Collecting Fragrances: Do You Feel Like an Adict?

I feel ya man i love many different frags and love to get more bottles, i cannot stop writing, talking about or buying fragrances.

This was a tough week. I had a small spell of depression and found myself making a few purchases for retail therapy. At least I'm not finding solace in a different kind of bottle (been there). Gucci Pour Homme II, L'eau Par Kenzo and Roadster round out the week. One whiff of Roadster and I feel A LOT better! The credit card is hurting though.

Difinitely feel like an addict - but there are worse things to be than a fragrance addict. When depressed , buying fragrance online is a real pick me up ...in moderation. Now I must curb my ways for a while ........

Absolutely feel like an addict

Hi my name is Marceal....and I am a fragrance addict....

I think many on this forum have gone through/are going through a similar "guilt". I do think of all the money I'd end up saving if not for the fragrance obsession, but I also realise that I would probably have acquired a similar obsession for other kinds of things, and end up spending the money anyways. As mtgprox05 once mentioned (if i recall right, along these lines): For someone to sign-up with an internet fragrance discussion forum and actively participate, he/she probably has an extent of the obsession, already.

Collectors, enthusiasts alike - we're all quite obsessed.

oh i totally am, i get addicted to anything i enjoy. its why i avoid any substances, i know if i enjoy something ill do/use it again. ironically i can also quit anything cold turkey simply because im bored with it. it'll happen with fragrances some day maybe, who knows

My wife thinks I'm just on another hobby that will run its course and I'll move to another one. We'll see.

It used to be that I wanted a signature scent and that's it. For months now, though, I've been on a solid sampling streak. And yeah -- I've got too many. I think I need to take a break and wear what I've got for now. Probably sell off some samples while I'm at it...

Luckily, I haven't dropped much money on the hobby yet. I just can't -- don't have it. heh heh.

I don't feel like an addict. But my gf tells me I'm addicted. THAT makes me feel like an addict.

Yeah, I definitely feel like a cologne addict. Of course, the only way to feel knowlegable about frags is to try a bunch. I love buying or at least sampling stuff that I know most people will never get to smell if I don't do it. Most guys I know don't wear any colonge, and the ones that do are content with the same thing day in and day out. Of course, it always feels good to get those compliments, especially from the ladies. Sometimes it's like I try to find that perfect smell that will drive a woman crazy. Unfortunately, not all cologne is easily available in sample form. I just spent about 60 dollars on a bottle of Tom Ford Grey Vetiver based on the positive comments on it as a great spring fragrance. If I don't wear it, that's another 60 down the drain.

It depends on your definition of "addict". I would say no in my case. I enjoy the info & conversation on this site (note I don't participate on any other board). I have a modest collection of 10 colognes which will not be expanded unless I run out of something (still way more than I need). I remember the time when I thought owning 1 was plenty. I've posted before that my tastes have expanded quite a bit because of the knowledge gained from here. So I would call it an "expanded" hobby for me.

I'd say if you're posting here all day & night and buying fragrances at a continuous rate after you clearly don't have the need or money anymore, you've got a problem. Some of the wardrobes have nearly or over 100 fragrances around here. I don't now how any single person would ever be able to use all of that in a lifetime. It's astonishing given how expensive most colognes/perfumes cost. It's anybody's perogative to spend money they've earned however they want, so to each their own. There are so many worse vices you could have, I wouldn't knock anybody unless they are doing this at a point they can't pay their bills.

Kind of yes and kind of no. I've hit my tipping point I think. I have so many frags I really truly like and relish wearing, I don't really want to buy more lest one of them get neglected.

I've got a lot of them, but I haven't bought any recently. I don't crave a new one, since I've got so many "old" ones. So I guess I'd say I'm not addicted to them. Mostly for me it seems like so much work to go get ones that aren't sold in my city. I've done those searches plenty and been very happy doing them, but now the effort, the wait, and all the work puts me off. I'm happy with things I have.

Wait until you qualify for the marketplace and then sell off your bottles....or swap them. Trust me, it will be all good. I can sympathize for sure. Also, I tend to give purchasing a bottle of fragrance a few weeks of thought. That is to make sure I really want the bottle. Of course, some times I buy impulsively


No way Brad. You would easily be able to sell this bottle in the marketplace or swap for something you may like. But, hopefully you will love Grey Vetiver !

Sometimes I wish I could only have 3 fragrances. One for winther, one for summer, and one for evening-use. But that`s completely impossible for me.. There are so much good stuff out there!

No, because I only like around 10% of everything I try.

LOL when I know I have an upcoming week at work thats going to be difficult, ill ussally buy some frags online on the Friday before that week so i can get them delivered during the rough week im having. keeps me happy and gives me something to look forward to.

Ye, kind of! cant take eyes and legs away from d perfume shops when i pass them! so makes sure no much monies are kept in pocket if i know i will have to pass - d shops but then, its gr8! to do and have more and more of the FINEST..

I'm about to open a perfume addiction rehabilitation clinic, in both London and New York, which invloves an indefinite confiscation of all patients' personal perfume collections. Prices start from £10,000, for a 15-day program.

If anyone's interested, please PM me.

Be strong!

I'm definitely hooked!!!!!!

I'm hooked for sure ...
I spent waaay more money
on this obsession a month,
than I should.

I'm not sure - is THIS what an addict feels like ?

Short answer: Yes

The beauty and the beast of this collecting / obsession is that there are always new smells to try and fall in love with

As addictions go, fragrance is a wonderful alternative to sex, drugs and rock and roll. Wait....did I say that really? OK, well it is safer anyway, in many ways. May your path be as pleasant.

We're just gonna assume you bumped your head or grabbed some frayed electrical wires by mistake - you're forgiven

Oh I'm an unashamed fragrance addict.

Men + collecting perfume, think about that for a second...

lucky hahaha, i started off with one that i liked, got a second cause i like variety...15ish bottles later...

I do feel a bit like an addict. This has definitely moved from curiosity to hobby to obsession. I started out buying bottles, some I still love, some I regret. I think the addiction part of fragrances for me is in trying new things. I've tempered that with decants, minis, and samples rather than full bottles. And when I do buy bottles now it's usually the smallest available. I know its more money per ml, but even my modest collection will last me many years, so to me I feel less wasteful and am out less money overall.

Anyway, just roll with it. As others have said there are a lot worse things to be addicted too (but no I'm not referring to sex ;-) ).

i know it comes off different but it can make you come off refined and with good taste lol

not really

It seems to me that there are generally three goals of the perfume/scent enthusiast:

1.\tTo POSESS them, for either their beautiful or intriguing scent and/or for their beautiful bottles for a personal collection.

2.\t To seek that elusive ‘magical’ aroma that will have the affect of being the ultimate aphrodisiac and ENHANCE YOUR PERSONAL ATTRACTIVENESS /ego.

3.\tTo use as a learning tool to EXPAND YOUR SCENT PERCEPTION and to experience and understand the limitless possible scent accords available.

If any or all of those reasons inspire you to go a bit overboard, I think it is a worthy pursuit to making your life more enjoyable. After all, do you feel guilty for buying and enjoying new foods? Would you limit yourself to eating only meatloaf and oranges?

Besides, you are not ‘addicted’ unless you can not physically go on without them. Even for the majority of us, that would not really apply.

A hobby that just took me, posseses me ever since I ˝discovered˝ fragrances.

Well, certainly passionate, and I really would not want to have to go without them for any length of time-- but I do go without when I'm overly stressed. so, not addicted, exactly.

It's more of an obsession -- I suppose I wouldn't be on here talking about perfume if I weren't somewhat obsessed. It's not as though I don't have anything else to do!

I know EXACTLY what you mean - it's something to look forward to.

I know I am an addict ,my family knows I am an addict.

I'm pretty secure in my manhood and have no problem telling anyone I enjoy nice colognes. In fact if you check around the boards many of the members do well financially and enjoy a myriad of luxuries. I remember a former NBA player who came out of the closet and talked about how the players in the locker room would discuss jewelry & cologne. He then said "I'm the one who's supposed to be gay?!" Obviously he didn't get very much exposure to men who are successful during his lifetime or he needed to be "enlightened".

My reply comes a bit late, but my attitude is the following: I never see it as an addiction, because I perceive all the fragrances I have to buy as a very natural, very well adjusted and very organic part of my life. So, rather than seeing these many frags as an addiction, I cannot stop thinking and worrying how empty and how unnatural with regards to my true self my life would be without them (irrespective how costly, diversified or how many they are)

Fortunately the hunt, as exciting as it is, isn't everything when it comes to fragrances. The hunt is only the first part of the dance that leads up to the wearing and sharing. The whole trip including appreciating the cache amassed is enjoyable

i want to be admitted to a mental hospital

I'll come with you ....but will they believe we have a 'fragrance addiction ' ??? They'll probably want to know if we drink it for the alcohol .............

I have OCD ( Obsessive Compulsive Disorder), and collecting is often a part of this. I am surprised that I do not see more postings about OCD. When I first discovered BN I was going to find a signature scent, and maybe two more. I like odd numbered amounts , also part of my OCD. Well, now I have over 30 scents, transferred all my decants to the same exact 15 or 30 ml atomizers, made a container to hold them and have them all alphabetized. More OCD. The full bottles are neatly in order too, and for a couple of favorites I have back ups, even though I know I probably will ever finish the first bottle, and know I can never use up all the scents I have. I am glad I don't want to collect perfume bottles on top of this. The addiction part for me is being is the elated feeling from ordering samples then anxiously awaiting the mail to come, and being excited when it does. Then, awaiting a larger 15- or 30 ml decant to arrive or a full or partial bottle of any I want to keep in my wardrobe. I could have worse obsessions. Years ago I got focused on gem stones and they needed to be top grade. These are really expensive. I had to have a white diamond, yellow diamond, brown diamond, then a stone of each color, Ruby, blue Sapphire, green Emerald, and one of each class of lesser known gems. I spent way over my budget and got myself in trouble maxing out several credit cards etc. Addiction again. I do not see me going down that road here as I have tried now over sixty scents and 'only' wanted to keep thirty.
I also check this site out first thing each day. Addiction again. I read what's for sale or trade, the new reviews for the day, male and just starting forums etc.
Some people with OCD wash their hands 50 times a day, or check the locks on their doors 30 times before they can go out, many collect and hoard various items, and I at present , collect and enjoy colognes. If I overspend I know I am in trouble and the obsession and addiction will win out. Thanks for your ear. Sam

Yesss, most of the time. I chose 65 perfumes that i must have them before die!!

Yes, sometimes I really do feel that way. Click my wardrobe. I love what I have and spend loads of time just standing in front of them enjoying each, but I do pretty much always have a couple that I long for. It's my bucket of ice cream. If I'm feeling down, there's a good chance a fedex package from luckyscent will be on its way shortly.

I presumely have ADHD combined with OCD so I gues this is part of the game. I am awaiting for a proper diagnosis and medication, I guess things might change from then on. In the meantine, I get great joy from this hobby, it makes me happy, plus the added benefit that perfume buying did not compormises my financial situation so far.

Meh. I don't have more of them than I will be able to use within a reasonable timeframe, so I don't think so.