Perfumes are the love of our lives, but none the less there are probably a few mistakes in our cupboards.
Are there any full bottle purchases you regret?
Did you ever change your mind totally about a perfume?
Do you ever make a wrong judgement when selecting your perfume in the morning and spend the rest of the day longing for a shower?
My Answers:
Oh, yes. I have been known to make an impulse purchase here and there. I almost always regret a full bottle purchase when I did not test the perfume for at least five times previously. After five outings I really know what I want or what I get myself into, but there are many “sniff once and buy” bottles in my cupboard that I have fallen for immediately only to find out horrified that I was plain wrong in my initial judgement.
Serge Lutens and I have had a stormy relationship from the beginning.
An example: I smelled Chergui, fell in love, got a bottle. I wore it once, it gave me a massive headache, I sold the bottle. Months later, I smelled Chergui, fell in love (again) and bought a bottle (yes, again). I had a few good days with it now, but mostly it still gives me a headache although I love it. What ever will become of me and Chergui, I certainly shouldn’t have invested in a full bottle (twice!)
I also regret the full bottles of Ambre Fetiche (unsniffed buy, my own fault naturally, but Dee is also to blame!) and Musc Nomade in my stash. At least they are very pretty to look at. 
About choosing the wrong SotD, it drives me crazy to be stuck with something that irritates me for the whole day. Because it seems to be a law that perfumes you don´t like stay on your skin like glue (Hello, Traversee du Bosphore!).
I look forward to hear about your unwanted or neglected bottles!
Have a good start into the new week!
Picture Source: gomonews.de, thank you!
Olfactoria's Travels 
Ohmigosh I wish Traversee du Bosphore lasted on my skin! My skin notoriously eats up sugar.
I have many *semi* regrets when it comes to perfume, but nothing is more horrifying for me than a chance passed up. So, I have ended up with unused samples, even full bottles. But I have been enjoying swapping with a few people and hope to do it even more, it’s a very satisfying way to discover new scents on only a few dollars’ budget, I’m finding.
That is a good way to look at things. It is way worse to regret something that slipped by, than the other way around.
Well I certainly regret that bottle of Beyond Paradise! LOL, lesson learned.
On my last trip to the Perfume House, a wonderful locally owned shop, I tried TONS of fragrances, and bought a 50mL bottle of Carthusia’s Via Camerelle. Now, I don’t totally regret it, as I like and wear the fragrance, but I think that if I had taken home a sample to spend a little more time with, I might not have bought a bottle. Not “regret” per se, but that $75 might have been put to better use!
As far as SOTD… interestingly, it’s one that you mention: Musc Nomade. I ended up with a decant, I don’t even know how, and I sprayed it on before work one day—and could not wait to get home to shower. It was aweful on me, and put me in a discordant state of mind.
I’m so sad that you’re regretting Ambre Fetiche! I love it sooooo much! Has Mr. Olfactoria tried it? It has a smokey quality that might read “sausage-ish” on the man skin. 😉
Well, after he reads your comment he will want to try it for sure. 🙂
It is mostly like that with me to – “the money could have been put to better use”, than outright regret.
Musc Nomade is a special case, I actually like it, but I only smell it half of the time, some days it is like nothing is there. So that is a waste for me, because I wear perfume first and foremost for me not others. Sorry, if that makes me egotistical. 😉
Onde Extase by Armani , I think I fell in love with the bottle !
Oh yes, that is a common pitfall for me too. A beautiful bottle can be very enticing…
Oh well, L’artisan’s Havana Vanille (I don’t know why they renamed it to Vanille Absolument) – it was such a hype around, and I couldn’t wait to run to Duft&Kultur to sniff it and they only had the big bottle and I had a bad day and needed some comforting … and bought it. And I had it on few times, but there is that buttery smell I don’t like…
Do presents count as well ? Lutens’ Fleurs de Citronnier, and Nez a Nez’ Figue…
Ah, when perfume presents are the wrong ones – that is bitter. That is why I always give precise instructions 😉
The Citronnier was a complete surprise, but with the Nez a Nez I’m a bit guilty myself : I had to decide under massive time pressure.
But it’s clear : I need a sample first and co-exist with the scent for few days. And then I know.
Me too. That was a lesson learned the hard way. 🙂
Hmmm, I bought a bottle of Ambre Fetiche unsniffed and it’s on its way to me now. But it’s amber and it was 50% off so if I really don’t like it, I can always swap it away (which is what I did with my bottle of Chergui, I bought it and regreted it on my first try).
I had a period when I decided to try my samples by wearing each one for a day without trying them on previously. That didn’t last long, especially after putting on Insolence. 🙂
Yes, Ambre Fetiche is amber, that is why I bought it too – unsniffed, thinking what could go wrong with amber. But it is soooo medicinal, so utterly un-sweet and harsh on me. I would love to know how you like it once you get it.
Braving an unknown sample for an entire day is indeed hard. 😉 I just applied L’Heure Diaphane (thankfully only on my hand) and the furniture polish vibe of it makes me nauseous. It won’t stay on much longer. 🙂
Wow! Medicinal and un-sweet? Ok, so I think I might be narrowing down my anosmias… because that medicinal thing? I don’t smell it at all! I’ve got to find out which note causes the effect.
Oh, yes and if you do please tell me what it is, so I can avoid it.
Ines, I hope that you love Ambre Fetiche! I’ll look forward to the review 😉
I look forward to trying it – I don’t mind medicinal. Now I can’t wait to try it! 🙂
It’s all Carol’s fault – I accidentally saw she had a 50% off for a day in her niche boutique and AF was on my list of things to try.
Oh my goodness I also bought a bottle of Chergui and sold it on Ebay after one application – way to headachey like you say – but I had tried it a number of times. I’m starting to think this must be a regular occurance what with the three of us here! The same thing would have happened with Daim Blond if I’d actually bought a bottle early on. I always used to spray it from the tester and longed for a full bottle but eventually I just found it far too sweet/heady. I nearly bought Ambre Fetiche unsniffed too but luckily got a sample first and found that frankincense too harsh as you did. It’s funny how we all have quite different tastes but a lot of similar perfume experiences.
It is indeed funny that some perfumes get mentioned often today. I wear Chergui still from time to time, but I have to be really careful not to overapply, or I get a headache for sure.
I personally LOVE Amber Fetiche as-is, but see where it could be the wrong blind-buy. Have you tried layering it with a vanilla?
I don’t have any regrets (yet) but do find it a mystery as to how I wore Addict (Dior) for so many years! I have some now for posterity’s sake, but really can’t stomach it.
I have learned that I fall in love quickly – and hard. I have a policy now that if I love a sample then I can get a decant. If I still love it once the decant is gone, it is True love and I can get a bottle. 🙂
Happy Monday!
*jen
I was so shocked that I had such a negative reaction to Ambre Fetiche that I haven’t even experimented a little with it. But layering with vanilla sounds worth a try, thank you, Jen! 🙂
Your policy sounds very reasonable, I will adopt it as the “Jen-method” of perfume acquisition, if I may.
You may of course use The Jen Method. 🙂 As with many plans, it works exceptionally well until it doesn’t. I fully anticipate falling in love with some scent, buying a bottle, then showing my true fickle nature and regretting it. It’s bound to happen, and when it does I’m come back to this post. lol
Do try a tiny dab or half-spray of AF with something creamy and sweet. I think it will redeem itself. 🙂
xoxo
*jen
Tendre Madeleine was made for just such a purpose B., try that for layering when you find the strength! 🙂
When I find the strengh, lol! 😀
I will try the Jen-Method with my newest, very expensive love. We will see how that goes…;)
When I first started getting into perfume, I told my boyfriend the story of how L’Heure Bleue was named. He bought me a bottle for Valentine’s Day, which was so sweet — but neither of us had smelled it before. Neither of us like it! I’ve tried and tried, but it doesn’t work on me at all — it and Mitsouko do this rubbery medicinal thing on my skin that is just wrong.
I’ve bought a few unsniffed bottles that were fails, but eventually swapped them, so it’s all good!
Oh, so I bet you didn’t read today’s other post. 😉
Swapping seems to be the solution, I have to look into that…
When it comes to perfume, non, je ne regrette rien 🙂 One can always gift, swap, use as a room spray etc. such a mistake or a perfume that has become boring. Now, impulse shoe purchases are a different story. 🙂
You are right of course, even the wrongest perfume has its uses. 😉 My shoe purchases have dramatically dwindled since I am heavily into perfume acquisition, that is kind of a relief actually. 😉
Lord, your experiences with Chergui remind me of those folk who marry, divorce, then re-marry the same person. You know, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton etc. How exhausting. I hope you and Chergui can settle into a mutually satisfying relationship!
Oh dear, you are right. It seems to be a case of can’t live with it, can’t live without it. 😉
Pingback: Carthusia, Via Camerelle « beauty on the outside