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Saturday Question: Do You Still Buy Perfumes?

I can’t believe it’s the last day of a Meteorological Spring already! Today was the hottest day (so far) this year – +88F/+31C, and I am already thinking about Fall. I know that we need summer (I love eating local fruits, and grapes for wines that we buy need at least some sun), but if it were for me, I would have been happy with a “jacket weather” all year long.

Saturday Question on Undina's Looking Glass

Saturday Question #266:

Do You Still Buy Perfumes?

Yes, we do not need more perfumes, and yes, most of us still have a wish list, even if it’s a small one. But have you actually spent any money on perfumes this year? Everything counts – bottles, decants and samples. As long as you paid for it.

What have you bought?

My Answer

Had I asked this question a week ago, my answer would have been “No.” I tried a number of newer perfumes at the local Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus, but haven’t pulled the trigger on any new bottles. I was tempted a couple of times by Luckyscent’s sample packs, but by the time I would see them advertised in their newsletters and get to the website, they would be sold out.

Last weekend, since Luckyscent was running the Memorial Day sale, I decided it was a good reason to buy some samples. Since it was a spur-of-the-moment purchase, I bought just 3 samples – the latest Puredistance perfume Divanche (it was the main reason for that purchase) and 2 Amouage perfumes, Guidance 46 (I like the original Guidance, so I am curious to try this extrait de parfum version) and their newest Reasons (I wanted to try others from the same launch, but Luckiscent was out of samples for them). I haven’t received them yet, but hopefully early next week they will be here.

Since I have some trips planned later this year, I will be testing more perfumes than I did in the last 3-4 years, so I might find something that I’ll want to add to my collection. But, in general, I’m currently on a very-slow-buy.

 

How about you?

Do You Still Buy Perfumes?

24 thoughts on “Saturday Question: Do You Still Buy Perfumes?”

    • With most of my samples purchases, I might like one out of ten new perfumes I try (if that). That’s why I don’t like spending money on samples of new perfumes I’ve never smelled before. I prefer buying samples of perfumes I tried at a store, liked and now try to decide whether I want it.

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  2. I feel jaded …. not really fancying perfumes, and not really even wearing them as much, which is quite shocking. Although I did just a few weeks ago buy three full bottles at the same time of fragrances by Parfums de Nicolai, as I was always a fan (I suppose I was feeling nostalgic) and these were a bargain. I don’t think it’s my perfume melancholy that makes me disappointed in them, but rather that they are very much diluted. So they will probably not get much use.

    That’s it.

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    • I also wear perfumes less :( It’s psychological, and I’m trying to change my current mindset, but something constantly interferes with my attempts to go back to regular use of perfumes.

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  3. I bought quite a few because I found out about a FB group for Canadians, where people sell decants, or full bottles. I know you Americans can use NST Swapmeet and things like that but most people won’t ship to Canada. So I bought tons-the Hermes Violet scent, Celine Cologne Celeste, FM Acne studios. I can’t try any of these in a store so this was my opportunity. And then I found out here was a sale at the Cosmetics Company store, so I did my Christmas shopping. There were 30 ml bottles of Rose Tonnerre, and all the Musc Ravageur you could want, for less than the price of the 10 ml size. Candles, too, so I bought those. And that’s my Christmas shopping almost done.

    It was a very long winter here and a cold grey spring. I want all the sunshine for months to come, and even though I just thought about Christmas I want to think about summer weather forever! This is the week everything blooms – so it’s all lilacs and crabapples, and my my backyard got taken over by lily of the valley. The smells is incredible and there’s a constant low humming of bees.

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      • I will wrap and send things early, so people can enjoy them :) And I work in a seasonal industry-things can get very busy depending on the weather. There are tons of groups looking for volunteers to help get Christmas baskets ready. And come on-who can resist 80 percent off, even in June :) I have champagne tase and beer budgets.

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  4. Hey Undina,

    Yeah, I still buy. Not nearly as ravenously as the early days when money was no object. Now the flow is much slower, as is the shopping. I spend most of my disposable income on travel and food.
    There have been a few purchases recently and I do love to buy decants and samples from Surrender To Chance. That keeps me abreast of many interesting things that would never come to Australia AND I get to enjoy them in my own time. Win Win.
    The really big ticket item was a bottle of Eshal, SWOON!
    Portia xx

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  5. My actions mirror yours, Undina. I also took advantage of Luckyscent’s Memorial Day coupon to order samples, and among them was the new Puredistance. (It’s the first year they didn’t send me a sample to review. Sad face. Although since my output is about two posts a year now, I can hardly blame them. I look forward to trying these. I have slowed down considerably on buying. My most recent buys have been ones I found a bargain at a discounter. That includes Narcisco Rodriguez Wild Tuberose (I love tuberose, nothing groundbreaking but very lovely), and Parfums Nicolai Macaron. Other than that, lots of samples. It’s embarrassing but I literally have so many bottles I have to think long and hard about adding to it. I miss the 2010 time period when everyone was aware of the new releases and there was tons of chatter on one new perfume, because there were so many fewer releases.

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  6. Well, I’ve kind of been on a very-slow-buy as well, and had also gotten burned out on sampling, so I’ve actually been wearing mostly the perfumes I already own this year. So far, I haven’t bought any more. The downside is having nothing new to write about. However, like you, I might do some perfume shopping while traveling later.

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  7. I’ve bought 3 fragrances this year, Guerlain Iris Pallida Extrait, a 30 ml bottle of Memo Paris Madurai and a 30 ml of Nicolai’s 2025 Muguet. The first two were purchased after much sampling to make sure I loved them. The muguet was more impulse, but the small Nicolai bottles are only about $65 and I like it. I’m still sampling, but I need to cut that out as most things I sample are disappointing or just OK.

    I do like Purdistance Divanche and I’m waiting for an Eshal sample. I will wear the samples many times before I decide whether to buy either of them. I’m also selling or consigning some fragrances in my collection that I no longer love. I try to keep my collection at around 100 bottles. If it gets larger, I feel overwhelmed and I don’t have time for enough wears of my loves.

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    • I like Madurai and own a small bottle. I didn’t know Nicolai had a Muguet! I need to find out more about that! I tried Eshal, and although I really like it and it is something, I’m not sure I see myself wearing it. I’d like to know what you think.

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  8. I’m still officially on a no buy but I did a three month reward as I documented of some samples on Saintecellier.com. Fell hard for Sentire x Sainte Cellier Stardust Narcissus & wonderful Brooke kindly sold me the bottle she had earmarked for herself. That was a very special gesture.
    I have had a long relationship with 4160 Tuesdays, going back to when Sarah was in the process of setting up. I have taken part in a number of their crowdfunded fragrances & joined in with Vianne’s Confession, which arrived last week. I joined in for two reasons, obviously to support an independant perfumer but also because Joanne Harris, the author, is from my home town & actually worked with Sarah in the studio. That’s my early June reward.
    Other than those I’ve swapped some samples with a couple of perfume pals.

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  9. Do I need more perfume? No, but we all know how it goes. Something new and exciting comes along that you absolutely adore. It might end up on your wish list, or it could be a limited-edition perfume that you can only get now or never. There are so many variables to consider.

    I also took advantage of the Lucky Scent Memorial Day promotion and added Azalai and Pine by Stora Skuggan to my collection. These two perfumes were on my wish list, and the promotion provided an additional incentive to purchase them. In addition to these purchases, I also bought a few vintage perfumes from Jean Patou and Perry Ellis. These perfumes were my “now or never” examples.

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  10. I have been sticking to my very low buy year-to-date and so far so good. Do I need more perfumes? You can ask the 200 people who will have at least 10 or more years of using up my perfume collection. I find it really really difficult to rehome part of my collection. I’m at zero percent success as of right now.

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  11. Pingback: Bergamot to rule them all (White for Her by Emporio Armani) – Nose Prose

  12. i bought 3 bottles, a dc scent of the Schlossparfümerie, a great modern chypre called Pour la Belle, that i found om ebay and 2 discounted bottles of Court of Ravens and Oakmossery, both by 4160Tuesdays. no regrets at all

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