Longevity of scents

Hi everybody!

As a "long-time lurker, first-time writer" I thought it might be a good idea to start a topic on a question that's been on my mind for quite a while now, and an answer is nowhere in sight. In fact, similar questions have been posted here over the months, but I didn't find any conclusive or satisfactory answers. So I think it would be quite worthwile to stir an old disucssion topic up again and see where we end up ...

I'm concerned about the longevity of scents and I'm really spending a lot of thought right now on how to store my bottles of olfactory delight. I'm in my late 20ies right now and have been a sucker for good scents since I was 12, and I've always had a small collection of different scents at all times, but haven't started to actually "hoard" the bottles until one or two years ago. You know the feeling when you just KNOW it's right to buy bottle after bottle after bottle and neither reason nor logical stop can bring a stop to this .

I've got a collection of about 60 scents right now and I really have no ambitions to "stop" there - so there will be one or the other bottle added to the collection over the months. I've just started reading a very interesting book on scents by a german parfumeur called Stephan Jellinek, which is pure gold (although I think it's only available in German language and may already be off the market). Jellinek states that scents actually only last about half a year in their "original" condition and formulae, as soon as they are unpacked and in use. HALF A YEAR! That really can't be true ... or can it?

I'm looking forward to some input from the people on the board who've been collection scents for a couple of years now and who would be willing to share some of their experience. What's your average "lifetime" of a scent, how long do they stay in mint condition? I'm really looking for PERSONAL experiences, like: Have you ever had a scent go bad? How long did it take to change?

Another question that may even be more interesting: HOW do you recognize that a scent has changed? Is it it's character, or do you notice a change in power?

I've stored my own scents in my livingroom so far in some sort of glass case - and I think I will definitely change that. Too much living room "cozy" heat, and too much light. What would be a good place to store a scent? Should I actually take them down to the cellar? Who actually uses a fridge for storing the bottles?

Lots of questions, but I guess really worthwile ones to think and write about. It would be sad to build up a collection of good scents and after two years have a lot of ... umh, smelly water .

Really looking forward to your input!

Olfaction

Hi Liquid,

thanks for the link! I've actually NOT read the FAQ, although I've read most of the longevity-topic message threads in there. There's already some nice info, if someone else would like to throw in their two cents now or has new insights (or: insmells : ?), that would be fantastic.

Hi Pigeon Murderer,

thanks for your welcome message and for your advise! After going over the other threads reg bottle longevity, there seem to be quite a few people opting FOR a cooler of freezer. Of course, it would be a bit more practical if you wouldn't have to use an extra cooler in the house just for the bottles ... Well, I've been thinking about maybe storing the bottles in the cellar where it's really a bit more cool ...

Hi folks,

thanks a lot for the input! I've just moved away from the idea of storing my frags in the cellar a bit, since my cellar is not connected to my appartment and I don't really feel like it's a good place to store my treasures. Maybe if I had my own house, yes - but not here.

I've moved my bottles this morning from the glass-cabinet to my bedroom closet. It's a bit cooler and dark there. And: I've tested a few scents that have been in my collection for a couple of years now.

• Herrera for Men (bought 6 years ago) - developed a very unpleasant "medicine-like" note. To be a bit more precise, it smells like Maggi! (Maggi is a liquid you use in Germany to spice up soups ...) Also very weak as opposed to the actual Herrera for Men, which sticks on your skin for quite a while
  
• Clinique Happy for Men (6 years) - OKish, although smells a bit weaker
  
• Laura Biagotti Tempore Uomo (3 years) - OKish ... different than it used to be, but not too unpleasant
  
• Laura Biagotti Roma Uomo (3 years) - OK
  
• Paco Rabanne Energy (10 years) - YUCK ! (the liquid is actually stored in a light-safe metal bottle and got glass)
  

Thinking about 2008 now gives me the creeps ;D. I really wouldn't mind giving the fridge at least a try since I have bought one a couple of months ago for my office and really don't need it except for a few bottles of juice and water. I would have to put the bottles in a seperate box though before putting them in the cooler so clients won't open the fridge and get a heart-attack from amazement :. Seriously - I COULD give that method a try. Although my fear is that storing them in a cooler might do more damage than probably storing them in the bedroom closet if you don't use the right temperature ...

Hey, do I sound like a freak or what? I sure am when it comes down to frags ... sometimes I wonder whether it's a passion or an obsession, and: I really couldn't care less ;D .