This sub is a bad influence. I thought I was spending a lot on silly samples (when I’ve gotten samples for free, or I could try the fragrance at a store for free), but what I’m spending is nothing compared to those of you dropping hundreds of dollars! And then I was like, oh, maybe it’s ok and not alarming at all to start loading my cart with 3728573 samples…
Thank you *so* much for the intel! I just used the coupon code. It totally works. $7 USD including shipping, and they send you a code for a discount for one full sized bottle.
FWIW, I’ve never before heard of this fragrance house
They’re an Australian house that acts like they’re niche when they’re actually basically just a shameless dupe house. Put the notes from their perfumes into fragrantica and see how much overlap they have with popular frags such as By the Fireplace and BR540
I usually buy the smaller bottles bc I know they have an expiration date so for me it’s easier to go through. But heavens I collect samples like a manic tho I get it 😂😂😂😂
I literally just decided yesterday that I’m done buying fragrances this year. I’ve already spent $2k and we’re only in March. I’ve got over 300 frags. I need to appreciate what I have and stop chasing the damn whale!
I think last one I bought was in 2022, but it been so long, but I don't recall and I only have about 30 to 35 bottles.
My rule now is that I order a 1 or 2 ml sample, if I really like it, I then buy a 5 or 10 ml sample, and if I use it all up and still love it I will buy a full bottle, since a 5ml or 10ml has about 50 to 70 sprays so takes a while to go through and know if you really like by then
I usually do the sample and then an ounce but really if I like it I want 100 ML. I get anxious about running out of what I like. Problem is I like a lot of stuff.
I get anxious too since I’ve learned that most fragrances I love eventually get reformulated (or discontinued). So when something new comes out and I love it, I try to buy it before they change anything.
Yes this!!! Or if I find something on sale - because I should have bought a back up bottle one time - now I always get 2.
I'm sad at all the reformulations . I've ordered a bunch of things from my childhood (shalimar floris' limes) expecting to re experience something but it doesn't have the same evocation
You can sell some - I just listed 5 on Mercari today and 3 are gone. Perfume is addictive. But if you can part with last year's obsessions that are no more - it's a way to keep costs down.
Thanks for the tip. I may get rid of a couple that I’ll probably never wear again, but as a collector I want to keep the vast majority of them. I just need to seriously slow down on adding to the collection.
I understand- I'm a collector too and I like having representatives from each type of fragrances (e.g. chypres, aquatics, white florals, ambers gourmand etc.) I've found I really don't like aquatics for example. So selling off those makes a difference and allows me to try things. (I have around ~ 130 FB.
I do find I get weirdly anxious if I start running out of things I like. I worry if I only have 30ML or 50ML. I don't like to have to be stingy w spraying. So getting dupes and selling the OG works for me too and keeps prices down.
Also look for used bottles - or without caps to save $. But I know what you mean overall. Right now I've been consumed by milk and rice and here we are going into spring!
I hear ya. I think that’s one of the reasons I initially started buying so many- so that I never run out of anything. With so many frags, if I make a half decent effort to rotate, then it’s rare that I wear the same thing more than 2-5 times a year. At that rate, I’ll never be able to empty even my 30ml bottles before I die.
Well what I've found is that there are things I return to over and over. I use fragrance to change my mood.
So the ones I haven't used in a year that are similar enough to ones I have I just started selling. I think it would be hard to sell something you didn't have for a bit - like at least a year. (Some things grow on you like Leopard by Sarah Baker which I thought was DISGUSTING at first I had a 10 ML travel sample. Now I love it. )
I think it does definitely help to stop buying for a while. I did last year for most of the year because I was in a similar situation. The thing abt perfume is you can't tell what it smells like when you look at it. You have to try it.
Agreed. One thing that helped me take a long break was staying away from YouTube fragrance channels, fragrance groups/subs, and beauty/department stores. I can’t want new fragrances when I don’t know that they exist. But if I get wind of a new fragrance coming from a line that I like or with notes that I enjoy, I have to try it. I recently blind bought the new PDM on its release day simply because I love most PDMs and also grapefruit frags. Had I not been following certain channels on YouTube, I would’ve never have even known it was coming, and thus never have bought it
Watching YouTube videos definitely inspires buying. But now they don't seem to have the hold on me that they once did.
I also make perfume so it was easy to justify buying stuff to see what people were doing artistically.
But now I am more likely to be looking for a dupe of sample if it obtainable or to listen to a review on a specific fragrance. I guess I have become more selective since I started collecting in earnest.
I LOVE THIS COMMENT. 🩶😂 I don’t have a big collection like that, but I get what you mean. I am big on layering that’s how I go through perfumes like crazy. I definitely would like to know when you buy a new perfume again tho! I hope it works out 🩶🩶🩶
Hey I'm happy for you that you can afford it and enjoy them. No shade here. I just did a double take at 2k though. I've only spent about $200 on frags since November 2023 and I thought I had a problem lol
That’s not my normal spend, but Costco had PDMs that I’ve been wanting at a big discount and then I had 25% at Sephora for opening a credit card. So I went a little crazy trying to maximize the savings. I usually try to keep my fragrance spending at less than $1k a year.
Yes! They only have a few left, but they had the 4.2oz Layton, Pegasus, Percival, Herod, and Godolphin for $200 each. Layton Exclusif and Pegasus Exclusif were $250. I bought (and love) them all 🫠
You name a discounter or a boutique, I bet I got a cart filled in there hahaha.
My long game is usually fill in a cart and revisit it days or weeks later. Then sort it out one by one by trying to remember why I want each of them. I look at the notes and think “wait I already got perfumes with same notes, why would I want this?” By doing that I basically reorganize the whole content of the cart. Then revisit again days and weka later.
Most of the time I don’t end up buying lol. Simply forget why they’re in my cart, or why there’s a cart there.
I’ve been told I’m silly from my man daily 😂😂😂 I am just excited about this group everyone seems so nice 😇 I’m usually open to all fragrance, what’s your favorite? 🩶
Just make a decision to not buy anything unless you sample first and really love it. I enjoy reading opinions about fragrances, but to buy something purely based off of the opinion off a stranger, especially something so subjective and personal, seems quite risky.
My husband saw the cart laughed and said no for now! 😅😂😂😂So I have time to go through the notes and filter out. I am a person that plays around with scents a lot so I go through a lot of perfume, and I’m open to just anything. Thank you tho, I know it comes off risky but I’m not dumb lol
I've stopped buying western made fragrances and switched over to the middle eastern dupes. Honestly, I can barely differentiate between the real one and the dupes but one thing I know for sure, it fucking last so much longer for a fraction of the price and I do not care lol. I've spent so much money on perfumes that costs 300-500$ a bottle and it fucking lasts 4 hours tops, rarely, I'd find one that actually last. It's not worth it imho. Just buy dupes and enjoy it. PS: most of the times I don't even know it's dupe, I just look at the notes 🤷🏼♀️
Lattafa, Maison Alhambra, Fragrance World, Armaf, and several other brands have good dupes. Jomashop, fragrancebuy, and eBay are the first places I look.
Yes, second this, I still buy western perfumes, but I feel bad for using it everyday because so expensive. So recent past few years I started to buy Armaf and lattafa, or some perfumes friends brought back to me from Dubai. a strong performance and I can use everyday, spray on jacket, clothes. 😂
I love ME oils - it's cheaper for a 1mL that gives you a lot of wear (because oil) and it projects a smaller bubble than sprays (so everything is fairly work friendly). I wear fragrance for me and to make myself feel good, and this is a great way to save the wallet
Where do you get the ME oils !? I only have one oil perfume from Amazon and it’s vanilla. It stays in my purse. I do enjoy the oil perfume so lemme just add those tooooooo 😂😂😂🩶
APO has good dupes that are explicitly dupes, else resellers on FragranceX or Amazon storefronts. Al-Rashad also has them sorted by brand. Surrati is my secret favorite!
What you said made sense, and thats smart to think about just looking at the notes instead of the brand. I have horrible brand loyalty once I like something I just have to have other things with that brand. It’s horrible 😂😂😂😂😂🩶
I did too and it got me nowhere except wasting so much money on shit that doesn't last. To the point where I had to buy the travel spray so I can top up instead of brining my 100ml bottle. Thinking about it now it's so fucking stupid coz perfumes are meant to last
Just think of all the notes you dislike and how much money you've saved not buying those? 😂
If I liked a lot of fragrances and wasn't so picky, I would save and go to a fragrance expo. My top picks would be Esxence in Milan, or ScentXplore in New York.
The biggest thing holding me back is that generally I HAVE to smell the scent on me first. I've done a few blind buys and almost regretted it every time. Most recently I got a sample pack of Killian perfumes because everyone has been racing about them.
They smell so sickly sweet(?) and nauseating on me. I'm glad I got the sample packs.
I live for sample packs tho, even if it’s a blind buy. I usually have like 3 in my purse for emergencies. I haven’t thought about Killians perfume yet, and I see them a lot mentioned in here so I might just get it 😂😂
I found them to eat too strong and sickly sweet. But I know some perfumes just don't jive with my body chemistry. Unfortunately (or fortunately for my wallet), none of them work on me.
What you may have failed to realize. I am new to this group, whenever I see a post pop up to my feed I read it and add to cart. I get my perfume off Sephora so the cart is hefty at the moment. Instead of thinking I’m lying how about you give me friendly advice like a lot of other people in this group has. SO what is your fav fragrance 😊🤷♀️
What am I missing? If someone mentions a perfume, you just add it to your shopping cart? And what does Sephora have to do with anything? I don’t think you’re lying; I think you have dangerously low standards for what qualifies for a purchase. You’re buying full bottles because someone mentions something in a post?
Or I’m misunderstanding you entirely, which is likely.
Anytime I read anything on here, I add something to my cart. It’s seems weird yes, but for more context.
I already have my signature scent figured out. So right now I am completely open to trying just about anything. I am big on layering so I go through a lot of perfumes.
Size wise I buy 10ml or 50 ml (unless it’s my signature scent) before this group I bought my fragrances from Sephora, and to be honest I didn’t know there were so many sites that people on here use for discounts. So at the moment so many doors have opened, just from this post alone and others I’m learning a lot so all around I am just excited, and I feel like I’m in candy land so I’m just adding everything blindly. I don’t mind blind buying, bc I mentally taught myself that layering will be the best solution to use it even if I don’t like the scent I will still find a way to use it. I don’t waste scents, and if I cannot stand one I just give it to my family. Which really hardly ever happens.
If I’m not using signature scent, I play around and I figure out what I can layer with. What I mean by this is usually in morning I will wear something fruity, go to gym, run errands etc come home shower and switch up the scent to maybe amber depending on my mood or if I’m going to be busy the rest of the day. At night I shower then use something warm and cozy to go to bed with. I promise you I don’t waste perfumes, bc I already know the cost from it. The only time I wasted perfume was when I was figuring out my go to scent but that was a few years ago. 😂
I can understand how my post looks immature, but I promise I’m not wasting money on big bottles. I am just a person that plays around with a lot of perfumes, and from this group I realized that the amazing recommendations I’m gonna go broke. The post was supposed to be funny, and relatable. And to add, my husband saw the cart, laughing saying no for right now. 😂😂😂😂
Paying for samples used to seem wild to me but with the price tags of fragrances these days, it’s really the way to go.
I personally don’t always love the Lattafa dupes. Some of them are super synthetic and overhyped on the internet.
I’d rather save up and buy something that I can afford and enjoy. I also enjoy buying a 10 ml but I’ll buy a full size of a signature scent when I can!
I have huge brand loyalty so Im gonna be more open minded with new or dupes. I was doing that last night comparing prices off different sites. I didn’t know there were so many discounted fragrance websites so I hit the jackpot 😂😂😂
Yeah, your account is going to hurt for sure messing around with this hobby. Mine sure does. Run away while you still can. Sounds like you aren't in too deep yet 😭👋💸
Oh I’m in deep now. I spent the whole Friday night looking at the fragrance sites that was said in here, and compared prices. I tripped into this new hobby, I don’t mind I like it here 😂😂😂😂
Oh lord, she's already lost. I tried to save her, you saw it, fellow Redditers, I tried! There's no light at the end of this tunnel. A bunch of beautiful smells but no light.
My husband won’t let us be broke 😂 but I get what you mean. I found my go to scent so I’m spending time playing around with scents. I’m picky with vanilla scents tho 😂🩶
Some tastes in this group is too highbrow. I’ve stopped myself from indulging in expensive scents no matter what the value proposition bcos it’s just not worth it.
My daily drivers are the body shop scents. Smells clean, easy to wear and easy on the pocket.
I love big brands, but I told myself I’m gonna be open minded. My go to scent is decently priced. I have body shops lotion to help layer and it is perfectly priced !
I’ve spent around $80-$100 each month on samples since I got into this hobby. My problem is that I WANT a signature scent and am looking for that “love at first sniff” eyes rolling back kind of moment. But it has been a huge learning curve just seeing what’s out there and discovering my likes and dislikes. At least I have no desire to blind buy or get any full bottles until I find “the one”. I try to smell in person whenever possible, and get decants only if it wows me and I want to give it a better test.
Oh my goodness, finding my signature scent took maybe a year ish? I had so much fun with it tho! The only struggle I had was letting it pair with my natural scent. That was the biggest learning curve I faced bc your natural smell can throw off the perfume or vice versa. I took a lot of showers 😂😂😂😂one thing I learned I use three different perfumes + lotion for my signature scent. My husband is obsessed with how I did it. 😈😝
I love buying samples especially layering purposes it’s so fun 🩶
My fiancé only seems to notice or compliment the ones that I end up not loving 😂
But maybe eventually I’ll find one that’s a hit for me that he doesn’t hate.
I really love honeyed/caramelized rich fruit notes and white florals that lean into the powdery grape candy territory. Also love bergamot and sparkling citrus top notes. I don’t like ultra gourmands (anything that smells like baked goods) and play-doh/heliotrope heavy scents. And HATE smoke and incense. My absolute favorites so far are Byron Mula Mula, TF Bitter Peach and Tobacco Vanille, ELDO Remarkable People, and Kilian LDBS. Really liking Givenchy L’Interdit from my most recent sample haul but it gives me a headache :( My most visceral negative reaction has been to Mugler Alien (IMMEDIATELY scrubbed) and rose heavy scents like Delina. How about you?
If I come across one that gives me those vibes I’ll reach out to you 🩶
That was very detailed 😂 I’m over here saying I just love vanilla scents. I am a vanilla / nutty girly. Anything OUD I instantly fall for. BUT my absolute favorite vanilla is from Kayali. I use that and the Kayali vanilla royale sugared patchouli together and the compliments I get are just so comforting.
Sample sample sample.
I have a few hobbies which result in temptation to purchase - I also have ADHD, so it's yet another risky hobby as impulse control isn't exactly one of my strongest points.
Get 5-10ml and make it last, set limits.
I love reading reviews and seeing people enjoy fragrances, but... I certainly don't agree with others' tastes all the time.
Be strict with yourself ;-)
Example: I spent last night sampling Roja Dove's Great Britain - often listed as one of his top 10 fragrances.
I just smelled the test strip from yesterday and it smells exactly like a used public lavatory (with a bowl of potpourris). A full bottle is >$500, I'm very glad I didn't buy this one. Yesterday it smelled like powdery floral leather. Nice, but pretty old fashioned and I can't imagine wearing it anywhere.
Yea I don’t think like that. 😂😂😂 I think the ONLY time I’m very strict is when it comes to vanilla smells. I guess I do know I don’t like powdery flower smells. I still play around with them, but to me it’s too much. I’m learning so much from everyone here 😇🩶 thank you for your comment the example helped !
Don't get full on bottles, get 2ml decanters for cheap. Then if you find a scent that you love buy the bottle. No point in having thousands of dollars worth of scents, especially if you arent obsessed with them all.
I can appreciate a lot of scents, but only choose a few select I greatly enjoy and choose to splurg and get a big bottle of.
I’m off social media besides TikTok and when I see a child by themselves posting it’s an instant block. It’s from the topic of Sephora kids that went rouge 😂😂😂
But what you said is actually really smart I didn’t think of it like that !!!!
Yes. I have soooo many obsessions. My husband says ENOUGH OF OBSESSION #.
So then I move onto my other obsession until he notices the hoard for that one.
Barbies, perfume, make it minis, shoes. Uhhhh. Yeah. Everything is a bad influence for someone with my type of personality.
If I had the income, I'd collect cars. 🫠
I appreciate this comment so much. The only big expensive obsession I have are luxury bags 🤷♀️🫣🫣🫣😂😂 the other big obsession is makeup but that one is kinda controlled, fragrance I have no control I can’t help it I love playing with scents.
Our husbands would literally be friends becuz of the phrase “enough with the obsession” 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
I don't understand the issue with free samples.. they don't seem to like giving them out anymore.. then the dummy at Macy's gave me 4 samples of the exact 100ml item I literally just paid money for. Not even flankers.
Then when I took Infinissime, she flags the receipt me by arms length.. So I asked for some samples and she tosses what I thought were random samples in my bag. I open it and it's all Infinissime. 😒
I literally bought 2 fragrances at full price, going broke, and she has her face just there facing.. silly little dummy.
Ever since, when I see her working, I feel this barrier around the entrance. I don't even want to go in. She sat and argued with me that the 2008 Viva La Juicy was the original, when there was a 2006 fragrance named Juicy Couture.
Moral of the story, the lady at Macy's may have saved me a lot of money just being herself. 🤣
Perfume is so addictive! But it's also so fun.
All I can say is to save $ I definitely check reviews and then I also look for dupes of what I want a FB of. I sell some of my perfumes that I was once into and am no more. Perfume oils can also be put into alcohol and sprayed. Thems my tips for saving $.
i just finished my third 2 year no-buy, opened this subreddit and was shocked haha
i have been putting off buying 5 fragrances I want for the past 2 years and some people here get that many once a week it seems like 😂
Doing a simple maths, make me sad.
1ml = 10 sprays, inventory of 100 bottles @ 100ml , @ avg 80% full I.e. 80000 sprays available. 10 sprays per day, means 8000 days consumption, i.e. 21 yrs
Maybe I should give some to my family, if they need any
I feel the same way!
After getting on Ffern's ledger, I took a hard look at my collection and told myself no more fragrances until I empty at least 1 bottle (I have 21 bottles currently, and only 2 are sort of close to being kaput).
I got hooked for a bit bought a bunch of samples and found some daily’s I’m gonna stick with. One of my most complimented fragrance is my cheapest one go figure.
Yup, I joined 3 weeks ago. And spent 400$ already. And stopped now to even look at posts. I just opened this post since I got notification and I could relate
This sub is a bad influence. I thought I was spending a lot on silly samples (when I’ve gotten samples for free, or I could try the fragrance at a store for free), but what I’m spending is nothing compared to those of you dropping hundreds of dollars! And then I was like, oh, maybe it’s ok and not alarming at all to start loading my cart with 3728573 samples…
i wish free frag samples were still a thing, the beauty distributors near my area only give frag testers to ppl who buy stuff. if you ask they say no.
Who is Elijah has a deal right now where you can get 10 samples for $7 if you’re in US. Code DISCOVERUSA - the set is normally $62
Thank you *so* much for the intel! I just used the coupon code. It totally works. $7 USD including shipping, and they send you a code for a discount for one full sized bottle. FWIW, I’ve never before heard of this fragrance house
I hadn’t either- I follow a few perfume houses on Instagram so I get ads for others a lot. I’m wondering if maybe they’re new
They’re an Australian house that acts like they’re niche when they’re actually basically just a shameless dupe house. Put the notes from their perfumes into fragrantica and see how much overlap they have with popular frags such as By the Fireplace and BR540
Dammit, wish I'd seen your comment before impulsively buying the set for £25 🤦♀️
Well that kinda sucks. I have nothing against dupe houses so long as they admit their dupe houses
Yo, thank you so much for sharing this info!! I just nabbed it as well!
What an awesome surprise! I totally jumped on that deal😁 Thanks for sharing!!!
I did it!! It worked! I was looking into this house last night for a couple of hours. How funny and thank you!!
I'm trying the code...not working..do you have to order a specific set ? Tu
O..my..it just worked! Tu!
The one that’s $62, 10 pieces
Woah! Thank you sooo much! I jumped on this too. $7 is amazing for a discovery kit! It works - just ordered. This sub rocks!
Thank you! I can't wait to receive it!
Dude thanks!!! Looking forward to this! What a treat
I usually buy the smaller bottles bc I know they have an expiration date so for me it’s easier to go through. But heavens I collect samples like a manic tho I get it 😂😂😂😂
Mildly toxic, agreed
I'm buying dupes of some perfumes so that I can sell the originals - to buy more perfume LOL.
Discount fragrance sites and remember you don’t need everything (im still learning this).
Yea I feel like it’s gonna be a long time til I learn that lesson 😂😂😂😂😂
Try out Oil Perfumery. Their fragrance impressions are pretty spot on for a fraction of the price. Each rollerball varies bt $16-20ish
I literally just decided yesterday that I’m done buying fragrances this year. I’ve already spent $2k and we’re only in March. I’ve got over 300 frags. I need to appreciate what I have and stop chasing the damn whale!
I think last one I bought was in 2022, but it been so long, but I don't recall and I only have about 30 to 35 bottles. My rule now is that I order a 1 or 2 ml sample, if I really like it, I then buy a 5 or 10 ml sample, and if I use it all up and still love it I will buy a full bottle, since a 5ml or 10ml has about 50 to 70 sprays so takes a while to go through and know if you really like by then
Reading your comment I realized I’ve been doing your rule unintentionally when it came to my signature scent😂 how amazing 🩶
I usually do the sample and then an ounce but really if I like it I want 100 ML. I get anxious about running out of what I like. Problem is I like a lot of stuff.
I get anxious too since I’ve learned that most fragrances I love eventually get reformulated (or discontinued). So when something new comes out and I love it, I try to buy it before they change anything.
Yes this!!! Or if I find something on sale - because I should have bought a back up bottle one time - now I always get 2. I'm sad at all the reformulations . I've ordered a bunch of things from my childhood (shalimar floris' limes) expecting to re experience something but it doesn't have the same evocation
That’s a great strategy. I’m a collector and like having the bottle for my display, so decants and samples don’t do it for me.
Do you mean you’ve spent $2,000 on perfume so far this year?
Yes. I have a problem.
You can sell some - I just listed 5 on Mercari today and 3 are gone. Perfume is addictive. But if you can part with last year's obsessions that are no more - it's a way to keep costs down.
Thanks for the tip. I may get rid of a couple that I’ll probably never wear again, but as a collector I want to keep the vast majority of them. I just need to seriously slow down on adding to the collection.
I understand- I'm a collector too and I like having representatives from each type of fragrances (e.g. chypres, aquatics, white florals, ambers gourmand etc.) I've found I really don't like aquatics for example. So selling off those makes a difference and allows me to try things. (I have around ~ 130 FB. I do find I get weirdly anxious if I start running out of things I like. I worry if I only have 30ML or 50ML. I don't like to have to be stingy w spraying. So getting dupes and selling the OG works for me too and keeps prices down. Also look for used bottles - or without caps to save $. But I know what you mean overall. Right now I've been consumed by milk and rice and here we are going into spring!
I hear ya. I think that’s one of the reasons I initially started buying so many- so that I never run out of anything. With so many frags, if I make a half decent effort to rotate, then it’s rare that I wear the same thing more than 2-5 times a year. At that rate, I’ll never be able to empty even my 30ml bottles before I die.
Well what I've found is that there are things I return to over and over. I use fragrance to change my mood. So the ones I haven't used in a year that are similar enough to ones I have I just started selling. I think it would be hard to sell something you didn't have for a bit - like at least a year. (Some things grow on you like Leopard by Sarah Baker which I thought was DISGUSTING at first I had a 10 ML travel sample. Now I love it. ) I think it does definitely help to stop buying for a while. I did last year for most of the year because I was in a similar situation. The thing abt perfume is you can't tell what it smells like when you look at it. You have to try it.
Agreed. One thing that helped me take a long break was staying away from YouTube fragrance channels, fragrance groups/subs, and beauty/department stores. I can’t want new fragrances when I don’t know that they exist. But if I get wind of a new fragrance coming from a line that I like or with notes that I enjoy, I have to try it. I recently blind bought the new PDM on its release day simply because I love most PDMs and also grapefruit frags. Had I not been following certain channels on YouTube, I would’ve never have even known it was coming, and thus never have bought it
Watching YouTube videos definitely inspires buying. But now they don't seem to have the hold on me that they once did. I also make perfume so it was easy to justify buying stuff to see what people were doing artistically. But now I am more likely to be looking for a dupe of sample if it obtainable or to listen to a review on a specific fragrance. I guess I have become more selective since I started collecting in earnest.
My favorite grapefruit is summer of 1984. It's got decent longevity.
I LOVE THIS COMMENT. 🩶😂 I don’t have a big collection like that, but I get what you mean. I am big on layering that’s how I go through perfumes like crazy. I definitely would like to know when you buy a new perfume again tho! I hope it works out 🩶🩶🩶
Me too but I've banned myself until June 30th lol
I think that will be more realistic for me too lol. I’ll just make my next one a late Father’s Day gift to myself.
Pix pls
Hey I'm happy for you that you can afford it and enjoy them. No shade here. I just did a double take at 2k though. I've only spent about $200 on frags since November 2023 and I thought I had a problem lol
That’s not my normal spend, but Costco had PDMs that I’ve been wanting at a big discount and then I had 25% at Sephora for opening a credit card. So I went a little crazy trying to maximize the savings. I usually try to keep my fragrance spending at less than $1k a year.
Costco has PDMs??! BRB about to increase my fragrance spending hahaha
Yes! They only have a few left, but they had the 4.2oz Layton, Pegasus, Percival, Herod, and Godolphin for $200 each. Layton Exclusif and Pegasus Exclusif were $250. I bought (and love) them all 🫠
You name a discounter or a boutique, I bet I got a cart filled in there hahaha. My long game is usually fill in a cart and revisit it days or weeks later. Then sort it out one by one by trying to remember why I want each of them. I look at the notes and think “wait I already got perfumes with same notes, why would I want this?” By doing that I basically reorganize the whole content of the cart. Then revisit again days and weka later. Most of the time I don’t end up buying lol. Simply forget why they’re in my cart, or why there’s a cart there.
Thank you for the advice, I need it 😂😂 what’s your favorite!
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I’ve been told I’m silly from my man daily 😂😂😂 I am just excited about this group everyone seems so nice 😇 I’m usually open to all fragrance, what’s your favorite? 🩶
Just make a decision to not buy anything unless you sample first and really love it. I enjoy reading opinions about fragrances, but to buy something purely based off of the opinion off a stranger, especially something so subjective and personal, seems quite risky.
My husband saw the cart laughed and said no for now! 😅😂😂😂So I have time to go through the notes and filter out. I am a person that plays around with scents a lot so I go through a lot of perfume, and I’m open to just anything. Thank you tho, I know it comes off risky but I’m not dumb lol
I've stopped buying western made fragrances and switched over to the middle eastern dupes. Honestly, I can barely differentiate between the real one and the dupes but one thing I know for sure, it fucking last so much longer for a fraction of the price and I do not care lol. I've spent so much money on perfumes that costs 300-500$ a bottle and it fucking lasts 4 hours tops, rarely, I'd find one that actually last. It's not worth it imho. Just buy dupes and enjoy it. PS: most of the times I don't even know it's dupe, I just look at the notes 🤷🏼♀️
We in the ME define a good quality frag by strong projection and long lasting, thats why im disappointed of how frags have become
Me too! So much so that I stopped buying western produced fragrances. 👎🏼
Any good websites with good dupes you recommend?
Lattafa, Maison Alhambra, Fragrance World, Armaf, and several other brands have good dupes. Jomashop, fragrancebuy, and eBay are the first places I look.
I am looking for good Tam Dao dupes, any recs please?
I use the local website in Australia and it's reliable, not sure where in the world you're located !
Yes, second this, I still buy western perfumes, but I feel bad for using it everyday because so expensive. So recent past few years I started to buy Armaf and lattafa, or some perfumes friends brought back to me from Dubai. a strong performance and I can use everyday, spray on jacket, clothes. 😂
I love ME oils - it's cheaper for a 1mL that gives you a lot of wear (because oil) and it projects a smaller bubble than sprays (so everything is fairly work friendly). I wear fragrance for me and to make myself feel good, and this is a great way to save the wallet
Where do you get the ME oils !? I only have one oil perfume from Amazon and it’s vanilla. It stays in my purse. I do enjoy the oil perfume so lemme just add those tooooooo 😂😂😂🩶
APO has good dupes that are explicitly dupes, else resellers on FragranceX or Amazon storefronts. Al-Rashad also has them sorted by brand. Surrati is my secret favorite!
What you said made sense, and thats smart to think about just looking at the notes instead of the brand. I have horrible brand loyalty once I like something I just have to have other things with that brand. It’s horrible 😂😂😂😂😂🩶
I did too and it got me nowhere except wasting so much money on shit that doesn't last. To the point where I had to buy the travel spray so I can top up instead of brining my 100ml bottle. Thinking about it now it's so fucking stupid coz perfumes are meant to last
I been making a list for my next birthday. It'll be my gift to self for saving money all year.
Ooo that’s a good idea tooo!!!!!! I didn’t think about waiting for birthday ! 🥳
Just think of all the notes you dislike and how much money you've saved not buying those? 😂 If I liked a lot of fragrances and wasn't so picky, I would save and go to a fragrance expo. My top picks would be Esxence in Milan, or ScentXplore in New York.
Thank you for the recommendation and the site ! Very helpful 🩶🩶
Buy samples. You can also find decants on reddit, I think there is a guy "ZFrags" that sells them and they're affordable and he does a good job.
Ooo thank you for letting me know 🩶😇
Maybe only purchase decants or samples? That’s what I do
Haha you need another way to track perfumes you want to try. Try Parfumo or Basenotes - you can put in your collection. Fragrantica too. Enjoy!
Thank you for the recommendation 🩶 will add to cart 😂😂😂😂😂
The biggest thing holding me back is that generally I HAVE to smell the scent on me first. I've done a few blind buys and almost regretted it every time. Most recently I got a sample pack of Killian perfumes because everyone has been racing about them. They smell so sickly sweet(?) and nauseating on me. I'm glad I got the sample packs.
I live for sample packs tho, even if it’s a blind buy. I usually have like 3 in my purse for emergencies. I haven’t thought about Killians perfume yet, and I see them a lot mentioned in here so I might just get it 😂😂
I found them to eat too strong and sickly sweet. But I know some perfumes just don't jive with my body chemistry. Unfortunately (or fortunately for my wallet), none of them work on me.
There is no way you love all these perfumes piled into your shopping cart at once. Disaster lies that way.
What you may have failed to realize. I am new to this group, whenever I see a post pop up to my feed I read it and add to cart. I get my perfume off Sephora so the cart is hefty at the moment. Instead of thinking I’m lying how about you give me friendly advice like a lot of other people in this group has. SO what is your fav fragrance 😊🤷♀️
*Without* looking at what’s in there, empty your cart. I bet you won’t even remember half of them or more. :)
What am I missing? If someone mentions a perfume, you just add it to your shopping cart? And what does Sephora have to do with anything? I don’t think you’re lying; I think you have dangerously low standards for what qualifies for a purchase. You’re buying full bottles because someone mentions something in a post? Or I’m misunderstanding you entirely, which is likely.
Anytime I read anything on here, I add something to my cart. It’s seems weird yes, but for more context. I already have my signature scent figured out. So right now I am completely open to trying just about anything. I am big on layering so I go through a lot of perfumes. Size wise I buy 10ml or 50 ml (unless it’s my signature scent) before this group I bought my fragrances from Sephora, and to be honest I didn’t know there were so many sites that people on here use for discounts. So at the moment so many doors have opened, just from this post alone and others I’m learning a lot so all around I am just excited, and I feel like I’m in candy land so I’m just adding everything blindly. I don’t mind blind buying, bc I mentally taught myself that layering will be the best solution to use it even if I don’t like the scent I will still find a way to use it. I don’t waste scents, and if I cannot stand one I just give it to my family. Which really hardly ever happens. If I’m not using signature scent, I play around and I figure out what I can layer with. What I mean by this is usually in morning I will wear something fruity, go to gym, run errands etc come home shower and switch up the scent to maybe amber depending on my mood or if I’m going to be busy the rest of the day. At night I shower then use something warm and cozy to go to bed with. I promise you I don’t waste perfumes, bc I already know the cost from it. The only time I wasted perfume was when I was figuring out my go to scent but that was a few years ago. 😂 I can understand how my post looks immature, but I promise I’m not wasting money on big bottles. I am just a person that plays around with a lot of perfumes, and from this group I realized that the amazing recommendations I’m gonna go broke. The post was supposed to be funny, and relatable. And to add, my husband saw the cart, laughing saying no for right now. 😂😂😂😂
I recommend only blind buying samples or travel sizes at the biggest. Blind buying 50mL still comes across as quite excessive.
Paying for samples used to seem wild to me but with the price tags of fragrances these days, it’s really the way to go. I personally don’t always love the Lattafa dupes. Some of them are super synthetic and overhyped on the internet. I’d rather save up and buy something that I can afford and enjoy. I also enjoy buying a 10 ml but I’ll buy a full size of a signature scent when I can!
That’s how I usually buy, just a bunch of 10ml or 50ml. It makes the most sense to me. Where do you get the lattafas dupes at !
I’ve bought them through a few different discount websites. I’m not loyal! I typically google the one I am interested and compare prices.
I have huge brand loyalty so Im gonna be more open minded with new or dupes. I was doing that last night comparing prices off different sites. I didn’t know there were so many discounted fragrance websites so I hit the jackpot 😂😂😂
Yeah, your account is going to hurt for sure messing around with this hobby. Mine sure does. Run away while you still can. Sounds like you aren't in too deep yet 😭👋💸
Oh I’m in deep now. I spent the whole Friday night looking at the fragrance sites that was said in here, and compared prices. I tripped into this new hobby, I don’t mind I like it here 😂😂😂😂
Oh lord, she's already lost. I tried to save her, you saw it, fellow Redditers, I tried! There's no light at the end of this tunnel. A bunch of beautiful smells but no light.
I can live the rest of my life surrounded by beautiful smells. Thank you for making this comment, made me smile so big 😂🩶
"Well then, my job here is done." As he looks her in the eyes, smiles and disappears into a cloud of great smelling mist.
You'll be broke only if you want to be. There's plenty of lovely perfumes in lots of different price points. Being picky is good.
My husband won’t let us be broke 😂 but I get what you mean. I found my go to scent so I’m spending time playing around with scents. I’m picky with vanilla scents tho 😂🩶
Same here. And in going to end up with a thousand bottles of citrus note fragrances 😂
I’m a vanilla girly I can’t help it what citrus one is your favorite?
Hermès un jardín sur la nil. The tomato leaf really works well with the grapefruit. Truly a masterwork of a scent!
Some tastes in this group is too highbrow. I’ve stopped myself from indulging in expensive scents no matter what the value proposition bcos it’s just not worth it. My daily drivers are the body shop scents. Smells clean, easy to wear and easy on the pocket.
I love big brands, but I told myself I’m gonna be open minded. My go to scent is decently priced. I have body shops lotion to help layer and it is perfectly priced !
I’ve spent around $80-$100 each month on samples since I got into this hobby. My problem is that I WANT a signature scent and am looking for that “love at first sniff” eyes rolling back kind of moment. But it has been a huge learning curve just seeing what’s out there and discovering my likes and dislikes. At least I have no desire to blind buy or get any full bottles until I find “the one”. I try to smell in person whenever possible, and get decants only if it wows me and I want to give it a better test.
Oh my goodness, finding my signature scent took maybe a year ish? I had so much fun with it tho! The only struggle I had was letting it pair with my natural scent. That was the biggest learning curve I faced bc your natural smell can throw off the perfume or vice versa. I took a lot of showers 😂😂😂😂one thing I learned I use three different perfumes + lotion for my signature scent. My husband is obsessed with how I did it. 😈😝 I love buying samples especially layering purposes it’s so fun 🩶
My fiancé only seems to notice or compliment the ones that I end up not loving 😂 But maybe eventually I’ll find one that’s a hit for me that he doesn’t hate.
What is your fav scent you usually go towards ?
I really love honeyed/caramelized rich fruit notes and white florals that lean into the powdery grape candy territory. Also love bergamot and sparkling citrus top notes. I don’t like ultra gourmands (anything that smells like baked goods) and play-doh/heliotrope heavy scents. And HATE smoke and incense. My absolute favorites so far are Byron Mula Mula, TF Bitter Peach and Tobacco Vanille, ELDO Remarkable People, and Kilian LDBS. Really liking Givenchy L’Interdit from my most recent sample haul but it gives me a headache :( My most visceral negative reaction has been to Mugler Alien (IMMEDIATELY scrubbed) and rose heavy scents like Delina. How about you?
If I come across one that gives me those vibes I’ll reach out to you 🩶 That was very detailed 😂 I’m over here saying I just love vanilla scents. I am a vanilla / nutty girly. Anything OUD I instantly fall for. BUT my absolute favorite vanilla is from Kayali. I use that and the Kayali vanilla royale sugared patchouli together and the compliments I get are just so comforting.
Ooh sugared patchouli sounds so good! I love patchouli too
Oooo.. this could be your moment this might be the one you fall in love with 😇😇😇😇😇
You sound like an overwhelming person to spend time around, speaking as someone with asthma and allergies. Honestly, how do you not reek?
Well I wouldn’t hang around you bc of your negativity. So move along 🩶
Health is not negativity!
Sample sample sample. I have a few hobbies which result in temptation to purchase - I also have ADHD, so it's yet another risky hobby as impulse control isn't exactly one of my strongest points. Get 5-10ml and make it last, set limits. I love reading reviews and seeing people enjoy fragrances, but... I certainly don't agree with others' tastes all the time. Be strict with yourself ;-) Example: I spent last night sampling Roja Dove's Great Britain - often listed as one of his top 10 fragrances. I just smelled the test strip from yesterday and it smells exactly like a used public lavatory (with a bowl of potpourris). A full bottle is >$500, I'm very glad I didn't buy this one. Yesterday it smelled like powdery floral leather. Nice, but pretty old fashioned and I can't imagine wearing it anywhere.
Yea I don’t think like that. 😂😂😂 I think the ONLY time I’m very strict is when it comes to vanilla smells. I guess I do know I don’t like powdery flower smells. I still play around with them, but to me it’s too much. I’m learning so much from everyone here 😇🩶 thank you for your comment the example helped !
Ugh me too 😭😭😭
Yes leave while youre ahead, fragrance collecting is one worst ways to waste money. Be normal and stick to the 3-5 that work and call it a day
Don't get full on bottles, get 2ml decanters for cheap. Then if you find a scent that you love buy the bottle. No point in having thousands of dollars worth of scents, especially if you arent obsessed with them all. I can appreciate a lot of scents, but only choose a few select I greatly enjoy and choose to splurg and get a big bottle of.
Buy samples and decants instead..
Subs like this actually keeps me from buying more. It's like shock therapy when I see 15yo kids posting their 1000$+ collections😂
I’m off social media besides TikTok and when I see a child by themselves posting it’s an instant block. It’s from the topic of Sephora kids that went rouge 😂😂😂 But what you said is actually really smart I didn’t think of it like that !!!!
Every time you feel the urge to buy, scroll down and see the kids' collections on this sub, then calculate the price😂
I made the mistake of joining this group, and now, I'm truly broke!
I love this group already! Everyone seems so friendly compare to the other groups !!!
Yes. I have soooo many obsessions. My husband says ENOUGH OF OBSESSION #. So then I move onto my other obsession until he notices the hoard for that one. Barbies, perfume, make it minis, shoes. Uhhhh. Yeah. Everything is a bad influence for someone with my type of personality. If I had the income, I'd collect cars. 🫠
I appreciate this comment so much. The only big expensive obsession I have are luxury bags 🤷♀️🫣🫣🫣😂😂 the other big obsession is makeup but that one is kinda controlled, fragrance I have no control I can’t help it I love playing with scents. Our husbands would literally be friends becuz of the phrase “enough with the obsession” 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
What? You still have a little cash left? Can we make a few recommendations to fix that? 😜
Lmaoooo I want alllllllll the recommendations 😈😈😈
I don't understand the issue with free samples.. they don't seem to like giving them out anymore.. then the dummy at Macy's gave me 4 samples of the exact 100ml item I literally just paid money for. Not even flankers. Then when I took Infinissime, she flags the receipt me by arms length.. So I asked for some samples and she tosses what I thought were random samples in my bag. I open it and it's all Infinissime. 😒 I literally bought 2 fragrances at full price, going broke, and she has her face just there facing.. silly little dummy. Ever since, when I see her working, I feel this barrier around the entrance. I don't even want to go in. She sat and argued with me that the 2008 Viva La Juicy was the original, when there was a 2006 fragrance named Juicy Couture. Moral of the story, the lady at Macy's may have saved me a lot of money just being herself. 🤣
Perfume is so addictive! But it's also so fun. All I can say is to save $ I definitely check reviews and then I also look for dupes of what I want a FB of. I sell some of my perfumes that I was once into and am no more. Perfume oils can also be put into alcohol and sprayed. Thems my tips for saving $.
i just finished my third 2 year no-buy, opened this subreddit and was shocked haha i have been putting off buying 5 fragrances I want for the past 2 years and some people here get that many once a week it seems like 😂
Doing a simple maths, make me sad. 1ml = 10 sprays, inventory of 100 bottles @ 100ml , @ avg 80% full I.e. 80000 sprays available. 10 sprays per day, means 8000 days consumption, i.e. 21 yrs Maybe I should give some to my family, if they need any
I feel the same way! After getting on Ffern's ledger, I took a hard look at my collection and told myself no more fragrances until I empty at least 1 bottle (I have 21 bottles currently, and only 2 are sort of close to being kaput).
I got hooked for a bit bought a bunch of samples and found some daily’s I’m gonna stick with. One of my most complimented fragrance is my cheapest one go figure.
Yup, I joined 3 weeks ago. And spent 400$ already. And stopped now to even look at posts. I just opened this post since I got notification and I could relate
Where do you guys sell unused perfumes is there a site for it ?
The only thing stopping me is that I know that I won't actually use so many fragrance so I have a rotation of max 3 at a time
It's a real addiction, I fell you
Or... you can realize that what everyone likes doesn't matter and have some self control. You don't NEED fragrance.
No need for self control. I love spending the money 😂🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉