I’m running late this week, so it’s more like a Sunday Question, but I decided to keep the title.
Saturday Question #174:
How Many Chances do You Give Perfumes You didn’t Like?
If you have a sample in your possession, tried it and didn’t like – what do you do? Do you try it again? How many times? What do you do with those samples after that?
My Answer
I’m a sample hoarder. Which wouldn’t have been that bad on its own since most of my samples are tiny (so, I don’t waste too much of perfumes), but unfortunately, I keep testing them again and again. There are two scenarios, and I don’t even know which one is more frustrating.
In some cases, I can’t believe that I didn’t like that perfume (on the previous dozen of occasions!) and think that maybe this time… But even more often I just don’t remember what I thought about that sample and instead of checking my database (as any sane person would do), I decide to try it again. Only recently, I started setting aside those samples that I decided I shouldn’t test any longer – if I don’t forget, of course. I need to learn to be more ruthless and save my testing time for those perfumes that have any potential either for wearing or at least for becoming a part of a story.
How about you?
Undina's Looking Glass 
I hoard samples too. But, it’s cheaper than blind buying full bottles I suppose. I usually give things 3 or 4 wearings in various conditions (different weather/occasions/seasons etc) before deciding.
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Blind buying bottles is out of question for me: there are not that many decants of perfumes in my collection for which I would rather have a bottle – so chances with unsniffed purchases are even slimmer.
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I don’t hoard samples so maybe 1-2? Then I pass things on to family and friends. Even things that I really like I pass on so that someone else has the opportunity to enjoy and engage with me in a conversation about what they liked or didn’t like about it.
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With your perfume-eating skin, I’m surprised that after 1-2 times of testing there’s anything left in those samples whether you liked them or not :)
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If I didn’t like it on first try, it becomes “clutter” and I use it up as quickly as possible (overspraying for one or two days) as I don’t really have a suitable way to pass it on to someone else.
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It’s interesting that you’re using up those samples that you didn’t like: I can hardly find time to use those that I liked!
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I use up the ones I like as well, but more sparingly to make them last longer. 😉
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If I don’t like it the first time it gets sold or gifted to someone who might like it.
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You’re so decisive! I almost envy you :)
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I may miss some things by not giving them a second chance, but I shave too many perfumes already 😜
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Meant “have” 😂
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I do hoard samples, but I tend to make instant decisions on some and immediately put them in the giveaway pile. If I think it’s ok or sort of nice, I’ll keep it around to try again. Unfortunately I don’t have a system for taking notes on them. So when I have an impulse to clear things out I have no memory of my thoughts and have to sniff again. At that point I usually make another instant decision, if the answer is meh out it goes. Not very systematic.
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After this post, I started putting away samples that I didn’t like after testing it at least twice by that time. We’ll see how it goes.
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If only I could stop hoarding samples & restart the Thunk It project inspired by darling Portia.
I always give things a second or third chance. I’m fickle & might do a 180!
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Hey Alityke,
While I’m really glad to be emptying some long held samples and decants it’s a bittersweet process. The ones I really love that are only 2ml left in a 5 or 8ml decant make me so happy to wear them before they completely evaporate but at also means that for many I’ll never get the chance to smell them again.
Also annoying, when I throw on a whole ml of something in a little sample vial and realise it’s bloody amazing and it now goes on the To Buy List. HA!
Portia xx
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I see the irony in my persistence because I almost never change my mind from “dislike” to “want to wear.” I might rethink “meh” or “not sure,” but if something didn’t work the first time… And still I keep trying! :)
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Hey Undina
So many things I’ve tried and retried. One of the things that keeps me coming back is my full 180 on CK Contradiction woman. When I first smelled it I thought it was a mess but after a couple of retries it became this awesome space age frozen crystal rose. It’s now one of my faves. There have been others too.
Thing is though, with so many bottles here and many things only getting a spritz annually it’s stupid for me to keep all these undocumented decants and samples around here. They never even get looked at after the first go.
Portia x
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I know that not only I smelled Contradiction when it was released but I even had a sample of it. But I can’t remember how it smelled. I know that it wasn’t my favorite, and I didn’t consider buying it, but nothing more. Sometimes I wonder if I would have liked today those perfumes I didn’t like 20+ years ago if I were to smell them (in their original formulation).
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Depends on how much I want to understand/like it. :D I gave Shalimar a few tries before it hit me. Some perfumes I know instantly I will never be able to fall for as they don’t hit any of my likes.
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I’m still trying with Shalimar. And No 5. Still no :)
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I hoard samples from as far back as 15 years ago! I tell myself that I will get round to revisiting them some day, but that day never comes. I have no rule about how many times I test something: with me the samples just languish in purgatory waiting in vain for me to get a second wind. ;)
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15? Ha! I have some from my pre-perfumista times, probably 20 y.o.
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i dont have too many samples, but i save some for holidays to try. The ones i really dont like go to the giveaway pile. i mostly test two or three times, because some samples took time to become favorites after an initial dislike
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Why holidays? Do you not test when you work? Or is it because you want different settings to see how you’ll feel about those perfumes?
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I dont want to take more than 3 bottles with me, so i take some untested samples for trying out, less luggage!!!
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I’m quite generous in giving time to a perfume I didn’t initially like, dear Undina. That’s because I know sometimes I try a fragrance and I’m in a rush / bad mood / under the influence of other fragrances, so best to give it another chance or three.
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You’re such a generous man, Richard! :)
I know that our perception heavily depends on our environment, mood, etc. So, it makes sense to try more than once. But one has to stop at some point :) I’m working on defining that point.
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