Perfume junkies like us are not known for using up bottles. We tend to acquire more than we are able to wear in a lifetime, so emptying bottles is not our usual modus operandi.
But has it ever happened to you?
Did you have to re-purchase a perfume because you actually used it all up?
Did you buy the next one right away or did it take you some time to start missing it?
My Answer:
I actually rebought Hermès L’Ambre des Merveilles twice already and I’m on my third bottle of Rose Ikebana. Also, I had to buy one or the other bottle again that I gave away (we just talked about Atelier Cologne Oolang Infini last week).
Since I am no longer in the acute frenzy stage of Perfumania, I actually put my favorites to good use. I see myself re-purchasing Vetiver Tonka in the future as well as Chanel 28 La Pausa.
What about you? Ever had to get a second or third bottle? Do you like to have a back-up of your favorites just in case?
Olfactoria's Travels 
Yes, several bottles. YSL Opium before it was reformulated for the millionth time. Dior Pure Poison, Chanel 31 Rue Cambon and Hermes L’Ambre des Merveilles. If I keep wearing Hermes 24 Faubourg at the rate I’ve been wearing it lately, I will have to re-purchase that one soon, too. I find myself going back to the same perfumes over and over again, lately. Maybe it’s time to consider selling the ones left by the wayside.
We seem to be on a similar track on our perfume journey.
Yes! Fidji. I have used up at least three 15 ml bottles of the perfume strength in my life. The vintage formula is long discontinued so I am living off the stash purchased as soon as the first bottle was gone. I have also re-purchased KL (another vintage favorite), Shalimar, the earlier versions of Royal Secret perfumes and have polished off a couple of bottles of L’Eau de Monteil and Fleurs d’Orlane EDPs and a number of other lost fragrances. Most of this excess happened when I was younger. Now, as you say, I have so many perfumes that none of the newer bottles will be emptied in this lifetime (no, wait, maybe there are couple that might run out…).
Lost Fragrances – that sounds so sad. 😦
Absolutely! Diva by Ungaro and Chanel No. 5 EdP must always be in my cabinet. But I have also repurchased Hermes Osmanthus Yunnan travel bottles several times. I will be repurchasing Indult Tihota and Guerlain Cuir Beluga this fall.
Ha, I love that you already know that you will re-purchase those two.
Yes, I repurchased peonies by Stella McCartney and will have to re buy sycamore by Chanel as I’m going through it at an alarming rate!! I also have a little stash of my beloved le Feu D’Issey but I use this sparingly but did re buy this too!! Xx
I bought several bottles of Le Feu as well, I’m still sad it is no longer available. The best perfume to ever come out of this house…
So far, only Bronze Goddess and Artemisia.
Although, I did use them up with some help (I decanted a bit from them). 🙂
Yes, decanting is a good way to a new bottle. 🙂
I re-bought Guerlain’s S.D.Vanille – right after I used up the first bottle, I couldn’t stand being without it (well, now it seems to be ages ago…). I also used up several bottles of Jo Malones, but they were in those lovely 30ml bottles (Grapefruit; Lime, Basil & Mandarine; Nectarine Blossom). For the near future I don’t really see the need to re-buy any of my favorites, there is plenty of Juice there…
The Jo Malones go quickly… there is something strangely satisfying in actually finishing a bottle, isn’t there?
Definitely agree ! In fact, I find it despiriting when I look at all those more/less full bottles on my shelf – knowing that I won’t be able to ever finish them
I feel the same!
A great question, with several strands! Ones I have given away, then re-bought: Mitsouko, Ormond Woman (a really interesting question, the ones we have ‘troubled’ relationships with, now I am good friends with both). Used up and re-bought; daim blonde, angeliques sous la plui, cristalle, 19. Current back-ups: tea for two, feminite de bois, cristalle, 19 (last two were gifts, but if they were threatened, I would by back-ups!). I hate that I have too many bottles to ever use up, but I have a plan to give away a few each year until my collection’s a more sensible size.
The troubled ones are the most interesting: why is it so often the case that we can’t stay away from certain perfumes despite having dismissed them already?
I’ve gone through several bottles each of Davidoff Zino, Hermès Eau d’Orange Verte, Dunhill Edition, and Chanel Égoïste.
Our true favorites seem to stay with us despite the plenitude in our collections. 🙂
Mitsouko is the only perfume I’ve re-purchased because I’ve used it up, I bought the EDT several times, these days I buy the extrait (although I own a bottle of the EDP as well). I did by a FB of Ambre Narguile but that doesn’t count exacly since I still had some left in the travel bottle…
The only back-up bottle I have is Donna Karan Gold since it was discontinued, not strictly necessary perhaps since I’m not using it up any time soon 🙂
So I assume you get on well with the current Misouko formulation? That’s a good thing!
It sounds as if you still have only a handful of fragrances in regular rotation Birgit. I like that. It’s great to feel good about what you have.
Some time in the course of next summer I will probably purchase another 15 mls of Osmanthe Yunnan, and I will zip through my remaining 20 or so mls of Calyx pretty fast too I think. Summery fragrances do get used up faster, and with citrusy fragrances you may as well use them up fast because they tend not to last as well anyway.
I wore Osmanthe Yunnan for a job interview a few weeks ago and I got the job! (Have not accepted yet, as the salary is lower. It’s a job I’d really love to do though so may take it.) So OY is a bit of a lucky star fragrance for me now.
Yes, still in small rotation mode. 🙂
Congratulations on your new job! Well done (whether you decide to take it or not)!
I’m very proud that Hermès did a good job at the interview. 😉
🙂
Had the day been cooler I would have worn L’Ambre des Merveilles. There is a quiet confidence about both of them.
That is very well put.
Yes, the ones I can’t live without : Vanille MdO (just did it), L’Air du Désert Marocain Tauer perfumes, Figue Amère MH, Oriental Brûlant GUerlain, Brûlure de Rose PG.
Congrats on your new bottle of MdO!
It’s been a long time since i have re-purchased a fragrance, but the perfume that I have purchased most in my life was probably Hermes Bel Ami. As for backups, I have a backup of Caborchard Gres and Caron French Cancan!
As you can imagine, I’m quite glad it is a Hermès fragrance that you are so loyal too. 🙂
I rebought Sacrebleu after a break of more than 10 years, Bigarade Concentree on my third bottle, Carnal Flower from several decants to a full bottle and Orange Sanguine.
I tend to buy the new bottle, before the old one is empty!
Cheers
Safran
Lovely that you came back to Sacrebleu after such a long time! (And many thanks to Patricia Nicolai because she made it possible!)
Yes, Prada Amber Pour Homme. For several years it was the only perfume I had so it was possible for me to use up the 100ml bottle. After it got empty I repurchased the fragrance, also for another 100ml.
I remember your first perfume love, Lucas. A truly beautiful one!
I have repurchased Mitsouko. It is probably the one scent I always want to
have available, for “sentimental” reasons!
It is good to one such perfume close at hand.
I’m actually trying to make a conscious effort to use up some bottles. Whether or not I repurchase remains to be seen. Recently I’ve finished my bottles of Sensuous and Pomagranate Noir. I’m pretty close to finishing Like This but that’s one I have a back up of. I’m considering a repurchase of Ysatis which I drained about 3 bottles of in college but haven’t worn since.
Congrats on finishing some bottles, poodle! It feels good! 🙂
Perfumes I have purchased multiple times, generally replaced soon after using up:
Calvin Klein Truth (abt 4 bottles used)
Dior Pure Poison (abt 3 bottles used)
Dior Dolce Vita (3, currently tracked down vintage)
Chanel 19 (3rd bottle -vintage- repurchesed after not having had one for 20yrs)
Chanel Coco (3 bottles in 20yrs. Don’t care for reformulation – will not repurchase unless vintage.)
Dolce & Gabbana original (3 bottles, each several yrs apart. I finish one and later get nostalgic for it.)
Aromatics Elixir and Body Shop White Musk, both worn in high school, recently repurchased.
How does the Body Shop White Musk of your high school days compare to the current one?
It smells quite the same to me, much to my delight!
Great to hear that!
I doubt when that will ever happen to me. I never seem to finish any bottles more than 20%. I used to give away my unfinished fragrances to my close friend in india. Unfortunately he died last year so….
Anyway though if I finish all of them tomorrow, I will definitely buy Guerlain songe and tom ford tuscan leather. Both are out of this world and so sexy.
I loved Hermès L’Ambre des Merveilles but find it a bit sweet now. I’ve realised that I do not like too much of vanilla to sweet notes anymore.
It is hard to finish something when temptation beckons at every corner! I understand you so well…
Maybe since it is getting warmer you are less into sweeter notes?
Yes and the temptations are extended after reading your site 🙂
Like you say the change in the weather might be the reason behind me not liking sweeter notes. Will have to wait and see otherwise that vintage samsara will be looking for a new home in winter! Funny enough I find samsara, chanel egoiste and bois de illes very close to each other. I gave away egoiste as I felt it was sugar overdose.
It is a good while since I have repurchased something, actually it never happened in my perfumista time,but pre perfumania,I have repurchased Coco Mademoiselle. Even before I became infatuated with perfumes,I was quite fickle,I really never had a signature scent.My mother used to be an Avon rep in her spare time and she kept me supplied with various Avon perfumes in my teenage and college years,some of which I had multiple times and in various forms,but since then I am yet to repurchase a perfume.
There is so much out there to try, so it’s understandable that you don’t go back to the familiar.
Good question! Chanel Coco was my wedding perfume (30 years ago, as of yesterday) and I’ve worn it ever since; Chanel 19 has been a constant since the late 70s. Since perfumania (perfect term) began eight years ago, I have repurchased Donna Karan Black Cashmere because it was being discontinued (sniffle) and Bulgari White Tea. I don’t talk about the Bulgari much – neither does anyone else – but it smells so great in the summer, I wear it often.
I must try the Bulgari again on your recommendation.
Congratulations on your 30th wedding anniversary, ringthing! That’s an achievement to be proud of.
Happy anniversary ringthing!
I love white tea, it’s a perfect gentle go-to scent that’s interesting enough, well, to be interesting too 🙂
I’ve pretty much used up my Hermes Kelly Caleche EDP and have a back-up waiting. My L’AP Safran Troublant was dwindling alarmingly and I found a back-up at a discount so I bought it. Finally, pre-perfumista, I used up a whole bottle of Burberry Brit Sheer and bought a back-up which is still in its shrink-wrap.
Those are two very replacement worthy perfumes, glad you got new ones.
Yes, but so far only once, In the mid 80s I bought L’Artisan Parfumeur Les Hesperides de la Grande Serre not knowing it would be discontinued years later once I started looking to replace it. I finally found a partial bottle at a shop in Naples two years ago so bought it as I was so taken with this EdT from 1982 during Jean Laporte’s time there.
Glad you found a replacement, Mary. L’Artisan has discontinued many treasures over the years.
Yes, Hermes Jour d’Hermes and Chanel Beige. I also repurchased some old friends, Guerlain Shalimar and Must de Cartier, both in vintage.
I forgot, I’ve also repurchased Alexander McQueen My Queen. I used up an entire bottle and bought 3 backups since it’s so hard to find. I’m part way through one of the backups.
It is so hard to actually use something you know is irreplacable. 😦
We all use up more that I would have thought…
Rarely, but that’s more down to the fact that it seems my favourites are discontinued or very expensive, so I take care NOT to finish them, or I stock up so I don’t run out. Repurchases of the past include Vol de Nuit, L’Heure Bleue, those are the ones I can think of right now:-)
That’s the pain that comes with loving vintage beauties…
I actually put my collection in order this weekend, and i am not as out of control a collector as I thought i was. I have repurchased Jardin Sur Le Nil many times, and Eau d’Hadrien, and Eau de Ciel. I bought lots of interesting things with lots of ingredients that are now banned: Lots of vintage Guerlains, Rochas Femme and Mystere, Irisia. Evan L’artisan L’eau de L’artisan. I doubt if I could replace some of my fragrances.
I’m sure you couldn’t. I’m happy you are content with your collection after going through it.
I have had to buy second and third bottles of Alahine, Psychedelique, Ambre 114, Bruno Acampora Musc,and 1725. I guess those must be my favorites! Oops I just remembered that I just got a second bottle of Kiehl’s Original Musk. I have no idea if any of these fragrances will be reformulated with the new regulations. I wonder if there is a way to find out….
I wonder as well… but I’m sure we won’t ever be issued a list. 😦
Glad to see your favorites get good use as well.
What a fantastic question! I am comforted to know there are so many out there like me, who have many more bottles than they could ever use up in three lifetimes. After collecting for more than 30 years, I thought i had overcome the urge for more, but then..oh my! A bottle of vintage Calandre and wait…one of vintage YSL “Y”…yes, yes!
But there is truly only one that is nearest and dearest to my heart, and I have repurchased three times: 24, Faubourg, pure perfume. To me, this is scented divinity! Have also purchased second bottles of Hugo Boss Deep Red, and Jil Sander No. 4, the latter because it’s discontinued and i once had a perfume party where I gave away some of my bottles, one of which was DK Chaos…so never again! Decanting like a maniac now..:)
24 Faubourg extrait! O we are so on the same page here. Divine is the right word.
The one that I bought several times, Patou’s 1000 Parfum, in the lovely little green bottle with a glass applicator is no longer available, at least as far as I can tell. I kept those little bottles as well as one of the black ones for Joy. Shalimar and Calèche have been replaced several times and I have back-up bottles of Bronze Goddess, my go-to fragrance for hot days. Vol de Nuit was re-purchased several times, but the last time was a big disappointment since the re-formulation is so weak. I actually wrote to Guerlain, and they told me that they were working on it, trying to find a way to replace the missing ingredients. I was so stunned that that were so kind as to answer a question from me.
I left a comment about a good customer service experience at Guerlain, and Sylvie Delacourt answered me! i thought that was amazing. And I only discovered Mille this winter-I would definitely repurchase Mille. And Eau de Patou.
Amazing!
Wow, I am impressed as well. Very good to hear that Guerlain interacted with a customer. Let’s hope for a better future for Vol de Nuit. (Hope dies last, they say…)
Oh, I forgot one important re-purchase: Herve Leger!! I went through 3 bottles, and I would give anything to find one again at a reasonable price!
I wore that one too! The purple juice in the wavy bottle… ah, long gone.
It hasn’t happened yet. I look forward to it as long as it’s a perfume I can replace. I could easily finish L’Artisn’s Fleur d’Oranger this summer but I’m too scared I won’t be able to get another bottle as it was a LE.
Three bottles of Rose Ikebana is amazing, especially as it’s 100ml.
Well, the third is still rather full. 🙂 But, yes, it goes quickly when you use one perfume almost every day.
Yeah. 1978 -1981. Went through a few bottles of YSL Opium. Loved it at the time. Not anymore. Opium, for me is so dated, I couldn’t wear it any more. I have also been through 4 bottles of Chanel No 5 Extrait. That, unlike Opium, is still fabulous. But since being an official junkie, no, have not repurchased a thing. xxx
No5 is timeless. I wonder when your first Vero needs to be repurchased… 🙂
I think I started on Revlon’s “Charlie” loooong time ago – bottle after bottle and then a few years later “Jontue”. Oscar de la Renta was another favorite of mine and I went through a couple of bottles, too. Angel – I think if I hung up all the crystal stars, they’d make a lovely chandelier. I’ve used up many bottles of Kelly Caleche in all variations. What I like about the Hermès fragrances is that they come in so many different sizes – especially the 15ml bottles that are ideal for handbag, office desk and travel.
The only two fragrances that literally made me sick were Niki de St. Phalle an Poison – instantly got a migraine and took them back to the perfume store. They refunded me both times 🙂
Enough info? 🙂 😉 😉
An Angel chandelier would look quite good I imagine. 🙂
I love the small Hermès travel bottles too (and the best thing is that you can mix and match as you please!)
I have rebought Bois Naufrage by PG and Cuir de Lancome – both were merely perilously low at the time. Am kind of regretting the back up bottle of the PG, as I like Ashoka more now(!), but can’t justify having both. I also bought EL Intuition because my bottle was off, which is not the same thing exactly. And I didn’t even like it that much, but as it is the one perfume I owned when all this mania kicked off, I thought it should be the commemorative cornerstone of my collection!
Very understandable reasoning!
Too bad about the Ashoka/PG dilemma. At least you saved a chunk of money though… 🙂
Back up bottles. Story of my life really.
I am extremely paranoid when it comes to the notion of possibility of finishing a great fragrance and later to find out it is no longer available! Also, I tend to buy more than 1 of the Limited Editions if I happen to really like them.
I recently got my hands on 2 more bottles of Profumo by Acqua di Parma (150ml and 100ml) and 2 bottles of La Petit Robe Noire Extract (okay to justify this, its only 7.5ml per bottle so in the end it is just 15ml, like many SINGLE parfum bottles no? :P).
Where I can find so many skin to finish my perfume is way beyond me but the urge just tends to slow gnaw on my brain. I wonder if I am the only one out there with this shopaholic issue..
I’m sure you are not alone! I for one know that gnawing feeling all to well.
Congrats on finding your new old perfumes. 🙂
The only emptied and replaced bottles were many years ago, pre-perfumista. They were the original Dolce and Gabbana, Rochas Alchimie, and YSL Nu.
Back-ups include Yardley Sandalwood (my signature about 20 years ago although I never managed to quite drain the 120ml bottle), Rochas Absolu, L’artisan Seville a l’aube (because they threatened it being ltd ed).
It is so much harder to empty a bottle now, isn’t it? 🙂
So I’ve been in a perfume mania phase for a year now but I’ve only repurchased in my pre perfume loving days and I have to say it was Coco Madamoiselle and Belle Opium. And I know how much perfume loving people hate these two! I can’t imagine I’m ever going to get through any of my bottles now – not even the 30ml ones. I’ve started to sell my non loved bottles on ebay already so I can only get my true loves now – and mostly they happen to be expensive so I’m pacing myself now after the frenetic beginnings and waiting longer to see if I really love it or if it’s just a passing phase. Loved reading how others buy back ups – I’m not sure I’ll get to that point (but never say never)!
Never say never indeed. One never knows with this perfume thing. 😉
The frenzy of the beginning is great but one is left with a lot of bottles… 😉
Back when I was loyal to one fragrance at a time (ah, that perfume monogamy is long gone), I went through several bottles of Acqua di Parma Colonia, Kiehl’s Original Musk, and Molecule 01. Now that the collection has grown and I am much more promiscuous in my fragrance wearing, I have only purchased one back up bottle of Indult’s Tihota. I must have it with me!
Tihota seems to have massive addictive properties…. 🙂