By Tara
Are you happy with your collection as it is, or are there changes you’d like to make?
Do you feel that you have a good varied range of perfumes for most occasions?
Would you like to jettison a few unloved bottles?
Do you plan to move from decants to full bottles, or vice versa?
Do you still need to get round to buying a full bottle of a long-time favourite?
My Answer:
I’m a lot happier about my perfume collection since I sold a few bottles which I had been meaning to move on for some time. My collection is – currently – a manageable size and I feel that I have a good range of perfumes to suit my mood and the weather, most of the time. So I generally feel pretty good about it. I should switch to buying decants instead of full bottles, but that’s not going to happen any time soon. The only thing I am long over-due to purchase is a Hermessence travel set and after that, I definitely won’t need to buy anything else for ages…
Olfactoria's Travels 
I’m mostly happy with my collection. There are some unloved bottles that I need to find a place to sell. Not sure how I feel about the bay these days. And for once my list of “to buys” is less than half a dozen. I think I’ve finally figured out what I really like and I just keep going back and wearing those scents again and again. I still love sniffing things that are new to me, but I’m less in a hurry to purchase a full bottle. Unless I find a great price on decants, I’m trying to limit myself to less than 5mL with those as well.
Tatiana, it’s great that you’ve discovered what you like and are able to concentrate on that now. Otherwise you can end up buying bottles at random that you fall out of love with as quickly as you fell in love.
I’ve never sold perfume outside of the bay but maybe others will know of alternatives. I think you can do it via Basenotes but not sure how straight-forward that is.
I admire you for moving to decants and buying less than 5ml. I want to get there but doubt I will. I’m trying to cut down on full bottle purchases though.
Part of my restraint is that I’m running out of organized room to store things. The other half of my is trying to not raise the ire of my fiscally conservative husband. Another part is that I realized how much it bothers me that I own scents that are unused and therefore going to waste.
Well those are all very good reasons for being restrained. You may end up with a smaller collection but it will be well used and well loved, and you’ll feel really good about it.
I am ‘almost’ happy with my collection. I have some unloved bottles that I would love to get rid off. Like Tatiana, I have figured out what Ilike. Finally I now know what my fragrance taste is and I don’t want to purchase most of the ones I now love, because in my country we don’t have the option of buying decants – only full bottles! I currently have 65!! Of which about 30 or more I don’t even like anymore 😦
Mel, what a pain you don’t have access to decants. Individuals on Facebook Fragrance Friends sell decants as part of splits without geographical limits (as far as I’m aware) so that might be worth checking out. The great thing about decants is that sometimes you will decide you don’t actually want a whole bottle by the time you’ve finished it. It’s no good when you don’t even like almost half of you collection anymore.
Thanks so much! I will check that out… I would love to get rid of my unloved ones, but I am scared of using ebay 😐
I hope it works out for you, Mel. There’s always Swapmania on Perfume Posse this Friday too.
Mel, I sell decants on facebook fragrant friends with no geographical limitations. I also have a few decants listed on ebay, again I ship worldwide. 🙂
Andrea comes highly recommended!
Andrea’s awesome–I definitely recommend her splits/decants!
Thanks Andrea. I joined the group yesterday 🙂
I’m in a strange mood at the moment. I feel extremely happy with some of my perfumes, but I feel a big purge is necessary again to streamline my collection once more. Too much clutter has accumulated.
At the moment I’m really enjoying what I have and actually using it, so no new samples, no new bottles for me. Let’s see how long this phase lasts… 😉
Thanks for the great question, Tara!
B, I think purges even and now again are just going to be part of the process for people like us who love their full bottles. I think I can live with that but I bought so much this year, probably my biggest buying year yet, so I’m really going to pull back next year.
I’m really pleased you’re enjoying what you have right now. I hope it lasts!
I am happy with my collection except for the void in summer and woodsy perfumes. I need to expand my collection to include more of both which is something I am craving at the moment. Hence I am holding back on the next sweet perfume. I wish I would be able to say that I won’t buy another FB for a while but that is completely impossible for me to do. Unloved bottles I pass on to my family who are always happy to receive something ‘new’.
Sandra, I think it’s really good that you know what you have a lot of and what you are lacking in your collection. I’m low on summer perfumes too but Osmanthe Yunnan will help fill that gap. Can I recommend Chanel’s Bois des Iles for a sandalwood perfume and Sonoma Scent Studio do lots of great woodsy fragrances. Ormonde Woman is a forest in a bottle too.
I bet your friends and family are thrilled to receive your unloved bottles! I do a fair amount of gifting myself if I think it’s something they’ll like.
If you had asked yesterday I would have answered that I am actually feeling pretty good about my collection for the moment which is a new thing since I have been in quite the acquiring mood for a while now. However, when I stumbled upon a discount store with tons of vintage stuff while here in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia I found quite a few others I just needed to add :-). But, I am not at all upset about finding Yohji Homme ($50 for 100ml!), Parfume Sacre Extrait ,Chanel No. 19 Parfum and Vintage Miss Dior Parfum (sorry, I have to tell people, I am so excited!).
I do have a ban on buying any more samples until I get through a significant portion of the ones I currently have. And somehow I bet that will lead to more FB coveting….
And Tara, I don’t hear any sarcasm in the last line of the post do I? :-).
Ha ha! Oh no, that last line is the absolute truth 🙂
I am so excited for your vintage finds! No need to apologise at all. I’m glad you shared them with us because that’s the kind of perfume fantasy we all have. You could not have passed up an opportuity like that. The normal limits we put on ourselves and our collections have to go out of the window at time like that. Enjoy those wonderful and precious bottles!
My problem Tara is that I can’t buy a second cupboard the same as my Frag Cupboard because they’ve been discontinued. It’s most distressing because the collection is threatening to break out any day now.
Portia xx
So Portia, the only problem with your collection is that you can’t contain it?! I bet it’s pretty amazing. I hope you find a suitable replacement for the discontinued cabinet, it’s so annoying when that happens.
It brings me great joy on top of a pretty fun life. I am very happy, and yes I’ve never been good at keeping things in proportion.
Ha
Portia x
I need to take a leaf out of your book Portia!
I wish you would show us your collection!!!! It is so fun to see what others have!!
You too Tara!!!
arline, maybe we should get everyone to list what’s in their collection one day. People might be too scared to do it though! Denial is rife in Perfumeland 🙂
I know, remember Bridget forbade any of us to count her bottles!!! (shhhhh, I could not help myself, I counted, but I did not tell) 😉
You counted! I hope Birgit isn’t reading this 🙂
Oh sure she reads it and she is properly scandalized! 😉
I could not help it, but I told no one the numbers 🙂
Slowly but surely I am making my way through the collection at APJ. I think there is another 15 years worth of posts here at least. read on….
Portia x
I’ve been rather frustrated lately : I feel like being overwhelmed by parfum since I started to buy decants as well – which I still strictly refused to do few months ago. The restriction in the past kept my purchases within reason. Now the number of bottles at home increased significantly and I might near to the limit when I can’t circulate them all and I definitely don’t want to have the museum of unused scents….
Well, there are 3-4 (almost) full bottles I’d like to ditch – but those wouldn’t change too much on the whole picture, would they. Then again, there are 3-4 new FBs I crave for …
So, I feel trapped – and the worst on it : trapped by myself !
Oh no! A lot of us find ourselves in the same position at some point. It niggles at the back of your mind.
It’s a shame that moving to decants hasn’t worked out well for you. That surprises me because I always think perhaps that’s the answer but I guess it can be very tempting to buy more and more as it’s so reasonable and you can take a chance on stuff you’ve never tried. The ones you love then lead to full bottles and the whole thing soon gets unmanageable. I would like to keep my collection at 30 – 40 so feel like I can wear them all. I know that will still seem like too many to some though (probably not here mind!).
I hope you don’t feel trapped for long!
I have to reconsider my decant-policy…
We all need to re-assess now and again. It’s no bad thing.
I have a couple of full bottles that I would love to purge myself of (and oh so many samples), but apart from that, I’m fairly happy with my perfume collection. I have about 15 full bottles and decants, which I think is a healthy number (for me, anyway).
But my sample pile is (kind of) out of control. What I really want is to whittle my samples down so my collection only consists of what I *love*. And I find that what I *love* is changing. A lot of the perfume samples that I’ve re-visited lately – things I once adored and/or coveted – I find I no longer care about, they just don’t move me the way they once did. What I used to love for being interesting or compelling or even shocking I find I’ve grown indifferent towards, and now I just want to smell good and pretty (and sometimes that means something fairly simple). Has anybody else experienced that?
Yes, I have! During the last months I sold many of my once loved perfumes. I bought new ones but have to admit that I keep falling out of love rather quickly again. It’s really frustrating.
There are only three, maybe four scents that I think will survive this period. There are not many of my old loves (florals & floral orientals) left. I don’t know what to do with them. It hurts to sell them for a fraction of their original price. But then, I won’t use them either.
Bookgirl, what are your “pretty and simple” scents? I only keep reaching for soft chypres (or chypre-like perfumes) no matter the weather or my mood 😉
My “pretty and simple” scents are generally those that melt onto my skin and blend perfectly with my chemistry as though I just naturally smell *that* good (I wish). OJ Champaca is that way for me lately. Also, FM L’eau d’Hiver and Hermes Eau de Merveilles.
Just out of curiosity, where do you sell your perfumes?
Those are some great examples of pretty and simple perfumes.
As for selling perfumes, I do it through ebay but you could also post them on Facebook Fragrance Friends (a Facebook group, obviously) where they have a section for that, or possibly Crystal Flacon, though I don’t know much about that one.
As Marie shows, you are definitely not alone! I’m feel exactly the same. The perfumes I bought early on I just don’t love anymore. Our tastes do change with time and with exposure to new things, I think. We get to our own tastes better too. It’s all part of our perfume journey. I know it can be frustrating but it would also be boring to like the same things for ever.
At least you didn’t go mad buying loads of full bottles you now regret. I can understand being overwhelmed by lots of samples you don’t love but at least you learnt from them and saved money. You might want to hang on to them though, in case your tastes change again in the future!
Point well taken, Tara! 🙂
I haven’t been happy with my collection for a while now, despite having managed to move some of the albatross bottles along. I am running at 70 FBs, and more decants and samples than I care to tot up. The two fridges are full to bursting and I can so rarely be bothered to seek out the hard to reach stuff, which is a shame. A low level feeling of being overwhelmed by my stash is my usual feeling on the matter, hehe!
I wouldn’t say no to a bottle of Ta’if, mind…
Spoken like a true ‘fume head!
Oh that’s too bad, V. The perils of being a flittersniffer!
I know that rotten overwhelming feeling. May be when life settles down you can have a re-think. The fridges are the ideal storage solution but I can imagine it must be a pain to fight your way to the back and get to use them all. I wouldn’t worry too much about all the samples or decants. Thats par for the course.
I am very satisified with my collection but I would prefer to whittle it down a bit, especially as I have so many decants (alongside quite many bottles) that most of the time I can’t see the tree for the forest.
I finally feel though that I don’t need to buy anything (unless it’s at a really good price) and would like to let go of some of the things I have but I have a hard time deciding what needs to go. 🙂
Hi Ines, I think what I’m learning today is that it’s all about balance. It’s not full bottles vs. decants – each has its downside.
I know what you mean about buying only at the right price. There’s stuff I’ve waited years to come up on the bay at a good price.
I would say that if you’re having a hard time deciding what needs to go you are doing pretty well. Most of us know exactly what needs to go!
I need to get rid of my Pour un Homme de Caron which I loved and them started hating it. I hope Perfume Posse Swapmania will do something about it on upcoming Friday.
My collection lacks perfume for winter but I’m planning to buy Cuir Ottoman in early December so that spot will be covered. And still need a good and lasting citrus for spring. I was gifted with partial bottle of Eau d’Hadrien. I love it but it’s so fleeting. I consider swapping it too.
Thanks for mentioning that Swapmania is coming up this Friday. That could be a good option for some. I hope it works out for you. It sounds like you are doing pretty well with your collection though.
I think I am Tara!
I’ll see some of you at swapmania!
I’ll be sure to check in, it’s always a lot of fun to see what’s happening.
I’m reasonably happy with my collection. There’s always more I want, though I’m getting a bit more selective with what I buy. I still can’t resist a blind buy when it’s a good price though. That’s a bad habit. I figure even if I don’t like it, someone else might and eventually I can swap it or give it away so it’s not so bad. I haven’t really bothered too much with decants. I tried getting a few 5ml decants and honestly, 5mls does not go far on me. If I were a person who could spritz lightly and be scented maybe, but I need to load up on most scents if I want even a trace of them at the one hour mark. I have a few things I would love to be rid of and quite a few I want to add but those lists are always changing.
poodle, it’s so true that those lists are always changing. I can relate to that. They’re part of the fun though. It’s good that you are getting more selective. That can only be a good thing.
I know some people are really tempted by blind buys but luckily I’m not really one of them. Too risk-averse! Bet you’ve got some good stuff to show for it though and you’re right, you can always move it on.
I agree about 5ml decants, they’re more like decent size samples to me.
I can’t say that I am ever truly satisfied. I just finished my bottle of PdE Eau Suave and I am itching to buy something to fill that void. However, i am abstaining until the right moment. As for FB vs. decant purchase; for some reason I don’t get the personal satisfaction about owning a fragrance without having the FB so I typically sample, but don’t decant (more than 5ml). And there are a couple of unloveds that need to find a good home… but you never know, I might love them again in a couple of months!
I do wonder if any of us are truly happy with our collections. Not for very long anyway.
I feel the same way about full bottles as you. They are what my collection is all about. But
I do think I would have less regrets if I invested in 10mls first. Having said, I don’t know where I’d get the decants from since the Scent Splits wiki page disappeared. The big sellers are so pricey.
You may well have a point about falling back in love with those perfumes. I know a few people who took part in Swapmania that later re-bought the bottles they swapped away!
I get decants through the Facebook Fragrance Friends facebook page and the Scent Splits Google Group.
Thanks very much for the decant tips. I didn’t know Scent Splits had moved to Google.
I’ve had a great experience there. I’m glad I could help you find them again!
It’s much appreciated. I applied to join as I see it’s members only now. Fingers crossed!
Well of course they will accept you!! I remember it took a few days when I did it.
Scent splits has moved to Google? So that’s where they went, I’ve really missed them. Hopefully they’ll let me in too. 😉
The Scent Splits on Google is different from the scent splits wiki page, but it is great. Very dangerous and the reason my decant collection is out of control.
Your question made me think, Tara! First I have to say, I always refused to call my scents a collection. I don’t collect, I use. But – once in a while it seems, like it gets more of a collection. At that point when I get the feeling, I don’t wear them anymore, I ususally swap or sell scents. With only one exception, my last two Gobin Daude scents, they stay. Other than that, I already reduced significantly, but it makes me unhappy, if there a too many scents in my cupboard, that are not worn. I always get the feeling, they could make someone else happy. In my buying habits, I noticed, that if scents are too simple or too complicated, I won’t wear them too often. So I try to buy only decants of those and get FB of the others. Sounds like a good plan, but doesn’t always work. ;o) The amount of decants is definetely too large now to keep a good overview – takes me too long in the morning to find what I’m looking for. And sometimes, I don’t even remember, that I have a certain decant…..
But last week we started a nice thing on a german fragrance board, we sent a certain amount of decants, samples and full bottles to one member, who had this great idea. She packed it all in one large box and will send it now back to the first of a list of people, who formerly sent in their items. Each person can take out the same amount, they are willing to put back in from their scents and then send it to next member on the list. Like this you wouldn’t reduce you scents, but swap for new loves! I like the idea a lot and look forward to getting a huge parcel soon!
Cheers
Safran
Wow, that’s a really novel idea. I’d be interested to know how that works out. It would be exciting to get a huge parcel of new stuff to try. It sounds a lot of fun and a good example of how we perfume people love to share (and can trust each other).
It’s very interesting that you have managed to work out that you don’t wear certain types of composition as much. It shows how helpful it can be to think about which perfumes you wear most and why. I admire the way Undina records everything. It must help with your buying strategy. In theory anyway!
I feel like I’d never find anything in the morning if I had loads of decants but I know Ines once recommending keeping just a few out in rotation at a time.
I’m not satisfied with my collection–I only have 2 full bottles I love! (And 2 I won but don’t care for.) Here’s what I’d like to have for full bottles:
VP Rubj edp & Mito edp
FM Lys Medit
OJ Ta’if, Frangipani & Woman
l’Artisan Seville a l’aube
SL Une Voix Noire, Fleurs de Citronnier & Fleurs d’Oranger
NV Mohur & Bombay Bling
Tauer Carillon Pour un Ange
MdO Vanille
Luckily, I have mostly been buying decants instead of samples now that I have a better handle on my tastes; thus, I have 5-10 ml of many of the above, which will last me for a while at least! 🙂
Well you have a great handle on where you want your collection to get to and it is lucky that you have decants of most of those already. That list would make a very lovely collection indeed. Great choices, thanks for sharing them. I’m looking to trying Une Voix Noire at some point.
I was so psyched to receive my decant of Une Voix Noire–I’d given up on it arriving, assuming it had become collateral damage from the hurricane. Then it arrived in the most gorgeously lettered envelope and lovely inside packaging; the person arranging the split had taken such care 🙂 And it smells even more fantastic. I really love this one; it definitely reminds me of a jazz club. I was not sure how well I’d like tobacco in a perfume, and am happy to find that it is quite nice indeed!
Tobacco can be great in perfume. It can also be like an ash-tray! Good to hear Une Voix Noire has worked out so well for you. I’m not so hot on presentation myself but some perfume people are just great at it.
I hope you are back to normal after the hurricane and didn’t suffer too much damage.
Thanks, Tara. We did not suffer any damage up where I am, thankfully, and we even only lost power for less than an hour. People were much harder hit farther south and closer to the coast.
Thank goodness. I hope others who suffered worse are doing better now.
I am nowhere near the level of you guys, and I only want a handful of perfumes.
I am loving what I have but I am in the wanting stage now. I am not interested in buying decants, but doing so can be better for those of you who have super large collections.
I want full bottles of
Ormonde Jayne Tolu, maybe Ormonde Woman(but I have not smelled that one yet)
Chanel Cormandel
Chanel Bois des Iles
There are others, but those are attainable to me, price wise, and I won’t have to sell a kidney to obtain them, or refinance my house when I want to replenish.
arline, that is a really high quality handful of perfume, for sure. I’d really like a decant of Ormonde Woman, it’s so striking. Looking at the others on your list I’m sure you’d like it but it is very unique so probably best to sample first. It is always advisable to purchase according to what you can afford.
Oh I know that wanting stage! I’ve been in it all year.
The want stage is never ending, but sometimes it seems more intense than others.
I have expensive taste PERIOD!!!! Shoes, bags furniture, you name it, why would perfume be any different??? Alas… It is fun to search for and find bargains. I am a crafty shopper.
I did just purchase the very affordable (because of you and Bridgett) Cuir de Lancome. I trust you guys enough to go blind on this one. I have not gotten it, but I look forward to it being in my collection.
I think you’re right, the wanting sort of comes and goes in waves. Tidal at times!
Good taste does come at price but that’s great you’re a crafty shopper. It takes patience and effort to be like that though. All credit to you. I know a lot of people who spend money on so called bargains that aren’t worth much to start with (I include myself!), but getting something top quality for a knocked down price is the way to do it.
I REALLY hope you you like Cuir de Lancome!
Ive made some mistakes in the past, but I am getting better.
I will let you know when the Cuir De Lancome comes in. I am excited!!!!
As long as we learn from our mistakes that’s the main thing.
Fingers crossed for the CdL!
Hi Tara! Although there are a couple bottles I’d like to get rid of, simply because I never wear these scents anymore (Lonestar Memories and Jil Sander No. 4, I’m looking at you), I’m overall satisfied with my collection. There are always a few full bottles that I keep in a wishlist in my mind, but I won’t purchase those until I use up something I already have.
As far as samples though, I feel a rash of hives coming on everytime I look at the growing pile. I need to figure out if I really want to hang onto these as a reference (which is what I’ve been doing … in the odd case that I get invited to one of Undina’s blind sniffing projects again, they are quite helpful) 🙂 or just get rid of them and have the peace of mind of being free of clutter.
Suzanne, I just e-mailed you about that Lonestar Memories. I’ve got a 17yo who would love to have that in his (very small) collection.
Just emailed you back, Dionne. I’d love to gift this to him, as I’m not wearing it and hardly ever sell any decants from it. It would make me happy to think that I’m helping a young man round out his fragrance wardrobe. Plus it’s a scent that fits well with the area where you live, the Rockies! 🙂
Suzanne, I imagine that you have a really high quality, very classy collection. I’m pleased you’re satisfied with it. It’s great that you can be restrained enough to hold on till you finish a bottle before you buy a new one from your wishlist. That is such a hard thing to do!
Do you think organising your samples would help or would that be too much of a massive task? I think it’s good to hang on to them for reference if you can. Especially as you write about perfume on your Perfume Journal as well as for Undina’s deja vu posts!
I’m pleased your Lonestar Memories is going to such a great home.
Well, you hit the nail on the head, Tara. I’d feel massively better if I organized them, because it will be a masssive task. OK, maybe not that bad, but I do wish I could hire elves to do it.
Suzanne, jobs like that are so easy to put off till another day, that’s the problem. I’d love to hire those elves too!
You’re definitely invited to all future projects – so be careful with you reference library 😉
My own collection has grown in leaps and bounds over the last year: a perfect storm of 1) finances getting better 2) starting to blog 3) finding a US “scent mule” 4) joining FFF, so it’s getting to be what I consider an impressive size. However, many of my great loves are still decants, and some are almost empty, so there are still FB’s to add. Top of that list are Heure Exquise, Coromandel, Pulp, 28 La Pausa, Equistrius, L’Ombre dans L’Eau and Mimosa pour Moi.
And there are entire categories I haven’t explored yet, like jasmine, incense, musk, saffron, tuberose…. I’ll be at this for a while.
Dionne, I love that you are so thorough when you explore a note/type of fragrance. That way I bet you end up with bottles you really love. I’m sure your collection is perfect because you’ve put so much thought into it. I’m glad circumstances this year have meant it’s been able to thrive!
With so many more categories to explore you have so much to look forward to. I can’t wait to read about the results.
Thanks for sharing some of your great loves. They’re all wonderful. I’m yet to try any Byredo perfumes though. Really want to check out Pulp and La Tulipe.
Oh man I need a clear out like nothing else. I daren’t look into the purgatory drawers….
I know, just the thought of it is enough! The worse the purgatory situation, the less you want to deal with it.
Tell me about it! Do you ever get those days when you look at your collection and just think you have nothing to wear? It’s an obscene thought.
I had one of those days this morning! It is terrible. 30 odd bottles and I was going through my samples at half 7 looking for something to wear. Went for Back to Black in the end and was very happy, but it is ridiculous.
Oooh, very good choice though!
Thanks, Thomas! It was perfect for a lovely autumn day and made me think I need a decant.
I don’t have a purgatory drawer – everything is in the same drawer, staring me in the face! It has proved to be a good stimulus for getting rid of those “condemned” fragrances!
Good point! If we hide them away it’s too easy not to deal with them.
I like that idea!
T, maybe you need a “shelf of shame” to motivate you, rather than a purgatory drawer 🙂
Ha! 😀
Haha! Fab idea 😀
I don’t have a collection so I am happy with the tips I am picking up here. Like fragrance and friends on fb.
I’m glad you can pick up some tips here, mridula. I’ve learn a couple of things myself.
Facebook Fragrance Friends is great.
i joined. first the wrong group – fragrance and friends – which turned out to be a soap company and then the right one.
Oh no! I’m glad you got the right one in the end. There must be so many FB groups out there.
Have fun on FFF, there’s so many lovely people on there.
My collection is far from complete, but I am not in a rush to buy more full bottles. I have too much fun sampling and discovering new scents. There is only one albatross in my collection, but since it is from a highly obscure niche house, I am afraid no one will ever take it from my hands.
Philipp, I think it’s easy to get caught up in the rush to buy full bottles. We can miss out on the fun of sampling new things just for the joy of it. It’s nice to know you haven’t lost that.
I think you’re doing well with just one albatross.
I am happier and happier with my collection as it is. It’s been pared down down through attrition, and through giving or swapping away unloved scents, till I’m close to having a collection made entirely of things that I enjoy wearing. I have a varied range of perfumes, although I don’t pay attention to the rules of “this perfume for casual wear, this one for work, this one for evening.” Usually I just wear what I want when I want to.
Would I like to jettison a few unloved bottles? Yes! I still have a few to go. Perfume Posse is having another Swapmania starting this weekend, so maybe I can divest then, in exchange for something interesting.
Most of my collection is full bottles, with few decants. I usually test something for a long time before buying in order to really live with it (and save my pennies). Many times after a long period of testing I’ll change my mind about purchasing (thereby saving money!). This system seems to work for me, so I probably won’t be changing it.
My to-buy list has only one thing on it right now: Lovely Patchouli by Krigler. However, I want to use up some more bottles before buying something new.
It sounds like you have done what a lot of us are putting off and that is you’ve taken action to pare down your collection. I felt so much better after I had done the same (still some way to go though) so I can see why you’re so happy with your collection. I think it’s good that you don’t restrict yourself by matching perfumes to occasions. I can’t seem to shake that habit.
Your system of taking time to really live with something before purchase is such a good idea. It’s surprising how often you can actually decide that in the end you don’t need a perfume the way you thought you did.
Have fun at Swapmania, I hope it works out well for you.
The size of my collection isn’t too bad, I think, about 25-30 or so (like Birgit I avoid counting…)
I think I have scents for most occasion and some truly beautiful ones. Some bottles I would like to get rid of, bought in the early days mostly. I don’t have any decants (apart from one of Plus Que Jamais). There’s still some FB on my list, Mohur among others but I’m not in any great rush.
Sounds like you’re doing pretty well with your collection, Eva. I think a lot of us have bottles from the eager early days that we are not so keen on now.
If you’re only going to have one decant, you can’t do much better than Plus Que Jamais!
I am mostly happy with my collection, but am also planning to move a few bottles soon. I do not want it to get to the point where it feels like a chore to find what I want, to move things, etc. That’s how I tend to gauge whether I need to possibly reduce the number of bottles. I have some FBs on my list, but am happy for them to stay there for a while. 🙂
Natalie, I like the way you keep your full bottle collection at a manageable size. I think that is going to be a big factor in being happy about mine. I want to feel like I wear and love them all.
It’s just as well you’re not rushing to purchase those bottles on your wish-list. That way when you get them you’ll be positive you want and will use them.
I thought about it since Monday. I’m happy with perfumes that I have. There are at least several FB on my wish list. But I’m not sure if I’m happy with my collection. I’ll try to explain.
There are perfumes that I like to wear – even if it’s just a couple of times per year. And I’m slowly trying to add more of those to my perfume wardrobe. But then there are perfumes that I want to have in my collection for different reasons: Cuir de Lancome (I do not love it but it’s nice, everybody likes it, it’s discontinued and not too expensive); Jacomo Silences (I like it and it’s not expensive and it’s one of a well-loved scents); Chanel No 5 (I cannot wear it at all! but it’s about to be banned and, probably, reformulated again… so maybe I need to add it to my collection while it’s not too late?); several By Kilian’s perfumes (I’m not in love with any of them but I like some and have a huge respect to the brand – so I should probably get at least one FB in my collection – right?) – and I can go on and on with all the reasons why I want to buy some bottles even though I do not love those perfumes.
On the other hand, I’m having a really hard time letting go any of the bottles once they made it into my possession. Even those that I haven’t bought myself! I plan to try swapping some of those away… but I do not know, it hurts me a little to think about letting them go 🙂
I think that I spend the next year sorting out my collection, going through all the statistics I collected over the last two years and organizing my samples. We’ll see what comes out of it.
I think you last paragraph makes perfect sense. Once you’ve gone through that process you’ll be in a much better position to make decisions about what you want to add and lose.
I can understand your reasoning but to me, unless money is no object it doesn’t seem worth adding full bottles of things you don’t love, especially at By Kilian’s prices. Not while there are still FBs on your wish-list that you’d get wear out of, anyway. I can see you’ve thought a lot about the word “collection” but it’s what you want and love that matters.
Having said that, getting a bottle of No.5 before the damage is done makes sense and it would be good to have for reference, even if you don’t wear it. You never know, you might grown into one day and be glad you got a bottle while the going was good!
Thanks so much for taking the time to come up with such a thoughtful answer to this week’s question, Undina.