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Saturday Question: Are Your Family And Friends Supportive Of Your Perfume Hobby?

The question is inspired by our holiday that traditionally is celebrated with friends and family.

Saturday Question on Undina's Looking Glass

Saturday Question #92:

Are Your Family And Friends Supportive Of Your Perfume Hobby?

Do they know about it? Do they notice that you wear different perfumes? Do they consider you an expert and ask advice? Do they criticize you? Do they share your love to perfume?

My Answer

My vSO completely supports my hobby: he doesn’t object not only to me buying or wearing perfumes but also getting perfumes for him. And while he is not really into perfume, he usually patiently waits while I’m sniffing my way through perfume counters and perfumeries. And he “knows” many of you – even if we’ve never met in real life.

Since all my relatives wear perfumes, nobody finds it too strange that I like perfumes, write about them and collect them. But for all of them perfumes are just accessories or personal care items – how often do you discuss a toothpaste with your sister?

My friends know about my hobby, and a couple of them even read this blog from time to time. But most of them have little or no interest in perfumes. Well, at least nobody admits to hating my perfumes (and some even compliment me from time to time).

 

Are Your Family And Friends Supportive Of Your Perfume Hobby?

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46 thoughts on “Saturday Question: Are Your Family And Friends Supportive Of Your Perfume Hobby?”

  1. My sister-in-law is up to 3 perfumes (from 2 a year ago); she’s a “signature scent” person. My husband thinks my perfume obsession is a little weird, but he’s always telling people about my IG, so not TOO weird. My son (almost 18) lets me buy him fragrance and even went with me to Sephora a couple of years back to pick something for himself (I told him I wouldn’t buy him Axe body spray). He seems to enjoy wearing it and will try the samples I give him. None of my friends is into perfume but often compliment me on how I smell. The social aspect of my hobby revolves almost entirely around my virtual “friends”.

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    • 50% increase for a signature-perfume-person is a significant accomplishment! :) Keep working!

      Your IG project is admirable! I enjoy following it a lot, and I’m not surprised your husband is proud with you.

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  2. My DH knows about my perfume collection, he’s contributed a few bottles & as it is my money I use he does not interfere or comment. His hobby is classic cars & far more expensive.
    Some friends know, only one has ever commented. That comment was only that she couldn’t believe how different the same scent smells on each of us. My spicy leathers smell like a farm on her. Her pretty fruity or floral scent smell of pure sickly sugar on me.

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    • Compared to classic cars, most hobbies seem not that extravagant :)
      Perfume bottles should photograph nicely against different parts of a classic car… Just saying.

      That friend sounds promising: you could find some fruity or floral leather and get her to try – strictly for scientific purposes ;)

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  3. Most are supportive. Some think it’s strange. Others are intrigued. So it runs the full gamut. The only time my husband balks is when I buy something that’s uber expensive. But that’s maybe once a year. And I also have trepidations about spending too much too.

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    • I think that with a large collection it makes more sense to buy less and more expensive perfumes: not because expensive perfumes are necessary good, but rather because good perfume that is expensive has to be really good to justify joining a large collection.

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  5. My husband is very supportive, although he doesn’t get into it himself. On our trip to France, I only realized after the fact how patient he was as I basically made it all about perfume stores and even had to go to Grasse! My daughters think it’s kind of cool, although they have minimal interest in perfume themselves. A couple of my friends think it is a fun hobby and ask me for scent advice, but one good friend thinks it is very weird and frivolous.

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  6. My family knows of it ( naturally, because they benefit from raiding my basement) A few close friends of mine I met in the perfume world so they definitely support as I support them.

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  7. My husband fully supports my hobby and has bought me many bottles. My parents think it’s excessive but essentially harmless. Most of my friends think it’s cool and enjoy sniffing my different scents. I haven’t had any extremely negative reactions.

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  8. Happily, I have made a few local perfume friends so we can chat for ages about Our Favourite Topic. Most of my other friends are mainly tolerant: several times I have gone with them to pick a nice, non-drugstore perfume, which they like, but don’t buy any more and don’t always even remember to wear their one selection.

    One friend from my home town, though, has since become a perfume fan, which has been very fun. Finally, a couple of years ago a colleague and I were sitting next to each other and realized we were both wearing nice perfume! All those years and we’d never known, since we normally wear our perfumes at stealth levels. Let’s just say our workplace is *not* a perfume friendly place, but now we meet outside of work to sniff away at local stores.

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    • I’m almost envious! “Almost” – because I don’t have too much time in RL to spend on my hobby, though, I wouldn’t mind to live closer to at least a couple of my online perfume friends.

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  9. My answer is almost identical to your first paragraph, except that I don’t get my other half perfume because he wouldn’t wear it. However, he has gotten more interested in sniffing whatever I’m sniffing, be it a material or a perfume. Most friends and family are far away so they’re not affected by my perfume; a few will ask me general questions about perfume from time to time. No negative reactions because it’s not under anyone’s noses, so to speak.

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    • To tell you the truth, my vSO wears those perfumes that I get for him only if I apply them :) I don’t know he would have remembered to do it on his own… Actually, I’m not sure he has ever done it himself. But he allows me to perfume him. He participates though in choosing perfumes: he does have an opinion on whether he likes the scent or not, so I don’t get him anything he didn’t like.

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  10. My husband is totally supportive and has surprised me with some expensive bottles he picked out himself — and he knows my taste well, because I have loved all of those! He will go fragrance shopping with me when we travel, and he finds European perfumeries very interesting (it helps that they are usually in interesting locations and give us a reason to go to those locales — “perfume tourism”!). In fact, he urges me on when I’m hesitating over a pricey purchase! He even reads my blog once in a while.

    My kids are supportive generally; they will comment on a scent they like when I wear it and they have all asked me to help them choose scents for themselves. One daughter will happily engage in perfume tourism and sampling with me. Overall, they’re not that interested but they indulge me.

    A couple of my very close friends know about my fragrance hobby but it’s not a big topic when we get together — there’s so much else to discuss! And a couple of colleagues know, and have even given me some lovely scented candles. I haven’t had any negative reactions, at least not to my face!

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  11. My husband supports my hobby as long as I don’t go too crazy buying new perfumes. He enjoys smelling the perfumes and samples and he loves the Terre d’Hermes I bought for him. It’s his signature scent now and he can’t be without it.

    My daughter in law enjoys sniffing new perfumes with me, but I haven’t gotten her into niche perfumes. She thinks they are too expensive. I was hoping she would love Neela Vermeire’s creations after I bought her a nice sample set of Neela’s perfumes, but it was not to be.

    My best friend loves perfumes like I do and I have gifted her some nice perfumes over the years. She has a lovely collection now and is branching out on her own in discovering new fragrances. Other friends are not into perfumes at all, but they always tell me I smell nice, so that’s good enough for me.

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    • Terre d’Hermes is my (and my vSO’s) most favorite perfume as well!

      My best friend also likes perfumes, but she lives half-World away, so we don’t get too many chances to discuss this topic (and, unfortunately, she doesn’t read English).

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  12. None of my family or friends (outside of those online) have any interest in my perfume hobby or even scents in general, it seems. I would call my husband ‘tolerant’ of my collecting. He never comments on what I am wearing nor has remarked on the vast quantity of bottles that have overtaken my closet. He once purchased a bottle of Wings for me 30+ years ago–but now prefers to gift jewelry, so I am not complaining! A month ago he installed additional shelving for the latest acquisitions at my request. We both realize that my collection has reached its reasonable limit.

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    • Silent support isn’t a bad thing.
      I’m running out of shelf space as well, but unfortunately there’s nowhere to expand – not unless I downsize in some other areas (good luck to me with that ;) ).

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  13. Hi Undina,
    Yeah, no problem here. Jin loves perfume too. Not as the mania I have but his fragrant wardrobe is well stocked with beauties.
    Some of my deadest friends are/became perfume nerds and we now have frag friends in so many corners of the world. We try and visit a few on every OS holiday.
    One day we hope to meet YOU Undina.
    Portia xx

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  14. A timely question for me, since only yesterday I was going to meet someone to pick up a bottle of vintage Magie Noire. Hubby and I were in our daughter’s house which is two hours away from us and this lady was half hour away from her. I was setting off early yesterday and my daughter was telling hubby what that particular bit of business was about. He really has no idea about the extent of my ‘problem’😆 He has never looked in my dresser drawers and wouldn’t pass much remarks anyway, he knows I love perfume and leaves me to my own devices.

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  15. Great question, Undina. The husband is supportive of my perfume interests and certainly enjoys access to my collection. We certainly differ when it comes to our perfume tastes. We are opposites when it comes to that. He’s supportive and goes along for the crazy perfume ride. Does he have a choice?

    Family, well there are a few perfume lovers but far and few between. I’m sure they just think the whole idea is odd, but some subscribe and enjoy by blog. They will ask for advise from time to time about perfume for special events, weddings and such.

    Friends seem to enjoy my “hobby” more. Many of them follow my blog, enjoy the stories, reviews and other information. Some are in the beauty industry. Others just find the whole idea interesting. It’s a very schizophrenic audience. Friends enjoy the perfumes I wear and often ask about what it is I’m wearing. Many of them have even explored their own interest, apparently initiated by yours truly. It’s a nice sharing experience.

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  16. Very mixed for me: my brother and SIL have got much more into niche fragrance thanks to me, also a few of my friends. Others remain wedded to their mainstream signature scents, and seem bemused by the variety I crave.

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    • Ha! Most of my friends and people I know do not use any perfumes, niche or mainstream. So, your surroundings seem more progressive in that respect. And with how outgoing you are, I’m surprised you haven’t “converted” even more of your friends :)

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  17. Late to the party! Other than my older sister and my 2 nieces, no one had expressed interest in perfumes and some are even critical but eh, it’s my life and I will accommodate when I can and I can, for the most part. I do try to wear the perfume way ahead of time so by the time I meet with them, it would have mostly dissipated.

    As a side note: I am excited to be doing the Perfume Advent Calendar and also opening my other calendars. The Chanel has to wait until the 5th as it is more of a countdown to New Year.

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