When it comes to perfume, or rather Perfumistas, it can never be too much, or can it?
We like variety. But when is it too much? Too much money spent? Too many bottles accumulated? Too many samples in a box?
Where do you draw the line?
What perfume is just too expensive?
How many full bottles fit in your cabinet?
My Answer:
A though one again… 🙂
I don’t know, to tell you the truth. It is hard to put a number on it, but since I chose to pose the question I have to give an answer too.
It is probably too much, when you don’t know what you have anymore, when your collection gathers dust rather than being worn, when you forget what you own, or when you go over the constraints of your budget.
It has not come this far with me, but I have to watch it. Which is what I am doing with my self-imposed embargo, but still the craving for more and new perfumes is there.
I would not spend lots and lots of money on a pretty or somehow special bottle, Xerjoff, MCDI – I am looking at you here. I would not spend money on experimental things like Le Petit Mort, Duchaufour or not.
My perfume cabinet is not small. It is a white Ikea Billy closet with glass doors, there is plenty of space left though. I keep my collection in there in their boxes, to keep them away from light.
How many are there? I won’t tell. I can’t tell actually, since I don’t know. I refuse to count my bottles, it is a bit of self-preservation probably, I prefer to stay uninformed about the exact number of bottles in there. Let us just say, I won’t run out of perfume anytime soon. 🙂
How about you? How much is too much?
Olfactoria's Travels 
Weeel….I am going to have to say, that I have some things that I bought that I haven’t used yet. I speak of botanicals, however, I think it’s something similar, for both a perfume lover, and lover of making perfumes. They kinda go hand in hand. I mean I have things, that I thought, “Oh I could make something great with that EO!” and then I haven’t yet. What to do? Get a larger cabinet 😀
I’m trying to imagine this query from the perspective of perfumer, and it’s interesting to put myself in that frame of reference. I am strictly a consumer (and critic), but I can well imagine how intoxicating it would be to have an idea and be able to do something about it, to bring it to fruition in a creative way. I can see how buying components could be very addictive, because they are inspiring!
Hello Amanda! How lovely to see you here, I am glad you are stopping by!
I think we all know that situation you describe, sometimes resistance is futile.
Getting a larger cabinet seems to be the best solution! 😉
I don’t think there’s a right answer but most of us, deep within ourselves, know if we have too much (fragrance, clothes, jewelry or anything else).
For me it becomes too much when I lose register of what I have and I don’t want to have a lot of stuff I rarely wear. This also applies to clothes, accesories, etc.
As for the price, I will pay for quality as much as I can afford. I’d rather have a few items of excellent quality than a lot of cheap stuff.
There are -however- a few fragrances that I rarely wear (Mitsouko, Calèche) but I still want to keep as reference material, in the same way I have books I seldom read but I may want to take a look at once in a while.
Hi Caro!
I am totally with you on the reference perfumes, also the comparison with books is excellent. I am not wearing Mitsouko, but I would not want to miss it. Some perfumes are just essential to a collection, they are part of perfume history and I am glad to have them.
A good parallel is that of the wine connoisseur; I think that the true aficionado will die with a cellar full of good wines, which will be distributed and drunk by the heirs. So to us with our fragrances.
If you think of your collection from the perspective of a lifetime, that changes things a little. I think we all fill up our cabinets a little too quickly at first, but then as we settle in we’re more careful about what we add, and remove things that don’t belong. Like any good collection (wine, records, glassware, etc), it’s expensive to build, but once you have it, you’ll enjoy it for a very long time.
This is the speech I give myself whenever I try and stuff a new bottle (or decant) into my cabinet! 🙂
Assuming there isn’t any pathology at work, there’s never too much!!
That is a good comparison, Dee!
And one that will resonate with my family, should I ever have to defend my collection, lol. 🙂
As for the heirloom aspect, my sons’s future wifes are certainly lucky girls in more than one way. 😉
I agree with Dee, eventually the initial need to get your hands on everything you find interesting fades and some control is established. 🙂
I think, for me, money is the main concern. As long as I enjoy the hobby and don’t go into debt because of it, there isn’t a problem. I inherited my parents’ tendencies to hold on to money, so I suspect I’ll be okay unless something causes a big change in my philosophy on money.
Knowing how to deal with money is an invaluable skill, great that it comes easy to you, thanks to your parents good example!
I’m definitely thankful that I have had their example to follow for how to deal with money. My birthday is coming up in a few weeks and I’ll be asking for at least one fragrance 🙂
Right you are! You deserve a fragrant treat! 🙂
It’s going to be Habit Rouge and/or Caron Pour Un Homme. Top two on my wishlist right now.
I’ll say go for both! We live only once and those are classics! 🙂
Somehow I knew that would be your suggestion 🙂 There is also Taste of Heaven by Kilian. I have Jane Daly to thank for that one. Wouldn’t have known much about it otherwise.
I have yet to find a Kilian to love, but I have not tested the line thoroughly yet, the price point kind of keeps me away, I don’t want to fall for something so expensive, especially when I love so many Amouages, another pricy house, already. 🙂
Same for me. I have only tested that one and don’t want to get too deep for now because of the money. I’ll get the Caron first.
My views are right in line with Dee’s. I don’t really impose restrictions on myself, but I obviously can only buy what I can afford. Sometimes that means settling on a decant, sample or split of something I really want that’s expensive, instead of a full bottle. The full bottles I really want badly somehow seem to end up in my hands for a decent (or amazing) price. I log every bottle, decant and sample vial in a computer database so that I always know what I have at any time (that also means removing items from it when I send them out). I also keep track of fragrances I want to test in that manner also. My physical collection needs a bit more organizing, but it’s really just a matter of getting more storage containers. Do I feel my habits or collection is out of control, or going in that direction? I don’t think so. I receive trades/gifts and perfume of my own purchasing practically every week, but just as frequently, I’m sending packages out to friends as well. I believe everything is balanced out at the end of the day, and my collection continues to grow ever-larger, and smarter, too. The truth is, the quickest way for me to spoil myself and feel gratified and blissful is through the use of perfume, and I always want to make sure I’ve got something new and/or inspiring so I can enjoy myself, smell good, and have lots to write about. 🙂
You put if wonderfully, Carrie! I agree wholeheartedly.
I envy your computer system, I never take the time, but I really should…
Carrie, you have such a lovely attitude, I doubt that anything you do could be labeled as a vice! 🙂
The spreadsheet is such a useful tool—I started one, got everything logged with date of acquisition, mL, and other details, but haven’t kept up on it. Now there is such a back-log I’m overwhelmed by the thought of keeping up! Someday I’ll have more time…
I like that you said that your collection gets “smarter.” I think that’s an apt description! Once my collection went through a couple “edits” it began to feel smarter, and I feel a sense of contentment about it. I’m still adding to it, but with much greater thoughtfulness than my earlier days. 🙂
As I have publicly stated already: The well-edited collection of the incredible Mrs Howe. 🙂
I think that too much for anything is when 1) you’re getting more than you can afford, sacrificing things that shouldn’t be sacrificed for a hobby (health, well-being of loved ones, etc.) and 2) you’re wasting what you have (not storing perfumes properly). Other than that, any hobby is as good as another one. $300 whiskey bottle or perfume bottle, if you can afford it, are both just fine. And if you cannot… there is always a friendly split option.
I’m trying to organize my perfumes and samples better now. They all are stored in a cool place away from direct sunlight, but I want them organized more efficiently. I’m trying to control my FB and samples acquisition though it’s hard since I’m still very new to the field.
I can’t imagine paying $400+ for a single perfume. Well… I’ll correct myself: I cannot imagine that there is a perfume out there which I would think is beautiful to the point where I’ll have to have it no matter what. And, frankly speaking, I wish there was such a perfume.
I think the most expensive perfume I REALLY want/need right now would be Amouage Opus V, and that’s $325 (it’s a 100ml bottle, I really wish they sold 50ml ones). If I don’t do a split or get it as a gift, I’m afraid that it will always be on my wish list.
I really wish they did a 50 ml bottle as well. But all the brands are saying they are going up in size rather than down, both Amouage and l’Artisan told me the trend is towards 100ml, and getting rid of the 50ml sizes eventually. WHY? Who makes that trend? I don’t think it is the customer in that case!
I don’t think the customers are driving this. 30ml bottles are extremely popular and very much in demand. Smaller ones, too. What drives “the HUMONGOUS BOTTLE trend” is profit. The juice itself is usually the least expensive component, the bottle, packaging, and marketing cost much more. So if you can double the juice and say, HA! it’s twice as much, so twice, or triple the price, you’re making more money per unit. And if everyone does this, and dilutes the perfume as well at the same time (also happening), then the profit margin is much higher for all who agree to it. This of course isn’t true for indie brands and small niche who use high quality ingredients in high concentrations- and, not surprisingly, they often sell in 10ml, 15ml, and 30ml increments!
You are so right, Marla! Money rules the world, and from a business perspective selling big sizes makes perfect sense of course, I am glad I am firmly on the consumer side and do not have to take profit into account. It is not easy making all sides happy, I guess.
Do you think you would be content with that one, special 400+ perfume then, if it existed?
I always wonder whether I am on the hunt forever, or if there will be contentedness at some point for me.
I thought about it for some time 🙂
Let’s assume, there is a Perfect Perfume, I found it, it’s better than anything I’ve ever tried but it costs, let’s say, $1,000 for … OK, let’s won’t make it even harder – 50 ml bottle. Will I buy it? Of course, if it’s that good on me. But will I wear it every day? No way! First – if it’s so special, I’d want to wear it for either a special occasion or at least a special mood (or getting into that special mood). And second – I’d be bored wearing the same perfume over and over again, no matter how great it is or how much I love it.
My “hunt” isn’t for a single perfect perfume but rather for a collection of perfumes that are near perfect for me (preferably with friendlier price tags 😉 ).
I totally get where you’re coming from, Undina. Sometimes when I review a perfume, some people will comment “OMG that’s so expensive!” If I review an expensive perfume and it’s a glowing review, there’s a guarantee that I want a bottle of it and will find a way to get it at some point. But you’re right, even the most perfect perfume would not be enough, I think we (who are REALLY into perfume) need a lot of variety to keep interested and inspired.
I think so too. We are never going to be satisfied with “the One”. Variety is the spice of life, isn’t that what they say? 🙂
I think I should spend less money on bottles but I always see them as additions to my swapping list. I might not use up all there is in them, but I can swap away some for something I don’t have.
I have a pretty good idea how much bottles I have, not exact as it changed in the months after I counted it but I was a bit surprised it got to that number.
Although, reading about some other collections, I’d say mine is not that large.
But my decant collection is something that grows extremely fast. 😀
Very true (and a very good rationalization! 😉 ).
It would be so great to meet for “Sniff through my collection!” parties, every month we take a look at our collections together and swap and decant to our hearts content. Great daydream! 🙂
Oh, what fun!!
Great daydream indeed!
Yes! 🙂
I have found the Xerjoff sample boxes really great value. I’d love to own their fabulous bottles but it is not possible. I adore Amouage but am concerned that any perfume house thinks going up is sensible . I wish they all did 10ml sizes as we all like to try as many as possible. I have spent too much on fragrance but I love it. The 1ml samples we can get here are a waste of time , decants would be good. Histoires de Parfums have new mini bottles and I say good for them . I don’t understand elitism at all why try to make yourself only available to the rich. I think if a perfume house really loved fragrance as an art they would make 10mls available . I’d be as pleased to smell a vintage Guerlain on my dustman as on a Royal.
The new Histoires bottles are genius! The Xerjoff’s I have tested until now were no great successes with me, except Irisss, which I love, but it is very similar to Lutens ISM. So I am glad there is no must-have for me in the line. Amouage is another business, they make gorgeous fragrances, and thankfully still sell 50ml in the regular collection.
I agree with you how lovely small sizes would be, but realistically, it won’t happen. 😦
I love your last sentence! Beautiful idea! 🙂
I just wanted to mention that Amouage also has several perfumes in travel sets (4 x 10 ml) with price per ml just slightly worse than for 50 ml bottle.
That is right, that is a very good thing, at least!
I don’t have that problem yet as I’m still builing up my collection, but I’ve been thinking about that question since the collection is growing fast… I agree that it depends on how much you can afford, and that you still use and enjoy everything in your collection-at least once in a while. I’m trying not to buy full bottles on impulse anymore, instead really trying it out with samples first.
But for how long can you keep perfume if you store it properly ( I keep mine in a dark closet)?
I always buy smaller bottles, of course I want to try as many as possible, 100 ml bottles seems just wasteful! The Hermenessence 15 ml bottles are perfect size for me.
Since all fashion magazines and the like all talk about a “perfume wardrobe” and A Signature Scent is considered oldfashioned sizing up to 100 ml botttles is hardly logical from the consumers point of view…
Hi Eva! I’m not an expert, by any means, but I think that if the juice is stored out of heat and light, you can easily enjoy them for decades. I’m thinking specifically of my 1967 Shalimar extrait (and the EDC)—which at over 40 years old, is still perfection, and a pleasure to wear. 🙂
I agree with Dee, bottles stored dark and cool will keep for a very long time.
Small bottles are the Perfumistas unattainable goal it seems. 😉
I just went through a huge culling process, because the military would not move any of my perfumes and my botanicals collection had to be transported in a very precise way that involved a lot of time-consuming wrapping and so on. So I came up with some rules. One, have I used this perfume, or component, in the last year? If not, out it went, unless it was something extinct or very rare that I sometimes brought out for other people to sniff. If it went out, it went to friends, a local senior center, or to people who wanted to try some perfume-making, or aromatherapy on their own. I got rid of half my collection, and guess what, I’m fine! Of course, I had to buy a couple new bottles in my new home, but I’m still at under 30 bottles of perfume now. This process is much harder when perfumery is a new hobby, though. Much, much harder! It gets easier as one becomes jaded….
Such a process of ridding yourself of ballast can be very liberating.
But it certainly was not easy leaving so many bottles behind.
Ah, the question that nags at the back of my mind! How much is too much? I do get panicky about this now I’m at the 20ish FB mark. The thing is though, it’s not like it’s a question of having “enough” because all perfumes are different! I guess I’m wondering if I need to move into decants and splits but I’m so fussy that if I find something I really love I don’t want just a decant *stamps foot*! (unless it is uber pricey).
Echoing everyone above I agree that as long as it’s not detrimental to other areas of your life and you can afford it then, why not? I feel the amount of joy it brings me is justification enough! I think you’re lucky if you find something you’re passionate about – it’s good for the soul.
I guess the only thing restraints I endeavour to put on myself when burying FBs are 1) it’s a perfume I really can’t live without (seriously I could hardly wait to buy a FB when I discovered Bois d’Argent and it’s the same now with Trefle Pur) and 2) it’s better if it’s a horizontal rather vertical purchase (as Katie Puckrik says) i.e. it’s something different that’s not represented in my collection already.
Great discussion, B!
I think you with around 20 bottles you can still breathe easily, there are worse collections out there. 😉
But I know what you mean of course. I am the same, torn between restraint and the need of my very own bittle, not some faceless decant or split. Perfume is a whole in its complete representation, juice AND bottle.
And some perfumes are just must-haves, no way around it! 🙂
I think I’m toward the end of my perfume blogging and buying – husband has been unemployed for over a year and his benefits are running out. So I’ll sniff what I have currently and see how long that lasts!
I’m sorry to hear about your hubby. More and more people are having such troubles. The DIY route is much, much cheaper, and fun also, if you’re ever interested, email me, or check in with Linda at Perfumer’s Apprentice, a good website with a lot of info, though not the only place to buy supplies. I have no affiliation with PA, and nothing to sell, so no worries!
thanks so much Marla!
Oh, Carol, I am sorry to hear that! I really hope things get better for the both of you soon, the economy will get better, hopefully sooner rather than later.
Marla’s suggestion is an excellent one!
Sorry if I seemed to forlorn, but I am, but I do have many samples left so I’ll be blogging for another coupla months. Just a little down today, my dears – sorry to put a damper on everything.
My son said the other day that he thinks it is interesting that I spend money on art stuff (perfume, pieces of art, art supplies for me) and he spends money on machinery (computers, nice TV, etc)! It’s difficult for him to understand why I would spend 100 dollars on a bottle of perfume, but he tries to understand because he loves his mama. 🙂
Don’t worry, Carol! We are here to support each other and if you are feeling down we are here to understand and be there at least, even if our options to help are limited. (But not non-existent 😉 )
Your remark about your son touched me deeply. I so hope your situation will improve.
Big hug, xoxo
I’m sorry to hear this as well. That must be such a difficult situation. Best wishes and good vibes for things improving soon.
I don’t really have any concerns about acquiring too many decants or samples (which I like to have as references for classics and for comparison with new scents), but I have a pathological fear of having too many FBs. I start to develop anxiety if it seems like I am in danger of wasting a bottle by not wearing it enough or not loving it. I know this might sound strange, but I think it is really because I am not a collector. Of anything. My fiance and I joke that we own so little anyone would think we’d just graduated from college. 🙂 Never say never, but I can’t see myself having more than 10 FBs at a time. I feed my curiosity and desire for variety with samples, wait till I use up an FB, and replace it with something else I really love.
That is interesting, and not something often heard among fumies. But I think your frugal way of life is great. So many clutter is accumulated over the years (not only perfume) that can be a weight that is quite unnecessary. I admire ascetics, but I am afraid I am just not built that way.
I did hesitate about sharing this! I think my approach is somewhat irrational (since I don’t always have what I want on hand) but it seems to work at the moment. As you said, we are all built differently. There are days when I think it would be nice to be able to build a collection. But then I start to break out in hives. 🙂
Thank you for sharing it! 🙂
This is your way and if it makes you happy that is perfect. If the thought of having too much stresses you, your minimalistic approach seems to be the right one. And you are admired by many, that is for sure!
Oh I really admire that! I have way more than 10 bottles, but I try very, very hard not to acquire them unless I’m certain (see my comment below). I give them away too, which is a great feeling.
I do know that feeling of fear at owning too much stuff. I’m a glutton for books, but not much else,
There is a thing called ‘buyer’s remorse’ which I saw identified on a perfume blog somewhere recently. I can relate to that totally.
So in relation to a big spend I am about to make, I ask myself: ‘How will you feel after you have bought this – not just on the day, but three days later? Three weeks later? Still happy?’
I probably will go ahead, but it’s a good technique, like a cooling off period before you buy.
That was on this blog! 😉
It is a very good way of distancing yourself from an impulse buy. I am trying to take that advice.
I think that is a very good approach, especially since often perfume casts such a spell over us, or over me at least. It’s even more difficult with limiteds and seasonals!
I know I have too many samples, because they’re all over the house, in small and big boxes, but I still can’t find the one I need.
I know I have too many bottles because I’m close to filling up the cabinet I bought and thought would be big enough forever.
More than $200 for 50 mls is too expensive, and I wouldn’t even spend that. Already have my favorite Amouge and a decant of Love & Tears and one of one of the Xerjoffs and that’s enough.
I’m buying splits now and doing some DIY. I don’t think I’ve bought my last full bottle, but it would have to be something really special or a bargain too good to pass up.
Hi Olfacta, thanks for chiming in!
Knowing when it is enough is certainly a
valuable thing. I am not there yet, but I hope I will be one day. Enjoying what I have without the need to add to it, is what I would like, a comfortable status quo. 🙂