Yesterday you won the lottery. Today you're on a plane to Paris. What are the first 3 perfumes you'll buy when you get there?
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Truthfully, if I win the lottery, I’d start having things custom made, though I know I’ll get PG Arabian Horse and that I’d probably go across the channel to go sniffing in London since I know that there are quite a few Harrod’s exclusives
I picked Paris so as not to limit purchasing, but you’re right that London might be just as good!
Oh no, Paris is better… I live in London, and yes, you can get a lot of bottles here, but the best ones always seem out of reach and in France for some reason 🙂
Bell Jars of Iris Silver Mist, De Profundis, and Sarrasins!
One stop shopping 🙂
Haha!Kelly,we’ll make excellent shopping partners then!Just noticed after you commented below!
I definitely need to take a trip the the SL shop b/c I’ve not ever smelled most of the line!
Guerlain L’Heure Bleue parfum, Serge Lutens De Profundis (in the bell jar, of course!), and I’ll spend my last perfume money on a return plane ticket for Olivia Giacobetti. Who I will lovingly keep in my basement, where she will make me a lifetime supply of Lubin Idole EDT.
Shop update, for anyone who is interested! Thank you very much to everyone who voted on the shop name. The top vote was for Scents of Self; however, a very naughty unnamed perfumer put in a trademark application for “Scents of Self Perfumery” the day after I put up the name poll! So the name will be Shoshana, my middle name and Hebrew for “rose” or “lily”.
We also had our first meeting with the interior design firm, and placed orders with three brands! I can’t wait to have more to share with you!!
I’m very excited about the shop!
Super exciting about the shop progress! I hope you are only kept awake at night out of excitement (and not anxiety)! 🙂
So, I just tried L’Heure Bleue for the first time a week or so ago, and I can completely see why people wax so poetic about it! I found a half-filled mini that looked old at an antique shop for not too much ($12), and I figured I’d take a chance. I tried it the next day–what a contemplative, and yet *full*, scent!
I have no idea how old it is, but looking online, the bottle shape isn’t common–sort of teardrop? In any case, I do wish I had more of it so that I could really explore it, but I DON’T need a new hard to find, vintage swoon! (I should probably just go sniff my Guet-Apens/Attrape Coeur every time I think about going in search of something else vintage! Remind myself what I’ve already got!)
Wow, that’s amazing that someone trademarked your name!! I like Shoshana though. And glad things are moving along.
…there’s nothing nice I can say about what happened with Scents of Self, so I will skip that and just say, for what it’s worth, that it may not hold up legally. You already have a perfume-related business (your blog) that operates under that name, and trademark applications require that new trademarks not cause confusion with existing brands in the same industry. Sounds like there’s a comment period where you could object: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/can-trademark-name-business-name-exists-another-state-64530.html
I realize it prob wouldn’t be resolved in time for your shop to open, and anyway Shoshanna’s a great name, I love the significance. But even if you just want to protect your blog!
Meanwhile I’m super excited for the forward motion! Glad to know you’re going to be the new source for Idole EDT 😉
Sucks that you couldn’t use your first choice name, but the one you went with is a great choice too, given its significance. I’m excited for you and happy to hear your progress on the shop!
I’m interested in shop updates! Shoshana is a lovely name, and I’m sure it will be an incredible place to shop. I’m 15 minutes away from Mosaic, yippee!!! I hope the DC area perfume gang can converge when you open … maybe we can get the NY tri-state folks to come as well – the bus is cheap, y’all!
Party!!
Even the NY/NJ peeps will show up. It’s a train ride away!!!
Oh, I’m bummed I’m on the wrong coast to join this party! Sniff something expensive for me! 😉
I’m glad the shop is coming along. That’s a really ______ thing about the name. Fill in the blank with the most appropriate curse word. Whoever did that to you is an ________. I do like the name you’ve chosen but still…
I’m so excited for you! And for me too – two of my best friends live in the DC area and having a place to take them sniffing will be wonderful. You probably said this already, but where in DC will this be?
Also – Shoshana is a lovely name. Well chosen.
Ari – congrats and best of luck! I can’t wait to see your offerings! Also, pox on the opportunitistic bad perfumister who TR’d your oringial idea! BOO. Bad perfume karma on them to infinity.
How exciting Ari. That sucks about the name – these kind of things make me wary of the interwebs but then the beautiful things that is this community restores my faith ( in the internet…:)).. I like shoshana – it is a lovely name so I don’t think namewise you have a problem ( also loved Ari and Zelda though shoshana is probably more relevant). All the bestestest!!!!!
El Attarine and Sarrasins by SL, and Mohur by Neela, but then I would also try L’Ether by Iunx and perhaps rethink the whole combination….
I cannot sample IUNX anywhere, I even wrote to them, but they said they cannot sell samples… oh well, until the next Paris trip…
I am also sampling Rozy by Vero, and thinking about the difference between concentrations. I had Voile D’Extrait at first and it was wonderful, I used my sample in two days or so..then, I blindly bought a EDP version from ebay, lovely, but not so wonderful as I remember my first sample… I wonder if it is me or they are really different… with edp being somewhat less interesting?
The two versions of Rozy are completely different scents. I tried them both when I was in LA this summer and I ended up buying the edp but the voile d’extrait is on my full-bottle wishlist
Why did you prefer to get edp first?
I was thinking that the edp was a little more approachable as day wear
I agree, in my memory VDE is more intense and rich if compared to edp; that’s precisely why I thought it was superior… I have not thought about day wear though… instantly made me think about all the people around me usually suffering from my over the top choices :)…
I might go smell at IUNX before I made up my mind about my 3, too.
Excellent call.
Is IUNX a perfume house? . . . Just answered my own question and found the post about it on NonBlonde. Sounds like one MUST make a visit, or the lovelies will go untested! (And thank goodness for the lottery, so those 200mL bottles won’t seem so ridiculous!)
They are quite different. I like them both, but prefer the VdE (which I own) to the EDP (which I would get if I won the lottery, but not as one of my first three choices).
I was tempted by eBay, I am powerless before a strong allure of a bargain… when I am in the shop I am super careful, I would circle round my semi-chosen bottle for weeks or months… but on eBay, I get a feeling that this is my last chance and I can not control myself… of course, now I wish I had VdE first, but I guess it means I will have to have them both…
Guerlain Une Rose Nacrée du Désert, one of the Ricci extraits and either Chanel No.5 or No.22 extrait. But I might just sniff all the remaining MDCI’s and get 3 of those.
Can I skip Paris and just hang out in my yard with the Internet? That way I could order at least four bottles. I would order O Hira, Papillon Anubis and Angelique, and L’Incendiere first, then indulge in all the spray samples I could find.
Good point about the internet– I’d be trying to hunt up a bottle of Guerlain Metallica
Oooh, didn’t ponder anything discontinued. That would be a slippery slope that would end in more than three or four bottles for sure.
Slippery indeed.
Doesn’t matter since we’ve just won the lottery, remember?
Ltd Edition Serge Lutens Bell Jars of course!Iris Silver Mist,De Profundis and Sarassins.
Lol! Note my response at the top of the page….
Fun poll!
Amouage Jubilation 25, SL Tubereuse Criminelle and Vero Profumo Onda. I won’t stop there, though ;).
Gosh, I’m not sure I want to commit ahead of time to what I’d buy! I think at least half of the fun would be knowing I could buy whatever moves me in the moment! So, give me a couple months to wander around Paris, look at art and architecture, eat food, and of course, sniff away, and THEN I’ll let you know what ends up coming home with me! 😀
Can I hang out with you? This sounds like the perfect plan
Absolutely! I will need company to make sure I consider all the options to the fullest!
Yeah, take me with you! Kind of plan I’d have if I’d win the lottery. Actually, now that I’m thinking this thru a bit I might simply by an apartment in Paris- the 7th arrondissement- and then ease into the whole experience. I’m still too new a sniffer to be able to list my 3 picks but I’d definitely spend time exploring all the major perfume houses.
Ooh! An apartment is an *excellent* idea! As you say, why rush into it? 😉
I like the way you think. I’d want my flat near Montorgueil, for the bakeries and because it’s not far from Uncle Serge, who I’d mildly stalk.
Is there a neighborhood known for bakeries?! I clearly need to rectify my excessive ignorance about such things!
LOL! It’s not a pos neighbourhood at all, though, so maybe I’m the one who has to get a clue before winning the lottery. Anyway, it’s close to where the old market of Les Halles used to be, so there are still plenty of good food shops there, including Stoher bakery, literally good enough for a queen:
http://www.evous.fr/Stohrer-patissier-traiteur,1119312.html
I meant posh neighbourhood.
Ooh! Those look beautiful! I don’t need posh, especially when cakes are an option. 🙂
That’s the way to go about it, I agree!
I often think about a trip to Paris and which perfume I would buy. Luckily money’s no object with this one. I’d go for Rozy Voile d’Extrait, Bombay Bling and then I’d be looking at the Bell Jars – but I’d need to try a few first. El Attarine, Sarrasins, Encens et Lavande or Boxeuses. I’d be pretty happy with that haul.
I would get JAR Golconda, one of the Caron extraits (Alpona or Acaciosa, if they still have them, En Avion if the first two are no longer available), and try to persuade Victoire Gobin Daude to recreate a bottle of Seve Exquise.
I have never tried a JAR scent. Should I be sorry or grateful?
They are beautiful and very unusual; your nose might be sorry, but your pocketbook would be grateful.
Yeah, that’s more or less what I’ve heard. Problem is, I almost ALWAYS end up swooning for something beautiful, unusual, and damn expensive!
I would head directly for La Maison Francis Kurkdjian where I would purchase a scented wallet, crocodile skin of course. After that, who knows? Maybe a special edition of something in a crystal encrusted vat. Oh, and of course a box of leaves, the more expensive the better!
HA! 😉
Love it!
LOL! thanks for the laugh!
I would choose a Gerlain for sure. Not sure which one but it would be fun figuring it out! A bit off topic, can anyone recommend a substitute for MDCIs Rose de Siwa? I just can’t justify the expense for this type of perfume. I love the combination of the rose/peony notes softened by musk an cedar. It’s so soft and girly. I find many rose perfumes challenging to wear and work in an office where folks are sensitive to scent. any suggestions?
Oh, how could I forget. I’d also go to SL for a bell jar of Iris Silver Mist then over to Chanel for Coromendel.
Rose de Siwa is really lovely – but yes, extremely expensive. Have you tried DSH Perfumes Peony? Not the same, but it has a similar fresh peony/rose character.
No I haven’t. I do have a few of her other scents. I’ll order a smoke. Thank you so much Mals!
Ugh… Auto correct… Sample… 🙂
😀
Or perhaps Penhaligon’s Peoneve? Also a user-friendly peony-rose fragrance.
I thought about Peoneve too. Thank you for reminding me. Sample number 2! I haven’t tried anything from this line so this should be fun!
Peoneve is lovely. I wouldn’t turn down a FB of it. 🙂
Oh yes, that’s been on my to-try list for some time. I kept thinking there was another peony-rose I wanted to test.
Peoneve is great and reminds me of En Passant in “feel.”
Maybe that’s why I love them both!
PdN’s Rose Pivoine is also really lovely. I’m about 1/2 done with my 30 mls bottle and keep wondering if I should get a backup.
A huge bottle of Osmanthe Yunnan, perhaps some Bois des Îles extrait and then I’d head to SL and see if any bell jars that I haven’t tried catch my fancy.
Until then, I’m trying to decide if I should get a bottle of Marni Rose. It’s half price at Harrods and there’s an extra 10% off this weekend as well. I liked it well enough when I tried it, but it’s been a while so my memory of it is quite vague. I’m trying to be sensible, but that kind of a deal is hard to resist!
One vote yes for Marni Rose! So wearable but still quite interesting, layers nicely with the first Marni if you have some of that, bottles are so cute…etc!
So with you, Abyss, on the giant bottle of Osmanthe Yunnan…
If only that was reality… I would buy Prada No.1 Iris from the boutique collection, maybe Dior Cuir Cannage – I quite liked it when I tried it in Heathrow Airport Terminal 2 duty free in December. No idea what would be my last choice though. A surprise?
Surprises are wonderful!
SARRASINS! Then I’d get something Guerlain in extrait. Not sure about the third choice 🙂
P.S:South African perfumistas!Metropolitain Sandton City has 70% off some great perfumes!Mona di Orio,selected Detaille/Jovoy/ELdO/Robert Piguet/Parfums d’Empire!Go check it out if ur in Jhb!(I’m not afilliated to Metropolitain,just a very regular customer!)And at 70% off…who can resist?!It’s almost as good as winning the lottery
Holy smokes. That’s amazing.
Wow. They ought to show that on their site. Do you happen to know how long this sale will last? I should probably rush for the train to Sandton immediately!
Yes you should!ASAP!Definitely worth a trip!They announced it on their facebook-page,plus usual “while stocks last”.There were still plenty of real gems on sale today,including The Different Company travel refills 50mls-also 70% off/50ml spray refills!got some lovelies myself as well…:-))
PdE at 70% off? Now that’s a sale!
Yes, um, I too broke some resolutions on this one!
Lol.I figured we both would…Nuit Noire have stolen my heart,btw!
Oooooh tell tell!
I would hire Parisian minions to hunt down the basement location of the former Gobin-Daude supply house, and fetch me the unopened bottles of Desert au Nuit and Jardins Ottomans that I hope are languishing there.
Then, across the channel to Ormonde Jayne, where I would get the entire line of Ormonde Woman, Tolu, Isfarkand, Ormonde Man, Frangipani and Champaca products, candles included.
Oh smart–yes I think I’d start buying a lot more body products and candles, if money were no object!
I need minions.
We all need minions.
Wait. You mean you *don’t* have minions?! *gasp*
Lisa,
Do you have Tolu? If not, I have a bottle and can send you decants once I get my order of 3 ml bottles.
Email me at eabrit at gee mail dawt com if you want….
Oh – a pop over to London to visit Ormonde Jayne is definitely important!!!! I would stock up on all the totally wonderful Ta’if bath products and get some Tolu extrait!
Mine would be Mona di Orio’s Oud, Violette Fumee & Tubereuse, salivating just thinking about the possibility : )
All my perfume money would go to Guerlain. One bottle of each, please. Not serious, but I would look for a new Guerlain to enjoy, perhaps Mayotte.
Then Vanille Galante from Hermes, please, and a new handbag as the strap on mine is broken.
Next, a petite parfum extrait of Chanel Gardenia to sniff as I walk about Paris and to scent the inside of my new handbag.
Last, I would drop 1,000 perfume samples attached to little parachutes from the Eiffel Tower on a windy afternoon. I would like to drop 10,000 samples, but I don’t think I could carry that many up the stairs.
What would those be samples of? Or would there be an assortment?
Oh, an assortment would be fabulous. Perhaps YSL Paris, Chanel No. 5 and 31 Rue Cambon, Annick Goutal Eau du Ciel, Hermes 24 Faubourg, Guerlain Champs Elysées and L’Instant Magic. I’m sure there would be others as well.
Hope to catch one of 31 Rue Cambon…
Nancy, if you’re in the US, I may be able to help with that wish.
How nice. paying it forward. I like it : )
I would go straight to Colette and get a big bottle of Le Labo Vanille 44.
After that, I would explore Les exclusifs at Guerlain, but I don’t have any more that I’m sure about that is available in Paris. On top of my list is Benjoin 19, that is my scented Grail.
Like others, I would take a leisurely trip to Paris, perhaps having a concierge setting up appointments for me at perfume shops. I’d like to go through swanky places with now-attentive SAs, such as JAR, Amouage and Serge Lutens, to see whether for instance I would want Golconda or Sarrasins. Trying the full Le Labo line would be nice too, as would a trip to *the* Guerlain shop. There are several lines I haven’t wanted to break my heart over because of their prices.
Such a sensible plan!
Honestly, I wouldn’t purchase perfume, I would stock up on skincare and clothing!
I would buy Fifi Chachnil, Terre d’Hermes pour Homme for a friend and Ume (Keiko Mecheri).
Love Ume!
Three Lutenses from the boutique, probably Mandarine-Mandarin, Boxeuses, and Bois et Fruits. Although to be honest if I’d won the lottery last night ($50 million) I would not be limiting myself to three of anything.
Hmm.. I like Marjorie Rose’s plan to just explore Paris for a while and commit later. However, if I had to venture a guess as to what I’d want (barring anything else that might steal my attention), I’d want a bell jar of Boxeuses, and maybe some Nahema extrait from Guerlain, and I’m not sure what the third would be… Since I’d be able to afford JAR, maybe I would explore those. Thus far the only one I’ve smelled is Ferme Tes Yeux, and I don’t think I’ll be needing a bottle of that one, but I am interested in Bolt of Lightning and Golconda.
I have a note somewhere to myself to try Bolt of Lightning. Someone must have been waxing poetic a while back.
To my big bottle of Osmanthe Yunnan I’d add a bottle of Coromandel and a bottle of Ma Griffe – the new one or the vintage one, but not one of the ones in between…
…as an aside, do you happen to know where I could score a sample of the new Ma Griffe? The vintage sample I tried had clearly gone off, but I’d like to try the new.
Hi Mals, no idea. Saks, maybe? Or Nordstrom?
I’ve not actually sniffed the new one, but my mother wore it years ago…
Onda VdE is at the top of my list. No matter if I am rich or poor, she will one day be mine!
As to perfume choices 2 and 3, I have no clue- I think I would be paralyzed with indecision but would keep my nose very busy while waffling back and forth.
Can I just buy Pierre Guillaume or Marc Antoine Corticchiato? That would solve a lot of problems 😉
Hmmmmmmmmm, well sniffing at IUNX would probably be necessary but after all, we’re only picking the first three, not a limit of three 😉 And I’d need a couple visits to IUNX to decide for certain, Jovoy too–so as for three I could commit to straightaway, let’s say a small bottle of Costes, a set of En Passant travel sprays and then…what do you think, L’Air du désert marocain? Hadn’t gotten a bottle previously as I only wear it occasionally but now that money’s no object… Or, maybe I share the love and bring back 500ml of Vanille 44. Next freebiemeet, y’all, it’s gonna be off the chain!
Oh, can’t not mention Parfums de Nicolai, which I lived down the block from and tragically never once went into, as I had not yet fallen down the rabbit hole. (Somehow this pains me more than any other perfume I missed out on in the years I was living in Paris. I must have passed that storefront, I don’t know…a thousand times would not be an exaggeration.)
When I hear about how many options there are in Paris, I find it terribly overwhelming! Although I can’t really imagine affording it, I’m not being entirely tongue-in-cheek to say that I think I’d need a month or two should I visit some day. There’s just WAY too much for a few weeks! (And at some point, Mr. Spicebomb might want to do something other than traipse into yet another perfume shop!)
“If I had million dollars…”, I’d get a bespoke fragrance made at Guerlain, I’d drop in to Patricia de Nicolai, and I’d buy a giant Lolita Lempicka bottle by Daum and Baccarat called Transcendant Sin.
Well, first I’d pay fedex to next day a bottle of Amouage Beloved to me at the Georges V and get a major massage….. and then I’d march over to the Annick Goutal boutique and buy the jumbo sized Eau de Monsieur and stock up on the Ce Soir ou Jamais edps, and then test everything I’ve not tested yet… and then buy more of everything that I love. And THEN I’d go to the JAR jewelry boutique and buy something fabulous to go with all my fragrances.
Oh, I hadn’t considered where I was staying. I think for me it would have to be Hotel Costes, for convenience 😉
Ohhhh, I’d have to wander and visit Guerlain, Caron, Chanel and see and try all the bell jars. But I would head to Nicolai and beg her to make me Le Temps D’Une Fetes in the formulation from the ’90s.
I thought about Le Temps d’une Fete. Well, not the 90s version, but the way it smelled in 2006. And I’d put some serious serious begging into it, too.
We are probably thinking of the same formulation…. Before it disappeared and was reissued. (Not that I don’t like the current formulation. I have that too.)
No, I don’t mean the first one. I mean the reissued, before they reformulated it (sometime in 2011-12, I think).
I, um, can’t think of anything I really desperately want at the moment (especially since I already bought that bottle of Iris Poudre on Jan. 2).
OH! If I can wait until Patou rereleases Vacances, as they’ve promised to do this year, I want that. And I definitely would take a full bottle of Le Galion Tubereuse. And I could go for a jar of Iris Poudre Beurre Exquise, too.
… and some of the large size Annick Goutal Noel candles.
The beurre exquise has a fabulous texture– got a sample of it earlier this month when I was hanging out with Squirrelly. Think I might need to try it in other scents as well
I have a tiny bit of Carnal Flower in the BE, and it is soooooooooo…
Mohur Extrait, a Boxeuses bell jar and Shalimar extrait. It’s nice to dream.
Good choices, although I’ve yet to try the Neela Vermeire’s.
I saw you included Rose Nacrée, so please try Mohur if you can. I find them a little similar, but like Mohur even better. Such a bombshell of a perfume!
Guerlain Myrrhe
Guerlain Rose Barbare
And the third will be one I first discover and love in Paris..
I may have thought about this question quite a few times in the past and had no trouble picking my 3 🙂
1. The limited edition SL Mandarine Mandarin Bell Jar (I will never use the juice…I just want to gaze at the bottle)
2. A Caron urn – filled with ??? (too many choices)
3. JAR Golconda – the 25 year old version
Re: Mandarine Mandarin – I loooove that bottle. Absolutely gorgeous. Good choice.
I can’t even think of a perfume to put on my birthday list right now (maybe Atelier’s Gold Leather, but it’s so expensive)… but I am seriously seriously lusting after a sample of Cuir d’Ange, so I guess I’d just blind buy that if I was a millionaire. 🙂
Ha, now I know where to send my sample of Cuir d’Ange. 🙂 (Thank goodness I sampled before I blind-bought.)
Good thing! And O.m.g. that would be so amazing… 🙂 but I’m sorry it didn’t work for you!!
Lutens Daim Blond, Goutal Mon Parfum Cheri, Guerlain Cuir Beluga….not necessarily in that order : )
A huge, honking, gold-encrusted bee bottle of Shalimar parfum
Splash Forte by IUNX
One of those Hermes leather wrapped bottles of Brin de Reglisse
1. Guerlian Apres L’Ondee
2. Chanel Exclusif 31 Rue Cambon
3. Hermes Cuir d’ Ange or any new bottle from by Kilian
Hey, your first two are the same as mine!
3. Giant bottle of Atelier Trefle Pur WITH the 30ml custom-monogrammed leather-cased travel bottle that I can’t get here without dropping $90 on postage…
First, I’d buy some tantalizing vintage perfumes on ebay, starting with some beautiful 8-oz flasks of rare Guerlain EdTs that EuroFineGifts is offering: Coque d’Or, Rue and Sous le Vent. (Only $2,999.99 each!) Number three would be 1999 Guerlain Belle Èpoque ($2,500). Under $10,000 – peanuts for a lottery winner, right? 😉
I’d time my visit to Paris coincide with one of Guerlain’s monthly vintage atelier events in order to experience Thierry Wasser’s recreations of historic Guerlain perfumes, such as 1880 Parfum Impérial Russe and 1922 Bouquet de Faunes. Then, I’d make a pilgrimage to the Osmothèque in Versailles for more historic perfume exploration. The Serge Lutens boutique would be next on my list. Finally, I’d need to rest up with a vacation in Grasse. 🙂
Noz, I find your opinions fascinating and wish to subscribe to your newsletter. 🙂
Dear Noz: I think yours is the BEST answer! Love all of it.
Seconded!
Thank you! I tend to take the “go big or go home” approach to fantasy polls. 😉 FYI, there is more about the historic Guerlain recreations and and ateliers more on the Monsieur Guerlain blog. It’s wonderful but also painfully tantalizing to read about them.
Ok…if I am limited to only three, they are (currently) as follows:
1) L’incendiaire…I’m a little resentful about liking this, because there is no excuse for it being $600 (I smelled before I knew the cost). Yet, I really, *really* love this thing. If I won the lottery, I might still be resentful, but I’d buy it anyway.
2) Bois des Iles extrait. I’ve only smelled the EDT, but a deeper, richer version of that? Yes please.
3) One of those exquisite limited edition Serge bell jars. Haven’t completely decided which.
Those LE bell jars are so beautiful! Hard to decide, though, because one’s favorite perfumes and jar designs don’t necessarily coincide.
I would want to take my winnings and shop in LA, specifically Luckyscent/Scentbar so I can try everything I’ve ever wanted to (might need a few weeks for this), then to Strange Invisible Perfumes to buy out the store. I would rest and enjoy by the beach.
Hmmm, so far, I’m on board with Nozknoz’ ideas and also with Marjorie Rose at al’s ideas about spending some time in Paris and not rushing into anything, as well as a restorative vacation in Grasse after all that sniffing in Paris.
I think my first order of business would be to pick up a large bottle of Le Labo Vanille 44. Then spend alternate days: odd days drenched in Vanille 44, eating chocolate croissants and exploring all the museums, parks, sewers, etc. Even days go scentless and wander into the SL boutique, Guerlain, Hermes, Chanel, etc. I’d also like to look for cheap thrills that maybe I can’t find here–you know the stuff that turns up in the Paris equivalent of TJ Maxx. And how can I forget–combing les marches des puces for whatever turns up. Are there estate sales in Paris? Imagine the vintage delights one could find…
Les marches des puces would be fun! Gaia wrote a post on The Non-Blonde about vintage perfume in antique shops, too. Not inexpensive but amazing finds.
I’m going with bell jars of Cuir Mauresque and Encens et Lavende. My last option I’m leaving open as a holiday ‘find’!
I had a question for everyone. When you buy a bottle of perfume, do you always open it immediately, or do you wait for the ‘right moment’. If you wait, what kind of occasion do you look out for, as the right one to open it on?
Ooh this would be a fun poll question. FWIW, I didn’t used to open them right away–partly because fear of turning makes me want to leave bottles unsprayed until I’m really ready to wear them, partly because I find that putting on a perfume when I’m not 100% in the mood for it can kind of sour me on the scent for a while–so I would wait until I really, really wanted to wear it…
…but then I realized I had a bottle I hadn’t opened in a YEAR, just because it was out of sight, out of mind. So now I try to wear them as soon as they arrive, to get them into rotation.
(Gosh that’s an embarrassing story. Don’t tell anyone, you guys! 🙂 )
I open it strait away, and have that first glorious sniff!
Lol…NOT gonna answer here,as you know my “history”,all too well…haha.
If I buy a bottle after draining the sample/decant first, then I open it almost immediately. But if I still have something left, I wait until those are gone and then open the bottle (and immediately replenish the previous vial/bottle – to take with me for re-application when I use perfume from the bottle at home).
Thanks for answers everyone!
CH, does a perfume age quicker after it has been opened or sprayed? I can’t figure this out. If so, it might make sense to wait before opening it. Your story of an unopened bottle for a year is not unusual in perfumista land! I’v heard of people keeping unopened bottles for much longer 🙂
Austenfan, I sometimes do that too – I sometimes open it when I get into my car after having bought it!
Johanob – you squirrel! Yes, I know your habits in this regard, lol!
Undina – that kind of responsible behavior is just beyond me 😉 But well done!
Does anyone know if a scent does age faster after being opened?
Theoretically, it would keep better unopened but I’m not sure how much difference it makes over a few years’ time in practice. I like to buy partial bottles of vintage perfumes (often a good deal) and they are usually fine. According to Luca Turin, the greatest enemy of perfume is light, which causes chemical reactions that degrade the ingredients. Keeping perfume out of light is the most important thing.
Thanks Nozknoz. Also it might depend on the particular perfume, and a million other things too complicated to think about.
I like to wait until I have a quiet moment. Then I can focus on enjoying the packaging, the bottle, and then the fragrance.
A few weeks ago I bought an old, unopened bottle of a long forgotten favorite fragrance. I was surprised that when I took the cellophane off and opened the box, the fragrance gently wafted from inside the package. That was before I took the bottle out of the box!
And the perfume still smells good, too, after 30 or more years in hibernation. 🙂
So it seems the bottle was not airtight; but the fume was still in tip-top shape. Congrats!
I was surprised that it had survived! It is probably not what it was when it was new, but it is still wearable and enjoyable.
The first few sprays out of the bottle were really not good, so I was worried, but after 10 or so spritzes the fragrance was as expected. I’ve heard that sometimes the little bit of fragrance that are inside the sprayer for years will react badly with the sprayer, but then the rest of the bottle will be ok.
I’ve also been told that once a bottle is opened, and air starts to replace the perfume as it is used, perfume is more likely to start to go “off”. But who knows, it’s all chemistry and magic as far as I can tell. lol
Even with new bottles I have found the first few sprays to be a bit off!
The air thing seems a good reason to limit the number of perfumes in use.
Yes this was basically my reasoning, but I don’t really know anything about the chemistry either. I mean clearly it’s not like wine, where it goes off within days of exposure to air… But, my inclination is to err on the side of caution!
CH, given the price of them, it probably makes sense to err in that way! My concern is that if I keep a scent for some indefinite amount of time, I may no longer love it by the time I get around to using it…
If I were to win a serious lottery, I wouldn’t be on a plane to Paris. First I’d get a bigger house with a HUGE walk-in closet, part of which I’d transform into a perfume storage/display – to finally be able to see all the choices in my current collection and rotate not based on what I can remember or easily get to but on a whim, just because my eye fell on it.
Then I’d hire a team to make a smartphone app for perfume diary: I have ideas but not enough technical skills to do that.
Only after that I’d think if there is anything else I need/want. But as of now the only perfume I really want to get but can’t justify experimenting with eBay at that price is vintage Lancôme Climat. So I would probably gave it a couple of tries – if money weren’t an issue.
If I were to win a serious lottery, I would hire you as a consultant to help with my lack of organization skills!
I wonder if a blog comment can be considered as a contract? 😉
Wait until you see the chaos!