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Where to store Perfume Collection?

post #1 of 16
1/10/08 at 7:31pm
Thread Starter 
My oldest perfume is Armani Mania from about 3 years ago, and it's only now that I've really started collecting more bottles. I'm up to about 12 bottles ranging from 30mL to 100mL size.

My question is.... what's the best way to store perfume collections? I've never kept them in a cool dark place, but I've also never stored them in a place in direct sunlight by any means. Currently they are stored at room temperature on a shelf in my bedroom. The shelf is never in direct sunlight, but it is also not dark. I cannot store them in the fridge as it is crowded enough as it is, and at my other house I will be moving back to in 2 months I can't store them there either as it is a shared house at University. I also cannot store it in a bathroom, and would prefer not to but them away in a desk draw.

So I'm rather stuck as to where I should be keeping them. Is the shelf ok? I'm rather worried about them, especially as a few of the newer ones are getting more and more expensive. I'm putting my question up to the collective wisdom here. What would you guys suggest? I want to have my perfumes survive as long as possible.
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post #2 of 16
1/10/08 at 8:43pm
I have mine in the original boxes with the caps on in a dark cabinet in my closet. Do not leave them on a shelf even with the boxes on. They must be in a dark and closed cabinet far away from the humid bathroom or kitchen. Remember to gently shake the bottles every so often in order to redistribute the ingredients.
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post #3 of 16
1/12/08 at 1:26am
Hi Tavorna and welcome ,, I suggest the best solution for you would be to store them in a Eski !! yep its insulated and will keep them cooler than the 38 and 39's we can get in Sydney . Remember to keep the eski in the darkest place in the house to !! A closet or cupboard is fine ,, Has worked for me for a very long time .. Eski's are cheap to > " Sallies - Vinnies - Red Cross " ,, As Mike says shake em if their idle for two long ,, until we cross scents again .
cheers
D
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post #4 of 16
1/12/08 at 12:29pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dimitrios View Post

Hi Tavorna and welcome ,, I suggest the best solution for you would be to store them in a Eski !! yep its insulated and will keep them cooler than the 38 and 39's we can get in Sydney . Remember to keep the eski in the darkest place in the house to !! A closet or cupboard is fine ,, Has worked for me for a very long time .. Eski's are cheap to > " Sallies - Vinnies - Red Cross " ,, As Mike says shake em if their idle for two long ,, until we cross scents again .
cheers
D

I just did a google search and I have to confess that I have absolutely what Eski is. Help??
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post #5 of 16
1/12/08 at 1:31pm
heheh, gotta love aussie words. eski is a cooler bin, chilly bin. Basically an insulated tub you put ice in and keep beers (or apparently perfume!) cool in
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post #6 of 16
1/12/08 at 2:17pm
Oh geeziz

There's no need to keep them in their boxes, in a bigger box, in an even bigger box, stored in a cold, dark basement behind a lead wall so that not a ray of sunlight can hit them. And perfumes don't separate and need to be shaken. Picking up the perfume and using it would be all the shaking necessary IF it were necessary. And how exactly is humidity going to get into a sealed perfume bottle and damage a liquid?!

A glass front wine cooler would be ideal if you want to preserve them but still be able to display them. But given your circumstances, it sounds like a shelf or on top of a dresser is about the best you can do, and should be fine. If possible, locate the shelf or dresser in a shaddowed part of the room or at least out of direct sunlight. The cooler the "room temperature" the better. Direct SUNlight and heat are the elements to keep at bay. Normal house lighting should not cause your frags damage as long as they are far enough away so as not to be heated by the lights.

The more perfumes you accumulate though, the less you'll use each one and the longer they'll last. This will eventually require better protective storage if you want them to last many years.
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post #7 of 16
1/12/08 at 4:18pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by MadScientist View Post

Oh geeziz

There's no need to keep them in their boxs, in a bigger box, in an even bigger box, stored in the cold, dark basement behind a lead wall so that not a ray of sunlight can hit them. And perfumes don't separate and need to be shaken. Picking up the perfume and using it would be all the shaking necessary IF it were necessary. And how exactly is humidity going to get into a sealed perfume bottle and damage a liquid?!

A glass front wine cooler would be ideal if you want to preserve them but still be able to display them. But given your circumstances, it sounds like a shelf or on top of a dresser is about the best you can do, and should be fine. If possible, locate the shelf or dresser in a shaddowed part of the room or at least out of direct sunlight. The cooler the "room temperature" the better. Direct SUNlight and heat are the elements to keep at bay. Normal house lighting should not cause your frags damage as long as they are far enough away so as not to be heated by the lights.

The more you accumulate though, the less you'll use each one and the longer they'll last. This will eventually require more protective storage if you want them to last many years.


It is great to hear somebody else who believes this. I have heard so many people who swear that having your frags in a place other than a refrigerator is "death" to them. It's cool to hear otherwise.
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post #8 of 16
1/12/08 at 7:52pm
Thread Starter 
Thankyou to everyone for their response and advice!

While I'm still not sure EXACTLY what I'm going to do with them, there were a lot of neat ideas. I absolutely LOVE the idea of storing them in a wine cooler with a glass front as I really love being able to see and display them, but this looks like a rather costly option and I'm not sure I would even have the space for it. I also really like the idea of an eski, for its cheapness, and that I could just store it under my desk! (where it is quite dark-ish. This would make me a little sad to not being able to display them though. May be the go however, if I feel like I really want to protect my collection.

What I like about having them on the shelf is that I can display them all nicely (no, I don't store them in the boxes), and that they are easily within reach to use. I find that if my perfumes are at all difficult to get at (ie. opening a box, getting them out, spray them put them away) I tend not to bother wearing them as often.... I wonder if anyone else feels the same?

I think for now I will keep them on the shelf. I do so like to hear MadScientist's advice. While my collection is only at 12 bottles, I'm hoping they'll be fine to leave on my out of direct sunlight shelf. If it gets any bigger I'll probably have to change that and probably go with the esk idea. For now, I'll just try to keep the temperature in my room not too hot!

Thanks everyone!
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post #9 of 16
1/12/08 at 9:01pm
Way to go Tavorna ... start with the Eski first & build from their .
Eski's are insulated as they are designed that way to keep things chilled . So rest assured you are safe !!
As mentioned by the MadScientist it would be nice to buy a chiller like mentioned above but he was talking in generall terms and not for your particular current scenario .
Personally , I would prefer about a dozen more bottle & another Eski instead of chiller .
cheers .
D
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post #10 of 16
1/12/08 at 9:12pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dimitrios View Post

Way to go Tavorna ... start with the Eski first & build from their .
Eski's are insulated as they are designed that way to keep things chilled . So rest assured you are safe !!
As mentioned by the MadScientist it would be nice to buy a chiller like mentioned above but he was talking in generall terms and not for your particular current scenario .
Personally , I would prefer about a dozen more bottle & another Eski instead of chiller .
cheers .
D

Okay, Dimitrios.....I feel like an idiot but can you link to an "eski" or post a picture of one? I have never heard that word before in my life.
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post #11 of 16
1/12/08 at 9:34pm
Sure thing ... will do for everyone here real soon ..
--------------------------------------
Here's a classic type one from the late 70's ..


By dimitrios69
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post #12 of 16
1/13/08 at 1:53pm
Isn't that box supposed to contain beer for a BBQ? Tee-hee.

And if Tavorna is storing her stuff in such a box, then she can't display it anymore. Furthermore, this box will eventually be at an equillibrium temperature with its surrounding, no?

It's actually a very good beginner's question. I have 4 bottles now and I have also no idea where to best store them. Currently they are 5 meters away from any window, never direct sunlight ór synthetic light for that matter, on a shelf in my room.
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post #13 of 16
1/13/08 at 4:46pm
Correct ..
Display isn't her dilemna .
Now about your physics question .
I beleive stored under a desk or in a cupboard , temp will be lower because it is designed to insulate & keep things cold .
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post #14 of 16
1/14/08 at 8:56pm
Dimitrios,

Thank you for the picture...in the US we call it a cooler, or specifically an Igloo (which is a brand name).
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post #15 of 16
1/14/08 at 9:20pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dimitrios View Post

Here's a classic type one from the late 70's ..


By dimitrios69

I had a feeling you were talking about some type of ice chest. How will this thing keep frags cooler than the surrounding environment?

And actually, display IS part of her dilema. She has mentioned her desire to keep them displayed twice now.

Tavora, have you seen this thread?: http://community.basenotes.net/showthread.php?t=191137
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post #16 of 16
1/15/08 at 3:07am
Thread Starter 
Yes, MadScientist is right, I would still like to display... but it seems like the options to display and still protect my small collection would be far too costly for me right now. Sad.

Thanks for the link! Those collections and some of the displays are AMAZING! I'm stunned by how many people buy mini fridges for their fragrances and fill them to the brim!

I've decided to leave my perfumes as they are right now, and I think they'll do better when I move back to University, where I plan to store them in a alcove-type dresser that's part of the wardrobe. This gets even less indirect sunlight than the shelf they are currently on! If I find the Western Sydney weather gets just TOO hot and humid.... then it'll be time to buy an eski for sure.
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