Did you make any perfume-related resolutions for 2012? Tell us!
Or feel free to share anything you'd like to accomplish this year. My immediate goal: get my fragrance samples organized (again), and throw out the really old ones that I don't need.
Note: image is Chiocciola by delphaber at flickr; some rights reserved.
I would love to organize my fragrance samples and decants. I welcome any suggestions. Alphabetically? Fragrance family? What works?
I would like to try each sample and decant and do some purging as well. Thinking about it the task seems overwhelming!
I have a few of those little sectioned plastic containers you can get at craft stores that are used for sorting beads and whatnot. They’re perfect for the 1 ml sample vials. Mine are sorted by house, although I also have a box of “singletons” that I need some way of organizing…
Yes! Those singletons are the difficulty!
I generally sort mine by house but I tend to become interested in a note or a style (rose, iris, chypre) and gather a lot of singletons which I then sort by note. If I’m in the market for a bottle of something then all those samples stay together until I make a decision (Rose Barbare stays with the roses until I decide on Une Rose Chypre at which point it goes in with the Guerlain samples). I also have a few baggies of misc. samples that were thrown in with a purchase that I like to pull out when I’m uninspired. All that sounds more complicated than it is.
My resolution is the same as every year – use up a sample before considering a full bottle, preferably a large sample so I’m really sure it’s worth it. Theoretically the sample is used up but if it isn’t I try to pass it on instead of returning it to my stash.
Mine are by perfume house, but I currently have huge piles of unsorted samples. Ugh.
Shall I come over and sort them out for you? I love organising stuff. 🙂
Please do! But you know I pay in old half-used samples 😉
Sounds good to me. Can I help, too?
Dixie, just do a little at a time. Baby steps. A hobby should be fun!
Mine are organized by house, with the exception of a bag of fig scents and one of vetivers. I bought little plastic bags at the craft store. I wrote the names of the house on the outside of the bags with a Sharpie. Then the little bags are stored in bigger Glad storage bags. The Glad bags are stored upright in a chest of drawers, held in place by some clothes.
This has worked well for me because I can hold the Glad bags up to the light and see what’s inside, making it pretty easy to pick out the inside bag that I want.
Thanks!
I use cosmetic organizers designed for lipsticks. Using the lipstick organizer allows the vials to be placed vertically; I used to use craft organizers, with the vials laid flat, but some of them leaked. Each of the little square compartments holds 4 of the 1 ml dabber vials or 1 or 2 larger spray vials. They are sorted alphabetically by house. Sorting by fragrance family is probably a bad idea because the dividing lines are so hazy and so many fragrances could go in more than one category.
I also have a number of decants, as I make decants of all my perfumes for travel or for carrying in my purse for touchups. For decants, I use a separate organizer. Each compartment will hold one spray vial up to about 10 ml. The decants are sorted alphabetically by perfume name.
I would like to make little decants, too. Where do you get your vials from? I think my ideal would be a mL or two with a spray top.
SSS offers empty spray vials for $0.70 each or 12 for $7.50. TPC also has decant vials in various sizes, and I have bought theirs in the past. Lately, however, they have not been offering the 5 ml size, which is what I prefer. I found a vendor on eBay who had 5 ml vials, 25 for $25.19 plus shipping. I have been very pleased with them. They are glass vial with plastic sprayers and caps. The caps fit snugly and do not fall off in my purse (as the ones from TPC are prone to do). The seller’s name is seattle_4 (no affiliation), and there are various sizes of vials available.
Sally (seattle_4) used to be on MUA. I’m so glad she found something to occupy herself with. LOL!
Thanks for the information. I’ll look into it!
I order my decant supplies from Best Bottles. Excellent quality, and I haven’t had any problems with leakage.
Check out this link. I’ve had good experiences with Accessories for Fragrances. They have these cute little 3 ml spray atomizers. (I have no affiliation with this company.)
http://store01.prostores.com/servlet/accessoriesforfragrances/the-1312/%2812%29-Clear-Glass-Atomizers/Detail
seattle_4 and Accessories for Fragrances is the same seller. I bought supplies from them a couple of times and was pleased with both bottles and the service. 3 ml vials with screw-on sprayers are great.
I’m another pleased customer of Accessories for Fragrance. I mostly use the 2.5ml plastic atomizers for sharing and for making my own purse sprayers.
I use pilotvials and bestbottles.
I’ve purchased from SSS, TPC, PilotVials and BestBottles–they all provide excellent service. PilotVials and BestBottles have a wider range of decanting and related items, and reasonable prices. BestBottles DOES have a $50 minimum order, however.
I would need beaucoup lipstick organizers. I just have too much, I think.
I’ve been trying to make a decant of all the full bottles that come into the house. I fold origami and I make boxes that hold about 20 decants stabding up. I put a label on the top so I can find what I want and then the full bottle goes into the cool, dark perfume closet. I save all the boxes but I haven’t been storing the bottles in them because I like to open the door and gaze at them. We had a five-year plan to remodel the master bath when we bought this house 16 years ago and I plan on putting everything back in the original boxes when we do. I’m not sure how to store them so I still have easy access to them. I was thinking standing up in a single layer in those under-bed boxes if they are tall enough. I have an armoire that my MIL had retro-fitted with sturdy shelves and I would ultimately like to have railing added so I could put bottles in there and not worry as much about knocking something over while reaching for something else. Which happened to a vintage bottle of Shalimar extrait . Thank G- d it didn’t shatter.
First world problems….
I sort mine by category and put them in labeled zip-lock quart-size bags. I’d have way too many bags of samples if I did it by house. And by category, I mean whatever *I* think of it as, not how it’s technically categorized.
My categories include Citrus, Colognes, Classics, Gourmands (further broken down by Vanilla and Spice categories), Musks, Ambers, Leather, Incense, Woods, Florals (and of course if you’re a floral lover, you can break it down further by Rose, Lily, etc.), and I often add categories when needed. I have just a couple of bags by house because I was interested enough to collect samples of most of the fragrances they offer.
I clean out the bags every so often. Mostly what I keep are reference samples (as a fragrance library, so to speak) or ones I def. want to pass on to others even tho I don’t like them myself.
I have the bags in alpha order in two pretty fabric-covered boxes that I bought at The Container Store, with a little divider so that decants are lined up on the side. This works quite well for me – I can almost always find what I was looking for and rarely go through more than two bags looking. I haven’t had any leakage.
It was fun going through them to categorize, but I took my time and didn’t attempt it all at once! Good luck!
Thank you for the advice!
This may seem crazy to those in desperate need of storage soltuions, but I am jealous! I wish I had enough samples that finding an organization method was paramount. Be carefuly what you wish for, right?
Be very afraid. 😉
I just bought one of those hanging pocket organizers for jewelry (Container Store had several to choose from) and plan to store my samples and decants in this and hang up in a nice dark closet. It’s great because it has LOTS of pockets and the pockets are clear so you can easily see what’s in each one. The pockets are big enough to hold decants and small bottles upright to prevent leaking, too. I’ll probably print some cards to tuck in each one with a label or list of what’s inside.
I havent’ figured out how to organize the samples yet, but probably by house, with a dedicated pocket to favorites or FB potentials. The organizer I selected has 88 pockets, so hopefully will hold a lot with easy access.
I did this for awhile, but the smaller vials actually started falling over in the pockets. I use the hanging organizer now for older samples and use the lipstick/cosmetic holders for my newer samples that I’m testing every other day and deciding on. They go in a dresser drawer, too, because I’m obsessed with fragrance preservation, even in the smallest amounts. lol
I used to organize by “Notes” such as “Iris” perfumes in one, “Carnation” in another, “Incense” in another, but that got harder and harder to control, so now I just do it by House. 😛
Hi Dixie (and everyone),
For decants, I find the following types of bamboo drawer organizers to be really excellent. My local Bed Bath Beyond carries some of them.
http://bit.ly/zDvLsf
I don’t organize decants in any particular way, but another thing I’ve found miraculous are small Avery #5412 labels on the tops, which allow me to easily see what the decants are from above. I still have a whole lot more labeling to do!
Labeling the tops! That’s awesome!
I don’t hang on to samples, I pass them on to friends and family after trying them out.
If I LOVE a fragrance I buy an FB. Usually the smallest available. I love FBs, they really mean a lot to me. For obvious reasons I have been staying well away from the Amouages, Kilians et al!!
Last year’s resolution was to stop buying unsniffed (failed, bought L’Artisan coffret of minis which, fortunately, I LOVE). This year’s resolution is to not buy any more FBs with the possible exception of Azemour Les Orangers (after sampling) . Although it is only January 8 I have bought (unsniffed) Tea for Two and Verte Violette in L’Artisan sale SIGH.
I know, that sale was hard to resist.
I use cryo freezer boxes – neat white cardboard boxes with lids and internal dividers designed to hold frozen research samples. These come in a range of sizes, so I have one size that holds 88 of the small sample vials, and taller boxes less finely divided for decants and taller commercial samples. I ordered these from Biologix – no affiliation – and am very happy with the price and service.
I generally store alphabetically by house, and alphabetically by name within the house sections.
I also have some small cardboard jewelry boxes with vetiver and vintage extrait samples. And ziplocks with assorted samples that I’m still actively testing or haven’t tried yet.
I also have narrow drawers with smaller bottles and taller decants, basically alphabetically by house. Not to mention samples in my purse and office drawers, and bottles tucked away in various closets. So I’m not 100% organized but can usually manage to find what I’m looking for. 🙂
Where do you get those cryofreezer boxes?
Biologix Research Company – a scientific supply company – I order online from http://www.biologixresearch.com
There used to be a commenter on NST who was a scientist who recommended them originally. We are an eclectic group! 🙂
Wow! They are not cheap!
Note that most of the prices are for packs of several boxes, so the individual boxes are pretty reasonable.
nozknoz, you mentioned the boxes a year or so ago, and I bought some on your recommendation. They work well! And Biologix has good customer service (though the person I spoke to when I ordered was puzzled by the thought of how I was going to use them!).
I’m sure s/he was having a hard time imagining dozens or even hundreds of perfume samples, LOL!
My perfume-related resolution for 2012? I have to fill in the lacks in my incense sticks collection. I also decided to buy small pen-size (10-15ml) versions (if available) of fragrances I like, but don’t feel the need for full bottle. I would use these on certain occasions, so they don’t run out so quickly.
I love 10 & 15 ml bottles…wish there were more!
I wish everything came in a 15 ml size!
I wish all fragrances I like were in such 10 & 15mL sprays. I buy full bottles only when I ADORE the fragrance, there are numerous fragrances I like though, but don’t need full bottle, even the smallest one. So pen-sprays would be great chance to have some of those for reasonable price. (I’m going to buy 10mL YSL L’Homme Libre pen-spray, 10 dollars)
Hah, fun I talked about that some days ago here. I’d also like smaller sizes. I have acsses to few ones and they’re expensive: about 40-60$.
Whoa! That really IS expensive? Are those big you’re alking about?
I’m talking of pen-sprays like this http://allegro.pl/yves-saint-laurent-ysl-l-homme-libre-edt-10ml-i2023880821.html and that http://allegro.pl/gucci-by-gucci-sport-pour-homme-8ml-i2019477322.html
unfortunately not many fragrances have such pens
Exactly. They should do more. I think everyone would be thankful.
I would be delighted if they did more pen-sprays, so that I could have those fragrances for special occasions & moods.
Although I have not made any perfume-related resolution … But I definitely want to control myself buying less perfume … haha … I did crazy in year 2011, I even shame of saying how much did I buy …
One more thing which going to be a huge task for me … I want to start writing something about perfume in my naive language – Chinese … then I can share them with my friends. Promise not just copy & paste from here and translate them … I want to imply some personal feeling in the content, likes a memorial with notes of perfume … Keep my fingers crossed.
Good luck!
Are there traditional Chinese scents, if so what are some of them? I ask because I have recently gotten into Arabian scents and they are so tied to the culture. I was just wondering what asian scents are like. Thank you.
Great question! I’d love to know, too.
I believe Santalum album or Indian sandalwood is definitely a very traditional one. Of course it originates in India and came along to China with Buddhism long long time ago. Chinese used the plant for furniture and all kind of woodworking… due to extensively exploited and vulnerable to extinction, sizable plant becomes so valuable and it’s no longer permitted for such works.
Thanks for the info, Kartoon.
My New Year resolution is to think carefully before buying any more FB, I have more than enough already. I shall buy more samples instead!
That’s difficult, so I wish you good luck.
When it comes to buying fragrances I try to choose like “best of the best”
There are fragrances I like, so I try to gather samples of them, give them a try or just rediscover them. Then I’m ready to narrow the choice to just a few scents. Then I think intensively which one is the most full bottle worthy.
With this method I bought only 2 fragrances in 2011, though it’s not the only reason. Male perfumery was poor last year 🙁
That’s my resolution, too. More samples, or more large decants before I buy a full bottle. (It doesn’t help that I have two or three scents currently on my FBW list).
Ditto this, for me. 🙂
My perfume resolution is to become re-acquainted with the old bottles that have lain neglected in my drawer for too long. Hello, A la Nuit and The pour un Ete! I have missed you so.
Oh, that sounds fun!
I should do this too!
Great resolution!
I decided last year that I will no longer buy anything unsniffed, and if I do discover something I really like I will buy the smallest one possible. I’ve been building up a sizable collection of minis and even have a cute little shelf to display them. You can’t really do that with 100 mL bottles.
Yes. I am beginning to realize that my little perfume cabinet is getting crowded. I can’t decide what I feel about that! Do I need to buy less or get a bigger cabinet! But I do like being able to see my little bottles. Definitely, smaller bottles are part of the solution.
I’d like to organize my samples too! They are not so bad, I just need to go through them and finally swap away the ones that end up in the No box.
Also, I only have 3 things remaining on my Absolutely Must Own a FB list so I’d like to finally get them all this year.
What are they? Please share 🙂
The 3 things on my to buy list? Dia Woman, Sycomore and Diorella (needn’t be vintage but definitely want an older formulation). I reckon I’d be quite content with my FB selection after getting these so I just need to stop spending money on other stuff 😀
Oh yes, these are great choices and worth saving for!
Thank you!
That is a nice list. I have a fairly recent bottle of Diorissimo and I think it stands on its own as a lovely miguet and I’m not comparing it to the vintage version. I have a bottle of vintage that has definitely changed and has a distinct acetone opening but I discovered that some Diorissimo fanatics like that. Go figure.
*muguet. I’ve been typing on my iPad and it autocorrects things without my approval. On the other hand, it seems to learn words like Diorissimo after I’ve typed them.
So, you don’t feel any compulsion to keep samples of things you don’t like “just for reference?” This is my struggle with cleaning out samples. I fear wanting to sniff it later–to see if my tastes have changes, to understand a note better, or to compare it to something new. So, I think I want to keep them all, but I recognize that it’s a lot!
A “reference library” does sound like a good idea. All the tips here on organization and storage will come in handy.
I like the reference library idea! Speaking of, I was convinced I wanted a bottle of OJ Ta’if and a couple of others and somebody strongly urged me to get the Discovery set. She (or he?) said that they discovered that there was a theme or style that runs through the whole line that they didn’t care for and I’m so glad I did. The presentation is lovely ( and for some reason they included a bottle of Sampaquita body wash?) and I do recognize that note, whatever it is that sort of turns me off in Woman, in the samples I’ve tried so far. It is nice to have the set, along with the Ineke set and the Killians, to refer back to. I would like to have something like a reference set of notes so I can learn to recognize them in a composition (like gardenia vs. magnolia).
I too found that I dislike that house style or common thread in OJ scents, such a shame when by all verbal descriptions Woman should have been perfect for me. I ended up swapping away the vials from my sample coffret – which, however, is well worth ordering for anyone who’s interested in the house. Still, it’s a relief to be able to rule out one house, when there are so many scents to be tried out there.
Interesting to hear about OJ, Julia! I had nearly the opposite response–I like, or at least appreciate, nearly everything in the sample set. (and I didn’t get any body wash! *sniff*) It is interesting how houses can have a style that suits some people more than others. I suspect it is as you say–that there are notes that perfumers repeat a lot that some people really dig and turn other people away.
I did some serious sniffing of the OJ samples last night and it is a grassy/privet hedge note that I don’t care for so much. I just knew Ta’if and Tolu would be for me but not so much. Well, I like Ta’if but I get more peach than rose from it on my skin. On a card it is more rosy. I really like Orris Noir which had a dusty, spicy quality on my skin. I’ve only worn four on my skin so far and they are very different on me than on a card.
I’m not sure why I received that body wash. I double checked to see if I accidentally added it to my cart but i didn’t . No note or anything.
Oh, sure, there are plenty of things that I keep because I know I’ll want to re-visit them in different weather or whatever. On the other hand, some I just KNOW I have no interest in keeping, be it because they were a scrubber, or plain dull or just a duplicate.
Also, I think it depend on how new you are to the hobby. At the start, your nose and tastes will keep evolving and change all the time so it’s understandable to want to keep everything. After a while, though, you get less likely to change your mind so you get more ruthless.
Your last paragraph, Abyss, is so true!
Can’t wait till I get to the ruthless stage!
I’m not quite at the ruthless stage yet but I do have much easier time letting go of certain things. There might be a small number of scents which are possibly worth persevering with but, y’know, I figure that there SOOO many scents out there that’s just not worth wasting time and repeatedly flogging some dead horses when I could be sniffing something potentially fabulous instead.
I’m listening! That’s a good point, Abyss.
I dont need to organize my sample because i dont keep them. I sample, log my notes in my database, and then i use the samples up, often wearing them to bed.
falling asleep wearing fragrance is cool. Once I tried that with Caron pour un homme, which enfluenced my dream causing me to land in my dream on a beautiful lavender fields
You rock. I also like to wear perfumes to bed but I generally don’t try something new at bedtime because I don’t want to get out of bed an hour later to scrub something off.
I have vowed not to buy into any more splits without sampling first. We’ll see how long that lasts. And to get through my samples. I need a few sampling days to just go crazy trying a whole bunch, and to either use up or put in the swap bin the ones I’ve tried but don’t like .
Good luck! Although hey, splits are better than full bottles.
Agreed!
My goal is to really organize my wishlist by priority to help prevent myself from making impulse purchases.
I also want to get rid of some bottles that I don’t want anymore – mostly stuff I got free when I worked in fragrance retail.
I would love to get rid of some unloved bottles as well. Some are things I used to like but don’t like anymore, and some are just mistakes. I think we need to have an NST swap!
Yes yes to the swap. I have made some foolish choices for me that could be a winer for someone else. Every time I look at them I want to just toss them but that is so wasteful and extreme. But I will never wear them and they are crying out for some love.
I like the idea on an NST swap. Perfume Posse does a swap too; it worked well for me last year.
I love it! I wonder how some of what I have to trade would go over with the perfume community though – mostly mainstream department store scents I got from vendors. I may need to wade into the waters of MakeupAlley. It just seems like so much work. sigh
Some of those mainstream department store frags are pretty popular here, especially versions that are a few years old, before all the IFRA restrictions and the reformulation madness hit. The only way to find out for sure would be to list what you have to trade and see if it generates any interest.
I am totally in for a FB swap! I have too many lovely things I just don’t wear that need a good home. That bottle of OJ Sampaquita body wash is a good candidate, too. It’s beautiful but I can’t use scented body products (chemo – the gift that keeps on giving).
I just avoided wearing any form of scent while on chemo for fear of associating it with nausea, but once treatment was over I went back to indulging myself.
I was afraid of that, too. I tentatively tried my old reliable Shalimar and it was fine. I really craved comfort scents like vanilla and discovered that I liked some things better during or after chemo. I had a sample of SDV which had a terrible pickled note to me but I tried it again and loved it. I can also tolerate aldehydes better now, too. My skin has just become so sensitive that I’m using only the unscented things my dermatologist recommends. I can still wear perfume on my wrists but I’ve also been wearing it on my clothes more than I used to.
I hope your chemo is going well, or has been successful, and that we are both starting the new year in remission.
I read this on a blog somewhere but I can’t remember where…
On the days when I can’t decide what to wear, I’ll pull out a sample bag and work from it. I’ve already done this with my little Amouage collection and it’s been a revelation to revisit them.
Lovely!
Not buy any more until I have used up a good amount of what I have!!!
I need to clear out the unloved bottles. There aren’t many of them, but there are some, mostly because I developed the habit of buying minis unsniffed on ebay… Sigh.
I did a lot of that earlier in the year last year! MOST of them, I don’t really enjoy.
Yes, when I first became interested in perfume I had a bad habit of purchasing full bottles unsniffed at places like Marshall’s because they were a bargain and LT/TS gave it a good review. I’ve discovered we don’t like many of the same things but they are still lovely perfumes, just not for me.
I don’t really do resolutions, since I am pretty compulsive about self-improvement year round! I reevaluate my budget, my eating and exercise choices, my organizational choices, blah, blah, blah, every season or so.
However, I am fighting some pretty strong impulse urges this week, so that is my current focus: to do other things besides buy perfume to feel good. (Oh, shoot. . .I wasn’t sure if this was the right place to say this, but I guess I feel like sharing. My brother passed away suddenly on New Years, and I am struggling to deal with it.) I bought a whole bunch of SSS samples yesterday. But I didn’t buy anything on ebay, so I guess that’s balance!
Please accept my condolences. There is never a right time, but holidays are worse, and “suddenly” doesn’t give you any time to prepare yourself. My MIL died unexpectedly in May, and I still struggle with it.
I’m so so sorry to hear that, Marjorie. Heartfelt condolences.
I’m sorry for your loss. Be especially kind to yourself as you deal with your feelings. I think any restraint (no eBay buys) is extraordinary at a time like this, so you should feel good about it.
I’m so sorry about your brother. Losing someone is hard, and having it happen suddenly is even harder. No can tell you exactly how to deal with it, as that is a very personal matter, but buying a bunch of stuff you don’t need is probably not the best way, so you are right to resist those impulse urges. My first time losing someone close to me was when my grandmother died while I was away at college for the first time. I had a really hard time knowing how to deal with it; of course what I really wanted was to have her back, and that was just impossible. I wanted to feel better, but I was afraid that it would be disrespectful to be too happy. What I eventually learned was that the “right” thing to do was whatever I needed to do at the moment, that the whole process was just going to take time, and that anything I could do to feel a little better or take my mind off of it for a little while was OK as long as it was not something destructive or irresponsible. I’m probably not saying this very well, but just do what you need to do. If you need to just sit and be sad and cry, then do so. It is normal to be sad when someone you cared about has died. If, however, you want to feel better, then do something you enjoy doing–watch a funny movie, read a book, take a walk, take a warm bath, or wear a comfort scent. Talk to someone you feel comfortable confiding in. Take care of yourself, and try to eat right and sleep well.
Marjorie – I’m so sorry for your loss. My deepest sympathies to you and your family.
Ditto what everyone else said. Do what is right for you. It’s going to take time and I wish for better times ahead for you. So sorry this happened.
How devastating for you and your family. Deep sympathy. There are no words…
I’m so sorry to hear that, Marjorie. Please take care of yourself.
Marjorie, I’m so sorry!
Ohhhh! {{{{HUGS}}}} I’m so sorry! This actually brought tears to my eyes instantly. I have a brother that I’m losing to a slow, deteriorating disease (Huntington’s) and while it’s not the same as a sudden loss, well, let’s just say I’m there with you and I understand. {{{More Hugs}}}!
Oh Lord, the tears are mutual, Lamaroc! I am SO SORRY! It is simply not good, there is no better or worse. Hugs right back (and a kleenix).
LaMaroc,
So sorry to hear about your brother. SIGH! My thoughts and prayers are with you.
Marjorie Rose, I’m so very sorry to hear that — I can’t even imagine what you must be going through.
Marjorie Rose, I’m sorry for your loss. Also really admire that you revisit your goals and strategies seasonally. That’s a great idea!
I am so very sorry. Can’t even start comprehending how you and your family must be feeling right now. Please take care.
Thank you, all, for your kind words! It really does help. Mourning can be such a lonely thing.
In the mean time, hopefully nobody minds too much if I’ve been here commenting a little more prolifically than usual this past week. Perfume can be such a nice distraction! AND my P.dE samples arrived today! Sniffing Azemour Les Orangers first. I do not think it is love, but I am not big on orange blossom scents, so it is not a big surprise. I’m looking forward to working my way through the rest!
My PdE samples arrived the other day… perfect, except that the Azemour les Orangers bottle was completely empty! 🙁
Sad! Have you let them know so they can replace it?
I am sure no one minds. What do you make of PdE?
I have only started to sample them. My usual routine is to do a sort of “drive thru” when I get a lot of samples and spray a little of each (over a few hours) to get the “gist.” Then, the ones that really stand out, I set aside for more one-on-one attention. So. . .I have sprayed Azemour, Yuzu Fou, Wazamba, Eau Suave, and Osmanthus Interdite. Of these, I am liking Osmanthus Interdite the best. It has a lovely, creamy apricot note that I am really liking.
Strike that!
I’m trying Aziyade this afternoon, and other than a little while about 10 minutes in when it reminds me of Juicy Fruit gum, it actually has some similarities with Amouage Memoir! It is fruit and spices and incense. It isn’t quite as deep or boozy as Memoir, and it’s sweeter, but the similarity is interesting!
So sorry to hear that. Think that despite he’s not with you anymore, he’ll BE with you always, in your thoughts, in good things to happen. This, no one can take out of you. After some time, he’ll become a good and stimulating memory without all that pain you’re feeling now. Occupie your mind, go out with friends, work hard; these are some good ways to soften the loss. Best regards. 😉
I am so sorry to hear that. Take good care of you and your family. And do so as the others said before, do that what makes you feel good. Don’t struggle against your tears. Hugs.
Ah Marjorie Rose… I am so very sorry for your loss. You will be in my thoughts.
Please accept my condolences on the passing of your brother. I hope you can find comfort and peace in the face of a sudden loss. XO – J
Marjorie Rose,
I am so sorry yo hear about your brother. And thank you for sharing what you are going through.
Enjoy your SSS samples. SSS is such a good buy for the high quality you get.
I am so sorry about your brother. We are here if you need us.
This is so true! I don’t know if it is a testament to how nice perfumistas are as a group or how well moderated the NST forum is, but I’ve made some real friends here who have become invaluable to me in real life.
I am so sorry to hear about your loss! I hope you and your family are doing ok.
My perfume resolutions are:
1) To finish my perfume memoir
2) To try more scents that are outside of my comfort zone (which mostly consists of sweet orientals)
3) To find somewhere to donate the samples that I no longer want
I wish everyone the best of luck in keeping the resolutions that matter, and not stressing the ones that don’t!
A perfume memoir? That sounds wonderful!
Thank you so much for the encouragement, Haunani! I envision it as a collection of short stories about the different roles that perfume has played in my life.
Great idea, good luck!
I would love to see the results.
I like it!
Will you be publishing it? Maybe an e-book we can download?
Seconding this! I would love to read it on my Kindle.
Ari, based on your blog, I think I’d enjoy reading your stories!
I make only vague resolutions, if any at all, and try to be more mindful throughout the year.
However, “filing” my samples is VERY much on my list of things to do in the next few weeks. I have a large shoebox full of vials and it’s insane. As I file, I plan to throw those I don’t want into a bag to move on to others.
Basically, I use some shoebox-sized plastic bins with hinged tops, and inside, snack-sized Ziplocs the width of the box, labeled alphabetically, and labeled with houses/brands for those for which I have many samples.
I suppose I’m going to try to buy less this year, but….
HA…we’re ALL going to buy less, right?
I find that the IFRA is the biggest help in curbing my buying! 😉
Sadly, yes — no need to search out the classics unless they’re vintage.
Knowing I can’t handle the pressure of “real” resolutions, I only make fun ones now. Perfume fits perfectly in there. I hope to wear more perfume in general this year–I often won’t spray on anything until I know my outfit, occasion, and am heading out the door. Since I have been unemployed, though, that doesn’t happen all the time and I often realize I have gone the whole day without spraying. So I am going to try and spray more in the morning, by whim, even if I don’t know what the day calls for yet.
I also hope to make fewer “it-was-cheap-and-I-kind-of-like-it-so-it’s-easy-to-justify” purchases this year and to hold out for my true perfume loves. Last year I acquired 12 bottles but not the two at the top of my buy list because they always seemed too expensive.
Let me guess–for the combined price of those 12 bottles, you could have gotten either one or both of your top 2, right?
Easily! But it seemed much easier to justify a $25 or 50$ purchase here and there rather than a single $300 order after shipping.
Guilty. Most of them are perfectly nice dept. store perfumes on discount somewhere but I don’t love them enough to choose them over Jicky, Lyric, Bois d’Iris, etc. so they don’t get much use.
Yes, this is something I’ve been working on for the last two years!
I resolve to not feel intimidated when asking an SA for a sample!
Good one! After all, the worst thing the SA can do is say no.
Do it! I was so intimidated to even go into the Hermes boutique once I found out one had opened. When I went in and asked for a sample, the SA was SO generous, giving many large samples and even an adorable mini since they were out of samples of Voyage. And I didn’t even buy anything. So you never know!
I approve! Luckily, most SAs I’ve encountered have been super accommodating — and I’ve noticed that the ones who are most knowledgeable about perfume also tend to be the most forthcoming with samples. I guess it makes sense that a fellow perfumista would be sympathetic to sample requests!
Do it! For every not-nice SA there are generous ones!
I carry a few 1ml vials with me and if they don’t have a sample available they are usually pretty willing to let me make one from the tester. Sometimes that shows them that I’m actually quite serious about perfume and the next thing I know they’ve fund some samples for me!
My resolution this year, like many others, is to get organized… this includes perfume samples and decants along with my cluttered office, cd & dvd collection and then the closets!
I mentioned above about getting a hanging pocket organizer for my samples and will start on that this weekend. Last year, I purchased several cute leather jewelry boxes that seemed to work well to contain samples, but my collection keeps growing and there wasn’t enough room to keep each house together. I like to keep things around for reference because my tastes keep changing, and it’s nice to go back and resniff something especially after reading a blog comment or review. Plus, with boxes, the spray containers (esp the cheap ones) tend to leak and dry up.
I am getting organized too. Started with my crafting supplies. Haven’t done anything artsy in a while because of the clutter. Planning on revisiting some crafty projects this year too.
Need a better system for my scents too. I’m not planning on buying too many bottles this year. Only buying things I love or are cheap thrills that won’t set me back too much money. I want to use and enjoy the ones I have.
I do a lot of crafts like knitting, spinning, origami, quilling, card making, a little jewelry, etc. and I have a lot of supplies. Working in a local yarn shop really expanded my yarn stash and at one point i was ordering wholesale specialty papers from Japan.
Then I watch Hoarders on TV and often their houses are full of craft supplies they “might” need someday and I cringe.
I reorganize my IKEA vitrine at this time of year. Removing all the bottles and dusting the shelves requires great care and time. I remove bottles that I’m tired of looking at and put up new aquisitions. I reshuffle the remainder into more pleasing configurations. Somtimes I display bottles by colour; sometimes by house. Then I photograph them and mail them to my frrends!
Nice!
How cool!
I resolved to update my perfume spreadsheets (4 to date), file my sample vials, and use up any samples that I own full bottles of.
The spreadsheets are for: Samples I own, Full bottles I own, Perfumes to try, and Back-ups stockpiled in the fridge. I sort the perfumes by house, then by fragrance name, with other columns for notes lists, my thoughts on that scent, etc.
I store my 1ml samples in small, carved sheeshamwood boxes. The pet crematory I use returns cremains in them & since I “scatter”, I now have 3 boxes. They are just the right height for standard 1ml vials. I have the vials in the same order as they are in the spreadsheet and divide the rows by using cut-down business cards or other paper stock of similar weight. Don’t try this if you don’t enjoy model-making, as it is time consuming & anyone with a life will not want to waste time on this. Tedious, but it works for me.
Judging by your alias and comments, I have a feeling I’d love to meet you! I am not a model maker, but I love wooden things, and have ended up with a small collection of wooden boxes without even meaning to, just out of my attraction to wooden things!
I have a friend who makes custom furniture out of reclaimed long-leaf pine (and other exotic woods) who occasionally gives me a bag of shavings to smell. Lovely.
My resolution for this year is to actually wear the perfume I own and to buy less full bottles but use scent splits.
Last year was my first year as a perfumista and I was overwhelmed by the choice and all the good niche stuff. Now I try to swap one or two of the perfumes that I bought … a nst swap list would be great!
Do check out the swapping on MakeupAlley! We may do one or two “swap meets”, but this will never be a viable place for ongoing swaps.
Come see me on MUA. I’m givemesomescents.
A couple of months ago Primal Mist Perfume Blog compiled suggestions from different bloggers on storing perfume samples and posted 10 Creative Ways to Store Perfume Samples http://insidethemist.com/10-creative-ways-to-store-perfume-samples/ . The nice thing about that article is that it has pictures to illustrate each idea.
Thanks, Ondina – it’s great to see the actual photos!
Ooo, these are great! Thanks for passing this along! I need some of these ideas.
I had decided to stop buying perfume a
D start using 150 + that I have but I came across Oud Pacific’s vanilla and apricot and that flew right out the window. I’ll never stop buying who am I kidding? My husband and I had made the deal to start fresh but he’s back at his **** again. This may be the year for divorce and or school. I want a major in psychology and English and then to go to law school.
I have resolved to quit buying any fragrance, even samples, that features woods as a prominent note. It seems as though the last few years they just blow up on my skin. (Or perhaps it’s just my nose?)
Also, like so many others, I want to get my FB list taken care of, and quit being so distracted by things like samples, and cheap thrills.
After several years of hardcore sampling and buying, I have narrowed my preferences down. I need to realize that for the sake of my budget, I am actually fortunate that there are many notes, houses and even entire categories I just don’t like.
I need to quite trying to find “my” Guerlain, gourmand or tuberose…and just get the darn Jubilation and Fille d’ Eve already!
Wise words, JolieFleurs – here’s to a happy 2012 and FBs of those two great perfumes!
And a very Happy 2012 to you, as well!
Won’t I smell divine? And thank you! 🙂
Well, as I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, my New Year’s resolution is to extensively — but hopefully not expensively! — explore some lines I haven’t tried much from yet (especially Tauer, Lutens, de Nicolai, and Ormonde Jayne).
I’m also going to quit with the blind buys once and for all. And to that end, I received a whole batch o’ samples in the mail yesterday from Luckyscent, so that I can make an informed purchase with my xmas gift certificate.
(Candidates include: Mary Greenwell Plum, 10 Corso Como, PdN Odalisque, CdG Carnation, Parfum d’Empire Cuir Ottoman, ELO Tilda Swinton Like This, and ELO Jasmin et Cigarette. Some of these I’ve been curious about for a while, and I tried to throw in some things that were outside of my usual woody-spicy-resinous wheelhouse. I’m wearing Plum now — it’s intensely beautiful, but probably not for me — there’s a point about 20 minutes after I applied it where I got walloped by gardenia, which is one of those notes I’d prefer not to be walloped by.)
I really need to try Plum! I like to be walloped by gardenia 🙂
I dunno what it is about me and gardenia, but once it kicks in, it utterly overwhelms everything else that might be happening in a scent. This seems especially weird because I don’t have that problem with tuberose or other white flowers — in fact, there are few things I enjoy more than being walloped by tuberose, AND I can still smell other things during said walloping.
To get more into sampling, decants and swapping with my international friends in perfume! I want to try more niche lines besides the usual like L’Artisan, Byredo, By Kilian etc. and vintage such as Guerlain, Chanel, Caron etc. If anyone is interested in introducing me to this sphere please feel free to email me at lboxhall at hotmail dot com 🙂
+1. I was in doubt about posting this, but I would have no damage posting; I would get at least a pair of blasè eyes. Then, there it goes: Although I haven’t planned any perfume resolution, this one you told would fit me perfectly. I would even pay for it, no problems about profits. But all I can say is that’s not an easy task. My mail is carolbhz2010 at gmail dot com; feel free to mail me.
To Paisley Flowers amd Moore – I’m terribly late with three packages of samples ( I promise they are assembled and just waiting final packaging and will go out soon!) but I’m ver happy to help you sniff some of those things. I like sharing what I have almost as much as I like sniffing new things. I got involved with a Monday Mail perfumista and sent her several samples she specifically wanted to try and also a bunch of random things I though she might like. I’ve really enjoyed her opinions on the things I sent and the things that surprised her that she might not otherwise given a second glance.
I’m julia 941 at yahoo and also on MUA. I would love to help you smell some new things. I have too many beautiful things and I’m starting to feel like it’s my duty to share them. What good are they if they spend all their time in the perfume closet and not on somebody’s skin like they should be?
Hi, Julia. So glad to hear that. I’ll mail you when I arrive home. Thanks sooo much for the reply!
I’m going to sell/trade/give away my unloved bottles and decants!
I really should do the same with decants. I think my bottles are already pretty slimmed down.
I really want to find a Plan B/stand-in for my beloved & hoarded vintage/pre-reform’d Chanel no. 19. I’ve already tried Silences and Heure Exquise but no luck. I’d like to say I’ll stop haunting Ebay hoping for good luck but I probably won’t. LOL!
Vintage Chanel 19 is one of my favorites! I’ve found 2 of the perfumes at antique stores that smell amazing!
Have you tried 28 La Pausa? It doesn’t have the major oak moss of No. 19, but rather vetiver. It’s similar but seems more natural and relaxed, as well as really lovely.
Perfume resolutions: there is a budget for 2012, and a working list of things I’d like to try, and a FB wish list. I did this in 2010, and it worked out well.
In 2011, I was not as organized, and really was overly indulgent! No more unsniffed FBs. I had one memorable mistake in this category in 2011, and I’m not doing that again! Really. I’ve learned. Until one of you write an amazing review that incites terrible lemmings 😀
I’m also on perfume embargo until April 1st. No purchases, samples or FB for this quarter. I need to work through the samples I have, and visit my lovely FBs. I think I could wear a different scent each morning and night, without repeats for a year, with all the tiny sample vials in my stash.
As for organization… I have made inroads. I have plastic tubs, each wiith a category, and a jumble of samples within. The categories are floral, green/citrus, musc/animalic, gourmand/oriental, woods/incense, Serge Lutens (he gets his own bowl!), unknown and purgatory. Recently, I moved lots of things to purgatory with the idea to find them new homes. Perhaps someone else will love them, but I admit these are not for me, and I’m ready to let them go. My unknown bowl is alarmingly full, and I want to explore those. Tonight I’ve busted out my sample of SSS Velvet Rose, and it’s amazing 🙂
Hope you all are having fun organizing your collections, revisiting old loves, and planning for a fragrantly happy 2012. Be well!
I hate unsniffed disasters…and I’ve had my share.
That is a fantastic idea. Please update on how it is progressing.
1. Don’t buy any new perfumes
2. Use up my samples
If I follow through, I’ll let myself get a full bottle of whatever I like when we reach Holiday 2012.
One of my New Years resolutions is to register on this site after over 12 months of daily browsing. Thanks so much for such a great resource. SOTD is Trelise by NZ fashion designer Trelise Cooper – perfect for the wintery weather we are having in this part of the world today, despite it being summer!
Hi! And so great that you de-lurked in the New Year! Welcome and don’t ever hesitate to join in the craziness! 😀
Hi and welcome!
I hadn’t made any concrete resolutions for the New Year. Just to buy less perfume, donate or give away bottles I don’t wear anymore and to organize my samples somehow. I think other than physically organizing them, I need to start some type of record keeping. A database or diary, so that I know what I own and what my impression of it was/is. It would be great if there was a way to cross reference say all the rose perfumes from different houses, so I could compare them. I’m trying to buy less, so it would be nice to have compared several rose or leather or chypre fragrances so I can buy only the one I like the best. Of course, having spent one day this past week shopping with my daughter, I’m on the verge of breaking my resolution after having tried some Killians, Tom Fords, Serge Lutens and Portrait of A Lady. Sigh, trying to hold out at least until February.
I love Portrait of a Lady! Those were some great sniffs!
I am trying to resist buying samples of things I’ll be able to apply in person once I’m going to school in NYC in the fall and to not go absolutely crazy shopping once I am there. First purchase there will be L’Heure Convoitee
I made my “New Year’s” resolution back when we reported the 3rd quarter purchases. 2011 was the first year that I’ve written down all of my purchases to be ready (and accurate) for the quarterly polls. It was about the time of the 3rd quarter that I realized that I had either traded or given away ALL of my unsniffed decant purchases! That was when I resolved not to buy anymore unsniffed decants; they really add up!
I almost fell off the wagon a couple of days ago and joined the split for the new Guerlain L’Arte et la Matiere myrrh fragrance. But I was strong!
That myrrh sounds beautiful, Rapp! Way to stay strong. I’m not looking at the split lists, or I’d fail to make my April goal.
I completely agree with your comment above that the IFRA helps us avoid purchases and curb spending with overprotective restrictions. I’m in agreement with those who propose the industry place warnings on labels stating ingredients may cause irritation if applied directly to the skin, and let consumers make their own decision. Bring back my oakmoss and bergamot. Be well.
LOL! I hope I don’t cave before I try a sample!
I really don’t believe it’s about our health or safety with the IFRA, so that’s why the label thing won’t fly. It’s about $$$ for the chemical companies. The aroma-chemicals can be patented while essential oils and absolutes can’t!
All the best in the New Year!
Writing down purchases for the polls really helps me too — it’s a great reality check.
My goal is to stop, at least for several months, buying any more FBs, and if I can stick to that until my birthday this year, I’m finally going to buy a little bottle of Amouage Homage, which I’ve wanted for a couple of years.
Well this is an OT comment but my friend and I were in Saks NYC last week and I made a beeline for the Killians counter since i have heard so much about the line from NST members, and of course it’s not your run of the mill Macy’s/L&T frag line. My question: my friend totally fell in lurve with the Don’t Be Shy scent, and she wants to know if there was anyplace where she could get it a little less expensive, or maybe a smaller, more affordable size. I told her I would check with you folks; I myself scored 3 samples (but I forgot their names, they have those ridiculously long names, don’t they?).
Thanx in advance!
Options:
Buy the 50 ml refill (around $125).
Buy the travel set — spray container + 4 small refills (around $135).
Buy a single travel refill on ebay — right now there happens to be a set of 2 of them for $35, and they do come up frequently.
I’ve been on the border of perfume obsession for a few years now. I’ve kept up with NST, ordered from Luckyscent a few times, and even amassed a small collection of fragrances. But, as a dirt poor college student, I usually felt terrible about spending money on something that was only useful for my pleasure. As the new year rolls around, I am still broke and out of work, but I’m making it my goal to actually dive in a little more, and enjoy this personal luxury. I figure, there will never be enough money to do everything I want, but that’s how you decide what is really important. So here’s to a year of more sampling, more research, and finding a perfume community in my little neck of the woods.
There’s never enough money. I used to feel guilty too but I keep my purchases within reason and figure life is too short to deprive myself of a few guilty pleasures now and then. You can always get free or inexpensive samples or smaller sizes or decants like some people on here do instead of full bottles. I’ve seen plenty of people spend a fortune on their daily trips to the coffee shop and then look at me like I’m nuts for buying a perfume sample. My sample will last longer than their latte and I’ll enjoy it more.
Think of it as art appreciation, Missie Sue!
Missie Sue – I would add, don’t ever hesitate to ask for a sample(s) on here. I know I’m always happy to send samples of scents I own (or have a sample of) and every time I’ve ever mentioned wanting to try something, this generous group jumps in and offers!
First time poster…delurking
My resolutions:
1. Register (check)
2. Post (check)
3. Budget or limit (really limit) purchases. I have to come up with some numbers. (When I answered the poll on 4Q2011 purchases, I must have underestimated by half…I should have picked the last category.) Also, to-date, I have only bought FBs so must seriously consider decants and/or samples.
4. Limit my online time perusing/lurking on the perfume blogs (get more sleep instead!)
Current favorite scents: (not in any particular order and my likes change quite often and sometimes tend towards the pedestrian)
– Hermes Kelly Caleche
– Prada Candy
– L’Occitane The Vert
– Chanel No. 5 EDT (but this disappears on me…I may just take the plunge and get the EDP…there goes my resolution)
Current favorite brick and mortar stores:
– Hermes
– Nordstroms
– Sephora
Hi and welcome! Can’t argue with getting some sleep instead of reading fragrance blogs, but hope you’ll continue to chime in.