. not becoz of the amount of perfume i own (around 1 litre, can last for more than 14 years) but the fact that i own a very small collection of perfume when comparing to you all, so i think it's still safe (and happy) to buy some more! . Thus we are freed to indulge our intellectual and sensual curiosities when it comes to personal style. I only apply a little because it's so strong it can be easily smelled across the room. Mama: BIGGER????? Collecting beautiful perfume bottles must be as addictive as buying just perfumebut bottles last 'forever' so no guilt. Not counting all the minis, samples, decants, anything 25 ml and under, or the full bottles I put down in the basement because we have company right now and I was embarrassed. Another thing I've never understood the desire some folks have to view a movie over and over, or to read a book a second and third time. Anyone really into perfumes knows they are perishable, some more than others. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts, Blogger: thecollectiondevelopment.blogspot.ca, Blogger: smokeandhoneyforever.wordpress.com. Within a few weeks, they can be down to 50ml anyway, since I'm now one of the Great Enlightened (I swap, dontcha know). Hi Kevin! Did you see the article re Macy's where they are actually considering goint BIGGER? Never understood WHY that would bebut the world is full of mysteries I guess. . I have some really great scents that I enjoy wearingand I'll never wear them if I don't stop scouting out new fragrances. I need to buy a marketing report on US fragranceshould be interesting to read.
Even when I'm hagged-out on my day off, wearing rags for housework, no makeup (gasp!) I read a market research report which categorised such people as fragrance loyalists (quite a sizeable part of the market, in fact ie regular users of a sole scent), while we are the highest interest group known as fragrance sensualists. And the last one is Armani Attitude which is more commercial. Me too, especially for the Chanel Les Exclusifs! Wine cellar perfume cellar. I've been through many fullsize. Ive got a collection of 60 different fragrances, most of which are the largest bottles I could get for any one fragrance. Crap. HA! Press J to jump to the feed.
Huanani: I think language lures us to the counter, but fragrance really makes or breaks it. So, I loved it on the moment but after few days, I get tired of it. For the price, the perfume will give many more days wear and enjoyment and won't be out of fashion by the next season! 2) You want to get rid of your Yatagan or Montale Aoud that way. Those AG blends have been sitting in my bottom bathroom drawer all this time. So maybe a year? She has stunning green eyes and is a complete sweetie. I'd imagine with daily use I'd finish it in like 1.5-2 years? hi robin and all of you! but the ones that dissapear half way through the day or before I spray about 4 or 5 times, and then take it out with me to reapply. You know I almost always feel like CELEBRATING when a perfume bottle is almost drainedsuccess! I wonder if your Terre d'Hermes use sets a record? Perfect. And we have to try them all!!!! Maybe I'll just go with a drawer or get a light tight storage box. personally i only give 2 to 3 sprays eveyday. ! the next time I write a check to a favorite charity I say: If I can pay $150 for perfume that I don't NEED I can certainly pay XXX to have a dog spayed. You get the picture. So, I have a great collection with ladies and men fragrances, old as brand new , kashaya: I'm too lazy for eBay! Hey, there's another one: what we listen to! air ocean: you're welcome. ), BIG laugh at abandoning the bottle & fleeing the scene heeheehee. AND strictly speaking, your perfume collection might very well not outlive you, with that many bottles youll never drain them all. Just for fun I will propose that those who like variety in fragrance (and clothing and hair styles, for that matter) may simply have more confidence. Some of us don't have a need to build and maintain a rigid external personal style. As a professional wine reviewer, I can say bollocks to that champagne idiocy vibrations indeed!, and it makes no sense whatsoever that your average domestic fridge at around 7-9 Celsius is somehow too cold. That makes me feel a lot better. Was I doomed to waste more money and perfume as I added to the collection? So, I fervently bought again all the perfumes which seemed to please me until I decided to stop this behavior (yes, it was not easy), also because Ive discovered one perfume which let me think that all the other ones I owned didnt correspond to me. Indeed, perfume is a great outlet for one's endless curiosity about the new. Niche are large and pricey and though I like to buy often I prefer spending smaller amounts. True, the occasional person could fell a smalll army at twenty paces, but most people don't use enough. one day it will be completely foul. (at least, not for the next 20 years). Ive got 75 fragrances in my haul, and approximately 2 bottles of each. I was so confused--I have 1mL samples that I've had for years and still not finished, haha. You have hit the nail on the head I think a lot of us have to smell other smells. If I can't pay my bills next month, I'm placing the blame squarely where it belongs: on the eloquent writings of Robin, Angela, Kevin, and the other contributers here (grin). I have a bottle I've worn nearly every day since about October. I'm on my third or fourth bottle of a select few. I divided my perfumes into 50 ml and 100 ml groups. Note: image is Made of Light by der sich den wolf tanzt at flickr; some rights reserved. i'll go now and place my bid! As long as the extra bottles remain in their original unopened packaging, theyll probably be worth a bit in another 50 years. I'm thankful most of my bottles are free (job perk) otherwise I'd be doomed. MW: I'd love to have a camera to see WHO takes each bottleonce I put out a bottle of CSP Vetiver Haiti in a lunch room of a building I worked in, and an elderly Japanese lady who worked there all of a sudden started smelling of Vetiver Haitiwe'd share an elevator often and it smelled better on her. I was thrilled that over the last 5 years I have drastically reduced my perfume collection; in the distant past, Ive had between 50-75 bottles active at least. But I can promise myself that I'm gonna stop buying fragrances rsrsrs. ONE?!? You betcha I practice what I preach. I love this fragrance so sophisticated ! These people! Please let us know how you are organised, as my collection of 13 FBs and twenty zillion minis and samples is rapidly outgrowing the three drawers I nicked off my partner. Ah, and wine is very much the same: I Drink Yellowtail Shiraz types versus Why Would I Want to EVER have the same wine twice when there are thousands more just begging to be tried? Iris Silver Mist, Hiris and La Pausa all take no prisoners to start with, Ta'if is a bit sharp on me, ditto Tauer L'Air du Desert Marocain, but they are mostly worth persisting with. When I think, Hmmmm. My calculations are approximations but I feel they are pretty accurate; Im glad you brought me back to this article from long, long ago for a re-checkand just as I was about to buy two more bottles of perfume! Years later, when I first opened and sprayed my bottle of Yatagan purchased on eBay, it brought back that same exact rank scent of my own sweat mixed with Polo, a sad olfactory signal stached somewhere in my memory!. *picturing Kevin standing at his entry door all entering accept a spray of perfumeHIS choice*. If the perfume is very strong, it would last longer. and yet, when making a purchase of less than 100ml of a new frag, one gets dirty looks! The concept of a perfume cellar sparks the immagination, you would definitely have to have a room set aside for the storage, and one for the testing. Your partner has sage advice. Give him a hug for meI got a pit bull calendar this year for the kitchen and just love those dogs' looks. The next time I get a bottle of something I can't/won't wear, that is exactly what I will do. Because it became a friend as you put it so brilliantly in your article today. Well, with about 500 bottles, you can imagine how long that supply will last far into eternity! I have actually estimated these numbers before, and that's why I'm so incredibly reluctant to buy full bottles (I've only ever bought four). I'd say a few months. And some of the bottles, less than half full, still smell fine after 7 yearsbut they are stored in pitch blackness and coolness. I think spray bottles use up more per dose than rollerballs though so ymmv! I usually only use a drop for each inner arm, my clavicle, and two on either side of my neck. I'm only 18 and already in just 12 months I have purchased 15 perfumes, sometimes I'd buy two at once. NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!! And I personally am glad it is, rather than another vice. Glad to see I'm not the only OVER THE TOP collector around here. The average number of sprays in a 50 ml bottle is 735 (double that figure for a 100 ml bottle of fragrance). i'm very new when talking about buying perfume online and would like to ask for your advise: is it safe to buy perfume in ebay. Being relatively new to my scent fanaticism, a confession: I began putting my full bottles in a drawer of my dresser out of embarrassment, to hide them, having no idea they were better off in the dark and cool, anyway. But I'm not going to run out and purchase another bottle. I also have yet to finish a bottle. I LOVE the idea of leaving bottles in public places for someone else to discover! What a great article Kevin. To start, I used three empty 50 ml perfume bottles, by three different perfume companies, and filled the bottles with water and sprayed till they were empty. rachelsf: Thanks. I thought I was ready for the asylum with my 152 (correct current #) bottles! They can be had for free, and are generally a renewable resource. Now I'm considering a bottle count! I would hope so but one should probably consult a book by Ken Leach to be absolutely sure. Thanks for the morning giggle. No one is right or wrong. oh! Having said that though, I have become utterly ruthless about my scent purchasing that I now own three full bottles, one decant, and I love them and wear them often. Don't let it go bad. Am curious to check it out for I like Bulgari Femme! In fact I may make it MANDATORY to be sprayed if someone visits!
Thanks for risking serious injury to your sprayer finger.. carpel finger?? GAAAAD. I guess to equate to the spray volume Kevin is working with, I need to use a 1ml vial up in 14.7 days. thanks for the great post! May I just say, Kevin, that your partner is the cat's pajamas! I wear fragrance daily. The worst part of it is that after this mind blowing scented years ahead of me, I got on a following day 3 Chanel perfumes released ~ 1999 & Balenciaga Rumba.. and ordered another two online. Great article! And your friend is right, we all waste money on something. Knowing my powers of self-control, how could I resist buying more perfumes? But, fyi, don't let it get to room temp and then re-refrigerate it. I was like you, buying new perfumes, shiny as you say because it was new. Am I wrong, or will perfume, properly stored, last indefinately? divinemama: ahmy Sephora folks only fill the vials half full..ALWAYS! I've finally decided there are no more purchses for this year. Time will tell. Did a Georgian question your manhood because of the pink tee? I, with only the equivalent of 27 full bottles of perfume, have enough cologne to last me 5,291 days 14.5 years to be exact! Good thing I love it so much (as close to a signature as I'm ever going to get). Rochas Femme a rumpled peach satin teddy how can I not try that too? Can't win! IrisNobile: the power of our minds when faced with such truthsI think perfume has made me give more money to charity. Everyone wastes money on something. And life is short. Thank you Haunani: and I accept blame for all of us at NST! And now, Im fixed to 3 essential fragrances. So empty your vegetable crispers of all broccoli and carrots and your fridge shelves of silly things like food, and do right by your scents. Posted by Kevin on 19 August 2008 180 Comments. I like wearing different scents each day so I haven't made many dents in full size bottles. Didn't realize it was this bad.
I used to have a shoe fetish before my current perfume addiction and then figured out it's much less expensive to buy a bottle of quality perfume than a pair of designer shoes. It was helpful to have you provide your spray-per-bottle numbers. This thread prompted me to do some math myself. OIls do fine, but I keep them in the fridge (cool & dark) too, just in case. Sometimes, I wear other perfumes (with samples) but I dont need to buy them because I know it will be a waste of money. Why ruin my esctasy by facing silly ol realityat least for today. Also,I had to add, I have a beautiful chocolate pit ball called Bonnie. Lots of things affect the number of sprays you get from a bottle: the size of the plastic tube in the spray bottle, the fine or forceful mist you get from a nozzle, etc. Ive had thoughts of getting a mini-fridge just to store the perfumes. Poor Britney has been in the hot seat long enough! Very cool, Kevin! Just thinking aloud (giggle). These people said old fridges with their constant vibration can break down the oils quickly (same with champagne apparently). Do you have a proprietary storage system to cater for your collection?
I wear it every night to bed and it's a little under halfway done, so maybe 4.5-5 months per bottle with daily use if you don't reapply? I have five bottles!!! Oh argh. Mandatory sprayage! I prefer elegant fragrances. What a relief that isAnd practical thinking, mind you because you can rationalize that your impulsive purchase was not a (total) waste of money since you used it all. I now only buy perfume wich will be discontinuated soon. It's very interesting but even more for me it is eyes opening.. That's quite a large segment as well, would you believe! Kevin thanks for the great article! Well, I don't know how it used to be, as I have just discovered it, but it smells pretty all right to me and I have knowingly bought a tester with the top missing! It sounds lovely in the reviews and different from Amoureuse, which didn't agree with me I think this one will have to go on the list. Kevin, do you have any data on oils? Or, in some cases, a normal sized one. A lot of work and little useful information most of the time(I wish I worked with perfume though). Question: Nam: of course we're not lost souls! I'm looking for a perfume which is released recently and find it only at half price. factor in heat and sunlight for a poorly placed fragrance display and you can reduce that. Indeed. Curious to learn what are those three essential fragrances? Do these figures shock you? Can I come visit your house? I'm similar to you, Kevin, with the fickle love one scent today and another one tomorrow. And drink a toast to that sublime fragrance house in the sky. I did my math on the basis of how much is currently in each bottle and it looks like Ive currently got about 19,780 ml. They are surprisingly open minded once you tell them you have a collection of about 300 they might like to dip into. Actually, I think you may have something there.A mini fridge! How can we not??? I have a moderately sized collection and like to rotate but these were two that I really love (and repurchased). I also calculated that Ive got 2.76 gallons of fragrance which just made me laugh at its absurdity. Anyone allergic to oak moss? PSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSST. I have just bought a slightly used 100ml bottle of the very lovely Givenchy Le De for 7.50 on Ebay, and will at least be able to consider that cheap enough to waste. I certainly think language leads us ALL by the nose to the fragrance counters, doesn't it? And it really ticks me off when a niche brand ONLY issues 100ml bottles! . the Macy's marketing 'genius' said that people are looking for bargains (or something like that). R: I live with a cook and the fridge is FULLI'd need to buy another one for the scents. Yep, live and let live! Dioressence would make a great embalming fluid, I think! Oh thanks Robin! I agree that our perfume wardrobes would be much leaner if we stayed away from the blogs. platinum15: many SAs give the look in that circumstance to imply one is cheap, and not WISE, to buy only 50 or 30 ml. I only recently got Burberry Weekend for Christmas in 100ml, but I doubt it will last a year, I just spray it way too much in a day. My collection has to be one of the most massive out there. Kevin, a super post again..:-) !! This kind of relates to divinemama's comment above (way above). Kevin, thank you for the laborious research and mathematical equations. Hi Kevin and Nam. Also helps that they both have good throw and lasting time so I don't tend to slather those. For me, the strength of the fragrance determines how much I spray onno matter the season. (Your box is packed and addressedwalking to the P.O. and yes, we always waste our money somewhereit's human nature i suppose? Clearly language leads us to the counter (or the online samples seller).
Not thrilled with the results at the time, I went back to playing with essential oil blends. I almost always get the biggest bottle as it is way cheaper per ml.
And before, I have worn Dior Higher, Kenzo Pour Homme and Carolina Herrera 212 Men On Ice. Oh, yeah, with one caveat. What if 3 years from now I want to go back and smell one of them? Do you keep them in their boxes while in the fridge? Keeping perfumes in their boxes is a good idea (it's nice if you give it away to have the boxor if you ever want to swap or sell it) and it keeps out light. A nice thought and a good way to maybe get ride of my Azzaro Chrome that I'm realizing I do NOT need 50ml of (a mini will suffice for many years). sure, after the 2 year mark your perfume will be wearable, but you may notice it smelling a little different. and bring extra clothing with me to spritz before I leave! So it does mean that my bottles get used up quite quickly. I end up using many perfumes as room sprays or I tuck a mostly unused bottle of fragrance in my bag and, during my day, abandon it in a restroom, a lunch room, on a ledge at a restaurant, in a classroom. HA! Thank you so much for breaking this down. I had sprayed Polo on my neck at the duty free shop to experiment with the Alpha-Male scent again that day (why? That is such a great idea! And then, the ultimate pleasure: Tossing that empty bottle that you no longer had the hots for anyway in the hotel bathroom trash can! Very amusing. Imagine the joy it could bring some poor, depressed person in need of a wee lift! I spray legs, abdomen, chest, hair, throat, wrists, sometimes even my back. Selling or swapping out perfumes as you tire of them is a good business choice but its a time-consuming process. I would *so* attend that party! I only started collecting about five months ago and have accumulated some 120 bottles. I think I am about a 100 years now. Who makes up these things??? I got lost. But that's more of a pheromone issue than anything else. And how many of us will have a pair of today's shoes going strong in 20 years? I went rather berserk with collecting (nearly all vintage) and really had no business doing so. Language gets me to the counter, and then from there it's all about the fragrance, if I like it or not. Best to always keep it cool. What if it came back to you with more than it started with!!! True, I probably won't drain every bottle. This article forced me to sit down and do some math. Whoa, now I'm curious: which perfume did you love enough to wear for six months straight? I saved many favorites for special occasions only to be disappointed when I sprayed, and eventually had to toss. Oh to be that streamlined and focused! Perhaps we simply have more imagination than our friends who don't experiment! BTW, I heart Sephora's free samples!
Hm.. i remember having only one perfume and 50 ml lasted me 2 months, I sprayed 3-4 times per day. can't help to leave a note though i'm very late. How funny! As for your partner's comment: HE IS RIGHT ON! Some people wear the same and only shade of lipstick forever. I have been adding to it with wild abandon this summer, with samples, decants and FBs. First time commenter here. Spray a bit of Rochas Femme on him for me!
Before bed I often spritz on a Calgon cheapie! ), Kevin, I must say that you haven't really lived until you've experienced a flight cancellation by effing Air France at Tbillissi airport (Republic of Georgia) and stayed at the airport waiting for the next morning flight to Frankfurt on Air Zena (Georgian Airlines). You can keep the trophies, but after a few years, most perfumes are unwearable. I haven't popped open my somewhat new sample of Yatagan yet after a comment like that, I can't wait. Lucia: if you dare, get a dropper that measures mls exactly. Sheeesh and double sheesh! How could I justify buying MORE perfumes? Being a market researcher by trade myself, but never having worked in the industry (except once on the industrial side), that is my next goal, ie to combine business with pleasure in the most amazing way! Buying perfumes from discounters when possible cuts down on my perfume guilt (its easier to abandon a $30 bottle of scent than it is a $100 bottle). I've been working my way through a 5ml bottle for the past 2 months. I say we should always let the fragrance prevail. I knew Id accumulated quite a decent collection over the last couple years, but never sat down to calculate just how much.
Even when I'm hagged-out on my day off, wearing rags for housework, no makeup (gasp!) I read a market research report which categorised such people as fragrance loyalists (quite a sizeable part of the market, in fact ie regular users of a sole scent), while we are the highest interest group known as fragrance sensualists. And the last one is Armani Attitude which is more commercial. Me too, especially for the Chanel Les Exclusifs! Wine cellar perfume cellar. I've been through many fullsize. Ive got a collection of 60 different fragrances, most of which are the largest bottles I could get for any one fragrance. Crap. HA! Press J to jump to the feed.
Huanani: I think language lures us to the counter, but fragrance really makes or breaks it. So, I loved it on the moment but after few days, I get tired of it. For the price, the perfume will give many more days wear and enjoyment and won't be out of fashion by the next season! 2) You want to get rid of your Yatagan or Montale Aoud that way. Those AG blends have been sitting in my bottom bathroom drawer all this time. So maybe a year? She has stunning green eyes and is a complete sweetie. I'd imagine with daily use I'd finish it in like 1.5-2 years? hi robin and all of you! but the ones that dissapear half way through the day or before I spray about 4 or 5 times, and then take it out with me to reapply. You know I almost always feel like CELEBRATING when a perfume bottle is almost drainedsuccess! I wonder if your Terre d'Hermes use sets a record? Perfect. And we have to try them all!!!! Maybe I'll just go with a drawer or get a light tight storage box. personally i only give 2 to 3 sprays eveyday. ! the next time I write a check to a favorite charity I say: If I can pay $150 for perfume that I don't NEED I can certainly pay XXX to have a dog spayed. You get the picture. So, I have a great collection with ladies and men fragrances, old as brand new , kashaya: I'm too lazy for eBay! Hey, there's another one: what we listen to! air ocean: you're welcome. ), BIG laugh at abandoning the bottle & fleeing the scene heeheehee. AND strictly speaking, your perfume collection might very well not outlive you, with that many bottles youll never drain them all. Just for fun I will propose that those who like variety in fragrance (and clothing and hair styles, for that matter) may simply have more confidence. Some of us don't have a need to build and maintain a rigid external personal style. As a professional wine reviewer, I can say bollocks to that champagne idiocy vibrations indeed!, and it makes no sense whatsoever that your average domestic fridge at around 7-9 Celsius is somehow too cold. That makes me feel a lot better. Was I doomed to waste more money and perfume as I added to the collection? So, I fervently bought again all the perfumes which seemed to please me until I decided to stop this behavior (yes, it was not easy), also because Ive discovered one perfume which let me think that all the other ones I owned didnt correspond to me. Indeed, perfume is a great outlet for one's endless curiosity about the new. Niche are large and pricey and though I like to buy often I prefer spending smaller amounts. True, the occasional person could fell a smalll army at twenty paces, but most people don't use enough. one day it will be completely foul. (at least, not for the next 20 years). Ive got 75 fragrances in my haul, and approximately 2 bottles of each. I was so confused--I have 1mL samples that I've had for years and still not finished, haha. You have hit the nail on the head I think a lot of us have to smell other smells. If I can't pay my bills next month, I'm placing the blame squarely where it belongs: on the eloquent writings of Robin, Angela, Kevin, and the other contributers here (grin). I have a bottle I've worn nearly every day since about October. I'm on my third or fourth bottle of a select few. I divided my perfumes into 50 ml and 100 ml groups. Note: image is Made of Light by der sich den wolf tanzt at flickr; some rights reserved. i'll go now and place my bid! As long as the extra bottles remain in their original unopened packaging, theyll probably be worth a bit in another 50 years. I'm thankful most of my bottles are free (job perk) otherwise I'd be doomed. MW: I'd love to have a camera to see WHO takes each bottleonce I put out a bottle of CSP Vetiver Haiti in a lunch room of a building I worked in, and an elderly Japanese lady who worked there all of a sudden started smelling of Vetiver Haitiwe'd share an elevator often and it smelled better on her. I was thrilled that over the last 5 years I have drastically reduced my perfume collection; in the distant past, Ive had between 50-75 bottles active at least. But I can promise myself that I'm gonna stop buying fragrances rsrsrs. ONE?!? You betcha I practice what I preach. I love this fragrance so sophisticated ! These people! Please let us know how you are organised, as my collection of 13 FBs and twenty zillion minis and samples is rapidly outgrowing the three drawers I nicked off my partner. Ah, and wine is very much the same: I Drink Yellowtail Shiraz types versus Why Would I Want to EVER have the same wine twice when there are thousands more just begging to be tried? Iris Silver Mist, Hiris and La Pausa all take no prisoners to start with, Ta'if is a bit sharp on me, ditto Tauer L'Air du Desert Marocain, but they are mostly worth persisting with. When I think, Hmmmm. My calculations are approximations but I feel they are pretty accurate; Im glad you brought me back to this article from long, long ago for a re-checkand just as I was about to buy two more bottles of perfume! Years later, when I first opened and sprayed my bottle of Yatagan purchased on eBay, it brought back that same exact rank scent of my own sweat mixed with Polo, a sad olfactory signal stached somewhere in my memory!. *picturing Kevin standing at his entry door all entering accept a spray of perfumeHIS choice*. If the perfume is very strong, it would last longer. and yet, when making a purchase of less than 100ml of a new frag, one gets dirty looks! The concept of a perfume cellar sparks the immagination, you would definitely have to have a room set aside for the storage, and one for the testing. Your partner has sage advice. Give him a hug for meI got a pit bull calendar this year for the kitchen and just love those dogs' looks. The next time I get a bottle of something I can't/won't wear, that is exactly what I will do. Because it became a friend as you put it so brilliantly in your article today. Well, with about 500 bottles, you can imagine how long that supply will last far into eternity! I have actually estimated these numbers before, and that's why I'm so incredibly reluctant to buy full bottles (I've only ever bought four). I'd say a few months. And some of the bottles, less than half full, still smell fine after 7 yearsbut they are stored in pitch blackness and coolness. I think spray bottles use up more per dose than rollerballs though so ymmv! I usually only use a drop for each inner arm, my clavicle, and two on either side of my neck. I'm only 18 and already in just 12 months I have purchased 15 perfumes, sometimes I'd buy two at once. NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!! And I personally am glad it is, rather than another vice. Glad to see I'm not the only OVER THE TOP collector around here. The average number of sprays in a 50 ml bottle is 735 (double that figure for a 100 ml bottle of fragrance). i'm very new when talking about buying perfume online and would like to ask for your advise: is it safe to buy perfume in ebay. Being relatively new to my scent fanaticism, a confession: I began putting my full bottles in a drawer of my dresser out of embarrassment, to hide them, having no idea they were better off in the dark and cool, anyway. But I'm not going to run out and purchase another bottle. I also have yet to finish a bottle. I LOVE the idea of leaving bottles in public places for someone else to discover! What a great article Kevin. To start, I used three empty 50 ml perfume bottles, by three different perfume companies, and filled the bottles with water and sprayed till they were empty. rachelsf: Thanks. I thought I was ready for the asylum with my 152 (correct current #) bottles! They can be had for free, and are generally a renewable resource. Now I'm considering a bottle count! I would hope so but one should probably consult a book by Ken Leach to be absolutely sure. Thanks for the morning giggle. No one is right or wrong. oh! Having said that though, I have become utterly ruthless about my scent purchasing that I now own three full bottles, one decant, and I love them and wear them often. Don't let it go bad. Am curious to check it out for I like Bulgari Femme! In fact I may make it MANDATORY to be sprayed if someone visits!
Thanks for risking serious injury to your sprayer finger.. carpel finger?? GAAAAD. I guess to equate to the spray volume Kevin is working with, I need to use a 1ml vial up in 14.7 days. thanks for the great post! May I just say, Kevin, that your partner is the cat's pajamas! I wear fragrance daily. The worst part of it is that after this mind blowing scented years ahead of me, I got on a following day 3 Chanel perfumes released ~ 1999 & Balenciaga Rumba.. and ordered another two online. Great article! And your friend is right, we all waste money on something. Knowing my powers of self-control, how could I resist buying more perfumes? But, fyi, don't let it get to room temp and then re-refrigerate it. I was like you, buying new perfumes, shiny as you say because it was new. Am I wrong, or will perfume, properly stored, last indefinately? divinemama: ahmy Sephora folks only fill the vials half full..ALWAYS! I've finally decided there are no more purchses for this year. Time will tell. Did a Georgian question your manhood because of the pink tee? I, with only the equivalent of 27 full bottles of perfume, have enough cologne to last me 5,291 days 14.5 years to be exact! Good thing I love it so much (as close to a signature as I'm ever going to get). Rochas Femme a rumpled peach satin teddy how can I not try that too? Can't win! IrisNobile: the power of our minds when faced with such truthsI think perfume has made me give more money to charity. Everyone wastes money on something. And life is short. Thank you Haunani: and I accept blame for all of us at NST! And now, Im fixed to 3 essential fragrances. So empty your vegetable crispers of all broccoli and carrots and your fridge shelves of silly things like food, and do right by your scents. Posted by Kevin on 19 August 2008 180 Comments. I like wearing different scents each day so I haven't made many dents in full size bottles. Didn't realize it was this bad.
I used to have a shoe fetish before my current perfume addiction and then figured out it's much less expensive to buy a bottle of quality perfume than a pair of designer shoes. It was helpful to have you provide your spray-per-bottle numbers. This thread prompted me to do some math myself. OIls do fine, but I keep them in the fridge (cool & dark) too, just in case. Sometimes, I wear other perfumes (with samples) but I dont need to buy them because I know it will be a waste of money. Why ruin my esctasy by facing silly ol realityat least for today. Also,I had to add, I have a beautiful chocolate pit ball called Bonnie. Lots of things affect the number of sprays you get from a bottle: the size of the plastic tube in the spray bottle, the fine or forceful mist you get from a nozzle, etc. Ive had thoughts of getting a mini-fridge just to store the perfumes. Poor Britney has been in the hot seat long enough! Very cool, Kevin! Just thinking aloud (giggle). These people said old fridges with their constant vibration can break down the oils quickly (same with champagne apparently). Do you have a proprietary storage system to cater for your collection?
I wear it every night to bed and it's a little under halfway done, so maybe 4.5-5 months per bottle with daily use if you don't reapply? I have five bottles!!! Oh argh. Mandatory sprayage! I prefer elegant fragrances. What a relief that isAnd practical thinking, mind you because you can rationalize that your impulsive purchase was not a (total) waste of money since you used it all. I now only buy perfume wich will be discontinuated soon. It's very interesting but even more for me it is eyes opening.. That's quite a large segment as well, would you believe! Kevin thanks for the great article! Well, I don't know how it used to be, as I have just discovered it, but it smells pretty all right to me and I have knowingly bought a tester with the top missing! It sounds lovely in the reviews and different from Amoureuse, which didn't agree with me I think this one will have to go on the list. Kevin, do you have any data on oils? Or, in some cases, a normal sized one. A lot of work and little useful information most of the time(I wish I worked with perfume though). Question: Nam: of course we're not lost souls! I'm looking for a perfume which is released recently and find it only at half price. factor in heat and sunlight for a poorly placed fragrance display and you can reduce that. Indeed. Curious to learn what are those three essential fragrances? Do these figures shock you? Can I come visit your house? I'm similar to you, Kevin, with the fickle love one scent today and another one tomorrow. And drink a toast to that sublime fragrance house in the sky. I did my math on the basis of how much is currently in each bottle and it looks like Ive currently got about 19,780 ml. They are surprisingly open minded once you tell them you have a collection of about 300 they might like to dip into. Actually, I think you may have something there.A mini fridge! How can we not??? I have a moderately sized collection and like to rotate but these were two that I really love (and repurchased). I also calculated that Ive got 2.76 gallons of fragrance which just made me laugh at its absurdity. Anyone allergic to oak moss? PSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSST. I have just bought a slightly used 100ml bottle of the very lovely Givenchy Le De for 7.50 on Ebay, and will at least be able to consider that cheap enough to waste. I certainly think language leads us ALL by the nose to the fragrance counters, doesn't it? And it really ticks me off when a niche brand ONLY issues 100ml bottles! . the Macy's marketing 'genius' said that people are looking for bargains (or something like that). R: I live with a cook and the fridge is FULLI'd need to buy another one for the scents. Yep, live and let live! Dioressence would make a great embalming fluid, I think! Oh thanks Robin! I agree that our perfume wardrobes would be much leaner if we stayed away from the blogs. platinum15: many SAs give the look in that circumstance to imply one is cheap, and not WISE, to buy only 50 or 30 ml. I only recently got Burberry Weekend for Christmas in 100ml, but I doubt it will last a year, I just spray it way too much in a day. My collection has to be one of the most massive out there. Kevin, a super post again..:-) !! This kind of relates to divinemama's comment above (way above). Kevin, thank you for the laborious research and mathematical equations. Hi Kevin and Nam. Also helps that they both have good throw and lasting time so I don't tend to slather those. For me, the strength of the fragrance determines how much I spray onno matter the season. (Your box is packed and addressedwalking to the P.O. and yes, we always waste our money somewhereit's human nature i suppose? Clearly language leads us to the counter (or the online samples seller).
Not thrilled with the results at the time, I went back to playing with essential oil blends. I almost always get the biggest bottle as it is way cheaper per ml.
And before, I have worn Dior Higher, Kenzo Pour Homme and Carolina Herrera 212 Men On Ice. Oh, yeah, with one caveat. What if 3 years from now I want to go back and smell one of them? Do you keep them in their boxes while in the fridge? Keeping perfumes in their boxes is a good idea (it's nice if you give it away to have the boxor if you ever want to swap or sell it) and it keeps out light. A nice thought and a good way to maybe get ride of my Azzaro Chrome that I'm realizing I do NOT need 50ml of (a mini will suffice for many years). sure, after the 2 year mark your perfume will be wearable, but you may notice it smelling a little different. and bring extra clothing with me to spritz before I leave! So it does mean that my bottles get used up quite quickly. I end up using many perfumes as room sprays or I tuck a mostly unused bottle of fragrance in my bag and, during my day, abandon it in a restroom, a lunch room, on a ledge at a restaurant, in a classroom. HA! Thank you so much for breaking this down. I had sprayed Polo on my neck at the duty free shop to experiment with the Alpha-Male scent again that day (why? That is such a great idea! And then, the ultimate pleasure: Tossing that empty bottle that you no longer had the hots for anyway in the hotel bathroom trash can! Very amusing. Imagine the joy it could bring some poor, depressed person in need of a wee lift! I spray legs, abdomen, chest, hair, throat, wrists, sometimes even my back. Selling or swapping out perfumes as you tire of them is a good business choice but its a time-consuming process. I would *so* attend that party! I only started collecting about five months ago and have accumulated some 120 bottles. I think I am about a 100 years now. Who makes up these things??? I got lost. But that's more of a pheromone issue than anything else. And how many of us will have a pair of today's shoes going strong in 20 years? I went rather berserk with collecting (nearly all vintage) and really had no business doing so. Language gets me to the counter, and then from there it's all about the fragrance, if I like it or not. Best to always keep it cool. What if it came back to you with more than it started with!!! True, I probably won't drain every bottle. This article forced me to sit down and do some math. Whoa, now I'm curious: which perfume did you love enough to wear for six months straight? I saved many favorites for special occasions only to be disappointed when I sprayed, and eventually had to toss. Oh to be that streamlined and focused! Perhaps we simply have more imagination than our friends who don't experiment! BTW, I heart Sephora's free samples!
Hm.. i remember having only one perfume and 50 ml lasted me 2 months, I sprayed 3-4 times per day. can't help to leave a note though i'm very late. How funny! As for your partner's comment: HE IS RIGHT ON! Some people wear the same and only shade of lipstick forever. I have been adding to it with wild abandon this summer, with samples, decants and FBs. First time commenter here. Spray a bit of Rochas Femme on him for me!
Before bed I often spritz on a Calgon cheapie! ), Kevin, I must say that you haven't really lived until you've experienced a flight cancellation by effing Air France at Tbillissi airport (Republic of Georgia) and stayed at the airport waiting for the next morning flight to Frankfurt on Air Zena (Georgian Airlines). You can keep the trophies, but after a few years, most perfumes are unwearable. I haven't popped open my somewhat new sample of Yatagan yet after a comment like that, I can't wait. Lucia: if you dare, get a dropper that measures mls exactly. Sheeesh and double sheesh! How could I justify buying MORE perfumes? Being a market researcher by trade myself, but never having worked in the industry (except once on the industrial side), that is my next goal, ie to combine business with pleasure in the most amazing way! Buying perfumes from discounters when possible cuts down on my perfume guilt (its easier to abandon a $30 bottle of scent than it is a $100 bottle). I've been working my way through a 5ml bottle for the past 2 months. I say we should always let the fragrance prevail. I knew Id accumulated quite a decent collection over the last couple years, but never sat down to calculate just how much.