By request, we'll be holding our first splitmeet next Saturday — here are the rules so everyone can plan in advance.
Don't know what a bottle split is, or you know but you've never tried it? See here.
Please note that the intention of the splitmeet is to split newly purchased bottles of perfume, not to sell decants of fragrances already in your collection! Anyone can join a split, but only people with current, active reader accounts may host splits.
The next swapmeet is Saturday, March 15, and we'll be holding a followup poll for participants in the freebiemeet on Saturday, March 1.
How it will work
1. Anyone who wants to play can list up to 2 bottles they'd like to host a split for.
2. List each perfume in a separate comment. Things to include in your comment: your country of residence, where you're willing to send, the size and price of the decants (include any shipping cost, please!), what container you'll use for the decant (glass, plastic, spray, etc), how many decants you are offering, and what sort of payment you're willing to accept. If you require a certain number of participants in order for the split to go forward, please make that clear, and don't accept payment until you're sure the split will go through! Payment arrangements are up to the participants, but I strongly suggest that you use Paypal.
3. You will have to post your email address in your comment, or have some other way for readers to contact you — one option is to list your email address at gravatar.com, and then link to your gravatar page in your user profile here (see the first comment below and click on my name for an example). Another option would be to link to a contact page at your own blog, or anywhere on the web where people can find a way to reach you.
4. Participants may call dibs on a decant from a split by replying to the original comment, then sending an email to the person offering the split. Once the split is closed, the person hosting it should likewise reply to the original comment to indicate that there are no more decants on offer.
5. I will leave the comments open for a week, then I'll close the splitmeet. If it goes well, we can make it a regular feature.
And some rules
6. We will NOT be responsible (and we won't get involved) if your split doesn't work out in some way, nor will you be allowed to post complaints here, ever.
7. And obviously, if you're hosting a split, you should package your decants properly and mail them promptly. You might want to read through items 6-10 on our swapping post.
Questions, comments, complaints?
Note: top image is Orchid in Thirds [cropped] by timsackton at flickr; some rights reserved.
A comment to illustrate the use of the gravatar account as a link…
So Robin, can we discuss what we might host? Because there’s nothing I’m dying to get more of right now but some things I would host if people are dying to split it. Things that are easier to get here in New York, or something that requires a larger upfront layout.
Sure, people are more than welcome to discuss that here…don’t really want to have people talking about that on the actual day, because it clogs up the threads.
But, no one has anything to say! Ok then.
Sorry! You know, if you want to bring up this topic on today’s poll, maybe people will notice.
That is really generous of you. I’d be interested in Union Gothic Bluebell if your hosting offer is still valid
Ah, good point! I quite like that Bluebell, too!
For pre-planning purposes, I would like to mention that I plan on hosting 2 splits:
Oriza Legrande Chypre Mousse (read Kafkaesque’s review if you are curious about this perfume) – On me, a little bit goes a long way so I can’t see myself keeping a 100 ml for myself and I would like to split about half in 5 to 10 mL increments. I know I can order it from the Paris store online, but it comes with a steep 23 Euros shipping charge. Thegoddessrenna mentioned a store in New York that carries the Oriza Legrande line but phone calls have gone unanswered and their website is under construction. I worked out the cost which I’ll post next week and it really is quite reasonable even with the shipping.
The second one is Serge Lutens Bois et Fruits. I got a great deal at Fragrancenet a few weeks ago and decided to just buy the bottle while I had the discount. I had received it and have kept the shipping box sealed so I am not tempted to use it! The bottle is 50 mLs and I would like to split out 20-30 mLs.
I do frequently participate in Basenotes splits with one particular splitter but the selection is limited due to rules regarding splits being only for the really expensive perfumes.
I hope we get enough of a variety and interest in splitting!
I would definitely buy a decant of Chypre Mousse. Hopefully you can get it here and not have to pay that steep shipping fee!
Oh goodie… I think 2 others are as well so building up interest!!!!!!!!!
I’d definitely be interested in a 5ml split (hate to break my rule re unsniffed, but 5ml is really just a large sample, right???).
Chypre Mousse for me as well, please
Informational only and nothing is “official” until the actual Splitmeet on Saturday:
I’ve decided not to split the Bois et Fruits (I’ll have some available for swap) and instead, will possibly split a Tauer Explorer Set. Andy added 4 perfumes to the selection and the additions are at 20% off (prices on the website already include the discount). FYI, the 4 new ones are:
01-LE MAROC POUR ELLE, edp
04-REVERIE AU JARDIN, edp [this is the one I may get)
07-VETIVER DANCE, edt
ZETA
I’m a greenhorn and have never done a split before (thanks for info on how to do it Robin). I’d like to either host or participate in a split of the giant vat bottle of Atelier Vanille Insensee. Just wondering if hosting would be recommended since it’s my first split experience.
I see absolutely no reason you couldn’t, but since that one is available in such a small size, I wonder if you’d get many takers? Worth a shot, of course, not meaning to discourage you! But the most popular things will probably be those people can’t find in reasonably small amounts.
Plus, will warn you that that would be A LOT of spraying. Hope others will chime in, but splitting a 50 ml bottle with 4 others is already a fair amount of work, IMHO. 100 ml is doable, I’d personally be too lazy to do a 200 ml
hmmm good point. I was just thinking of the bargain angle. 30 mls goes for $70 but a 200 ml bottle split between say 4 would be 50ml or so per person for $45 ea. plus bottle/shipping cost. A great deal.
One of the excellent things about Atelier Cologne’s bottles, Robin and Sajini, is that they all unscrew–so no spraying necessary for decanting (I was very excited to discover this with my bottle of Rose Anonyme). So that would make splitting much easier, as long as you had a pipette
Ah, did not know that! Then never mind.
That’s awesome to know. So glad it pours. I didn’t even consider all that spraying from a big bottle! I guess another drawback for the host if decanting from a large sprayer bottle would possibly be wear and tear on the sprayer of the bottle the host keeps?
I was initially planning on splitting Sous le toit de Paris and I know if you buy the 200 mL, most of the time, there is a promotion where you get a free 30 mL bottle of the same or different cologne absolue. We’re you planning on getting the 30 mL of the same cologne absolue and adding the 30 mLs to the total to be split or were you planning on getting another scent and perhaps defraying part of the cost of the 30 mL if you or one of the split participants decides to keep it?
Hi Hajusuuri,
Not sure if you were referring to the Vanille Insensee, but I haven’t heard of a 30 ml extra bottle offered when you get the big one. Is there a deal like that from Atelier? I’m a little confused. I was just doing a price break down of how much cheaper it is to get the big one and split it up as opposed to getting a smaller bottle. But if there’s an extra bottle in that deal, all the sweeter.
oops just saw the coffret offer on the Atelier site. Thanks for the heads up about that Hajusuuri. Looks like there is a sweet 30ml bonus bottle. I’d have to think about how to split all of that.
I would be interested in splitting some Sous le toit de Paris.
I would be interested in a split of Vanille Incensee!
Robin, you mentioned this in your original split post but I’m wondering if you or any others have further thoughts to share on what to do on the occasions when something goes awry in the mail, whether the package getting smashed or just lost or whatever. Is there a convention about this?
Best thing to do is a) package really well, & use a small box instead of a padded envelope and b) use tracking & confirmed delivery. Beyond that, I swapped decants for years & it is very rare that anything goes wrong. IMHO, leakage is the fault of the sender, but if the package is smashed that’s another matter. But best to agree beforehand if you’re worried.
Thanks so much, that’s very useful! I’m surprised/heartened to hear you’ve largely not had problems related to the post office. I feel like I have a mail curse–basically everything that could go wrong has for me. But I guess that’s one of the broader questions about whether to split or just buy decants–the latter’s more expensive, but then someone else worries about this!
Oh, that’s a shame. I guess I’m lucky then!
If there was interest, I’d be open to hosting a Rodin split, an Indult Tihota split, or a Serge Lutens La Myrrhe. I can’t afford these on my own and don’t need more than 10 ml or so anyway.
Yes to Tihota!
Yes to La Myrrhe, maybe to Tihota? How much would they be for 10 ml each?
La Myrrhe is $310 for 75ml, so $41.33 for 10ml, plus $9.50 for the 10ml bottle, priority flat rate shipping, and Paypal fees, so $50.83 total.
Tihota is $220 for 50 ml, so 44.00 for 10ml, plus $9.50 for the 10ml bottle , priority flat rate shipping, and Paypal fees, so $53.30 total.
I think I can continue to say yes to Myrrhe, but am wary of the unsniffed (as of yet Tihota). Perhaps in the next week I might get a chance to smell it…
Foxbins– have you considered contacting “shopsinfrance” about getting SL La Myrrhe directly from Paris? She’s quite reliable.
ohhh, I almost forgot about the splitmeet…..
I’d be happy to host Lyric Man (100ml) and
Roja Dove Creation E pour Homme edp (that’s Enigma to the rest of the world) (70ml)
That Enigma sounds really good (and pricey – yikes). I may have to make a Bergdorf run to have a sniff sometime next week!
Enigma pour homme is gourmand, and lush, and quite heavy on the brandy. A big fragrance as Roja Doves often are. It’d be $2.85 ml , making 5ml $19.10 (shipped) and 10ml 34.05 shipped.
Lyric man 5ml = 14.75 / 10ml = 25.30 shipped in the USA
Both big fragrances…so, they are spendy; but worth it.
Daisy, I will jump on your Enigma split (5 mLs) once you post it on Saturday. Thanks
I would love to host Olfactive Studio Lumiere Blanche (see Jessica’s review on Jan. 31) or Neela Vermeire Ashoka. Or maybe both
I may be interested in both but it may all depend on the volume of the splits. I have a discovery set of the Olfactive Studio but the volume is 4mLs of each fragrance so I may be looking for more but not quite the entire bottle.
Oh, good thought! I love Lumiere Blanche but don’t need FB.
Would this be an okay place to split a gift set of Hermessence perfumes, or something similar like that where they are already in different bottles but I don’t want all of them?
Absolutely!
Another idea could be a split of the Tauer Perfumes Explorer Set. You may not have 3 that you like but between 2 or 3 people, you may be able to form a set. There is also no decanting required except if you all decide to split the 15 mLs each explorer set spray comes with. It’s just important to note that the prices are different depending upon which perfume you choose and you would have to agree up front that the final price may be slightly different as you wouldn’t know the exact price until you have the currency exchange rate on the day you place the order.
That is a great idea, I would definitely be interested in that!
I replied to my own post above! I will probably have an Explorer Set split.
Sooooo…Robin dear…..when does this thing begin?
Just did!