Do you keep fragrances in the hope that you will wear them again?

[Galatea8]

Do you keep fragrances (full-size or samples) in case you might wear them again? I have kept everything I have bought in the past three years (since I could stand any fragrance after having children) and I have not seemed to want to wear any of them again, yet I feel unable to part with them. I remember why I liked them enough to buy a full size, but I don't like them enough to wear them... doesn't seem very logical.

[rum]

Absolutely not! If I don't like anything it goes straight to the BST forum. Worst case I've bought the same fragrance again later, only to go and sell it a second time if I can't make up my mind on it (Chanel Sycomore)! Sad I know but I haven't the space to keep everything I buy/try.

[bonsai]

Earlier I thought: whatever I don't adore, should go. And I did swap and sell plenty of bottles. Now I find myself regretting some of those trades (some 20%) and wishing I still had my bottles (Sublime, Enjoy, Lumiere, etc.). As for the others: I'm happy I parted with them.

I think it's easier to make these type of decisions once you have sampled a lot, have witnessed your tastes changing and acquired a more or less stable taste. But that still no guarantee, my tastes still keep on evolving (even though at a much slower rate) after some six years of intensive testing.

Maybe a better criterium would be to decide if a scent is a good quality, well-done fragrance (then keep it) or a badly constructed, lacklustre something (get rid of it).

[Galatea8]

Earlier I thought: whatever I don't adore, should go. And I did swap and sell plenty of bottles. Now I find myself regretting some of those trades (some 20%) and wishing I still had my bottles (Sublime, Enjoy, Lumiere, etc.). As for the others: I'm happy I parted with them.

I think it's easier to make these type of decisions once you have sampled a lot, have witnessed your tastes changing and acquired a more or less stable taste. But that still no guarantee, my tastes still keep on evolving (even though at a much slower rate) after some six years of intensive testing.

Maybe a better criterium would be to decide if a scent is a good quality, well-done fragrance (then keep it) or a badly constructed, lacklustre something (get rid of it).

I imagine that my taste will keep changing, just as my taste for food has my whole life. Though, if I am judging on my palate, which of course owes 90% of its preferences to my nose, there have been some stable flavors I always love, e.g. sushi. There are some fragrances that I loved 20 years ago and still love today (Calyx), and others that I loved 20 years ago and hate today (Anais Anais), but I cannot wait 20 years to see if I should have kept it... I don't know.

I don't know enough about what makes something well-done to decide if it is a keeper. I used to think well-done meant a round fragrance with nothing pointy and obvious, but maybe that is not true?

[DanielPlainview]

No, never. I know what I like. My tastes have evolved a little bit over the last 6years or so, but I still know what I really do not like.

[30 Roses]

I review my wardrobe periodically. If I haven't worn a fragrance for a long time, I'll give it a try again. Sometimes all it takes is wearing it during a different season, to discover that I like it after all.

I'm slow to sell. So many perfumes have been reformulated or discontinued that I know if I sell them, I may not find them again-- or at least, not at a price I care to pay on eBay. So I wait and try again from time to time. But if enough time goes by and I still feel indifferent to them, it's time for them to go. I'd rather have the money-- and the space!

I don't have regrets over anything I've sold or given away.

[Ken_Russell]

Actually, in some cases yes, in some cases no.

I have no problem to part with a fragrance, once I resolved that I don't like it (anymore).
But then again, my fragrance tastes quite variably and unpredictably change and evolve over time, so that I might never truly know or anticipate whether the fragrance I was uninterested about lately may spark my interest, passion, liking, curiosity and/or olfactory cravings sometime in future.

So, to sum it up, I guess, no matter how cold or uninterested I became about a fragrance right now, anything might still be possible. In some ways, just like in the sayings:"The only rule is that there are no rules" and "Never say never".

[sfmedusa]

I rarely sell any of my fragrances, but if I blind buy one and find that I really don't like it (and there's no possibility of me liking it) then I am happy to give it away.

The only exception to that so far is Royal Secret, since I have yet to find anybody who actually likes the smell, so I'm not going to impose that on anybody else.

[DanielPlainview]

Whenever I hate a particular fragrance, the verdict about it does never change. I know that. But when I simply don't cara about a fragrance, or don't give too much attention to it sometime, then the verdict can change. I had a neutral impression about M7, for example, because of the artificial cough syrup topnote, but I learned to wait patiently for the note to disappear, and began to love the fragrance. Now I wear the M7 Oud Absolu, which I also love.

[Kaern]

Do you keep fragrances (full-size or samples) in case you might like them again? I have kept everything I have bought in the past three years (since I could stand any fragrance after having children) and I have not seemed to want to wear any of them again, yet I feel unable to part with them. I remember why I liked them enough to buy a full size, but I don't like them enough to wear them... doesn't seem very logical.

No point in just looking at them. Move them on or chuck them. If there is some 'barrier' stopping you from wearing them, it might be best to start anew. It all sounds a bit sad.

[Renaissance_Man]

Galatea,
You might want to keep a decant of the better quality ones or the industry "gems" and sell the rest on Basenotes or even better on eBay (depending on the specifics). As for me, if I've decided I don't like something after extensive testing I sell or give it away especially because I'm desperately trying to make my wardrobe smaller. There are a few I'm not crazy about but they have their time, place and mood for me to wear. Those I keep and use but will probably not replace once finished.

[hednic]

I have never stopped liking anything in my collection.

[Galatea8]

I have not bought anything I hate. I have never blind bought anything as I am coming off eight years of being unable to wear anything and thus am terrified to get a real brain-piercer. The ones to which I am referring are not awful to me; they just don't call out to me to be worn.

- - - Updated - - -

Actually, in some cases yes, in some cases no.

I have no problem to part with a fragrance, once I resolved that I don't like it (anymore).
But then again, my fragrance tastes quite variably and unpredictably change and evolve over time, so that I might never truly know or anticipate whether the fragrance I was uninterested about lately may spark my interest, passion, liking, curiosity and/or olfactory cravings sometime in future.

So, to sum it up, I guess, no matter how cold or uninterested I became about a fragrance right now, anything might still be possible. In some ways, just like in the sayings:"The only rule is that there are no rules" and "Never say never".

Whenever I hate a particular fragrance, the verdict about it does never change. I know that. But when I simply don't cara about a fragrance, or don't give too much attention to it sometime, then the verdict can change. I had a neutral impression about M7, for example, because of the artificial cough syrup topnote, but I learned to wait patiently for the note to disappear, and began to love the fragrance. Now I wear the M7 Oud Absolu, which I also love.

I think this is how I feel. I liked you enough to buy you; perhaps I might again sometime. Plus, it's not like anyone's beating down my door for some J'Adore (first one I bought after eight year drought.)

[MikeJ]

I'll keep them for a month, if by the end of the month I don't like them/don't use them very often, I swap or sell them.

[rynegne]

I HATED...and I mean HATED Bond No. 9 Wall Street when I first bought a 4 bon bon sampler set on eBay. When I first tried it I got such a headache. I applied way too much on my wrists as the fragrance spilled a bit when using the dabber. A while later after smelling like I dove into the ocean for a full day at work...I tested the fragrance again. To my surprise, I found it wonderful and even ended up purchasing a full bottle. I'd test a couple times.

I didn't like beer or coffee the first time I tried them but enjoy them quite much now

[Ornithorhynchusanatinus]

If I get tired of them, and they have resale value, I sell them...most of the time they just sit around gathering dust.

[Ozjon701]

There is nothing in my collection that I hate but Platinum Egoiste tends to make me feel ill too often and I've considered giving up on it purely for that reason. It has gone to the back of the drawer but I'm not quite ready to part with it in the hope that may change.

[misscasey]

Yes, I have done this with two particular scents in my collection about which I have felt unsure for awhile. I do not hate them- or even strongly dislike them- and find them quite interesting. However, I have no desire to wear them as I do the other, more beloved scents in my collection. I keep hoping I'll change my mind, but I think it is time to find them a new home.

Good question, by the way!

[rubegon]

I do this a lot with decants. I'll come back to them as I learn more to see if I think differently about them.

[Galatea8]

Yes, I have done this with two particular scents in my collection about which I have felt unsure for awhile. I do not hate them- or even strongly dislike them- and find them quite interesting. However, I have no desire to wear them as I do the other, more beloved scents in my collection. I keep hoping I'll change my mind, but I think it is time to find them a new home.

Good question, by the way!

I wonder what it is that makes one like a fragrance but not enough to wear it...

[30 Roses]

I wonder what it is that makes one like a fragrance but not enough to wear it...

I keep coming back to this question. I don't think there is only one reason.

Sometimes a scent has significant memories attached to it, but I have moved on from that period of my life, and wearing the perfume feels incongruous-- even though I still like the smell of it. In that case I may keep a bit of the scent on hand for old time's sake, but not wear it-- or only rarely wear it.

Sometimes a scent is overwhelming to me if I have to smell it for a long time (which is the case if I am wearing it) but I enjoy a whiff in passing-- on someone else, perhaps.

Some smells I adore but do not want to smell like myself-- e.g. carnations. My hunt for the perfect carnation ended when I found THE one-- and didn't like wearing it, LOL.

Then, too, sometimes a comment someone made has lingering effects. My daughter said one of my fragrances smells like Febreze. Every time I apply it now I think of Febreze.

[Kagey]

I wonder what it is that makes one like a fragrance but not enough to wear it...

30 Roses comes up with some good thoughts on this, but for me, it's just the presence of other fragrances that excite me more. Perfume A may be lovely, but it just won't get worn if I'm more drawn to Perfumes B, C, and D.

As for me, I just come to a point when I know that a fragrance and I are through. If I can get a decent sum for it on ebay, then I'll sell it and use the money to buy something I really want. If it's relatively cheap, it may stick around till I think of something else to do with it.

[OctaVariuM]

Really interesting points from 30 Roses.

As for myself, I generally keep them around, though I'm struggling with Windsor right now.

[SaNielsen]

Both the men's and women's forums here have free-to-a-good-home threads... Something unloved in your collection could be someone else's old favorite or next wonderful discovery. It feels good and leads to good frag karma!

I'm not keeping what I don't like, no matter how well done it is.

[hedonist222]

I'll only keep a perfume if its intrigued me from a blend or accord perspective. Something that will require further testing to understand. If I understand it and don't like it, it goes.

[chchristyen]

Yes! I have very little bottles in my collection thus far, but I kept the Viva La Juicy around for 4 years before whipping it out and giving it another try again - I was 14 years old when I first tried it and now I'm 18- I like it so much better than back then! Definitely glad I kept it!

[Profumo Saggio]

I find myself very reluctant to get rid of fragrances these days. A few years ago I did a clean out of my collection with too little consideration and ended up getting rid of a few things I really should have kept, if only for collection purposes.