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Where do Minis come from?

post #1 of 25
8/28/08 at 1:14pm
Thread Starter 
I know where babies come from but what about perfume minis?

When I go shopping at the department store like Macy's they don't have minis for sale.

When I've visited the so-called flagship stores and outlet stores of designer brands like Burberry, Ralph Lauren or Calvin Klein and they don't have the minis there.

I see these minis only at the discounters and eBay. Where do these minis originate?
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post #2 of 25
8/28/08 at 1:26pm
Minis are made specifically for travel retail, and also for promotional/gift purposes.

This is why you will often see Mini coffrets offered in airports and dutyfree stores, and seldom ever see them in regular retail stores.

Im usually a bit cheeky, and simply ask if they have any minis to offer as a gift at the time I am making a purchase.
Last week I bought Kenzo Power, and Chloé 2008 (for my wife) and asked if they had a mini they could spare. I was delighted to receive minis of Paul Smith London, 'F' by Ferragamo and the new Lanvin Femme.

My motto: if you ask for the world, you might just get half!
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post #3 of 25
8/28/08 at 2:47pm
I see them at Wal-Mart, Target, etc... as well.
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post #4 of 25
8/28/08 at 5:52pm
I haven't seen them in department stores but mostly on ebay and duty free shops. Sometimes, it's more economical.
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post #5 of 25
8/28/08 at 6:57pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dimitri View Post

Minis are made specifically for travel retail, and also for promotional/gift purposes.

This is why you will often see Mini coffrets offered in airports and dutyfree stores, and seldom ever see them in regular retail stores.

Im usually a bit cheeky, and simply ask if they have any minis to offer as a gift at the time I am making a purchase.
Last week I bought Kenzo Power, and Chloé 2008 (for my wife) and asked if they had a mini they could spare. I was delighted to receive minis of Paul Smith London, 'F' by Ferragamo and the new Lanvin Femme.

My motto: if you ask for the world, you might just get half!

This makes sense. I thought it would be gifting. No wonder so many re-sellers sell them.

Lyrics from a song: I don't want the world, I just ant your half.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kahuna Cowboy View Post

I see them at Wal-Mart, Target, etc... as well.

Oooh yeah. I see these at my drugstore, too, in those blister packs. They're usually all Coty and Estee Lauder products, though. Like Calvin Klein and Hilfiger stuff.
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post #6 of 25
8/29/08 at 12:57am
In the UK at Xmas time, many retailers have mini's in a gift set. Boots do six every year. 2 Women's Prestige, 1 Mens Prestige, 1 Mens Mass, 2 women's mass.
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post #7 of 25
8/29/08 at 3:05am
And I always thought that when two big perfume bottles reeeaallyy love each other....you know.
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post #8 of 25
8/29/08 at 3:40am
Quote:
Originally Posted by the_good_life View Post

And I always thought that when two big perfume bottles reeeaallyy love each other....you know.

Get 2 bottles of Serge and end up with a life long supply of serges?

We can dream
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post #9 of 25
8/29/08 at 8:02am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Grant View Post

In the UK at Xmas time......

That's what I always thought too.

I seem to get a few minis in my Christmas stocking.

They must come from the North Pole - you know, that place at the end of Lian's driveway!
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post #10 of 25
8/29/08 at 8:33am
I haven´t seen lines of mini bottles holding hands walking down the street ..yet

But the mushrooms will be in season soon though!
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post #11 of 25
8/29/08 at 10:25am
Ha ha ha!
I love the idea of breeding a litter of Lutens. Just think what fun you could have - cross Un Bois Vanille with Louve for a sweet little gourmand, or with Ambre Sultan for something more exotic and mysterious.
See - I'll be lying there in bed tonight thinking of cross-pollination possibilities between Lutens. (Can you tell I'm a gardener?)

More mundanely, here in the UK you can buy minis of things like all the Burberrys and Paul Smiths in Superdrug and the Bath Shop (a local cut-price toiletries outlet).

But back to the Serge crosses. Would anything mate with MKK????? (Or would EVERYTHING mate with it?)
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post #12 of 25
8/29/08 at 7:21pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by the_good_life View Post

And I always thought that when two big perfume bottles reeeaallyy love each other....you know.

The only bottle that I know of that "get together" are Gaultier2.

And those Jovan bottles that interlock.

And the Azzaro Now bottles that go on top of each other.
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post #13 of 25
8/30/08 at 6:28am
Quote:
Originally Posted by SirSlarty View Post

When I go shopping at the department store like Macy's they don't have minis for sale.

When I bought Badgley Mischka at Macy's last fall, I got a gift mini parfum of it with my purchase.

I also often see sets of mini perfumes for Lancôme and Calvin Klein in Kohls department store.
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post #14 of 25
8/30/08 at 6:30am
Quote:
Originally Posted by SirSlarty View Post

And those Jovan bottles that interlock.

I have the female half of the Jovan set, but I guess there won't be any minis being generated without the other half!
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post #15 of 25
8/30/08 at 5:02pm
All I can say is, thank goodness those FBs have been gettin' busy, because I love my minis.

I'd say it's a great way to keep frag costs down, but I end up dropping a fair amount of $$$ under the rationalization that they don't really count as fragrance purchases for purposes of my fragrance budget.
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post #16 of 25
9/1/08 at 10:20pm
I bought a mini of Eau de Rochas online and it smelled much sharper than I remembered it.
I just bought a full on bottle and it's much less acrid. I think the mini was spoiled.
I'll add that I've had better luck with all my mini Aramis purchases.
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post #17 of 25
10/17/11 at 1:20am
Reviving an old thread, seems to interest me.

I think many minis are just packaged into transparent plastic bags and sold for a few bucks to my knowledge. They can be sold in bulk as well. Wonder where those corner shops get them from and if they are even allowed to sell them.
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post #18 of 25
10/17/11 at 2:44am
The only trouble with minis is that because of their decorative nature, they are often kept on top of a dressing table, or on display somewhere. If older minis are obtained, the contents are often spoiled for smelling because of this. Nice for the little bottles though.
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post #19 of 25
10/17/11 at 2:53am
Some times the boutique will have them.
I have a few minis. The Serge Lutens minis are especially nice.
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post #20 of 25
10/17/11 at 4:54am
Quote:
Originally Posted by hedonist222 View Post

The Serge Lutens minis are especially nice.

As are the Penhaligon's minis.....
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post #21 of 25
10/17/11 at 5:06am
What is the usual milliliter size of minis? 5ml?
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post #22 of 25
10/17/11 at 5:17am
Quote:
Originally Posted by hednic View Post

What is the usual milliliter size of minis? 5ml?

As generous as th company is willing to be. Serge Lutens minis are 5ml and Annick Goutal are 5 or a bit more.
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post #23 of 25
10/17/11 at 6:26am
I have two Chanels, No19 Poudre which was given out as a sample, Cormandel 4mls which came with a purchase.
A few Serge Lutens given to me as gift by the sa.
Same sa gave me a mini Eau des Merveilles edp purse spray
A solid Narciso Rodriguez Essence In Colour

They are all marked not for individual sale so now sure how the discount stores get theirs?
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post #24 of 25
10/17/11 at 7:45pm
I've seen them for sale on ebay...so sad they are so expensive yet they have no retail value. /:
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post #25 of 25
10/17/11 at 8:39pm
Most designer houses release a little smurf-family-like set of their most famous fragrances...ergo they come from the same place as smurfs (eg. Smurf Land)
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