This is really a random collection of thoughts that I started pulling together (at my usual glacial pace) back when Angela wrote Becoming a perfumista. The subject: what I wish I'd known when I started out with perfume. Part 2 is coming next week, and I'm hoping all you Stage Four and Stage Five perfume addicts will add some advice of your own in the comments.
After you've smelled 100 fragrances, you'll have a hard time keeping them all straight. It took me a good long while to start keeping notes. When I finally did, I wrote my notes in a little bound notebook. Um, duh! If you're going to smell 100, there's a good chance you're going to smell 500 or 1500, and pretty soon that little notebook is going to be useless. I'm amazed at how long it took me to start keeping my notes on the computer. I now use a table in Microsoft Word (with headings for Perfume House, Fragrance Name, Notes, and Rating), but you could use almost any word processing or spreadsheet software. My notes aren't always elaborate (some are as concise as "Yuckola!") but they help me keep track of what I've tried, what I thought of it, and what I think I might want to try again.
Lists of fragrance notes aren't always accurate or complete. I've written about this in some detail already, but it's worth repeating — the idea that if a list of notes doesn't include vanilla (or whatever), there must not be any vanilla (or whatever) in the juice is one of the most common misconceptions about perfume that I can think of.
Almost everything is deserving of more than one chance. If you're on the road to serious perfumista-ship, your tastes are undoubtedly going to change, and it is likely they are going to expand rather than contract. I give most perfumes at least 3 shots before giving up, and many times, even after that I put them aside and try them again some months later. Granted, you can't do that with everything — life is short and perfumes are many. But don't assume that what smells disgusting to you now will still smell disgusting to you a year later.
Keep your samples! Early on in my perfumista career, I swapped away any perfume samples I didn't like. If I had a dollar for every time I ended up swapping to get back a sample I'd given up...well, I'd have a hundred dollars, anyway. Why should you keep samples? First, if you're serious about learning, you'll undoubtedly find them useful as reference — when someone says that Guerlain's Insolence recalls L'Heure Bleue, it helps if you have a few drops of L'Heure Bleue on hand. My second reason goes back to the prior paragraph: when you wake up one day and realize: wow! I really do like rose, you'll be awfully sorry that you swapped or gave away all those samples from Les Parfums de Rosine.
Think hard now about what kind of fragrance collection you want to have, and pace your buying accordingly. Will you be thrilled with a collection of 500 or more bottles? Can you afford a collection of 500 or more bottles? If the answer to both questions is yes, buy away! As for myself, I wish I'd imposed serious buying limits much earlier than I did, but it wasn't until my collection approached 50 bottles (a mere 50!) that I started to feel a little uncomfortable. Did I need that many bottles? Would I be able to use them up before they went bad? And what else could I have done with all that money? Now that it's closer to 100 (and no, I don't know the exact number and I'd rather pull out all my eyelashes than count them) and every so often I pull something out that I haven't smelled in a very long time and discover that it's gone bad, or that it really isn't a very good perfume and I can no longer remember why I bought it, I wish I'd been more discerning early on about what I added to my collection.
Note: the image shows a tray that reader Quarry Joy "caned" with red ribbon to hold sample vials. Nifty, eh?
Great post, R. I think one of the worst parts for me was biting the bullet and starting to organize my samples. And I wish I'd done that (sorted them by name) when I had a lot fewer of them, but it doesn't seem necessary until you can't find anything any more, does it? And even now I get this backlog (I have two bags to be filed)
What I want to know is: how often do you “wear” fragrance? I mean, in a way approximating a normal person? As opposed to testing something? This is where the bottles started to strike me as a complete waste of time. If I don't work in an office, and I can't wear it to the gym, and I don't go out all the time in the evening … well, that leaves bed and Trader Joe's, doesn't it?
I suppose I should hang onto my samples! And start taking notes, and give everything three chances. It takes particular circumstances to properly evaluate a sample though, and I never seem to have the time to do it.
Quarry Joy's tray is ingenious! I need to contrive a portable version somehow.
I'm a newbie but I know my obsessive nature from practically every other part of my life (normal people have *a* bag of flour I have enough types to run a bakery), so I've already set myself a limit of full bottles: 60. (Mini bottles are another matter!)
I have given away some samples to my mother because I need to be utterley ruthless with myself, and I'll end up convincing myself that I really like stuff when it's just okay. We already live in something resembling a library, I don't think the beloved would be too impressed if it started looking like Selfridges beauty hall as well.
gosh! Believe it or not, when I read the title of this post I got shivers and thought… do I really want to read it?
Actually the most alarming part is the one about the number of bottles in collection. I do wonder everyday how it will be to own more or less fifty bottles (that's what I expect to happen, more or less, by next year) and I don't like it. Then I try and calculate how many times, on average, I'll be able to wear each fragrance (and you have to count, of course, beside the bottles you own, all the samples and the perfume shopping and testing, so…). It' s depressing.
But I can't help… *slaps herself in punishment*
Great post though, thanks *tears roll down on keyboard*
Organizing samples, yes! I should add that to part 2.
“Wearing” fragrance: almost never, and mostly to bed. Many of the scents in my collection get worn only as reference to something else I'm testing, you know? But I think that's a blogging issue, not a perfumista issue, don't you?
At the very least, I'd recommend keeping notes — you can't believe how often I can't even remember if I've tried something or not! Given how many new releases we've got coming this year, that problem is going to get worse rather than better.
LOL — we sound somewhat the same — parts of my house look like a library too.
Lovely article–I look forward to the next installment. I agree with you so much about giving things more than one chance. It has worked both ways for me: some things I have grown to love and some I have wondered “what was I thinking?”
While I am not sure what I am going to do with all of the small collection of bottles that I own, I still like buying more bottles than I can use. I don't want the fragrances I love to get discontinued. I also want the perfumers that create things I love to get more commisions to make more things that I love.
I love the “caned” tray for sample storage. I think someone should go in business with me to retrofit wine storage systems for perfumes: dark, dry, and a constant 42 degrees F.
Delfina, sorry to give you the shivers, LOL! But I do wish I'd thought harder before buying in my first 2 years — it isn't just the money itself but something about the “waste” — I feel guilty when I look at my bottles and wish I'd stuck to some simple rules. Yet even now I don't always stick to my own rules…
LOL at “at least two would be Iris Silver Mist” — that's reasonable thinking
But I don't think I collect “by house” so to speak, that is, I'd never stop to think how many Montales I might need, just whether or not I adore something enough to want to own it. Yours is an interesting way to look at it…
Do get that business started — we need perfume refrigerators! I do think the Osmotheque keeps their stock even colder than 42, but now I can't remember the temperature.
Great piece, R. I wish I hadn't splurged on so many 'likes' or 'It's a-cult-favourite-and-I'm-sure-I'll-grow-into-it' bottles back at the start. I feel embarrassed to see so many pristine boxes on my dresser, where I take the bottles out every few weeks and sniff and think 'very nice' and put it back in the box because I don't want to waste a day's sillage on something that doesn't wow me. It took me a long time to realise that the juices I'll actually wear are the ones that have me scrambling desparately to work the budget to get hold of them!
I'm often struck by how quickly I get through a whole bottle of something I really like – even 100ml. By the time it's 3/4 of the way down, I start to feel reluctant to wear it, not because I've gone off it, but because I don't want to 'waste' my cash on a second bottle! This is nuts – much better to buy a second bottle of a much-loved fume than a new bottle of a never-wear, isn't it?
My advice to newbies would be to go for vials, then larger spray decants, and only then to make up your mind whether to go for a full bottle. Sometimes the decant exposes the lack of sillage or lasting power, or an unfortunate nuance deep in the drydown that puts you off completely.
Here is the other interesting thing about taking notes: your first entry for Passage d'Enfer would say “pathetic soap”, then you update it (maybe more than once) and it becomes something like a history of your changing tastes…
I wish I liked Excel better — you can count your list, I can't. My list is now in 3 files, and it's huge and would probably work better in Excel.
Finishing what you have (vial or decant) before you buy is a great piece of advice, and one I wish I followed more strictly myself. Also like the idea of finishing what you have and then waiting a few months to see if you actually miss it.
Ooh, I really want a little sample rack like that. Good idea on the ribbon “caning” … maybe something that would fit inside a drawer. Hmm. My inner Martha Stewart is rearing her head…
I really need to start jotting computer notes about things I sample. I'm laughing because your question “what else could I have done with all that money?” is a good one… and not one to spend a lot of time pondering unless one wants to start crying.
Speaking of cold storage: Can anyone tell me if storing bottles in the freezer (or fridge for that matter) would be a good idea? I'm thinking of snapping up a bottle or two of a discontinued scent and thinking of keeping one in the freezer so that I can open it in 5 or 7 years and not worry if it's turned.
March, I just have to chime in and say that shopping at Trader Joe's is as good an excuse as any to “wear” fragrance. Other good occasions: gardening, cooking, cleaning the house, paying bills, and so forth. Life is short, eh?
I started thinking by house recently…I'm a label whore to begin with, so that's where my mind goes. I'm usually not able to write off an entire house completely, but some I like a lot less than others.
In addition to not giving away samples, I'd also recommend not giving away bottles. Over the years (typically when I'm packing up and moving), I've given away half-used bottles to the Goodwill or friends or family. I had the idea of purging my “collection” of fragrances that I didn't wear often or that I had tired of in order to make room for new purchases – thinking that no one needs to cart around that many bottles of perfume. If I had known then what I know now, I never would have done it! Oh, I wish I still had my bottles of Rush, Shalimar, Casmir, 24 Faubourg, Herba Fresca, Pamplelune, Ylang and Vanilla, Bulgari Femme, Mimosa Pour Moi, Fath de Fath, Dune, Eau Parfumee Green Tea, and most achingly, Rive Gauche. I could go on and on. So many that I gave away. What was I thinking???
I currently own a mere 26 bottles and probably have about the same number of samples and minis. I've only recently become obsessed with sampling, and am finding that I'm rarely wearing any of my bottled fragrances, often opting to wear a sample instead. I'm getting maxed out – feeling I need to stop sampling and buying for awhile, and just enjoy what I have. It's so much fun, though!!!!! So many perfumes, so little time.
I don't think I qualify as a perfumista, though I do a whole lotta sampling (March, I could swear that stupid Wild Musk was still there this morning, even after 2 showers but it's probably just a residual olfactory nightmare:-). I still actually WEAR fragrance, though I spend a lot of time sampling as well. I am still very careful of full bottles – my current budget doesn't allow too many mistakes – so I stick with my classics until I'm absolutely sure I will love a fragrance enough to wear it with abandon.
I don't think I own more than 20 bottles and it's unlikely to spike much in the coming months, unless somethings snatch me by the nose and run away with me. PdE's Cuir Ottoman is just such a one, probably (though I love Chanel's Cuir Russie a bit better, its fugitive state on me drives me bonkers). Then there's Passage d'Enfer…..crap…we're already looking at two right there…
…never mind….
Oh, btw – meant to say also that it's due to y'all on NST and the Posse and Victoria et al that a lot of people DON'T make the mistake of buying 'mistakes' – we have all learned to read and sniff and sample (most of the time) before committing our precious centimes to a FB. I, for one, thank the lot of you!
xoxoxo
I wish I had an inner Martha Stewart, my life would be much improved!
I have heard such different things about cold storage, but you know, the Osmotheque does it, so can only assume it is better than not. I would think the freezer would be too cold, but do a google search — Chandler Burr has an article about the Osmotheque that I think gave specifics about temperature.
I'm dying to know why on earth you wouldn't think of yourself as a perfumista??
(and of course, thanks for the kind words, as always)
Oh my, that is a huge number of bottles, you've been very generous with others! So sorry you regret them, and hope you can replace the ones you really miss.
I'm glad for the warning about keeping “unliked” samples. There are a number of fragrances I'd immediately dismissed as a scrubber…but then sometimes its in relation to something else I'm testing enthusiastically simultaneously. I almost gave a bunch away, but then decided to just separate them into a different pouch. And I'm just hugely relieved that since this is such a new addiction (I've justified giving up my $$ cups of coffee per each samply I buy), that I don't have to buy a full bottle. I've really concluded that so many are worth experiencing, but few are really worth a full bottle. I'm happy to have the option.
Here is what I would do: take very brief notes on everything in your pouch, then set them aside for 6 months and try them again. I'm always shocked at how many scents I end up adoring that I hated on first sniff! But also true on the “worth experiencing” point, and I think that is the mark of a true perfumista.
Yes, and I don't even own a Guerlain, a Serge Lutens, or a L'Artisan Parfumeur! The horror! Ha ha. No need to freak out. Plenty of time to add to the collection. And I'm thinking the phrase “live for today” applies to perfume as well, as in enjoy and appreciate what I currently have without lusting after scents I don't.
Even worse than giving away bottles is . . . throwing them away! shudder I once threw away a bottle of Feu d'Issey because I was moving, didn't feel like packing it, and had worn it so often I was getting a little sick of it. Luca Turin would have me shot. Now of course it's gone and there's no going back. I'm also at that stage where I'm trying to rein the sampling in, and focus instead on the things I've loved enough to buy in full bottle. But it's mighty, mighty hard.
*bows head, weeps quietly*
I would VERY much like a bottle of Feu d'Issey, and wish I'd tried harder to get one before the eBay prices got out of control
*freaks out quietly*
Oh, believe me, Trader Joe's is an occasion!
So is going to the post office, soccer practice … (hides head in shame)
Oh, I don't know… I can't decide. It's an obsession. On days when I don't need to blog, I mean. I actually *schedule* days where I tell myself firmly, you will only wear one perfume! But it's pathetic, like a dessert binge or something, I find myself jonesing for samples!
My only excuse is that this was before it was d'ced and I thought I could always buy another bottle later. I've since learned that anything, anything! can be discontinued. Hold on to what you love, even if you're getting a little tired of it.
Great article Robin! I've already thought of taking notes on the fragrances I sample, but I think've never done this. Sometis I write some comments on a community that I've on orkut in portuguese, and it's very interesting to read again this comments and see how perceptions change in a year.
I'd like to add an advice too: never buy fragrance launches. You always pay more and some months after the price gets low or you can get the tester of the fragrance. I always try to focus my buys on fragrances that have been discontinued or are going to be discontinued, like black cashmere (I adore it! If it were sold on a 500ml bottle I'd buy it). The exception is when is a limited edition, like Dior Homme Intense, the best from the trilogy.
I think when you have too much bottles of fragrance, the best thing is trying to swap decants with other fragrance lovers. This way you can get a nice library of fragrances, since 8mls of something like Black Aoud or Ambre Narguile would last ages.
Robin, if your list is on word and each fragrance occupies just on line there's a function where you count how many lines your document have.
The tray is great! I was thinking what to do to keep my samples in order (gosh, they are everywhere in the house) and this looks like a good idea. Maybe two or three trays in a drawer?
Nice article R, I keep my perfume notes in MS Word in a table very similar to yours;)
Great blog, as always. My question is how you fight the temptation to buy something un-smelled that you don't have the opportunity to sample anywhere (my current obsession is Dior's Escale a Portofino.) I would really hate to spend $80+ on something that I might truly despise. I don't know enough about notes yet to determine what I like and don't like. Any suggestions?
Hie thee to the Perfumed Court website asap and buy a sample or two (average $4-$6 depending on the fragrance).
I'm happy to report that I channeled Martha Stewart, and here's what she suggested for a Do-It-Yourself perfume sample-vial holder:
– Google “Cane Webbing” or “Plastic Cane Webbing” and find a supplier who sells sheets of pre-woven chair cane (either natural reed or plastic varieties should work, depending on your preference). Not sure if 1/2″ size is large enough or whether a wider weave is necessary.
– Rig up a way to affix a sheet of cane webbing (can be cut to size) across the top of the receptacle of your choice. Probably can be hot glued to a plastic tray or bin, or a staple gun could be used for a wooden bin or box.
– Pretty it up or leave it as “rustic” as you wish, depending on how aesthetically or craftily challenged you are.
You're on the right track, Joe. I considered the plastic caning before I went the ribbon route. Unfortunately, the plastic caning doesn't offer a wide selection of hole sizes. Regular vials flop around or fall down if the hole size isn't almost snug. You could use larger-diameter sample containers (the 2ml atomizers), but I like the short vials with the wand because I can sit around with my tray (do this almost every night while watching TV) and just pull things out and sniff them without having to spray.
wow! “finishing what you have and then waiting a few months to see if you miss it!” That's my idea of hell! LOL! Not that I run and buy anything I like, but when I decide to buy something I love (or think I love) my hoarder self whispers: “don't finish that sample! you won't have anymore for travelling!”
And I'm neither a frequent flyer, nor a commuter, I mainly work at home, so… shoot me!
I'm chuckling, Joy, at the thought of sitting in front of the TV with a large tray of samples, pulling out wands at random and sniffing them as I go into reveries. With my luck, I'd twitch and upturn the whole works.
I'm curious, what diameter would you say might work for either a 1ml or a 2ml vial? I'm not sure if the 1/2″ caning is too small or too big. I think I don't care if some of the vials flop around a little — I just want to put a box in a drawer and have the vials all upright and at least semi-visible. Thanks again.
I guess it's because I can only smell 1/100th of the stuff within a perfume that you guys can. My septum looks like an Escher drawing so a lot of notes just pas my nez right on by.
perhaps I'm just a newbie, with a busted nose?
xo
Gosh, it isn't like there are sniff-test entry requirements! I can't smell 1/100 of the stuff that Victoria can. I say if I'm a perfumista, you're a perfumista.
Ok, ok, we don't want to consign you to perfumista hell
Hey, I'm sure I've gotten rid of something I'll regret equally some day! You live, you learn
See, on days when I'm not blogging, I sometimes (as a luxury!) wear no perfume at all. I probably need a few months off.
Keeping your notes on a forum is probably even more useful. And so true — if you can be patient, you can invariably find something at a cheaper price.
LLol, so true, life is way too short and any excuse to wear it is just fine by me….
I pretty much apply fragrance along with drinking the first cup of coffee in the morning. Can't go through the day without frag.
I don't think I could do the tray myself…I've too many, and it would be too hard to organize them this way. But would like to have a small version of that tray for samples I'm currently “working with”…they're everywhere, including under my keyboard.
That's true, about the keeping samples. One never knows how their nose will develop and tastes will change.
And, having a sample I'm not too crazy about could work out just fine in a trade/swap situation. They come in handy!
Kelly, you know, there is such a steady and constant stream of new product now that I don't get that overwhelming temptation as often as I used to. I mean, if I don't get the Dior, I *will* get 100 other things to try, right? That isn't to say I never get tempted (Hermes Mousson!) but it isn't very often these days.
Portofino, I have to say, sounds like a really nice summer cologne, but not like something I'd jump through hoops to get.
O-tay! Works for me !!!
Thanks! I don't feel like such a piker now…:-)
xo
Well, it's encouraging to read this right now. I'm working on packing up my collection and it's nice to know that there are others out there with collections as extensive. I own a 100 or so bottles, not to mention minis or vials. I really should of followed the last suggestion on the list… oh well. I find that when I get rid of something I regret it and somehow get it back anyways.
I'm making a transcontinental move; does anyone have any suggestions on how I should pack these things? Currently, I'm using a ton of bubble wrap and hoping they don't crack during the move.
It is so true — you could build a small home business selling organizational & decanting supplies for perfumistas, and I wish someone would do it!
Then again, you keep too many and you have my problem: despite my massive organizational system, I can never find the one I want
Peanuts, lots & lots of peanuts in with the bubble wrap! And good luck — hope they all get there in good condition.
Don't you think anyone from “outside” perfume and this blog would think we were insane? I mean, do you ever stumble across a blog on … hairless cats, or wooden shoe collectors, or something, and think, wow, those folks really need to get a life?!?
Martha Stewart-ites, meet Opportunity: Here is Me, formerly a dishware/stemware collector, now rampantly accruing sample vials. Take the odd pieces of stemware, plus the old dresser-top lipstick holders that caught my fancy for a short while, add in the days when I conjured up my own bath products (and therefore a heap big pile o' sea salts…)….
ET VOILA! Samples in current rotation are sunk into a glass 2/3 full of sea salt. You can sort by scent family, or house, or whatever category pleases: one “group” per glass. I recall salt maintaining an even temperature from some reading in years past, so I like to think that sitting well down in the salt keeps things relatively safe, temp-wise, plus cuts down on light transmission. Yet, it all still looks so pretty, AND is easily accessed for “currently active” trials.
The lipstick holders? 3-4 vials fit nicely per ring designed for a lipstick tube. These holders come with varying #'s of rings, some with mirrored bottoms, some with 3-D figures attached. They offer another way to store/sort samples, if you also want them on display. (BTW, these are good for the larger size decants, except for the short fat style.)
I'm sure there are others who can come up with more…
Incidentally, I love the post and follow-up suggestions. Can it be only 5 months ago that I started exploring, and was shocked, simply SHOCKED, to read one commentor say to a “newbie” something to the effect of “When you are trying to store 75 bottles/samples/decants…and believe me, if you get into this, it is quite easy to have that many…” :-0 I'm not there…but can see how it could happen, and even how it could “easily” get there…
Man, I don't think I'd even get to 50 bottles. I'd feel guilty owning more than 10, because I don't think I'd ever use them up before at least one went bad. I'll buy as many samples as I can, but I think I'd only buy as many big bottles as I could realistically see myself finishing. But perhaps that's because I am but a poor student, and even a reasonably priced perfume ($50) is a lot of cash to cough up.
Oh, yes, absolutely! And we are insane, but those wooden shoe collectors are REALLY crazy.
Hello all, and thank you for this thread and for all the wonderful suggestions! It comes at the perfect time for me. I have worn fragrances every day for years, but until recently I had no idea that there was a whole world outside of the old “go to Nordstrom-try a few perfumes-walk out smelling like a brothel-get confused-buy the wrong one(s)-pay the Visa bill-repeat”. I recently discovered your blog and others, and am on my way with a box of samples from the Court.
One question for all of you – do you buy the smallest samples? Or, if you buy the bigger ones, what is your rationale for that?
At the advice of someone on Basenotes, I converted my brand-new Word table to an Excel spreadsheet, and I'm glad I did. One thing I want to be able to do is sort by note so that I can see patterns in my tastes.
Thank you for the advice about keeping samples to try later. And I'm going to be very careful about what I order in bottles (I will have to be – grin – because I'm learning that my taste is expensive!) I agree with those who picture a limit of 20-25 bottles, acquired slowly and carefully, of course. We shall see..
A final note for now… I wear fragrance every day, all day, and I do it for myself. I prefer it when my wonderful husband likes what I'm wearing, but that doesn't always happen.
Again, thank you so much for your blog. This is one mesmerizing world!
I LOVE the idea of storing samples and decants in the odd piece of stemware with sea salt. I collect small bowls, they would look lovely next to my tray of displaying perfumes.
I don't buy much fragrance at all – but I work in the industry and receive lots of gratis. Some of it gets passed on (Ed Hardy, etc); the rest is mine to store and admire and sometimes wear. I also have several DC'ed and rare perfumes that I couldn't bear to part with, although I would probably never wear them.
And as for wearing fragrance, I do it every day, for me alone. I usually fall in and out of love quickly, so will wear one for a week or so, then switch to another.
Per Burr's article, the Osmotheque stores its holdings at 12 degrees Celsius (53 Fahrenheit).
http://chandlerburr.com/articles/heir3.jpg
There you go! I'll bet your bowls would indeed look quite lovely next to your tray. Fun to mix & match passions and see what works, isn't it?
We may be over the moon about fragrances, but I think that's pretty harmless in the scheme of things. I think it's better (and cheaper) than collecting Jimmy Choo shoes?!
So Trekkies don't count??
To answer your question, I only purchase large bottles if I adore it. I buy the smallest bottle possible if it's a new frag and my first go-round. If I'm not totally in love, I might never buy it again.
R, you kicked me out of the chair!!! Indeed one day I woke up and discovered that I – god! – I really DO like rose :-)))))))
Great article! AND very useful. Thank you so much again!
Best
V
Thank You! This will help. A lot
Here are my advices for a new perfumista …
1 – Dont buy too much bottle at the beginning
When you begin, you dont really know everything. You discover things and you are often trapped because you want to buy all that you discover.
The important thing is not the bottle, the important thing is your nose. It is not because you dont buy something that your nose will forget something.
And remember that your first contact with a niche house is always a difficult moment for your credit card.
If you buy bottles without knowing too much of the perfume world, you will regreat it.
2 – Dont buy a bottle because it is a reference
In the perfume world there is reference, but if you dont like “Shalimar” do you need a bottle ? No you only need a sample or a small decant.
Buy only what you like, what you love.
3 – Dont read too much things on perfume blogs
It is good to read about perfume, it is better to take time in shop to test by yourself. You have to accept what you like and what you dislike. It is difficult. It is more difficult to like “Vera Wang” than “Guerlain”.
“Did I like Iris Silver Mist because I like it or because every body love it ?”
That s a difficult question …
4 – Don't understimate the power of the bottle.
Everybody will told you : Bottle doesnt matter …
We are all wrong … subjectivity is part of pleasure.
The words of Coty “The most beautifull flagrance in the most beautifull bottle”
We all begin to smell something with our eyes.
I say that because if you buy decant … you can be desapointed. It is like a CD and a copy of the CD, like the same book with different covers … It is not quite the same thing.
You have to organize this in your mind. And make sure to find some trick to transform your decant in something attractive … that's difficult.
5 – Sell Advisor must be your friend
Ok, that's really a secret
for now more than 5 years, I test, I buy all my Guerlain at the same shop with the same SA.
She knows me, we chat together about perfume (lets say once a month). If I dont see her in the shop I come back another day and i never buy something if she is not in the shop.
She keeps many samples for me, I can choose the mini after buying something … but remember that I am a good costumer for her.
And it is like this for many other houses. I always try to know someone in the shop.
I remember that after a long chat at “Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier”, I have bought 2 bottle and the SA gives me 20 samples !
If you have friends in a shop (or at a corner in a department store) you can have all that you wish.
But remember that you cannot have a SA friend if you never buy something
Actually … if you've got your sample tray in a stationery place, you could tilt your vials uniformly. Anyhoo, to answer your question, Joe, there is a site online that sells sheets of prewoven caning (real reed caning) in a huge variety of sizes, and they illustrate this with a quarter (the coin) for reference, which leads me to believe the 3/4″ open mesh (measurement is of the mesh, not the holes) is ideal for 1ml vials. I almost ordered some prewoven caning from this place (FrankSupply.com), but there was a minimum quantity to order, and I didn't need that much. If you want to read my whole spiel on the evolution of my tray, go to basenotes.net, women's forum, and search for the thread titled “The Ultimate Sample Vial Tray/Organizer” (title is teasingly vain).
Haunani, if I had just what I wanted, I'd have everything in 2 ml spray samples. Of course, usually what I get are small sample vials, and I only look for larger decants (5-10 ml) if I like something but not enough to buy the full bottle.
And glad someone else wears fragrance just for themselves
LOL — see? It happens
Good, I'm glad!
All good advice — oh, except the part about not reading too many perfume blogs, LOL…
It is interesting what you say about the bottles. I like to see pictures of pretty bottles, and they definitely attract me, but in the end, decants do not disappoint me at all.
Thanks!!
Great post! Very relevant.
Personally, I'd love to buy less full-size bottles in favor of more samples and decants, but where I live (Ukraine, Eastern Europe) there are problems with both. The perfume stores are very greedy and VERY rarely give out samples, and the local online perfume shops do not sell decants. The only way to get decants for me is either find perfumistas locally and swap (very few perfume-loving friends, and we don't have a MakeUp Allley:(), or order them from sites like Perfumed Court, etc., but not all of them ship here and the shipping prices are almost always outrageous:) So I make do with what I have, but I do hope the situation changes in time!
I do this in a very non-technological way, by keeping hand-written lists in a small notebook. This is a habit I got into with wine, to keep track of something I especially liked so I'd know to buy it again. With fragrance, I now have two lists. One, compiled as I read Turin & Sanchez' “Perfumes: The Guide”, is “Perfumes I want to try”. The second (and much shorter) list is “Perfumes I like”, and which I'd buy one day if I have the money. This will have brief descriptions of the fragrance notes that particularly attract me.
A fragrance will migrate from one list to the other after a couple of scent-strip tests and then a skin test (that is, if I don't get a “Yuck!” reaction from the first scent-strip!)
Right now, my actual collection is extremely small (maybe 6 bottles?). And I have gotten into the habit of wearing fragrance just about every day.
(P.S. That “caned” tray is a GREAT idea!)
Never throw any bottles out! I've always been glad I didn't give away a limited edition Anais Anais bottle back in 1984. When I lived in an apartment, the recycling bin in the basement would sometimes have a bottle on the top but usually without a lid. I got a bottle of Alfred Sung Encore that way. One of my co-workers once said she threw out a box of minis when she moved! Gawd!
Hey, do you have to actually go to conventions and whatnot to be a Trekkie? Because if all you have to do is love the shows, I'm a Trekkie! In fact, am now re-watching the whole of The Next Generation with my son, and hope we can finish in time (we're still on Season 2) to watch all of Voyager before he gets too old to want to watch TV with his Mom
That is very hard…I have a feeling that the US, while not the best place otherwise for fragrance access, is the easiest place to get samples & decants.
I still keep some lists on paper — mostly tea & chocolate, like you, to keep track of what I like. The perfume lists are too long for paper
No, I don't think you have to attend conventions to be a Trekkie, and I hear you on the watching ST with your son.
My mother-in-law started her kids (3 boys) on watching sci-fi with her and they continue to do so to this day. In fact, they have whole weekends where they watch Star Gate and Star Trek all weekend!
I actually have a bottle of Le Feu D'Issey sitting on my computer desk. I bought it at its launch, wore it enough to get royally sick of it, gave it to a friend, and borrowed it back from her a few weeks ago just so I could write about it. (She lives in a different city, within driving distance, and hasn't been back to get it. Yet.) And I'd happily give you a sample from it except that there can't be more than 2 or 3 mL sloshing around in the bottom of the bottle.
The bottle, by the way, is stunningly beautiful; no picture does it justice. It seems to change shape internally as you turn it about in your hands. I CANNOT believe they discontinued it. They need to revive it and then produce yearly flankers in different colours. I'd buy it. I bet a lot of others would, too.
Hi Pyramus, they have a few bottles at Perfume.com, and the lotion too.
They only have Le Feu D'Issey Light, which is not the same thing; it's an altered version of the scent, and the bottle is insipid.
I've seen the real thing for sale for $200, which is kind of crazy. The lotion and shower gel, which go for $40 or so, are available, but of course they're usually a poor substitute for the real thing. (Also, the bottles aren't as nice. At the original launch, the bath-product bottles were these disks with suction cups on the back so you could stick them to the bathroom wall.)
The Perfumed Court has decants for those who are desperate to smell the stuff.
In my transformation from stage 1 to stage 2 perfumista, now I can learn from your knowledge & experience! The defining moment for me, was late last year, meeting “Bryce” a Serge Lutens specialist as I was innocently walking through Barneys for the first time ever. Bryce looks like a 1989 James Spader in a beautiful suit (does it get any better than that?), with the same low mesmerizing voice talking to me about the secret fragrance world of dry wood, ebony oak and honey (Miel de Bois). My husband is convinced I would leave him for Bryce! ; ) So I brought my husband with me the 2nd visit, (he stole my bottle of Ambre Sultan so we each had to get our own) now we have lovely discussions about Tuscan Iris and Sandalwood! I am going to take your advice and start keeping an excel spreadsheet. I have 22 bottles (question: do I count my assembly of refillable angel bottles as more than 1 or 2? Does my husband’s 8 assorted bottles that I have bought for him count, too)?
The rules do not require you to include anything you've bought for anyone else, and nor do they require you to include refills. The rules are very accommodating
No need for a sample, I do have several. I'd love a bottle though, and those yearly flankers!
A very nice and wise post Robin.
Just came back from Italy and there is so much to read after just one week:)
First I need some sleep for it has been a long ride from Garda Lake to Prague in 9 hours.
Hope you had a wonderful trip!
I just kind of did that with Kenzo. I have Kenzo Flower and today I smelled a couple of others, but although I liked them they were reminiscent enough of Flower that I didn't need to even get samples yet.
Calvin Kleins all smell the same to me, none of them are to my taste. I think there are plenty of perfume houses that have a vastly different assortment, but maybe some of the designer-based houses have more signature similarities.
Thanks for the post! I consider myself a semi-newbie, only because I have been a perfume nut since my teenage years and periodically become obsessed, like I am now.
It is a good idea to try things more than once unless they give you a headache or make you queasy. Different times of the month have different effects on your body chemistry. I was told once not to wear perfume while menstruating, but I wear the ones that smell good then instead.
I pretty much only toss my scents that have turned. I did a purge recently and was sad. I desperately hope I can replace Secrete Datura. I did get rid of Thierry Mugler Cologne because it was too “guy” but now that my tastes are expanding I wish I had kept it – I loved it so at first.
I both like and am afraid of the Excel spreadsheet – lol. Do I really want to go to those lengths? Right now I just make notes on my packing slips! And then put what I like in my Lucky Scent (or whoever) wish list. I have a list in my wallet of what I want to get samples of that I can get in stores (made a Sephora run today to sniff and got samples of Angel and Jardin sur le Nil).
I know I have some samples that the sample will be all I ever need, like Luctor et Emergo (is that weird juice or what?), but there are a few that are screaming at me to get the big bottle.
My favorite sentence of the day is: “And remember that your first contact with a niche house is always a difficult moment for your credit card.” LOL
“Do I really want to go to those lengths” — good question! And I'm quite sure that when I started out, I would have answered “no”.
Well, since I just ordered a bunch more samples of largely vetiver-based fragrances based on Kevin's review yesterday I will probably have to resort to a list soon so I know what's what.
Tried Angel last night – I recognized it immediately as having been something I have smelled on lots of people, but you know, in a small dose it was pretty great. I am hoping to try the flankers today. I always avoided it when it was new because the salespeople were so pushy about it. Still, when I go to Nordstrom I get a Mugler scent thrown in my face. (Have you seen that pic of him all 'roided out and naked? Kinda horrifying.)
Yes it was very lovely, thank you Robin and I feel refreshed again. Cypress trees smell so nice and those blooming geraniums everywhere really are beautiful. I appreciate them even more now.
Much more lenient than, say, the rules for Fight Club, thank goodness.
Wait a minute…isn't it good to live in a library?
Know any teenagers who'd like to make a few dollars? Bet you could hire young blood to get your spread sheet started…
Ah, then you'll be doing a list before you know it…otherwise 6 months from now those vetivers will all be a jumble in your head!
I still have not heard if that picture is real or doctored…and kind of would rather not know if it is really him. UGH!
Only if you've plenty of space…I've more books than shelves now and when you add in the perfume, it is all rather out of control
Oh yes, you definitely need more than one bottle from Etat Libre! Right now I have bottles of Rien and Vierges et Toreros, but I tried out Putain de Palace (ridiculous name, I know, but give it a try – it's fantastic!) and I have decided I can't live without it. And Divin Enfant is quite nice too…
Hmmm, I haven't seen this. . . need to. . . I'm rather partial to roided out and naked–preferably artistically tattooed as well. . . is there somewhere I can look this up online?
I saw it on the MakeupAlley fragrance board…maybe try a search over there?
I google image searched for him and found it with the title “Thierry Mugler lost his mind.” You have to click through to get the non-pixeled version. I am inclined to think he (or whoever this is if an impostor) does not take steroids, because those shrink your organs and his, um, organs seem to be full-sized.
lol -it's one of those images that has that trainwreck kind of fascination, no matter who it is.
OMG! I must say, I do prefer a little more left to the imagination! He really needs a hat. . . teehee
LOL!
LOL – well he is wearing socks and sandals!
Just so y'all know, I was only looking him up because I never saw a picture of him. Didn't know I'd be unearthing something that would be etched into my brain forever, but once I started I couldn't stooooooppppp…..
this website is always such a pleasure to read. It's very well done, intelligent, not pretentious. It got me hooked on perfume, and I'm absolutely thrilled about this world I've finally been made aware of. This article has my name all over it. Total newbie.
I started the spreadsheet… LOL (darn you). So far only about 30 samples. I have the house (which is what I sort by), the name of the scent, comments for three wearings, and do I like it or not/want more.
I am seriously loving Perfumed Court. Such a great concept.
Learning more every day…. Thank you!
Hey, 30 is a lot. And you'll be shocked at how soon you'll have 30 pages of notes!
I agree with your comment about not giving away bottles. I gave away an almost-full bottle of vintage Dioressence to the Goodwill when I got divorced because I associated it with my ex. It took a while, but I eventually realized that I had loved that frag (*sigh*) long before I loved him. There is a happy ending though, because I was able to snag a bottle off of eBay recently…just one more thing in my life I could have avoided.
…I think he meant if each perfume takes up one row (rather than one line). Seriously, Excel is good…
Yes, that's what I assumed too.
How… HOW… How the #*&& did I miss this particular article until today? I thought I'd seen everything on here since December… oh my heavens. What an excellent guide!
And how ANAL am I, that right from the beginning, I kept notes on Excel? (Okay, I admit it, I have a degree in accounting… )And for sample storage — I had been keeping vials in a small wooden box, about 8″ long by 3″ wide, separated in those little jewelry gift boxes. That got unwieldy since I'm up to 79 samples now, and just last week I got a plastic craft storage box with dividers (the kind I use to keep my carded embroidery floss in); vials are stored by house.
This is some great advice. I haven't always kept the samples that I didn't enjoy — I did try them at least twice before swapping or passing on to friends — so I must do better about that. Particularly since I'm now finding similarities and want to go revisit samples. Last week I tried elizabethW's Neroli Chamomile and thought, “this seems familiar… ” Side by side with Bvlgari Pour Femme, NC is very similar but lighter and less complex (and lacks the stale powdery note in the heart of BPF that gives me half an hour of Mildewy Basement/Great-aunt's Musty Face Powder).
Okay, now must SCOUR site to see what else I've missed…
Well, see, you're smarter than I was! I really did have a silly little notebook.
And some samples you HAVE to give away…especially if you're swapping. But many of them come in handy later, as you've already discovered.
I’m late to the party, but:
“And remember that your first contact with a niche house is always a difficult moment for your credit card.”
Definitely strikes home with me! The first niche house I’ve explored is Ormonde Jayne, and I’ve just spent part of the morning calculating that if I buy every bottle I like over the next couple of months, that’s about £400, so…£250 is a ‘sensible’ compromise?! This article definitely made me take a big step back and think about it hard. Not happening. If I smell hundreds of scents and I still love them so, I’ll come back and buy them all. Until then, I will have to make do with a half a bottle of Ormonde Woman and Tolu. Now, to just figure out how to find somebody to split it with…
Check out Scent Splits:
http://scentsplits.wikidot.com/
I got my first OJs by splitting bottles, it’s the way to go if you need them all!
I will happily split OJ perfume bottles with you!! next time one of us is thinking of buying an OJ scent, let’s get in touch. I’m based in London, so easily accessible to the store. At the moment, I own Ormonde Woman EdP, but when it runs out I would prefer to buy the Parfum as it lasts longer on my skin. But it is very expensive. So perhaps a split would be better? I also love Tolu, and Ta’if and Champaca. Anyway – you can get my email address from my NST profile for future splitting opportunities!!
Just a note — you can not get someone else’s email address from their profile, in fact, you can’t even access someone else’s profile.
Ah – I didn’t realise that! But I do feel very safe now that I do!
What’s the best way to organize? By olfactory family? By season? By house?
I keep samples organized by house, but probably everybody has their own system.