Addicted to Sampling

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Me too

I'm curious as to what reasons people in this group have for their sampling addiction. I used to be looking for "the one" but now sampling has become more of a compulsive habit. I just feel the need to try ALL the fragrances that get rave reviews on BN! Relaxing and enjoying the fragrances I already own and love has helped ease the addiction though.

I found another webshop to order samples from: http://www.decant-me.com/
Much less selection than TPC but still nice to see some competition...

One of the reasons I have so few bottles is my sampling habit. I don't regret it one bit. It's great to wear a different fragrance every day.

I too have wisened up around 7 months ago & realize that addictively sampling is the only way to go ... cheers

I actually counted my unused samples last night and have over 130. I'm not looking for one signature frag, but the whole point of sampling to me is to make sure I'm not missing "the one" (or, more realistically 6 or 7) that I love and that work on me. I'm getting into the habit of trying two a day (one morning, one evening) and so far about 90% go into my "no" pile. Some of the ones in the "yes" pile are for specific occasions rather than normal day or evening wear. For example, Sonoma Scent Studio's Fireside Intense is in the "yes" pile, but I'd probably only wear it if I was actually going to an outdoor party with a fire/bonfire, and then I'd layer it with Demeter's Cinnamon Toast. I do go to a couple of parties like that a year - I'll keep my sample nearby for that. Hopefully, after I've gone through all of these, I can actually buy a few bottles and have a limited, but wonderful, personal repertoire of scent. So far, the only one that has stood out is Egoiste, which was a favorite of mine for several years after it came out (before it was replaced with Platinum). It smells very sweet and feminine on me but still maintains some of its elegant distinctiveness. It was nice to find that it can still be found (although it's not easy). So I guess I am currently addicted to sampling, but still have hopes of moving past this stage. I'm sure I'll still be looking for reviews to try a few new ones a year that sound great. Or maybe I'm deluding myself and I just need to start budgeting for samples monthly...

Dear members of this group and BN brothers, L'aventurier has been asking me for samples of "the scents of the soul" smaller than my 5,5 ml bottles.
Following his trail I found this group of addicted samplers.
I would be very happy to provide samples to basenoters in order that they may try and discuss my perfumes, the problem is that there is not yet a system devised by perfumistas that could make it easy for the sample sender. If it was posiible for me to send samples for 12 people (all of you) to a single address, I would gladly send them to you completely free, and I could do this several times a year.
The one who receives them would send the samples to the 11 others.
Next time I would send other samples to an other member of the group who would send to the 11 others.
Do you think it is workable?
AbdesSalaam Attar
www.profumo.it

Wow! Thanks, Profumo! But who will volunteer to mail them out? I'd be happy to! I'm in North America, but kind Basenotes members have since showed me how to ship perfumes overseas.

How many people in this group are not in North America? Moltening, I know you are in Thailand, right?

Sampling is pure pleasure for me. And like Galamb Borang, I have fewer full bottles because of sampling. It keeps me from impulse buying full bottles I will never wear, and helps me to select "the one(s)" , as Elysia said.

A sample allows me to live with a fragrance for a day or two, and to save a bit for reference. perfect!

L'Aventurier: I want to contemplate your question for a bit...

Aiona: Thinking of the expense...if you have a PayPal account that might be the easiest way to reimburse you for postage.


Everyone: you may all have been on this list a little longer than I. If you've already established a sub-community, I don't mean to barge in, and will not be hurt if you ask me to step aside, but I would be delighted to participate.

I'm in North America.

I am willing to help with shipping. I would love to participate.
Arwen

Nope, we haven't started a mailing list yet, Nostalgie! If everyone who is willing to participate would send me a private message with your address, I will try to set up a PayPal account this weekend.

How does that sound, so far?

I am searching for:
my Lofty 3 or,
my Symmetrical 4 or,
my Perfect 7 or perhaps,
my Essential 8 or,
my Eternal 12 or why not go for,
my Double Perfect 14 or,
my Absolute 20 or,
my Cherished 24 or maybe,
my Thorough 30 or,
my Favorite 40 or,
my Indefatigable 50 or...or...or...I simply enjoy the pleasure of testing...applying...sniffing...waiting...sniffing ...scrubbing...reapplying...sniffing...

I dunno, trusting people isn't my strong point maybe. What if someone was to break the mailing chain and keep samples that were to be sent on? I do love to sample, and it's a new thing for me. I used to just love perfume, not be addicted to it. Now I can't stop ordering them from The Posh Peasant or eBay. Waiting on some from London at the moment. Ever heard of Penhaligon's? Hope I spelled that right, lol. Can't wait to try Bluebell. Seems to be the popular one.

TaraYvonne I agree with you. The trouble with chains, even chains of your nearest and dearest, is that in spite of the best intentions, someone always inevitably breaks the chain. A chain of 12 could get clunky.


I think the plan now is that Aiona will send the samples to each of us and we will individually reimburse her for the postage through paypal. I'm not 100% sure though--she can confirm and correct any errors I'm making here.

Well I think I'll opt out of that one. I tend to buy what I want to try from Abigail at the Posh Peasant who delivers excellent, personalized service. I would recommend anyone try out her site, she takes paypal. ~Tara

Count me among this group. It seems I'm strung out like a research monkey.

Oops, I haven't been checking this thread as I have been the other one. Everyone but Galamb_Borong has confirmed being part of this project. I'm not worried about shipping costs. This one is a freebie on me, unless Profumo is sending some kind of honking big volume samples.

For me sampling is about going away in my mind. I love the ones that take me somewhere, that tell me a story about some place I've never been before. But through the scent I can imagine it, smell the wind, the spices in the air at some exotic market place. Smell damp woods, mossy ground, the hot curling embers of a dying wood fire. Even the sea, certain ones evoke that for me. For a country girl living in the heartland, those samples arriving in the mail represent different trips somewhere in my mind. That's why I do it. Plus I love to smell gorgeous and different all the time, depending on my mood.

That is a very good description of why I too like to sample, TaraYvonne! Definitely some samples have the ability to transport me. To the sequoias in the Berkeley Hills, to the temple in a cave, to Midnight Mass (and it's not Messe de Minuit that does it for me), to a dingy, dusty apartment in Manila. . . .

Plus, sampling is nice because I can't afford to fly to all the places where these scents are sold. And I certainly can't buy them here in West Texas.

Wow! what a great offer from Profumo. Hopefully I can get in on the next round?

On other subjects.... I'm thankful to Moltening for starting this group. Sometimes I feel like I'm yelling at a wall when I see BNer on the board complaining about the cost of samples, TPC prices, or taking the position that sampling fragrances one can not/will not buy is a waste of time.

There is a tremendous value in sampling for the sake of sampling, and I feel that I've learned a lot about this art form from sampling that I could never learn from just buying bottles (unless I was like JaimeB and had 600+ bottles).

I laughed when I saw the description "do you order more samples from TPC while you're waiting for an order to arrive?" LMFAO. I do that all the time - in fact there is rarely a day when I'm not somewhere in the TPC ordering process (order - wait - receive - search - order.....).

This is great! I just found this group, and now I know I'm not alone. Yep, I admit it, I'm a sample whore. I have about 300 samples right now, and have to say I've been enjoying the 'sampling' part of my obsession most of all.

Profumo, I would be happy to help with shipping in the US, and thank you for making such a gracious offer.

Sampling is my vice. It began quite awhile ago when my signature fragrance was discontinued and bottles became scarcer and scarcer. What would replace my dear friend, Marechale Original? I began my quest, initially picking up samples here and there without any success. As my stock of Marechale started dwindling, concern turned to panic. That's where the addiction began. I became a 4-scent-a-day habit. My husband learned the drill: right inside wrist, left inside wrist, right inside elbow, left inside elbow. I've discovered incredible fragrances along the way and there is a second benefit; my husband has developed a very good nose!

No better way to decide on new purchases. It's more fun than buying a FB blind.

I have a perfume box full of perfume samples! I like the ones with the squirt spray better thou.

I just got an order today of 92 samples.

Ah ch'io vorrei provare dei vostri profumi!

I would love to get in on the next round of Scents of the Soul-Abdes Salam Attar, anybody, let me know personally if I could join a sampling group at this point. I like the paypal idea....

I'm joining this group because I need to LEARN TO SAMPLE first and THEN buy! Other than LuckyScent, where are some good places to acquire samples of frags that you won't find in just any department store?

Calero, I often purchase samples from The Perfumed Court, and from The Posh Peasant. Google them, and you'll faint from joy.

I lovee fragrance samples!