At last, you find a fragrance that you can’t wait to put on in the morning. It’s fresh but interesting, light but present. It smells like you and how you want to feel every day. One morning, you spritz the last from your bottle and hie to the store to buy a replacement, and….it isn’t there. The fragrance is no longer being made.
What now? Here are the steps I’d follow to get my hands on more of my Holy Grail.
1. Check for backstock. Just because a fragrance isn’t in production doesn’t mean there aren’t scores of bottles waiting to be sold. Department stores are generally good about checking other locations and having bottles shipped to you. This is great if your favorite perfume happens to be a mass market seasonal flanker. If you’ve fallen in love with a bottle of Fendi you found at an estate sale, this tactic won’t work without a time machine.
2. Try the perfume brand’s website. Maybe you can’t find your favorite perfume because the brand is having problems with distribution — more often a problem with niche fragrances than with the Diors and Chanels. Go straight to the source.
3. Try online perfume sellers. For fragrances from small perfume houses, perfume boutiques with online stores, such as Luckyscent, Aedes, Fumerie, Twisted Lily, Indigo, Beautyhabit, and others might still have stock. For larger perfume brands, check a big online retailer like Parfum1 for discontinued fragrances. (Note: some online perfume discounters are more reliable than others. You bear the chance of getting a “gray market” bottle that might not have been stored well — or worse.)
4. Look into Basenotes and Facebook groups. If the perfume you love is old enough to have vanished from the market — say, it’s Rochas Mystère or the Fendi I mentioned earlier — options narrow. You’ll have to get a bit more Nancy Drew about your search. Members of Basenotes sometimes sell bottles from their personal collections. Facebook hosts closed groups for perfumistas, and members might sell or trade bottles there, too.
5. Ebay. I’ve heard enough stories of scams and spoiled bottles from Ebay to scare me off, but you might be desperate enough to give it a try. Buyer beware.
6. Find something new. In the long run, this last option might turn out to be the best. The people who work at perfume boutiques want you to find a perfume you adore, and they’re good at sussing out a fragrance’s notes and vibe and pairing it with the right person. If you’re lucky enough to live near a good perfume boutique, take in your empty bottle and ask to find its sister scent. Who knows? You might find your new Holy Grail. If you don’t live in a town with a good perfume store, you’ll have to rely on phone calls or emails and purchasing samples. Sure, it might take time, but I can think of worse ways to spend it.
What routes have I missed to finding a discontinued fragrance? Do you have any happy stories of finding your own vanished Holy Grail?
What a great guide!
Well, it doesn’t work in Poland but I’ve heard numerous examples when people were able to buy a bottle of their Holy Grail at the thrift stores or even flea markets. However their condition of usefulness is a gamble.
I’ve had good luck stumbling over bottles in thrift stores here and there, but I mostly seem to find other people’s favorites. Still, it’s fun!
I’m sure it depends on where one lives as well. Here in Houston, Texas, I pretty much only find perfumes from the 80’s and 90’s. I can count the Carons, for instance, on one hand.
That said, I get very lucky, even within that frame, during my weekly perfume hunts.
Isn’t it a great feeling to stumble on something wonderful and unexpected–and maybe even a bargain? I love it. I bought a bee bottle of Eau Imperiale not long ago I’m saving for Kevin.
It’s almost cartoonish. Blink, blink…. Cant that be what I think it is????
This month, for instance, I found a nearly full tester of Le Feu d’Issey! It’s been hard not to hoard it since I know lightning doesn’t strike twice.
Amazing find!
LUCKY! I have a millilitre or so in the bottom of the bottle and it’s gone foul and weird. I dream having a full, pristine bottle (if I had a time machine…). Enjoy it while you have it and don’t hoard it too long because it won’t last forever.
Ha! I saw the photo of the bottle and was excited, then read the title! I’ve had ok luck on Etsy with old favorites, No. 5 and Opium.
Oh yes! Etsy has a nice resale market. I have also never had trouble on Ebay, but maybe I have just been lucky so far.
I’m glad you’ve been lucky! Maybe I’m overly cautious.
That’s great! I’ve heard so many horror stories, that I’ve backed away. Maybe I’m easily scared, though.
Sometimes brands discontinue only in certain markets. Dior Higher for men was discontinued in Canada only a few years after it’s release in the early 2000’s. It’s alive and well in Denmark, and I recently scored a few bottles in a department store there – so I can relieve my youth.
I don’t have any “can’t live wihtout it” anymore… I simply have too many bottles to cherish just one. I think when i was younger and had a rotation of 3 or 4 it was harder when one bottle was empty. But with a good 20+ bottles on my shelf at any given time, running out isn’t in my future. And with the vast amount of similar smelling product on the market finding the “next best thing” isn’t hard to do.
I’m still after bottles of YSL M7 (original) and Gucci Rush for men. I’d love it if brands would keep limited stock, even online only, vs discontinuing all together. For now I’m holding on to a small sealed sample vial of M7 for my wedding day….. I just hope it lives up to my memories : ()
Hey, that’s a good tip about checking other markets!
I have enough perfume, too, that I don’t panic, even when I hit the bottom of something as wonderful as vintage Miss Dior extrait.
Oh, I bet the M7 will make the day even more wonderful.
I just had a friend reminisce to me about his Rush for Men. Definitely a cult perfume now, sadly.
You don’t see it around much, true. At least, I haven’t.
I have a nearly-full bottle of M7 that I have not used that much, and it’s vintage — I literally bought it the day it was launched in Canada. If you want to get in touch with me about it, my address is my username @rogers.com.
You are very generous! I hope he takes you up on it.
Also – possible idea for a future “swap” meet of sorts.. I wonder how many people are holding on to bottles / samples / decants they’re no longer interested in that might be somebody’s long lost love… could be fun : )
Definitely!
Funny story…I wore Gap Heaven on my wedding day…because it was the only fragrance Mr. CM8 ever complimented me on and I wore it throughout our courtship….when I realized it was being d/c I called every Gap store to see if they still carried it…finally hit on one that was willing to ship to me…the person on the phone thought I was joking when I said that I wanted ten bottles….that was quite some time ago…now I have approximately 10ml left of a travel spray and that is it…I am saving it for nostalgia but won’t be seeking out any more new bottles….
In my 48 years of perfume wearing I have come to the realization that there is always something out there to love and there are so many replicas of past loves that I am no longer that devastated when something becomes reformulated or discontinued. Right now I am loving and wearing what I have…….
What a great story! Your attitude about perfume is right, though, and maybe it applies to life more broadly, too. Enjoy what we have rather than mourn what we’ve lost.
Check Fragrantica and Michael Edwards for similar scents, or post a question on the forums to get help finding something similar.
Great advice!
Good advice. A few months ago I stocked up on Sa Majeste la Rose from Escentual way after it was no longer on the shelves in the department stores over here in blighty.
Not even an hour ago I dug out my sample of Sa Majesté La Rose and wondered why I’d never bought it. There’s a mail-order store here in Canada that still has at least one bottle, and now I’m wondering if I need it badly enough to buy it….
Everything seems so much more tempting when you know it’s vanishing….
I know that feeling! I bought a backup Jeux de Peau when all those changes were announced. I really enjoy Sa Majeste, but I find it to be just a solid rose. It doesn’t pluck the heartstrings, so to speak.
I admit to having a few back-up bottles of favorites, too!
Is that the next article?
I’ll file that idea away….
Angela, this is an excellent post in laying out steps and options!
I’ve really enjoyed hunting down long lost loves and legendary fragrances on ebay. My percentage of scams and other disappointments (e.g., bottles that leak in shipment) has been very low, and the rewards high. The question is how determined are you to find that particular perfume, and can you accept some risk? It depends on the perfume, too. Some, like Shalimar, are plentiful. Others, like Lancome Climat, have truly disappeared and any listings are very likely to be counterfeit.
Ebay can also be very useful for finding current or recent niche fragrances that someone bought, sprayed a few times, and decided they didn’t like after all. If you catch one of these offerings when no one else is paying attention, you can get quite a good deal.
Some discounters like FragranceNet and Beauty Encounter also list on ebay and Amazon. I’ve also noticed that if you look up a fragrance on Fragrantica, it has links to any current listings on ebay or Amazon. And don’t overlook a simple Google search, either.
One thing I really love is when a brand revamps its packaging, and the old bottles show up on discount sites. Such great deals can be found then!
Yes, I also am very lucky with eBay, though I superstitiously won’t but Chanel there. I think those are some of the most likely to be fake, if I remember correctly.
I can totally imagine counterfeiters going nuts with Chanel.
I agree, in principle, although every now and then I do find a vintage Chanel to buy. It’s simultaneously a perfume that would be highly attractive to counterfeiters and, for some of the same reasons, one of the most frequent perfume gifts — often tucked away and never worn. I got burned early on with Chanel No. 5, but had better luck in subsequent purchases.
You’re so right about No. 5. That’s why it shows up so often at thrift shops, too. It’s famous, yet I think it’s often more loved for its image than for its actual fragrance.
Yep. I’ve got piles of vintage No 5 (including a bottle of parfum de toilette, which I didn’t know was ever made but my bottle smells true.) There was really a glut of it on the market when I bought my bottles a few years ago. With the exception of a full boxed 1/4 oz extrait (from the 70s) I didn’t pay much more than $25 for any of them.
I imagine they’re often found in an auntie’s closet after she’s passed, as so many women receive No 5 as a gift, but not all those recipients would wear it. A worldwide phenomenon, I might add, as mine came from sellers in South America and Asia as well as the US.
It really was the symbol of glamour at one time. I suppose it still is! And now I must dab on some No. 5 extrait.
These are excellent tips! I especially like the one about buying after packaging has changed. I’ve also had good luck with Beauty Encounter.
I’ve had very similar experiences, nozknoz, and the vast majority of my collection was purchased there.
I do avoid a few things: sellers with stock photos rather than pics of the item they’re selling, and full sealed boxes (more likely to be counterfeit-especially with Chanel.)
I don’t buy crazy expensive bottles (very rare vintage extraits for example) so my risk level is rarely terribly high. I also look at the seller’s store before buying to get a sense of what they’re about.
It’s also a great place for buying decants – so much cheaper than the usual places. The best sellers are other perfumistas who are essentially doing splits, but in a different format.
I didn’t know you could buy decants on eBay! That’s a good tip.
Pssst: there are a lot of 5 ml “samples” to be found there. Samples, mind you, samples.
Ohhhh. I get it!
Since I have a very addictive personality, I luckily (or unluckily) don’t get too stuck on one fragrance. I am a frequent guest of discounters and eBay though!
The only perfume I’m hoarding right now is Natori. I’ve got perhaps 300ml waiting for their time to shine. In my defense though, those bottles were so steeply discounted I was only out the price of a nice dinner for all of them.
Natori! What a lovely perfume. I swapped away my bottle and now kind of regret it.
It really is a stunner. Very solidly pretty, in sadly a fashion that one can’t find from the main fashion houses anymore.
Pretty isn’t fashionable, I guess. I like it, though.
Boom! Just bought a bottle from a discounter. Your comment reminded me that I have had my eye on it for ages. Thanks!
Ha, yay! I don’t get enabler pins very often.
My longtime strategy is to have so many favourite scents that if one becomes discontinued or goes bad, I’m not heartbroken because I still have a lot of others to fall back on. I have a few that I’d REALLY miss if I couldn’t wear them any more, but usually I just shrug and grab another bottle.
That’s a good strategy. If the chocolate mousse is old out, go for the cheesecake.
I DON’T live near a good perfume boutique unfortunately and there is no way I’d throw myself on the mercies of the average department store SA to look for a new love. They’ll only sell you the latest flanker of a flanker of something that was never worth skin space in the first place. Sigh.
I’ve had a lot of success with low value, under the radar stuff from the online discounters. Little gems like Dali Laguna, for instance, or masterpieces like Bvlgari Black. Donna Karan Gold. Natori. Just about anything by Rochas. Grey market it may be, but there is a lot of interesting and cheap stuff sloshing about in it if you are willing to take small risks.
If you’re careful about the discounters, you can find some real scores! The Rochas seems to be disappearing too quickly, too.
I got Iris Ganache at the Guerlain counter at the flagship Saks a few years ago. I sniffed through a bunch of perfumes and asked the SA if there was a tester of it and she said no, the company stopped selling it. I asked if she had any in the back room and her eyes lit up and said she has two bottles. I got 1 of the two and told someone else about the other. My friend bought it and this was how we ended up buying the very last 2 bottles of Iris Ganache at SFA.
Another way to obtain a discontinued fragrance is to swap with someone who likes something better and you just happen to have it. I have 4 of the Tauer Dark Passage travel sprays!
And if you hadn’t have asked, you might not have the Iris Ganache!
Swapping is a great way to make a mutually beneficial arrangement.
I’ve never even heard of Tauer Dark Passage. I’m so sad about all the Tauers (and other scents) that disappeared before I knew of their existence. But I will sniff plenty of other things in the future.
That’s exactly the right attitude!
lol at how u used Nancy Drew as an adjective in “You’ll have to get a bit more Nancy Drew about your search.”
Just a bit of blogger language liberty….
I’m in the camp that has enough perfume not to mourn a discontinued love too much and all the suggestions for finding it again are excellent. Even a lame Macy’s is more than an hour away for me so nearly all my buying is done online and it’s always fun to check out estate sales although in my area finding something beyond Avon isn’t easy to find. I will put in a plug here for goodwill.com, a rather addictive site for sourcing vintage sterling silver jewelry and sometimes perfume – I recently scored a lot of Obsession that includes 50ml in the original kidney shaped bottle that smells fantastic. Worth a look.
My own one that got away is Parfums de Nicolai Le Temps d’Une Fete which I truly adore. Some others smell a bit similar but not as close as the original, it was truly lovely. Excellent article and suggestions, thanks!
Le Temps d’Une Fete is up there for me. I still have a bottle and hoard it a bit. I wore it in the 90s and at my wedding. It was discontinued and then brought back. Hoping that happens again.
I’ve really come to love narcissus in perfume.
Oh, Le Temps d’une Fete! Such a lovely one. I’d suggest Ostara as a replacement, but I think that’s been discontinued, too.
Such a great article!
Back in the day I really loved the now discontinued Gio by Giorgio Armani.
No kidding, they discontinued Gio? It was such a popular scent!
yes the the bottle that had a saffron color
https://www.amazon.com/Giorgio-Armani-Women-Parfum-Spray/dp/B001FORJR2
I’m so late to this, but here goes. I’ve had really good luck with discounters in general, and if I’m looking for something that has been discontinued, they are a good place to look if it has been d/c’d within the last year. Otherwise, Ebay can come through for you. I have a few Ebay rules: 1. I don’t buy anything Chanel unless it’s a sample from a reputable seller 2. If the buyer puts up only a stock photo, I’ll contact them and ask for a photo of the actual bottle they’re selling. 3. I’ll ask the seller questions. Earlier this year I got my hands on some vintage Diorella from an Ebay seller, but I asked her lots of questions first (where did she get the bottle, how had it been stored, etc. Turns out she was selling several of her mother’s perfumes as mom was going to a nursing home.).
From the comments, you’re not the only person who has had luck with eBay. It sounds like you have a good system, though, with your questions. And vintage Diorella–nice!
Yes, reputable sellers will be willing to answer lots of questions and provide additional photos. Perfumistas selling perfume will also give you the batch code. That said, my best scores have been from sellers who scrounge and resell stuff from thrift stores/garage sales, etc. and have no idea what the perfume they’re selling is worth
The thrill of the chase!