philosykos and L&E, I've got Hiris, Tam Dao & Bois Farine. All easy comfort scents, in their own way.
And you've reminded me that I'd love to own Dior Dior, but it is out of the question so I'm going to forget about it again 🙂
I am not good at unsniffed either, although interestingly enough, the most replaced bottle in my collection is also the first I bought unsniffed: Carthusia Mediterraneo, and I'm now on my 3rd bottle — not because it is the most brilliant thing I own, but just because it is so darned cheerful and refreshing, and equally perfect in January or mid-August.
I need to try Cuir Ottoman again!
R, It is great, for me, but you will probably absolutely hate it 😀
Upcoming release I just 'had' to buy unsniffed:
MH Fleurs de Sel. I've already bought it, not *quite* unsniffed (I sniffed it once and tried on skin, but that's hardly a long trial). I love it and don't regret it at all!
Impulse v. Thought:
It SHOULD be all thought, but in the past it was almost always impulse…this year, I bought a lot on impulse (read: NY sniffa) but none of it was regretted. I haven't bought anything else other than Fleurs de Sel since then, so the next few will definitely be Thought.
Everything on my wish list is niche, too, so when I'm tempted by a cheapie over at TJ Maxx or Burlington, I just remember that the $10 I want to spend on a perfume I *don't* really want could be going to that one very expensive perfume that I do.
What to Buy Next:
Classic Amber by Kingsbury Fragrances…her boutique's down the street from home…and JAR Shadow…and that's all. No more after that (as if the JAR wasn't enough! It'll take the entire year to save up for it!)
My wishlist is a lot longer, though, but I just can't do it this year.
R, you amaze me with only 6.5 bottles…I have no self control. I LOVE having the bottle, absolutely love it…so if the opportunity presents itself I'm doomed. Lately I've been writing down my SOTD on my office calendar, and it amazes me sometimes. I'll go through three or more fragrances a day, and I've not worn any fragrance more than four times this one month! It's SCARY! At this rate, I'll NEVER use a bottle up. Kevin's mini collection sounds great, honestly.
Hear hear! I have to wear a fragrance several days consecutively to determine if it's something that “me”. The sales people don't get this, this is my biggest problem with them. I need TESTERS, people! I can't just get spritz and walk around for 15 minutes.
I just did a tally, in my life I've owned 23 fragrances (not so much because I have self-restraint as I hate clutter.) Not one of them had been bought unsniffed, the idea itself scares me. Has it not entered your thoughts at all that JCE could be on an experimental trip and have gone wacky on Kelly Caleche, and you'll get English Leather mixed with Loves Baby Soft or something like that? 🙂
I don't buy new releases unsniffed. I buy old perfumes that way. The last thing I bought unsniffed was Bandit extrait, and it's your fault, Robin.! 🙂 I have no perfume shops nearby, so I could not test it. I could get 1 oz. of extrait for $40-something online, so I took a chance because you had compared it to Habanita and Tabac Blond, two of my faves. I love Bandit, so thank you!
I usually consider my purchases. I have lists of samples/decants to get from various suppliers. I have a full bottle wish list. If I lived near a perfume shop, I'd do a lot more impulse buying, and I'd regret it.
You should buy Alpona, especially if you can get someone to split it with you. It's gorgeous. Okay, it's my favorite chypre. What will I buy next? That depends on what news I get on what's going to get discontinued, but at the top of the full bottle list is the extrait of Nuit de Noel. OTOH, if Andy Tauer comes out with another fragrance…
I was going quite buying crazy there for a bit, when I first became seriously interested in all the perfumes out there. In comparison to some real perfume collectors here, I feel my collection is bare bones. I have recently adopted a buying freeze due to a job change, and it has forced me to look towards my own perfumes rather than looking “out there” for something new to try. I've been pleasantly surprised that I have a collection of perfumes I really love. I remembered the reason I wanted to buy something in the first place is because I wanted to have lots of it to wear.
Realistically, I have more than enough perfume to last me a very long time. I think it could become a never ending cycle, trying, buying, trying, buying. I'm finding that the more I stay away from the influence, the easier it is to just be happy with and enjoy what I already have.
I do like having the amount that I have though, so I can vary it enough to avoid the numb nose syndrome acquired through the wearing of a perfume too many times without a break in between.
Actually though, I have been tempted less because so much I have tried as of late feels too close to something I already own, or have no desire to own. Still enjoy using up samples though when I'm really craving something different.
K, obviously, I don't know if you had the conversation with Robin, but Luca Turin mentioned the discontinued Givenchy Vetyver as the best on his blog. I asked Victoria about it this morning – hard to tell whether it will be reformulated or anything?
I am just getting to the niche part of my journey. I don't live near anywhere that I can sniff anything, and am currently going crazy sample buying. I would not make a big purchase unsniffed, and i'm adopting Arianrad's way of looking at inexpensive stuff that's not *it* as taking money away from a future, expensive and more worthy purchase. I love minis, too, they're a great way of trying non niche but non mainstream stuff, and they're so cute!
I want that John Galliano fragrance, but we've got a while to wait for that: 2008 or something? I'm also waiting for the rumoured but not dated 31 Rue Cambon in parfum. And, of course, I am in an agony of impatience over the Luca and Tania guide. The Caleche certainly sounds interesting, but I'm unlikely to buy unsniffed.
Actually, I have morphed from an impulse buyer to a suspicious tester. Not quite sure why this is, as I've had a lot of luck with unsniffed purchases: I think my first three were OJ Champaca (which I need a refresher bottle of, too), Mauboussin Histoire D'eau Topaze and PdN New York. I maintained quite a streak after that, too. I think eventually I just caught on to the miracle of decants.
You should buy Kenzo Flower Oriental. I love my bottle and I think it might need more fans. I may eventually buy Osmanthe Yunnan (which was one of your impulse buys, right?) because it's super and seasonal and light enough that a decant may not suffice for long. Or maybe Timbuktu. Or Aimez Moi, because it's cheap. Or an unsniffed Crazy lileul-whaever Musc & Patch for the same reason. Or perhaps, a long-admired Serge, like Douce Amere or Ambre Sultan. Or a Ma Collection Patou. *sigh* My list is longer than I remembered.
Are there any upcoming releases that you'll just have to buy unsniffed this year?
I should say i learnt a lesson buying O Boticario's Vetiver Brasil unsniffed (it is vetiver to the hilt, I can only wear it misted)
But I would buy CK Man just because I like the notes and have something like a hunch about it. And Eau Sauvage Fraîcheur Cuir because I am an Eau Sauvage Fanboy.
Do you buy perfume on impulse, or give serious consideration to what ought to be in your collection?
I am a recovering impulse buyer adn after recently having had the chance to sniff a LOT of perfumes I only read about, I say I'd rather consider before buying, and only buying unsniffed if the comments are all (overwhelmingly) positive or I have some fetish for the house issuing it (I'm dying to get missoni's new frag for men IF they finally release it) .
What should I buy next? What will you buy next?
You, Robin, should buy Nocturnes de Caron, or at least try it 😉
I should buy Mure et Musc de Lartisan and Fleurs d'Oranger de Lutens.
Ah, maybe that is where it came from.
There is simply no way it won't be reformulated to some degree or another, though!
Then I'll go ahead and forget about it (again), thanks!
Another vote for Diorissimo, but I'd add Carnal Flower, it's so lush and uplifting — but not necessarily a “tee-shirt” scent.
I went crazy last year buying vintage classics semi-unsniffed — I smelled the modern versions and thought that if they were already attractive, then I'd like the originals better.
Now I'm a much, much more cautious buyer: only two purchases since last September, Lipstick Rose and Cuir de Russie. I never, ever buy unsniffed and don't bother going out of my way for the unobtainable (but then, I live in Paris).
But I am getting tired of deciphering my decant labels and I feel a bit restrained in my spraying those precious 5 ml, so my own full-bottle list is growing: next in line is Chanel N°22 (waves to Marina), then maybe 31 rue Cambon, Divine's L'Ame Soeur, Annick Goutal's Grand Amour…
And, of course, I am impatiently waiting for Kelly Calèche.
Oh yes, Kelly Caleche could break my heart, LOL! But I won't be able to wait until it trickles out to the 'burbs.
I am hearing good things about MH FdS, will have to get my hands on a sample! And will envy you that JAR Shadow, although I'd rather have Bolt of Lightning myself.
I used to feel that way about bottles — I liked just looking at them! But now I look at them and feel guilty. I'll die before I even come close to using them up, and who knows how many will turn before it even gets to that?
Alpona is really wonderful stuff. And I'd love to have it in one of the lie down Caron bottles, whatever they call them!
Glad the Bandit worked out for you, and sorry I made you do it, LOL!
Are there any upcoming releases that you'll just have to buy unsniffed this year?
I never buy unsniffed!
Do you buy perfume on impulse, or give serious consideration to what ought to be in your collection?
See above. But, I use up a sample vial in one go, and I rarely do decants, so my path from sample to bottle might seem impulsive (and excessive) to more thorough testers!
What should I buy next? What will you buy next?
My next bottle purchase will be Profumum Victrix, and my next sample i.e. potential bottle will be L'Artisan Jatamansi. R, I think you should buy Iris Silver Mist next. I feel like you drop mention of it all the time but then you distract yourself with the beauty vs. practicality debate! Your subconscious is either PINING for ISM, or it likes a little bit really, really often.
A buying freeze is actually a great idea regardless of your budget, because as you note, it lets you stand back and take stock of your collection. I've sort of enjoyed not buying anything since Christmas!
That is true — it is best not to dribble away the funds in TJ Maxx on things that you wouldn't normally buy. But on the other hand, I love lines like Crazy Libellule where I can get something decent for under $20 and so take the edge off that “spending urge” 🙂
Wow, you want the JG without even knowing anything about it? I'm afraid it will be another Miss Dior Cherie sort of thing instead of a Diptyque John Galliano sort of thing.
Sadly, the Flower Oriental is limited edition (isn't it? I've forgotten) so it probably doesn't really care if it gets more fans 🙁
Osmanthe Yunnan turned out to be a good purchase in some ways, although I would have been happier to wait for the 15 ml — and glad I managed to get Timbuktu in 15 ml. Aimez Moi is really a bargain!
LOL — I hope to turn into a “recovering impulse buyer”!
Nocturnes is so elegant! The first time I tried it I decided it was lovely but “not me”, but I should give it another go as it was some time ago.
And I need that O Boticario! Vetiver to the hilt sounds perfect.
Vintage classics! That is the one road I refuse to follow — I know it would lead to disaster for me. Everything is better in vintage, so I'd never be able to stop.
Your list sounds wonderful, and I can't believe I didn't put a Divine on my list. I love the 2 men's, and don't own either of them.
NEVER, ever? Good for you, K, that is a good policy, and one I preach but don't practice.
I love ISM. And I really, really want to own at least one bell jar. Why can't they make miniature bell jars, LOL? Because yes, I like a little bit really, really often, and I like a pretty bottle to boot 🙂
Must hide this post from DH. God forbid he should ever read it and compare your perfume shopping habits to mine. Yes, it's my money, but he still has little issues w/ how well various delivery people, laden w/ scented packages, know the way to our house. The thing that killed my budget last year was going on a vintage binge (blaming it all on Jaime). I'm really not that impulsive about buying, though. I actually do sit down and make out a budget and try to jam a certain number of lemmings into it – often an awkward fit w/ bits and pieces going out of bounds occasionally. The scents that get put into each month's budget come from a long list of scents I've given a great deal of thought to and feel I can't continue existence w/out. I know I'll never finish the bottles, but I usually wear at least 6 scents a day (2 harmonious ones on each wrist in the morning, 2 more in the afternoon, 2 more at night and occasionally I up the number by using my ankles or layering).
I used to buy unsniffed a lot. Doubt I will this year. Not even Kelly Caleche.
Would it be wrong to say you should get all of those? My current main needs are for Jatamansi, Champaca parfum (by any chance, do you know if it's significantly richer than the edp?), TF Velvet Gardenia and Moss Breches, a new bottle of Bigarade Concentree, more Diorling and more vintage Azuree (thanks to Angela's recent post). Am really hoping that CB will release another of his Archetype scents soon. I'm keeping a space blocked out in my budget for it.
It would not be wrong to say I should get them all, but you'd have to lend me a few $$, LOL!
Don't know about the Champaca. I've never tried any of the OJs in Parfum because a) can't afford them and b) really pretty happy with the sillage & lasting power of the EdPs. If the Parfums turn out to be vastly better, please don't ever tell me!
Oh, and nearly forgot — quoting from CB's blog:
“two of the archetypes are now complete; Eternal Return ( Ocean ) & Wild Hunt ( Forest ). Wild Hunt has become a personal favorite – but then i've always loved the smell of the old forest in the heart of summer…
I've also finished two new Secret History scents both of which are very nice for the summer. one is based on memories of my grandfather (Greenbriar 1968) and the other smells of one of my most favorite flowers – Dandelion.”
He says all will be up on the site by the end of next week.
OMG! Doing back flips! It's been a while since I've been this psyched about new releases. I'd missed that entry. Thanks so much for letting me know. But…*four*! At one time! What omen in the sky did I miss that foretold this terrible new trend? I know I'll need Wild Hunt and Dandelion (an absolute favorite flower of mine as well…much to DH's distress as I blow seed pods all over the yard). I don't normally like ocean scents, but I just have this feeling CB's will work for me. My only hope is that I won't absolutely need Greenbriar '68.
There have only been two blind purchases in my career of perfumista, both highly successful – FT and Chergui – but then I never did doubt Vika's judgment. 🙂 The one bottle I got on a whim, Burberry Weekend (a present from GF), I passed on to my father-in-law-to-be, who appreciated it far more than I ever would have. This taught me early on to test a scent at least a few times before buying. I'd certainly be buying a lot more bottles if they came in smaller sizes (will the fragrance companies ever listen to us and all of them start producing 15ml bottles?). Having received a generous amount of decants and samples from my perfumista friends (love y'all), I'm seriously tempted to go ahead and part with my ridiculously small perfume budget on Caron's 3eme Homme, PdN New York, L'Air du Desert Marocain (I'm looking at you, Erin), Encens et Lavande and Passage d'Enfer 🙂 . And at least a dozen more… Thankfully, the fact that none of these scents are readily available here sure helps fight off the impulse 🙂 Plus I don't have a credit card!
Your Mediterraneo is my Emporio Armani White – nothing spectacular but it just feels right any time of the year – the only scent I've bought a follow-up bottle of. As for what you should get next – isn't it staring you right in the face – ISM, no doubt! Haven't you tortured yourself enough, LOL! That, and Kenzo Oriental which is too beautiful a scent to pass up.
Funny how, like March, I always associate you with Philosykos. Not that I've tried Philosykos, it's just that your review and frequent mentions sure make it sound like it is your Signature Scent. He!
R, I'd rather have Bolt of Lightning too–but let's face it: Shadow is the only JAR I'll ever be able to afford, lol! Fortunately, it's got HG status besides that. They all do, except maybe Jardenia. I hate to say it, but the JARs blew me away. Even so, Bolt of Lightning is simply too much for poor proletarian me…
Anywho, I'm guilty of buying for the bottle, absolutely! I know I'll never use some of them up (or all of them, for that matter), but I keep doing it. The true test is up with L de Lolita…because I want that one, BAD…but I have two rather large samples, and I know those two samples will last me the rest of the year.
Wild Hunt sounds great doesn't it? And I don't normally like ocean either, but love Mr. Hulot's Holiday, and At The Beach 1966 is a great scent even if I don't want to wear it all the time. So am hopeful — but given the discussion above, what I should say is that I am hopeful that they are all wonderful in a way that doesn't suit me personally, LOL…after all, I haven't even bought my Memory of Kindness yet!
You know, they are all so dratted expensive that I forgot there was so much price variance between the individual scents, but BoL is the most expensive, isn't it?
Have to admit that such high prices, not even possibly justified by anything other than the desire for exclusivity (and to make money), generally put me off. But in the case of the JARs, at least they are truly unusual — and that isn't true of many astronomically priced scents.
A COMMENT FROM LILYBP:
Well, I have recently been ATTEMPTING to moderate my over-the-top perfume buying. I won't say I've completely succeeded, but I've made a dent (of course I'm going to Paris in July, so. . . .)
For your questions:
Are there any upcoming releases that you'll just have to buy unsniffed this year?
I try not to buy unsniffed bottles unless I can't help it (vintage, or temporary insanity are 2 excuses); I do get decants b/c I sometimes need to test thoroughly. I am dying to try Kelly Caleche (though I wish it weren't pink), but there's an Hermes right near me, so. . . . But I did just split (unsniffed) a 3 x 10 ml. of French Lover. Oh well, it wasn't that expensive. Hope I like it!:)
Do you buy perfume on impulse, or give serious consideration to what ought to be in your collection? I try not to buy completely on impulse any more, but serious thought is something I save for other endeavors!
What should I buy next? What will you buy next? You should buy Diorissimo parfum. Second choice–Carnal Flower.
I don't know what I should buy. Kelly Caleche is certainly a contender. And I am sure that Paris will afford (ha!) many opportunities. I do have a decant of Fleurs de Sel coming, but I can't buy that even if I love it until I use the decant up!
Hope you will love (ha) French Lover then — I was tempted to buy a 30 ml unsniffed myself, but as I don't even like angelica, it seemed awfully risky. And I'm sure my bottle intake would go up massively if I managed a trip to Paris!
Good idea not to buy until you use up your decant. If I could manage a 10 ml decant of any potential bottles, I might not ever get full bottles at all 🙂
What great first “unsniffed” buys! My first worked out, my second didn't, so you'd think I would have stopped the practice entirely 🙂
That is so funny about Philosykos. I must mention it more often than I think — it isn't even close to what I'd consider a signature scent, assuming I did have such a thing.
I am getting tempted now to just buy the Flower Oriental. I can buy it in the US at a discount, and in a small bottle. The ISM I want more, but will have to buy a huge bottle at full price. Decisions…
You've got me looking down my list of 'waiting to sample' (46 on it at the moment), and the Prada Infusion d'iris leaps out as one I might fall for with the merest prod from a blogger and buy unsniffed! There are those three Parfums d'Empires, but…please PLEASE let Les Senteurs get them in so i can order samples? I'm ashamed to say I ordered Azuree Soleil unsniffed this week…MUA is such an enabler…but it's not here yet.
Yep, I'd say that at the moment, Prada IdI is second on my list of possibilities, right after Kelly Caleche. But I'll wait to hear the notes before I start freaking! The iris scent they sell at the Prada boutiques is very nice but not actually something I'd kill to have — I don't think it is nearly as good as some other renditions of iris. So we'll see what they do!
Hope you'll love the Azuree Soleil!
I'm a foolish “glass half full” sort of girl, who has just been blocking Miss Dior Cherie entirely. I mean, the man looks like a cross between a lion and a pirate, I can't believe he'd make another boring thing like that. and he's certainly giving himself enough time to come up with something interesting.
OK, I'll stop being “glass half empty”!
It would be lovely if he was working with Olivia Giacobetti on redoing the Diptyque JG scent, and we'll get leather and burning woods and iris…
No unsniffed purchases! No, no, nuh-uh. My shelf of unsniffed losers runneth over. These days, if I like a sample, I'll try for a decant. If I make it through the decant, it's a contender. If it's an expensive contender, I'll probably get another decant. I plotted and pondered over Champaca for a year, fell for Ormonde while pondering, and bought both. Notable exceptions were Parfum de Therese and Iris Silver Mist; I just knew. I'll never buy a bell jar of ISM, but maybe someday I'll run across a split.
L, I keep hoping one day ISM will be the yearly export LE, so I can buy my 50 ml and leave it at that. Even 50 ml, I might as well split with someone because I'll never finish it.
And wish OJ would do a coffret with little bottles of the whole line, wouldn't that be perfect?
I have a bad perfume habit. I buy on impulse, I buy planned. I am in search of the Holy Grail, which I don't want to exist, and I've been that way since I started loving perfumes when I was 16. I'd spend shocking amounts of hard earned money on perfume and never care.
For a large number of years, I wear one fragrance for a year or so, then change. Even now, I can identify segments of my life by the perfumes I wore: Blue Grass, Tamango, Roma, Gucci 3, Chanel 19, Jour de Fete. The list does go on.
I've gotten a lot better since I discovered sample programs. I'll buy two samples and wear them and be done with them. But there are favorites that I will buy simply because the smell makes me happy, even if I don't wear it often.
Wearing one fragrance for a year and then moving on sounds nice — you get the benefits of a signature scent, but you're not stuck with it forever. I'm afraid I only rarely want to wear the same thing 2 days in a row, so it wouldn't suit me, but it sounds nice 🙂
I just had to say I need to follow your advice on fragrance purchases. Over the years I have amassed nearly three hundred bottles of fragrance. Most of which I purchased without smelling before hand. I've come to realize that I can be very fickle about a scent. So, to you and all of your readers…thanks for the advice.
It's so awsome to see that I am not the only one with such a powerful perfume addiction. *lol*
I bought four bottles in the last 3months,I tend to go on a sniffing spree just to perk myself up then I tell myself “that's enough now” since I always lean torwards my signature scent of 4 years…I am thinking,what's the use? I will never wear it all but it's so much fun to see them all on display! I tend to purchase because of “popularity” of the perfume itself at times,I need to start taking my time and really see if it will grow on me,some scents have and some like “Lovely” i am still not so sure of.I do look forward to her new one though.
That is an awful lot of unsniffed buying — actually, I envy your optimistic attitude! Most scents, I assume I'll hate 🙂
4 bottles in 3 months is not too bad, although if you're mostly wearing a signature scent it may still be more than you need. I'm looking forward to trying SJP's Covet too!
thanks for making me feel better,Robin. 🙂