Corina I really love the toy box analogy for perfume collecting. It makes sense. I’m a vintage collector, particularly of my childhood era frags -so for me it’s a bit of collecting memories. Even if it’s a perfume I’ve not smelled before, each decade has a discernible popular style or notes (that have fallen out of fashion) which take you back. Your comparison makes me think of trinket boxes. Back in the day most kids had an old cigar or similar box that they kept interesting odds and ends inside. Rather than actual toys, the box had random found objects, shiny things and little bits of memorabilia. These were things for which there may be a sentimental attachment or an unexplainable fascination in some mundane object which may look like trash to another …a feather, a marble, movie tickets, an old ornate handle or bottle cap you found laying around, a shiny stone a friend gave you. I suppose that’s what perfume collecting feels like to me.
I view myself as a collector as well. A therapist said if you interact with the collection and respect it by displaying it or treating it as a treasure then it meets the definition of collecting. Hoarders tend to neglect their items, toss them to the side, and even forget they own them.
My top spend for any fragrance is $50 and not a penny more, not matter how much I want it. It's good to set boundaries. I'm very content with my spend threshold. This year I'm aiming to put myself in a budget of $50 a month for perfume.
I have the same $50 rule as money is currently tight right now, but thankfully you can get fragrances on sale! $50 can easily get you a $100+ fragrance that's on clearance. I don't blind buy at the high side of $50 though - I get samples and test them before I spend $50.
I love the toy box comparison! Please don't be embarrassed in the slightest, I relate entirely, and also feel like it's an dopaminergic process. There's something deeply cathartic about it all aside from merely the soothing nature of smelling lovely things...and this analogy nails it.
I really appreciate this video. We all have different reasons for collecting and having an ever growing or changing collection doesn't necessarily mean addiction or something problematic. Sure, things can and do get out of hand for some. But that can happen anything. Yet I can't get on board with the notion that we should shame people for having "too many" fragrances when we don't know their lives, finances, and frankly it isn't our business. That all said, did I put myself on a no-buy for the rest of the month? Yes. Not because of addiction fears but because fragrance has only recently moved into true hobby mode for me. So while it is very fun I also can easily hyper-fixate and then burnout. Something I found I was starting to do with the influx of new-to-me perfumes as many on my longstanding to-try list are rather inexpensive. So with shifting my fun-money to get them I was starting to feel a bit overwhelmed by sheer quantity of things to try out. Thus I hit the pause button. Which I think is my biggest key to avoiding issues. Just check in with yourself and be mindful of not only what you can afford but what you should afford. That's always what works for me. Yes, I *could* buy more this month and be fine but should I? Again in my case, best to slow my roll lol. Oh and there I go with a proper ramble... Well anyway, thanks for another great video lol!
I was thinking about your video and wanted to add that I actually get more excited about inexpensive finds or when I score deals than my expensive purfumes -not because I saved money so much as I feel like I got away with something 😂 . I know I can indulge with abandon. That thrill and satisfaction aspect sometimes makes cheapies feel more treasured for me.
I'm a collector. I'm also extremely curious. I'm horrible about blind buying. I'll research them but if I'm curious enough I'll buy it. Even if i knew it wasn't likely my jam. Ouds are fascinating right now. I want to learn all the kinds of ouds. I don't consider things a fail if i got what I wanted out of it. I bought Carachel Noa even though I knew it was likely not my style. ( Soapy ) I'd be wanting to try it for years. I got what I wanted, so it wasn't a fail. You've influenced me! I'm waiting on the revlon amber sandalwood, shakira elixer and katy perry indi.
I enjoy watching your videos. I loved seeing Halston and hearing you talk about it. It was my signature scent in the 1080s. I still have a bottle of it, for nostalgia sake. I also loved Chanel No. 19 way back before it was reformulated. And I have the dregs of my last bottle of Gucci Envy, long discontinued, unfortunately. . I guess I love a green note and a well done chypre perfume. As for my perfume buying, I rarely buy a full bottle. I buy lots of samples, a few travel sizes, and occasionally buy a bottle from a grey market site. I last purchased 5 samples from a company that sells niche fragrances. I'm trying to find a vanilla perfume that doesn't smell sickly sweet, peppery, or smokey and a cacao perfume that's not a gourmand. I will test samples until I find exactly what I want.
Same. I spent a year trying fragrances, samples and lucky 5ml decant blind buys. I look at my collection now and while I love every single one of them I am a bit confused as to how I ended up with so many 😂
Can confirm the ADHD penchant for going down a rabbit hole is a real factor in fragrance collecting 😂. Most perfumistas I know, including myself, have the same issue.
@MyPerfumeMap My meaning is it's a bit surrealistic; mallards aren't associated with fragrance to any particular degree - at least not in my experience. Though I could be wrong....
Do you remember the deep green shampoo from years ago called Herbal Essence? So good and kept the scent for a while once dried. The brand and name are still available in grocery stores etc. but it’s not the green one it’s more pink and maybe a very light green. In other words, like most every other shampoo and a totally different scent.
I have expencive, cheap, old and new fragrances. I mainly buy them for s a certain function or simply out of curiosity. I don’t see myself as a collector but i want a few different ones for different weathers and situations and i do get intrigued by fragrances now and again. 🌹
The way that I get my Chanel discount is timing the Macy’s friends and family sale (15% off, and Chanel is included if you go in store and ask and *sometimes* also online with the discount code, like last time) with the RetailMeNot 15% Macy’s cash back with my 1.5% cash back on my credit card. 😂 The Les Exclusifs and Les Eaux on the other hand? Good luck. 🥲
I'm trying to stick to no buy 2025 but it's hard with so many good samples I already possess and wanting to live in these scent bubbles for longer than a few sprays can afford. My current limit is no more than $20 for a full bottle and/or decant and no more than $50 for the month (and nice to see I'm not alone in this endeavor from the comments!) But of course I'm not buying now because I'm trying to contribute to the family funds... But if people want to gift me things or I find some cash in the cushions then who am I to argue?
I am doing the the exact same thing, but I can't get Chanel No. 5 for under $50, no matter where I look. I got my Choco de Cardin today on your recommendation. You know, it doesn't smell like tobacco or smells woody to me - it has a dry, lemony singular green scent, like Eden, by Cacharel (GREAT affordable perfumery with several iconic fragrances, like Eden, Lou Lou (one of the best buys I've ever made @ $18) and Noa. They ALL smell like high quality French perfume). Choco smells VERY similar to Eden, only much drier and with its own singular, green, lemon note - VERY green. EDIT: The dry-down gets less lemony, and more herbal. I wished it had more woody and tobacco notes. I think I prefer Eden! which is a bit sweeter, and more complex. I guess that means one thing for Choco - it's layering time!
Corina I really love the toy box analogy for perfume collecting. It makes sense. I’m a vintage collector, particularly of my childhood era frags -so for me it’s a bit of collecting memories. Even if it’s a perfume I’ve not smelled before, each decade has a discernible popular style or notes (that have fallen out of fashion) which take you back.
Your comparison makes me think of trinket boxes. Back in the day most kids had an old cigar or similar box that they kept interesting odds and ends inside. Rather than actual toys, the box had random found objects, shiny things and little bits of memorabilia. These were things for which there may be a sentimental attachment or an unexplainable fascination in some mundane object which may look like trash to another …a feather, a marble, movie tickets, an old ornate handle or bottle cap you found laying around, a shiny stone a friend gave you.
I suppose that’s what perfume collecting feels like to me.
I view myself as a collector as well. A therapist said if you interact with the collection and respect it by displaying it or treating it as a treasure then it meets the definition of collecting. Hoarders tend to neglect their items, toss them to the side, and even forget they own them.
Very interesting! Thanks for this!
My top spend for any fragrance is $50 and not a penny more, not matter how much I want it. It's good to set boundaries. I'm very content with my spend threshold. This year I'm aiming to put myself in a budget of $50 a month for perfume.
I have the same $50 rule as money is currently tight right now, but thankfully you can get fragrances on sale! $50 can easily get you a $100+ fragrance that's on clearance. I don't blind buy at the high side of $50 though - I get samples and test them before I spend $50.
I love the toy box comparison! Please don't be embarrassed in the slightest, I relate entirely, and also feel like it's an dopaminergic process. There's something deeply cathartic about it all aside from merely the soothing nature of smelling lovely things...and this analogy nails it.
This!
I really appreciate this video. We all have different reasons for collecting and having an ever growing or changing collection doesn't necessarily mean addiction or something problematic. Sure, things can and do get out of hand for some. But that can happen anything. Yet I can't get on board with the notion that we should shame people for having "too many" fragrances when we don't know their lives, finances, and frankly it isn't our business.
That all said, did I put myself on a no-buy for the rest of the month? Yes. Not because of addiction fears but because fragrance has only recently moved into true hobby mode for me. So while it is very fun I also can easily hyper-fixate and then burnout. Something I found I was starting to do with the influx of new-to-me perfumes as many on my longstanding to-try list are rather inexpensive. So with shifting my fun-money to get them I was starting to feel a bit overwhelmed by sheer quantity of things to try out. Thus I hit the pause button.
Which I think is my biggest key to avoiding issues. Just check in with yourself and be mindful of not only what you can afford but what you should afford. That's always what works for me. Yes, I *could* buy more this month and be fine but should I? Again in my case, best to slow my roll lol.
Oh and there I go with a proper ramble...
Well anyway, thanks for another great video lol!
Totally understand the hobby burnout threat. I may have a closet full of yarn dyeing supplies from a past passion.
Thanks for sharing your perspective 😀...I love your videos!
Thank you!
I was thinking about your video and wanted to add that I actually get more excited about inexpensive finds or when I score deals than my expensive purfumes -not because I saved money so much as I feel like I got away with something 😂 . I know I can indulge with abandon. That thrill and satisfaction aspect sometimes makes cheapies feel more treasured for me.
Definitely. I get a thrill from a good deal.
I'm a collector. I'm also extremely curious. I'm horrible about blind buying. I'll research them but if I'm curious enough I'll buy it. Even if i knew it wasn't likely my jam. Ouds are fascinating right now. I want to learn all the kinds of ouds. I don't consider things a fail if i got what I wanted out of it. I bought Carachel Noa even though I knew it was likely not my style. ( Soapy ) I'd be wanting to try it for years. I got what I wanted, so it wasn't a fail.
You've influenced me! I'm waiting on the revlon amber sandalwood, shakira elixer and katy perry indi.
I’m a blind buyer also ❤
@Indecencealicia it's an adventure!
I'm on an Oud Journey as well. I'm enjoying it.
@@Deee_Butterflyyy it's such a fascinating component!
I enjoy watching your videos. I loved seeing Halston and hearing you talk about it. It was my signature scent in the 1080s. I still have a bottle of it, for nostalgia sake. I also loved Chanel No. 19 way back before it was reformulated. And I have the dregs of my last bottle of Gucci Envy, long discontinued, unfortunately. . I guess I love a green note and a well done chypre perfume. As for my perfume buying, I rarely buy a full bottle. I buy lots of samples, a few travel sizes, and occasionally buy a bottle from a grey market site. I last purchased 5 samples from a company that sells niche fragrances. I'm trying to find a vanilla perfume that doesn't smell sickly sweet, peppery, or smokey and a cacao perfume that's not a gourmand. I will test samples until I find exactly what I want.
I would love a collection video 👏
I want to do one after I find my dream hutch/ cabinet/ shelf
Not weird at all! Adults need toys too!
I am not "addicted " per se, but I DO have ADHD, and end up going down rabbit holes deep, lol. Fragrances have me in a chokehold right now.
Same. I spent a year trying fragrances, samples and lucky 5ml decant blind buys. I look at my collection now and while I love every single one of them I am a bit confused as to how I ended up with so many 😂
Can confirm the ADHD penchant for going down a rabbit hole is a real factor in fragrance collecting 😂. Most perfumistas I know, including myself, have the same issue.
I'm wearing Fancy now. It's good.
I have always collected things. Currently it’s perfume. It makes me happy.
Me too
Me too. It's been awhile but this hobby has captured my interest like no other
I like the mallard decoy, it adds a nice Magritte like element to your perfume display.
I need to look up Magritte
@MyPerfumeMap My meaning is it's a bit surrealistic; mallards aren't associated with fragrance to any particular degree - at least not in my experience. Though I could be wrong....
I love Halston!
Do you remember the deep green shampoo from years ago called Herbal Essence? So good and kept the scent for a while once dried. The brand and name are still available in grocery stores etc. but it’s not the green one it’s more pink and maybe a very light green. In other words, like most every other shampoo and a totally different scent.
Yes I do!
I love the story of your perfume trunk. It makes me want one.
I have expencive, cheap, old and new fragrances.
I mainly buy them for s a certain function or simply out of curiosity.
I don’t see myself as a collector but i want a few different ones for different weathers and situations and i do get intrigued by fragrances now and again. 🌹
Thanks for sharing your perfumes 🙌🏽🙌🏽🤩
Why did I laugh so hard when you named the Khloe fragrance UNBREAKABLE LOVE & then made that follow up statement 😂😂😂
Thank you for sharing!
I love your channel ❤
I love ambery vetiver, never smelled the byredo but dont feel like i have to since the dossier is sooo good
It’s great
I have No 5 EDT, EDP, Eau Première, and L’Eau, and I think that the EDT is my favorite.
The way that I get my Chanel discount is timing the Macy’s friends and family sale (15% off, and Chanel is included if you go in store and ask and *sometimes* also online with the discount code, like last time) with the RetailMeNot 15% Macy’s cash back with my 1.5% cash back on my credit card. 😂 The Les Exclusifs and Les Eaux on the other hand? Good luck. 🥲
Lol, no you shouldn't feel embarrassed! Adults need to play too!! And I love the idea of your perfume/toy chest!
great video!
I buy a bottle until I finish it. I reallly want to try Arabic perfumes I heard they’re very affordable
I'm trying to stick to no buy 2025 but it's hard with so many good samples I already possess and wanting to live in these scent bubbles for longer than a few sprays can afford. My current limit is no more than $20 for a full bottle and/or decant and no more than $50 for the month (and nice to see I'm not alone in this endeavor from the comments!) But of course I'm not buying now because I'm trying to contribute to the family funds... But if people want to gift me things or I find some cash in the cushions then who am I to argue?
Thanks for sharing
Humans like to collect stuff! As for cost, a pack of ciggies is £15 :/ I don't drink or smoke, so my pennies go on perfume and art materials :D
Very solid point
💚
I like Fancy
I am doing the the exact same thing, but I can't get Chanel No. 5 for under $50, no matter where I look. I got my Choco de Cardin today on your recommendation. You know, it doesn't smell like tobacco or smells woody to me - it has a dry, lemony singular green scent, like Eden, by Cacharel (GREAT affordable perfumery with several iconic fragrances, like Eden, Lou Lou (one of the best buys I've ever made @ $18) and Noa. They ALL smell like high quality French perfume). Choco smells VERY similar to Eden, only much drier and with its own singular, green, lemon note - VERY green.
EDIT: The dry-down gets less lemony, and more herbal. I wished it had more woody and tobacco notes. I think I prefer Eden! which is a bit sweeter, and more complex. I guess that means one thing for Choco - it's layering time!
Eden is on my list