I love perfume.
Obviously, one of my strategies in not running out of perfume is to have 1,000 bottles of it. A lot of these date back to different times in my life, though - where I either got them as gifts, or would actually buy perfume for myself. Rarely, rarely though, have I bought it at full retail price.
Some things to think about when considering fragrance:
* Someone told me once that she didn't buy more of a certain fragrance because it didn't last long enough. It was a quality perfume, so I figured it must be the fact that about 15 minutes after we apply fragrance, our noses get used to it, so it seems like it has worn off. Sometimes it really DOES wear off, especially if it is a lighter fragrance or concentrate, and you only apply it on places where it would wear off. This where fragrance layering is nice - using different forms of the fragrance, such as body wash, lotion, and the actual spray on top of these things, for example. My personal strategy is to apply it on both wrists, neck, hair, and if I'm wearing a dress or skirt, behind the knees. I actually spray it on my clothes, as long as they're not silk or rayon. I've read that perfume can stain/discolor clothes, but I haven't experienced this. I love to catch a wiff of my fragrance rising up from my shirt, or picking up a sweater a few weeks after the last wearing and catching the subtle aroma of the fragrance I last wore.
* Different formulations of fragrance have different concentrations of perfume oil, and therefore, some will last longer on the skin than others. Take the most popular concentrates, for instance: Eau de Toilette is the cheaper and lighter concentrate, and has less parfum (the concentrated fragrance oil). Eau de parfum, obviously, bumps the oil content up a notch, and is much longer-lasting. If you can get the straight-up parfum, it is the highest concentration of all (but note: it is also the most expensive, and comes in a much smaller bottle - Chanel No. 5 is a great one for this). An important note, though - for each fragrance formulation (spray, lotion, soap, etc.) the perfumer has to re-concoct the fragrance blend. This is why you might find that a shower gel doesn't smell precisely the same as the perfume spray, for instance. Often, they do smell the same, but just because you like a fragrance in its toilette form, doesn't mean it will smell precisely the same in its parfum form. Smell before you buy - I've been displeased with certain fragrances in their different forms, and will only stick to one formulation (it's not a reflection on the perfume, it's just how my "tastes" run.)
* Shelf life. Perfume is not like makeup, in that you wouldn't want to apply it after awhile, due to possible bacterial contamination. But, like makeup, perfume can change in properties when it's been sitting around for awhile. Temperature affects fragrance, as does age. Age doesn't make perfume necessarily unwearable - as noted with my Chanel No. 5 experience, see below - but it will most likely change the scent. I don't advocate replacing an unfinished but older bottle of fragrance unless, of-course, you just hate it. The oils and alcohol content preserve the fragrance, so as far as I know, it's not a danger to wear older fragrance. But bear in mind that it will change over the course of time and in regards to temperature. So keep it in a cool place, away from the sun.
Some strategies for getting fragrance for the minimum cost:
* Discount & drug stores have perfume counters, often. You can find many designer fragrances, there, for significantly less than retail.
* Stores like Marshalls, TJ Maxx, etc., have great perfume selections, but the variety is ever-changing, so you need to check back often. I love to check out the gift sets, even when it isn't around Christmas. These stores aren't discount stores, precisely - they get stock from closing businesses and liquidations, or things that have been damaged somehow. The biggest fragrance score is getting something you like that has been further reduced because, say, it's been opened. Even if it's missing its cap, get it! (Now, if it's missing it's spray nozzle, that's another story... I bet those are not that hard to replace, but I haven't gone into that territory, yet.)
* Knock-offs: while this can have an ethical discussion attached to it, some of the "imposter" fragrances actually smell very similar, as is the case with the spray version of Happy by Clinique. With these, you can usually try before you buy, but if not - you're not out much money. Use it as a bathroom spray deodorizer!
* Mall kiosks/stores. I haven't had tons of experience with these, but they tend to have a good selection, and might even have discontinued fragrances.
* Online. eBay has been a great resource for fragrance, for me. You can buy from various other online stores, as well. What's great about eBay, though - in addition to being able to score regular-sized bottles for cheap - is that you can often buy samples or smaller, decanted bottles of fragrance you're not sure about, or can't buy in the full-size, even at a discount. I tried a few expensive French perfumes this way. And discovered they weren't for me, and was not going to spend $100 on a regular bottle.
* Gift sets. You can get these year-round, and they are actually a deal, if you like all the different things that come with them. Or, you can always give the lotion, soap, etc., away as a gift to someone else, and keep the perfume for yourself. :) Even better when you can find them at places like Marshall's.
* Off-the-beaten-path: I love Sandalwood, and while I have a Gap roller-ball edition of it, I've also found essential oil of it at natural food stores. Granted, Sandalwood is basically endangered, so it's either expensive in its real form, but you can get it in a knock-off form (which isn't bad, actually - it's the same with musk: it was originally made from a gland from the musk deer, but it is protected, now). I don't mind knock-off, as long as it smells good. Natural food stores often have fragrance, often in solid form, which is great. I like to get fragrance oils wherever they can be found - gift shops, boutiques, places like The Body Shop (see below). Please note, though, that essential oils or room-fragrance oils might not be appropriate for direct contact with skin. Either they need to be diluted, or not used on the skin at all.
* In the spice cabinet. I've been known to apply vanilla extract or allspice. Granted, it lasts for about one second. But, I enjoy it for that second. It just brings to mind the experimental nature of fragrance - you can certainly make your own. Some great resources are Majestic Mountain Sage, and Mountain Rose Herbs. Find a good guide on how to go about perfuming for yourself - this book looks good, though I haven't tried it yet.
* Ask for it as a gift. This is my favorite "cheap" method. :) I can still direct loved ones to a frugal way of getting it, but I often find I just can't justify the purchase of new perfume. And it's a lot more fun to get it as a gift!
A rundown of what's in my own perfume drawer, and how I got it:
* Maybe Baby by Benefit. A delicious, light scent that I use mostly in the summer, or when I need a bright pick-me-up. My hubby gave me a $100 Sephora gift card that he got as a "reward" from his credit card company. I had been waiting to get this one for years, trust me.
* Stella by Stella McCartney. A deep, rosey smell. I wanted this for my wedding, but brand-new, the 1.7oz size is $67. I went on eBay, and got the 3.3oz size for $50, with shipping... $36 savings!
* Tresor by Lancome. A heavier scent for winter. A gift, but I did find a massive gift set of it at Marshall's the other day for $25 - it would've easily been $40, just for the perfume, let alone the gel, lotion, etc.
* Pure Bliss and Revitalizing by Mary Kay. The former is truly bliss, and while not revitalizing, the latter bottles up summer, to me. A great example of how a sample can be a great foray into scent. I am very picky about scent, and would never buy something without smelling it. I tried these two in a free gift basket, and then bought them online. Unfortunately, they are discontinued (I've written Mary Kay about this), but can still be found on eBay, though I've yet to pay the "collector" prices, and am down to the last spritzes....
* Elige by Mary Kay. Boring bottle, great, deep scent - Mary (sister, not Kay) gave me a vial pendant with this in it, and I had to have it. The last bottle I bought was from a seller on eBay, for $20 - half the retail cost.
* Chanel No. 5 by Chanel. My favorite abstract scent, even when it's an older bottle. I was in my grandma's bathroom one day, and noticed it in there - my grandma is not concerned with scent OR brands - and mentioned it casually. She was very surprised it was in there, and didn't know where it came from. And then offered it to me. :)
* Rose et une 2000 by Lancome. A stinkin' beautiful rose scent. And stinkin' limited edition - I've had it up to HERE w/limited editions, Clinique came out with Happy Bloom and it was the same deal, I LOVED it, but they don't make it consistently - that I got as a gift. I was happy to find, though, in one of my books on perfume, that the bottle is a re-make of a beautiful old perfume flacon. I use it sparingly, but I'll always keep the bottle.
* Champs Elysees by Guerlain. Another great scent that I'll just call abstract (I'm needing to study perfume more, and will). An example of finding a great scent from a scent card in a magazine. An early favorite that I got for my birthday, and then continued to buy online, or at Marshall's, when I could find it. This latest bottle is a tester w/out a lid - a huge 3.3oz that I got for $20, as opposed $100-ish. I recently discovered that you can, theoretically, get this from Sephora, though it's currently out of stock. Besides the aftermarket(such as eBay), "discontinued" fragrances can sometimes be obtained from the original fragrance house.
* Evening in Paris by Bourjois. One of my favorite perfumes, and another favorite story involving my grandma - she loved it when she was a girl, and I found I loved it too, out of ALL the fragrance choices at The Vermont Country Store. Not super-easy to find, therefore not easy to find "cheap" (you can get it for less on Amazon.com, but since I don't think I'll be buying this very often, I prefer to support the Vermont Country Store.)
* Diamonds & Sapphires by Elizabeth Taylor. A fruity smell, that really does remind me of a gemstone, now... even though I realize gemstones don't have fragrance. This is the first "designer" perfume I ever discovered, and that was back when you had to buy this at a department store. Since then, I've found many bottles for $20 at Marshalls, and have even seen it for less at drugstores. Maybe it's a bit kitschy, now, but I've recently re-discovered it, and my husband LOVES it.
* Various oils by various people, including The Body Shop. Oils are a great value, in that they are often much less than a designer perfume, and last a long time. A few of my Body Shop oils I've had since I was a teenager, and still smell great. And can still be purchased! A great way to expand your fragrance library without shelling out tons of cash.
Go forth, and have a lovely-smelling life.
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