Somewhere between the last SQ post and this one, we quietly passed a three-year mark since this series moved to Undina’s Looking Glass. I’m glad that you still keep coming back to participate. And especially I’m pleased to see when the conversation goes beyond just exchanging a couple of comments with me, and you find each other’s comments engaging (particularly when I’m late with my replies, as it was in the last couple of weeks, about which I’m sorry but wanted to let you know that even when I don’t reply, I read your comments within several hours after you post them). But I promise I’ll try to be more present.
Saturday Question #155:
Do You Have Any Perfume Hacks?
It doesn’t have to be something significant or unheard of. But if there is something you find helpful for yourself – be that about wearing, storing or buying perfumes, making them last longer (or getting rid of the offensive scrubbers), anything else that some people might not know (or just don’t think of it) – please share.
Bonus question: What perfume are you wearing today?
My Answer
I suddenly had the urge to wear Neela Vermeire Creations Trayee. I think it’s an amazing perfume. And I wonder how much it has changed since its first release in 2012. Has anyone had a chance to smell it from the newer bottle in the last 2-3 years?
Now to hacks.
1. It applies mainly to decants and handmade samples, but I found it to be the case with some full bottles as well: if you haven’t used them for a long while (6 months+), before spraying perfume on yourself, do the “dry run” first – let the first 1-2 sprays to go into the air (away from you) or in a sink: I noticed that for whatever reason a portion of perfume that is left in the tube and the spraying mechanism spoils faster than the rest of the vial. So, if you “clear” the stale or rancid portion, the rest might still be good to wear.
2. This is more like observation and recommendation. If you like a newly released mainstream perfume and are considering buying it, try to do it within the first year of the release. It seems like companies reformulate their fragrances as soon as they become popular. If in the past we could blame IFRA for more and more limitations, these days, I think it’s all corporate greed and desire of the brands’ executives to report to “stakeholders” an extra percent of profit, which comes from cutting corners where possible hoping that nobody notices.
Undina's Looking Glass 
Something I said on alityke’s blog which is somewhat similar to your number two, strike while the iron is hot. There have been so many fragrances that I didn’t buy when they were initially heavily discounted and I have watched the prices soar to ten times the amount when they became harder to find. And not putting off buying something that you feel must be in your collection because one day it may not be for sale ( looking at you Cristalle EDT!!)
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Brigitte Cristalle EdT is on the UK website & is realised intermittently to those on the waiting list. I keep missing out as I don’t have notifications on my emails. I don’t know about the US/Ca though.
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On the US it’s completely out of stock. You can’t even waitlist. I’ve gone so far as called department stores only to be told it’s discontinued. I wonder why just in US?
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It is puzzling as to why it’s become so rare without warning.
Eau Premiere became an Airport only special. No22 became an Exclusif, here the sickly Cristalle EdP & sweet & less green Eau Verte are both available. It makes me wonder if Cristalle EdT has some ingredient that has become scarce. Must be one of the naturals.
I must admit when it became scarce I bought two back ups. I love her so much I couldn’t get my head round being without her. I’ve tried so many other astringent chypres & none quite hit the spot
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Yes. I was so mad at Chanel when they discontinued 22 and brought it back as an exclusive. I am wondering if that is the plan for Cristalle edt?
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It easily could be. It’s never been Chanel’s biggest seller & Cristalle would fit with the Exclusif line in style. If ever I ran out would I buy as an Exclusif? Yes
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And of course that would mean an increase in price lol
I would consider buying it too
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I lucked out a couple of years ago and was able to get a 200 ml bottle of 22 edt online for a very reasonable price. I don’t want ever to be without it, it was the first Chanel I ever bought for myself. I love it!
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It is a beauty!!
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Wait, Eau Premiere is now sold only in airports? Well, I guess I know what’s coming home with me from this trip!
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Strike while the iron is hot!!!
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I didn’t realize that either! Dear Chanel, we want to buy your fragrances, why are you making it so hard??
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In Europe yes, EP became airport only. It’s in the square bottle now, I almost missed it. I much prefer the tall bottles of the early release.
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It’s still on sale online , but I think it’s just the travel trio. You can double check.
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I looked at No 5 EP availability in the UK. It’s listed on the Chanel site in 50ml, 100ml & the travel trio. Notino UK have it but charge more than the Chanel site. That’s it.
I got mine at Tenerife South airport a few years ago when it came back in the square bottle rather than the tall bottle. Looks to definitely be limited distribution
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I’d really love to try the Cristalle edt, it sure gets a lot of love. I have the edp, and while I like it a lot I don’t love it wholeheartedly. I’m guessing it may have more radiance and greenness.
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The last time I wore EDT was eons ago but from what I remember definitely crisp and green.
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Cristalle edp is much sweeter & fruitier than the edt. A completely different perfume to my nose.
The EdT is a very astringent citrus green chypre & completely unisex. It is austere, dry & haughty.
If you love the much missed Givenchy III then you’ll love Cristalle EdT.
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Right so, the hunt is on!
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I await my enabler badge
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I feel certain that you will get it 😺
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I always thought I would buy Cristalle one day… Oh, well…
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The EdP is & Eau Verte are still around. Just not the fabulously gorgeous EdT
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Oh my goodness – you are saying exactly what I have been thinking, that manufacturers change formulas exceedingly quickly after launching a new perfume and it’s nothing to do with regulations/restrictions, but totally about hooking the customers then presenting a cheaper version to maximise profits. So mean and dishonest.
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It reminds me a drug dealer behavior (based on multiple TV shows, mind you): the first time they provide to new customers they’re best stuff to hook them up. And later sell, for the same price, drugs cut with all kind of sh*t – useless at best and dangerous at worst.
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Absolutely!
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I agree about No 2. It’s all about greed
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Sigh about #2. I can’t think of any perfume hacks. I guess a more obscure way to smell more facets of a perfume is to stretch the skin on which you’ve sprayed perfume earlier. That is weirdly how I fell in love with Osmanthus Interdite by Parfum d’Empire one summer day.
Now Sunday, today I’m wearing Montabaco by Ormonde Jayne.
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Stretching one’s skin is an interesting idea. I will try it out!
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Greed, such an ugly quality in both business & people. Catfishing equally so.
Unique perfume hacks? No I don’t believe so. Most of my ways of wearing scent are common. Perfuming scarves, spraying down my tops & shirts & applying unscented hand cream up to my elbows then applying my fragrance are three I do regularly but it seems most perfume lovers do.
I’m keen to find out what others do
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Hi alityke, someone mentioned you have your own perfume blog. May I ask where to find that?
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Hi Sebastian
There is little there at present. I registered it on WordPress 10 years ago but didn’t publish anything til two weeks ago.
It is alitykescents.Wordpress.com
Thank you for asking
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Sebastian, click on her name and it will take you there.
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I’m especially feel disappointed when greed kills something that used to be beautiful or well-made.
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No special hacks from me. I use a base or skin cream on skin before spraying perfume to make it last longer but we all know that trick.
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The worst example I can remember was when Estée Lauder “Rebranded” their well cared for classics, streamlined into identical bottles & cheapened the formulas. My beloved Azuree got fat & smelt greasy in her old age, Cinnebar lost her red hue. Worse of all they killed original Private Collection!
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Yes!!!! I remember those gorgeous classics!! Do you remember Aliage Sports Spray? I hear that one was neutered too.
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Yes! Very green & a cousin to the original Clinique Wrappings I seem to remember.
Those new bottles are so generic & meh. Cheaper but no longer lovely
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I loved Wrappings too
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Me too. I was so disappointed when I picked up the recent formulation at Dublin airport unsniffed (no tester). It smelt of water. Nothing. So sad
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I loved original Aliage, a strong green scent that was very invigorating. The current one is a pale shadow of its predecessor.
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I definitely agree with both of your hacks. Sometimes that first spray is off, but then it’s fine. For #2, it’s so disappointing because I am so far behind in sniffing new releases, I’m guessing that some are reformulated before I even get to them. I do keep all of my perfumes on trays on a double wide shelf in a dark closet, but most people here probably do that. I cringe when I see bottles out in front of a window or (gasp) in a bathroom!
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You would die because right now I have a bottle of Fenty in my bathroom 😂… but then again I tend to thunk a lot of full bottles and this one may be one of them.
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You know, after thinking for a while, I realized that there is absolutely nothing wrong with having one’s perfumes in the bathroom or even on a dresser that gets some sunlight. As long as it’s 1-2 bottles that the person owns and uses: perfumes will be gone long before they will go off.
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Agreed – for the average person who has one or two and wears regularly. But that doesn’t apply to me in any way, I am just about to thunk my very first bottle after years of wearing perfume every day. So mine would very likely be damaged by light, heat, humidity long before I could wear them!
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I agree with you, I wasn’t arguing – just shared a random thought :)
My perfumes are stored in original boxes, inside the dark walk-in closet and covered by a curtain :)
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You know, there’s a vast gulf between the average consumer with 1-2 bottles and those of us here 😂😂😂
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I completely agree with both your points. At this point if I want something, I buy it immediately, and if it’s big love, I buy two. You can always sell off the excess later but if you miss out it may be unavailable, twice as expensive or ruined later. Still kicking myself for not buying the original release of SL De Profundis as I dislike the reformulation. I’ve also stopped buying and making decants as they go off so quickly. Teflon tape around the threads can help but there is no sure guarantee against spoilage. Also, keep your fancy scented lotions and creams in the fridge, they will last for years that way without going off.
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I don’t do that. When it’s gone, it’s gone. There is always so much new (and old) to discover, I don’t want to burden myself with any excess or backup bottles. On the contrary, I love it when there is a travel-size option so I don’t have to buy a full bottle, no matter how lovely I find the perfume.
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I don’t do that. When it’s gone, it’s gone. There is always so much new (and old) to discover, I do not want to burden myself with any excess or backup bottles, no matter how lovely I find the perfume.
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I agree about decants: even if they don’t evaporate, they tend to spoil sooner than a real bottle.
I rarely buy backups (I have a few – but those are my HG perfumes that I know I wouldn’t want to be without). But the first bottle should get in my collection as soon as possible, if I plan to have it at all.
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I have recently discovered your first hack, and am kicking myself for not doing so sooner. I feel sure I must have thrown away many decants thinking the whole contents were spoiled.
I would like to hear a hack about stopping Travalos from evaporating, if anyone has one!
I am wearing Vangelis by Sylvaine Delacourte.
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Maybe Parafilm around the nozzle can help prevent evaporation? It would look a bit ugly, but… can’t have everything!
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I am not sure, although this is sometimes recommended. Parafilm is permeable to gases, is it not?
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I have a hack for you: don’t use Travalos ;)
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What a great question! If testing out a fragrance, I never spray it on my wrist. Wrists come into contact with so many surfaces throughout the day that I prefer a less “heavy-traffic” patch of skin to try a new fragrance. The back of the hand is ideal!
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Oh ,D, that’s a great tip!!! I am always testing on my wrist!
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Thanks! It’s easier to smell it too. No more twisting your wrist up.
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I spray upon my lower arm, just above the hand-joint. I wash my hands far too frequently during the day for the back of may hand to be useful.
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That’s a good place too!
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I do the same!!! At least on those days when I work with computer.
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Oh wow! I always thought that it’s my mind that the perfume changes after a while after it’s out and I forget how it originally smelled (or my nose changed), but your point 2. totally makes sense!
I don’t have any hacks now I think of that. I use perfume as bed perfume as well when I change the bedding, but that’s not a hack, it’s more additional perfume use. :)
One thing I also like to do, which again is not a hack, but I love it. I buy a perfume from a niche perfumery whenever I visit a new city (that has such a perfumery).
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I also try to buy perfumes when I travel: it’s a great souvenir to remind about great time I had there.
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I don’t have any hacks, but if anyone had a hack that would prevent me buying any more perfume I’d love to hear it☺️ I totally agree with your point on reformulations, downright greed, there’s no other explanation. Sometimes it seems as if these companies are gaslighting us, we as consumers should not reward their bad behavior.
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Shop in your basement like I do. My guess is whatever you are craving you probably already have in your collection 😂
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First I’ll have to dig out a basement 😉 There’s absolutely nothing I need to smell anymore but I’m just cracked and can’t help myself. 2 bottles last week and another one today. Please send help!
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Ahaha!! You are making up for my lack of buying
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Do you go through dry spells of not buying though? If so, the binges are less of a problem
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Yes, I have a sharp word with myself every now and then but I’ve been bad at listening lately.
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Why do you keep buying perfumes? Do you find something that you immediately love and want to have? Or are those good deals you can’t pass on? Or are you afraid those won’t be available later? Or something else?
Do you wear perfumes that you bought last year? What about older ones?
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The answer to all your questions is yes. Most, but not all, are perfumes I’ve had a search registered for. Backups, discontinued or rare perfumes that I’m already familiar with. Newer ones that I’m lemming and the price is just too good to ignore. The only one I’ve paid full retail for recently is Shalimar Millésime Tonka. My collection is mostly packed away in boxes since moving house as I don’t have anywhere to put them and occasionally I’ll switch out a few bottles for the newer ones as there are always things I’m missing. Problem is that they’re in four big boxes and I can’t remember which box is which. Should write on the box really. Now there’s a big idea I just had😀
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My perfumes are also packed in boxes. Those collapsable cardboard ones with the stud fastening. They have nice designs on them. Some with Art Deco Ladies. I have written a list of all the perfumes in each box and then placed the list inside the box.
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Mine are big cardboard boxes inside the big clear plastic boxes on wheels. Quite heavy to move. But I will do a contents list and stick it outside.
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And a massive thank you, Undina, you have kept this ship afloat for three years and continue to offer us new horizons. Bravo.
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Thank you, cassieflower! I’m happy to see all of you around.
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Hacks, well, I guess this doesn’t qualify as a hack, but I’ve noticed that perfume lasts less well on dry skin. So I sometimes apply a scentless oil before spraying. Also, I prefer not to spray extraits, but rather to dab them, because I feel an extrait “blooms” more nicely when you apply a higher concentration on a smaller area of skin. And powerhouse perfumes that you really don’t want too close to your nose can be applied to the hollow of your knee, or your ankles.
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I keep telling (not that anyone is listening ;) ) that extraits are better dabbed than sprayed!
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