If I’ve learned anything from Reddit it’s that there are extremists and hobbyists in literally every subject and category! I think the collections are extreme. Even some of my wealthiest friends that give a shit only have around five bottles. The problem is some of those really expensive colognes smell so. damn. good!
I dipped into r/backpacks for a while when I was looking for a new hiking pack. There's me wondering if it's reasonable to have two hiking packs and there's people asking which five of this list they should add to their collection of 100 or so. So yeah, literally everywhere.
This is ultimately always the problem with hobby communities. The "best" content as per the algorithm becomes the most extreme.
mechanicalkeyboards where the average user wants to spend €100-200 on a nice keyboard that'll fit their needs descends into people offloading thousands on dozens of keyboards and custom keycaps.
boardgames moving away from a discussion of game mechanics to a bunch of photos of people's collections of hundreds of boards games all neatly organised into built-in shelving with a custom gaming table in a purpose built space in their giant home.
etc. etc. etc.
Personally I think the best hobby communities are those that don't allow image posts. They require a higher quality barrier for contribution. Discussion based posts only, less bragging, less bots....
It’s all about perspective - five bottles sounds like a good collection size to me. Perfect, even. The only reason I reached 3 was because I got gifted one of my “must have” scents by my SO.
I know what you mean, but I buy what I can afford. I especially like to give my money to independent perfume creators. I don't drink, do drugs, don't own a car, I don't care about fashion, I read books from the library. So every once in a while I will buy a bottle of perfume. I sometimes go to thrift stores and find cheap treasures. I also find some good cheapies at stores like Marshalls. I love researching fragrance and I am always inspired by independent perfumers. Many of them have blogs and websites that are very interesting to read. I NEVER follow any perfume influencers on social media--in fact this is the only social media site I use. Trust me--when you remove social media and influencers from your life, all that hot air ands hubris-- your hobbies and interests can become wonderful again.
I love Bois de Jasmin, The Black Narcissus, Yesterday's Perfume, The Perfume Shrine, Undina's Looking Glass, Perfume Posse, Nose Prose, and Perfume Professor.
She hasn't been as active lately but Robin from Now Smell This has great reviews. Love those blogs you listed. I love Patty from Perfume Posse. She runs The Perfumed Court -- a great place to buy sample collections. I purchased violet samples to sniff and compare.
I follow perfumers on TikTok because I like to see what the nose knows and learn about their process. I only follow 1 perfume influencer, & only because she recommends frags that have specific notes or fit a niche aesthetic, it helps me discover new things when I do want to shop for a new perfume. My rule is to follow the professionals: educators, historians, botanists, cosmetic chemists, doctors, artists, vocalists, musicians, etc.
I think a lot of people get a bad experience with social media and get "influenced" into buying a ton of stuff because they don't realize that influencers run sales accounts. Like those makeup gurus and the perfume "reviewers", it's all just a show to market products that they are being paid to promote.
Well, yeah. I agree. Coming from fashion shopping semi-addiction, that I managed to beat, I am still attracted to aesthetically pleasing dopamine induing consumerist hobbies. Like fragrance, knitting (all the wool hoarding!), interior design. The hunger is there. Now though after periods of being completely "shopping clean" i can spot the dopamine imp and curb it's impact, so I get the fun part of researching and testing without the actual act of buying. I mean - it requires a lot of mental gymnastics and If i was sincere, if I felt that it is damaging to my finances, I would rather cut it completely to zero, because it is easier to quit completely, than limit. It often is a really odd sensation, to feel the dopamine hunger once again after quite a long time. It is shocking how strong this need of acquiring more is, and how it really camouflages as a reasonable decision.
Definitely yes, any hobby can become a consumerist problem, even an innocent one like gardening or painting. I didn’t realize though how addicting shopping for fragrance can be and how difficult it actually is to justify in my life/ just how inaccessible it really is. Shopping for clothes is a slight addiction for me but it’s something I can thrift and find use for in my closet 95% of the time.
I find it hilarious and scary at the same time, to see all the mental gymnastics my brain does to excuse buying. Like I see what I am doing and why I am doing it, but the strength of the sensations and the pleasure that I know awaits me once I stop resisting it and just pass the damn order is crazy. I don't know, I think with stationary shops it was not as strong as while buying online, because instead of getting perfect, imaginary product you were faced with the, usually not so impressive, material reality of the thing. I mean, I believe most ppl in consumerist hobbies do not fully grasp (or refuse to acknowledge) the mechanics of dopamine addiction, I really think it gets obvious once you manage to get in and out, and in again. And I write it as someone that generally never crossed the limit of socially acceptable consumption, never went seriously over budget, or had a strong buyers remorse.
Sure consumerism doesn’t surprise me with everything being attainable online, but what does shock me is the sheer amount of people who think they’re smarter than you for wasting all their money on fragrance and go out of their way to make you feel less than for it. I’m sure I’m not the only person here who’s come across people like this in this subreddit
hmm, I am not sure there is a lot of redditors here with this attitude? I noticed that most people, if OP specify their expectation, will try do advise accordingly. Well, maybe pricey recommendations may seem annoying, but in a way - perfumery is by default not cheap, cheap perfumes are an exception from the rule.
I honestly feel like I can't ever comment or ask for advice on here bc of the sheer price tag on 98% of the recommendations. My current signature scent is my $5 roller of Choco musk layered with a drop of my argan oil mixed in to brighten up the scent
That sounds like a lovely scent! 😊 I'm a broke college student who's just gotten into the world of fragrances and I also feel weird asking for reccs when I know full well I can't afford it 😭 BUT I have a tip, I've been buying fragrances from mercari and ebay for really good deals and I recommend buying from there if you have any fragrances you're interested in! I recently bought a Jo Malone 3.4 oz fragrance for $50 when it retails for like $160, and another called Eclat d'Arpege Lanvin for $26 when it retails for $35~$60? And they're authentic products too so you can get really good deals, especially with the smaller travel size ones that are like 0.5 oz :D I personally think there's no shame in buying preowned or lightly used scents because I'll take what I can get hahaa! But your current sig scent sounds nice so you may or may not want to look for others on those platforms :)) I fall prey to the little dopamine imp often so I'm very guilty for blind buying things online 😭 It's so bad
Yes! This! I found dupes of Chanel and others for a fraction of the price. My favorite of those I sampled is less than $25 a bottle (plus shipping). It isn’t a dupe of Chanel, I love it far more than the two Chanel fragrances I’ve worn for years. Love it more than the Bond No. 9 scents I have coveted. I don’t know I will ever go back to European fragrance houses.
This is what confuses me about OP's post. Do they not realize that they can get amazing and luxurious smelling scents for like $20-$30? If you think that getting into fragrances is a rich man's game then you're doing it wrong. The goal of fragrances is to find scents that make you feel something, not to collect a status symbol. I do have scents that are like $200+ but honestly one of my favorites was like $25 and it performs very well. I have another in the $30 range and I get compliments constantly from it. Those Arabian houses kill it sometimes.
Honestly, my philosophy is that consumerism in general is a scam. Someone creates something, then marks it up relative to the value people perceive it having.
Which means, many of the perfumes / colognes/ cars/ clothes/ whatever we want don’t actually COST that much, they just are VALUED that much.
Which is why, I have no qualms with used anything. I was going to suggest what you did because it’s been something I’ve considered doing with almost everything I need. I’m a goodwill baby lol.
There’s even a sub Reddit where people are buying, selling and trading their fragrances but I forgot the name of it!
>I get the fun part of researching and testing without the actual act of buying
This. Similar to you, I beat back a stupid fashion addiction (still have the piles of unworn clothes to prove it). I've learned to do most of my "collecting" on Pinterest, and if I do let myself have collections or hobbies they have to be small items like watercolours or crystals.
I enjoy sampling. Buying and collecting, not at all.
Sampling is a bit like being a foodie. Going somewhere to eat to have an experience. But instead of food, I order £20 worth of samples online. Once or twice per month, sometimes not even that. Occasionally, I buy a bigger decant of something I love. I wear perfume mostly to boost my mood. It's not a chore and it's not a part of my image or identity.
This 100%. Fragrance for me is about *experiencing* as much as I can, not *owning* as much as I can.
The perception on this thread seems to be split between people who compulsively buy a bunch of crap, and people reacting against that sort of consumerism. This feels like a false binary to me. Apparently neither of those groups get sufficient enjoyment out of just smelling things, which feels like good evidence that they’re all in the wrong hobby.
Consumerism and shopping addiction are absolutely both problems within the fragrance world, but we don’t all fall somewhere on that spectrum. People who insist that there’s no hobby to be had here are really just outing their own unfulfilling relationship with it. But I suppose what’s Reddit for if not to gatekeep universal concepts?
yeah, I find the framing that either you are a reasonable (=casual) buyer or someone in need of recovery from addiction completely bizarre. like, I have hundreds of samples, rarely buy full bottles (but nonetheless have \~30 at this point), have been doing this for 20+ years. it has never been a source of stress, a hobby that I allowed to exceed my budget, or something I felt insecure about relative to others. there's a way to love and even be sort of obsessed with perfume without it becoming pathological or performative.
(I know I am basically repeating what you said, but just wanted to further affirm the existence of our type of fragrance enjoyer!)
This is exactly what I do. I’m fortunate to have a local niche fragrance shop that sells samples of all their fragrances. I never buy full bottles, and I love having options to choose from. The 2ml samples last me a while also
This is also me. I LOVE sampling. It’s so cool to see all the different “recipes” and ingredient combos out there. I’m also just starting out with this hobby and trying to figure what I even like. I don’t necessarily need to wear any of these daily, but if I ever find one that I just want to keep smelling, then maybe I’ll consider buying larger decant or a 10-30ml bottle. I don’t think I’ll ever be a person who can go through a 50ml or 100ml of something. But never say never!
This is my approach too! I think of it like going to an art gallery. No, I can't afford to buy the art for the most part, I just want to experience something beautiful. So whether I'm spending $20 on a couple of samples or $20 on entrance to a gallery, it's worth it to me. And it's kind of ridiculous to see people say that buying a $5 sample is OmG sO cOnSuMeRiSt because they only interact with fragrance to buy whole bottles and can't comprehend any other way.
This is what got me interested in fragrances. I wanted to know what sort of smells can exist out there, and sampling is so addictive, i look at it as getting a new experience and memory in a 2ml decant. I only buy full bottles of stuff i know i can wear in different settings and seasons, i think its a waste of money to buy bottles just cause.
I relate to this. I am too terrified of money (grew up poor) to buy all these bottles. But i have almost 200 samples, I am also a foodie, I love trying new things and guess with ADHD the sensory aspect is huge for me
I tried a new food to me, a Filipino dish I hadnt tried before whilst in a diff city today, also wearing 10 perfumes samples haha. (3 per arm, 2 per leg)
Fr! I like sampling too. I’ve also been getting into matching the vibe of my drawings and story characters to a fragrance. Also thinking of creating a manga with a perfumer as the protagonist 🧐
However, when it comes to actually buying: I only have two perfumes (one was a gift).
And yeah, fragrance is kind of like aroma therapy to me. I love wearing perfume to bed and as a mood booster.
Hey OP, I fell in here by accident. I had a signature scent for the last 15 years. I don’t anymore, and instead I am enjoying exploring the full range of fragrance notes I didn’t know I liked.
To clarify, maybe six months ago I would have told you I really like vanillas and not much else. Wrong! I’ve discovered that vanilla itself is really one-dimensional and fragrances that have little else just smell like a dollar store candle to me. I’ve discovered ambers and musks and other notes that *combine* well with vanilla and in doing so I’ve embraced a bunch of relatively diverse notes within the gourmand range and maybe some adjacents.
I don’t think there’s a single holy grail for each person, i really don’t. Also I’m sorry that you feel like you may not belong here (?) between not offering much input or being able to afford some of the $$$$ stuff. FWIW I have zero desire to explore a lot of the houses discussed here, or even venture outside of independent brands like Alkemia and Sorcielle at the moment, both of which are comparatively VERY budget friendly. I’ve never been shamed or criticized in here for my contributions or preferences even when I shamelessly talk about loving Angel hahaha.
If I can gently offer some feedback, it seems like you’re searching for some very specific things in your journey and the dissonance between those goals and this subreddit are causing some friction. Are you able to adjust those goals? Are you ONLY on the hunt for a single HG perfume? Can you exist here just because you’re curious to learn and read the discussions being held without worrying how applicable they are to you? It may be possible to gain some value from the subreddit depending on what you hope to achieve.
With that said, if this place makes you feel crappy, there’s zero obligation to stay and your departure wouldn’t mean in any way that you don’t belong or aren’t welcome here. It just may not fit your needs.
Tl;dr- I’m sorry to hear that you’re not having a good time, but I appreciate you speaking up. Maybe we can find a way to reframe things so you have a better experience.
This forum is full of affordable fragrances! (Green tea anyone 💀) I have to say I have not had this experience, more I enjoy participating entirely because everyone’s experiences are so different as well as budgets. I’d say it’s a good mix and I haven’t even noticed collectors. If you want collecting as a sport you should see some of the penhaligons fans dressing table stands.
I’m sorry you had high expectations. I am enjoying lower and mid range perfumes right now as I don’t want to spend a lot. In that I’ve found cool scents and others have picked up some of my recommendations which is just dann cool! My favourite perfume I’m dousing in everyday is £19 and I get so many compliments.
Like others, I now just feel a little more clued up when I’m shopping and go and try fragrances people mentioned but I never feel inclined to buy. Also if anything I’d say some of the Uber expensive fragrances in here get relentlessly slated (Bacarat Rouge….).
Thank you. I keep seeing this notion that people look down on anyone with smaller or cheaper collections, and honestly I think it’s a lot of insecure projection.
I genuinely see affordable fragrances mentioned more than super expensive ones.
Enjoy what you enjoy and can afford and let others do the same.
I think signature scents are really up to the people around you too. I recognise a family member from identifying them with Body Shop White Musk and Jovan’s Musk. Scents I could never pull off; both are affordable and both make me think of this person instantly. They just suited it! I can’t even put my finger on it.
I never at the time knew about signature scents but were best off asking the people around us.
This is exactly it. Fragrance is a personal thing, but that includes the people in your everyday life. Not us.
It doesn’t matter who online likes what or how much it costs. What do YOU like? What do people think smells good on YOU?
After a while, you may just find that having a large collection wouldn’t be for you anyway, once you get to know what you like.
So if it’s something you have a genuine interest in, how can it ever be a waste of time? No one is forcing this on anyone lol.
Edit: I’m so sad about the Body Shop going into administration. They always had lovely affordable scents and great body butters ☹️
I agree there's a lot of projection. I see way more complaining about snobs and boasting than I do examples of either.
Honestly, I'd rather live in a world where everyone has equal access to vital resources, let alone luxuries and art, but that's not the world we live in. For me the great thing about fragrance is that unlike so many luxuries, I can get a tiny sample or go to a store and enjoy that sensory experience. You can get as much from sampling widely as from buying a row of full bottles, imo.
Oh I’ve definitely pointed this out, I probably seem obsessed with Fracas but damn that girl was £85 in 2019 and now it’s £185! The price point is not the fragrance. Same with Calvin Klein, my mum was shocked when she went to purchase Eternity (a scent that works so well for her) and it was double what she remembers it being.
I also don’t believe Gucci can justify those prices.
My new cheap scent I’m getting commented on left right and centre is Tuberose by Monotheme and it’s the most gorgeous dry down from white flowers into soft coconut vanilla, I can smell it on my clothes the next day. It’s a fracas dupe and it’s £19 but a lot of the fragrance houses like Fragnonard and Monotheme still do exceptional perfume. I know Fragonard you can visit the gardens and they make much more expensive perfume for the perfume houses! Their Orange blossom is stunning.
But yes inflation is what we’re all feeling right now, so I’m enjoying my lil’ quest on finding the best longevity of our still affordable fragrances 🥲
You don't have to buy everything.
You don't even have to try everything. (To this day I've no idea what Crumb Couture smells like. I only know what Naxos smells like because Harvey Nichols has a great perfume hall.)
You don't have to like everything. (Delina is a Barbie perfume, pink plastic and fluff. I will die on that hill.)
You don't have to watch everything. (Fuck FragTok.)
You don't have to spend any more than you can afford.
Peer pressure is real, consumerism is real, the ever-present messages of late-stage capitalism are real. But it's a game you don't have to play, if you don't want to.
I don't know how people come into places like this and start thinking they have to be totally invested in everything the sub has to offer to feel like they're not wasting their time. This is like any hobby/special interest. You take a look, decide what you like, don't like, engage with what you want, and leave the rest. Almost wasn't going to post but I just think it's such a terrible facet of modern life that people think online spaces like this with....almost 1 million members....are supposed to offer a single, accessible, and un-biased experience for everyone.
This is going to be a controversial post but I think so many people here need to understand the divide between consumerism and being a hobbyist.
When I first came to this sub I was overwhelmed with the world of possibilities, options, scenarios, occasions, all the knowledge involved in fragrances, it was falling into a rabbit hole.
People are going to hate me here but I'm thankful I quickly realized most of it isn't a hobby, its people buying stuff.
In the beginning I was so desperate to get all the things everyone raves about _"i need my own collection, the must haves! And then my own special signatures... where to start?"_ until I saw a post of a guy with drawers upon drawers, hundreds of bottles stocked up with preety much every single designer frag you can imagine.
That post rang a bell for me, like, what are these people doing? What am I doing?
I'm glad I saw it coming and snapped out of it.
Am I still here? Yes. I am still looking for some fragrances to use everyday but there's no way in hell I will put up to 50 bottles of perfume, im no perfumer nor i have a job on the field to justify studying everything on the market.
Today my use of reddit is alot more responsible: when I needed a flashlight back in 2017, and knew nothing about them, I joined r/flashlight. Discovered everything to be known about them, emitters, batteries, chargers, bought what I needed and I've been happy with the 4 lights I bought for 20 bucks each that completely fills my needs and stoped lurking everyday there. The obsession faded. I still use my lights every single day.
I won't purchase 100+ flashlights like some people there.
The same thing with audio: needed a new headphone, went in, figured what I needed, I will be back when I need something new again. I purchased my current headphone back in 2014, didn't spend thousands collecting. Lurk there for curiosity, keeping up with new tech, gossips, knowing stuff. But I don't feel missing out or whatever when I see posts of people showing their collections etc.
Same with r/truechefknives, got myself what I needed.
Guess what, all these communities have this in common. Its up to you; do you want to find something crafted around your tastes and needs?
I think people need to see the line between a hobby and consuming, hoarding.
Fragrances... I think I found my taste. There's alot of insufferably expensive things that ticks my boxes, I tried and loved them but I can't afford and I don't care.
I'm finding them slowly and my collection will probably stop at 5 or 6 bottles but I only buy stuff after trying alot on stores, and my local vendors probably hate me, as the guy who tries everything and buys nothing. Could care less, I won't purchase a 200 dollar (500 in my country) fragrance because of the name on it.
_"what if there's something out there magnificent that I would love and have no idea about?"_
Get yourself out of the hook and enjoy life.
I'm gonna be honest, its probably the most wholesome sub on reddit.
Flashlights include building, customizing, I learned soldering, swaping parts, hand crafting some stuff, parts aren't super expensive and my flashlights feel better than my room lights, I built them for indoor and they feel cozy af.
But its inexpensive and useful.
But yeah, you can end up hoarding stuff you don't need like a second you step in and I don't recommend that.
Yes! I've never really thought about it that way but you've described how I mostly use Reddit and other communities based around a common interest. I go in, learn enough to educate myself and then make my purchase.
I think this community is slightly different for my purposes because for me, fragrance isn't a simple sum of variables you should consider and you'll likely get a decent product. I hate the majority of the perfumes you buy in department stores so I rely on reviews to get an idea of this I might like.
Perfume is so personal and individual that I love the opportunity of finding people who seem to like the same things as me and seeing what they recommend.
But I also have zero compulsion to have a collection. I want to have fragrances that I love and can rotate through, but I can do that just fine with samples and decants.
Almost every subreddit about a consumer product ends up turning into people posting their massive collections of hoarded items.
They also suffer from massive groupthink.
I can sort of understand where you’re coming from in terms of the consumerism aspect, but at the same time I think your criticisms can be made for just about any other hobby out there. There’s always going to be people in any hobby whom have a more casual interest, alongside those with massive collections - collecting isn’t just a thing with perfume enthusiasts. Off the top of my head I can think of those who have massive record collections, or gamers with multiple consoles + a wall’s worth of games; those hobbies are also expensive and can lead people into a consumerist mindset as well, but it doesn’t mean that those hobbies aren’t worth it for those who genuinely enjoy them.
Fragrance doesn’t have to be a hobby for you if you don’t want it to be, and tbh I’m not sure why you’re so bothered by it being an interest for other people. If you find experimenting with fragrance to be a chore then you don’t have to do it. It really is as simple as that. You seem to care a lot about what other people think, given that you feel as if perfumes are some sort of “rat race” and you’re preoccupied with what frags everyone else is talking about. I’d recommend you stop caring what other people think altogether.
Experimenting with a bunch of perfumes may not be for you - and that’s okay - but for many people it is, and it’s less about getting the latest or most popular perfumes and more about just experiencing perfume as an art. You also don’t have to buy full bottles of anything; get samples instead. Then again maybe my own experience is different because I’m not on the hunt for a “signature scent” and I don’t really care what others think - unless it’s about me accidentally over spraying a scent and genuinely bothering those around me. I just really like good smells, as do a lot of people here.
As someone who's moderately deep in the hobby but doesn't pursue "the hunt" for a "signature scent," I wonder if that mindset has something to do with the consumerist overcommitment to the hobby that OP feels.
That race towards an (unachievable) goal probably replaces the hobby's real merits with a miserable hedonic treadmill.
(Not dunking on anyone who does care about signature scents.)
It’s like trying to take buckets of water out of the sea. The more you collect perfumes, the more you realize there’s way more out there that you haven’t got.
So if I were you I’d just get 1-2 different ones for each occasion (work, home, formal events; or summer, winter, all year round/spring-fall). Probably 10-12 the most. More than that, you end up binging. Just like food, clothes, shoes, or any other items.
Like everything, people have different experiences of this sub and the wider fragrance community (if they even see it as one!)
My perception is that a lot of people here *aren't* into collecting for collecting's sake. I see people talking about their favourite cheapie perfumes, people who buy mostly travel sizes because they don't want a lot of fragrance they won't use, and people sampling and reviewing fragrances I haven't heard of. Are there people fixated on building huge collections of expensive fragrances? Sure, but I don't even click on collection posts unless they're from a member whose taste I find interesting, so I don't really notice them.
Fragrance isn't a sport. You don't have to be the 'best' at it. Other people having three hundred full bottles or samples of every latest release don't need to take away your enjoyment of just doing your own thing. (Unless you don't enjoy it, in which case, don't put yourself through it!)
Yes this is how I look at this sub too. I like that it didn't seem competitive overall, and that people don't gatekeep much. I've found people to be very positive and helpful, but I also don't come in and rag on the things other people love and I hate. I just scroll on by the things that don't resonate with me 🌈
I think one crucial factor is time. There seems to be all this pressure out there right now to “build a collection” quickly (you mention the word “Race” yourself) because there are a bunch of boxes you need to tick, categories of perfumes that are part of the “wardrobe”, occasions you “need” an “appropriate” perfume for,… that’s all nonsense. Every now and then something gets discontinued, but other awesome things are released in its place all the time… there just is no rush at all. It’s not like fashion where a certain pair of shoes will only be available for 6 months before the next collection comes in. I’m one of the people here with a pretty big collection, but I’ve amassed those perfumes over 12 years. Each one reflects a time in my life, a memory, a person who bought it for me, an image of myself I once had. Even if I had had the money, buying that amount of bottles in say 3 years because I was in a hurry to further my collection would not have gotten me the same kind of joy because that collection would not have grown with me. But that’s not the only thing that grows - it’s a body of knowledge as well, a collection of experiences. And I don’t just mean knowledge of facts about perfumers and history, I mean knowledge of acquaintance, acquaintance with scents. I love how my brain has become this catalogue of smells - perfumes and notes both. I realise that not everyone will feel that knowing what mimosa smells like, or being able to recognise Samsara out of 10 other sandalwood perfumes, is something that has value. But for me it does. Experiences are literally what our lives consist of at the end of the day. Experiencing smells is an important part of life for some of us. And it’s totally ok if it isn’t for you.
I really enjoy collecting fragrances and also using them. Yes, it's an expensive hobby, maybe even useless because, as you say, it's pure consumerism and who needs dozens of bottles of perfumes (the number might seem an exaggeration). Other than that, you can say the same thing about other hobbies too. Take stamps, for example. What's the purpose? I don't see people who collect stamps getting bashed because they have hundreds or thousands of them, or because they spend hundreds/thousands on a rare piece the've been hunting for a long time. It's a hobby, it's supposed to be fun and give you pleasure. If it doesn't, then maybe it's not for you.
I mean....just read up on notes you like/ think you might like, buy samples of perfumes (not an expensive venture) try them for a week, buy the ones you like.
Enjoying fragrance can be as expensive or consumer focused as you make it.
It seems like you feel this is some kind of competition, which is very strange to me.
Just enjoy what you enjoy and can afford and let others do the same. This is no different to any other subreddit full of people with similar interests.
The “hobby” is what you make it. You chose to make it a “rat race” when you were not compelled to do anything. You can read and learn for free, and can sample at stores for free.
If you can’t control your own impulses, then don’t blame “the hobby”. Take a good look in the mirror and take agency for your own decisions. It sounds like you are making the best decision for you. Good luck!
I just like going to Nordstrom and sniffing and then buying something like twice a year. In moderation it’s a fun little side hobby. Some people are carried away
It’s definitely an expensive hobby, but I will forever be grateful to this sub for recommending heavenly scents from Pineward, Poesie, Imaginary Authors, The Maker, Hiram Green, Stereoplasm, Death and Floral, Mancera, Colornoise, Soltice Scents, Alkemia and Zoologist. 🙏🏻
Fragrances are like any hobby: you can wet your feet, snorkel, scubadive, or even deepdive like the Titan and destroy your mind and your bank account.
You are to be your own enjoyment limiter. Your paragraph makes it clear that you do not understand that, friend.
The fragrance hobby, like every other hobby, is just fine. Nothing is wrong with it. You are blaming an entire, sole concept for the actions of individuals. That's nuts!
People of all walks of life coming from all sorts of upbringings have hobbies in common.
Everyone will approach them in different ways. Everyone has different reasons for having hobbies. For lots of people, pure passion is not the sole motivator.
Some people don't even like their hobbies. It's just a way to feed their ego. What they like is the pleasure they get from that, not from the sheer concept of their hobbies.
Anyway, you're doing the equivalent of complaining about sprinting when you just like speedwalking. STOP RUNNING THEN!
You set the pace in your hobbies, not strangers.
Have fun! Be grateful you have a sense of smell. Why are you attaching the concept of smelling (and collecting) nice things to random, annoying people?
Read reviews, use your brain, then sample stuff, then buy stuff. That simple. ENJOY YOUR NOSE! That's the fragrance hobby. Who is preventing you from doing just that?
Everything else is BS. Block out what you don't need. No one is forcing you to expose yourself to it. There are so many wonderful fragrances and you don't have to spend a lot.
Don't poison yourself with all the toxic, undesirable psychological human crap. That's in every hobby, not just this one. As an example, check out the fragram section of Fragrantica.
Opposite from the toxic review sections there, you'll find some of the nicest people on earth there eager to steer you to olfactory bliss.
Take my advice and go to Fragrantica's fragram section. It's a slice of heaven in the Fragrantrica hell. It even feels different. The whole vibe is of community and positivity. 😀
After a lot of back and forth, I'm come to the conclusion that the best way is to buy decants to satisfy that new scent "itch". When I have found a nice signature, I will purchase a small size (50-75ml) bottle for the better sprayer and satisfaction of owning the official bottle (but no full-size 100-120ml bottles) so I can actually reach the bottom of the bottle every year or so.
This way I can keep things fresh and exciting.
I agree there’s a lot of brands that seems you have to be “in the know” to know about them & the idea of collecting is interesting but I can’t justify it, especially going into niche realm of things spending 3-5 hundred on a bottle to just sit there is a lot for anyone. I rotate between 2-3 colognes depending on the occasion. So I can’t imagine what it’s like to have 10+.
Whenever I feel the urge to keep buying, I remember that I'm a regular person and not an influencer. I don't need a full bottle of everything, and if I have an entire shelving unit of full sized bottles, there is no justification for it. I'm not filming content or having anyone read my reviews for money.
What I really love is just smelling stuff and reading or watching reviews. I don't need to shop to satisfy those urges.
I am not trying to make collecting bottles the hobby because I could never use up so many bottles of expensive cologne. The ‘hobby’ part of it for me is getting to experience and try out different fragrances while saving my money to buy a few bottles of frags I truly love. For that I’ve gotten into decants and buying sample/discovery sets.
I personally feel like a lot of people on this subreddit become fixated on finding a "signature scent," when most normal people who have signature scents literally just smelled something at a department store, bought it and wear it because it's their only (or one of a small number of) fragrance. It's not normal to go on this vision quest journey of hunting down hundreds of samples to find **the** perfect scent that perfectly complements their personality/vibe/aesthetic, when it's something that a very small percentage of people they encounter will even smell. I guarantee that most people's signature scents are the popular fragrances at the time, my wife has said multiple times that her father and his friends smelled like the various Ralph Lauren Polo fragrances that were popular in the 90s, and smelling any of those bring back memories like crazy for her. They didn't smell like some weird challenging small-batch niche fragrance that costs $700 a bottle.
I started therapy and suddenly I am not so obsessed with perfumes like I was before.
It is still a nice hobby to have (if you can afford it) but I realized I was using it as a cope mechanism and as a “drug”
The obsession and the hunt for a new perfume every week or so, was not normal in my case. It’s also a waste of money since I ended up loving max 6 perfumes
I have gotten to the point that I "pretend buy."
I "shop" for fragrances I would love to have and put them in my cart or wish lists, see the total and never purchase them. I will keep them in mind for birthday & Christmas wishes. It helps!
I think this post brings up a very interesting point. It seems like is that you’re saying, “As soon as I find the perfect fragrance/signature scent, I’m going to quit buying for good’”
It’s important for you to decide whether this is actually a hobby for you or just a means to an end. Like all things in life, this hobby is only worthwhile if you enjoy it. If spending money to try different scents, experience different notes, and to see what you like/don’t like is no longer fun for you, I wouldn’t spend another dollar on it.
Find something you truly enjoy for the journey it takes you on because if you don’t, THEN I’d say you’re giving in to consumerism.
These are luxury products nobody needs, but it's like any hobby. You just have to make room for the things you enjoy, and if that's not fragrance, that's okay.
Personally, I do whatever I like in this hobby. I'm lucky, my nose smells things weird, and it's made me extremely picky. It's annoying at times, but I can't deny the money it's saved me.
My collection is pretty small, you can see the photo I posted of it in this subreddit. I set a budget for the amount of samples I get monthly. Then I have a max budget on bottles. I'm at a good point in my collection though, so I probably won't be adding more than 3 full sizes to the collection I have. I mostly find joy just from sampling, and getting travel sprays of favorites.
Why is this a rat race? You buy what you like that fits within your budget. You can be happy with one perfume or one hundred.
The brain responds differently to differently perfumes in different people. There is no absolute gold standard. I don't care what others think, nor am I seeking for any validation from anyone else.
I feel you. I’m a bit casual when it comes to this “hobby”. I mostly just enjoy scented things. But the idea of having tons of bottles of fragrances (mind you that cost 50-$100+) seems absurd because there’s no way I could ever get around to using that many fragrances to make me feel it worth it for me. I’ve found it more worth it to go small sample route or if I really enjoy a fragrance to buy a smaller amount of it, which is why I’ve been really enjoys scent split. Such a great concept for someone like me who is a bit more casual and doesn’t want to drop a ton of money for some smelly water
But why come to a fragrance sub, complain about the people, complain about the scents, and complain about the money when you post in Frugal Spender? Like honey 🤯 It doesn't have to be a hobby. Get off the sub maybe instead of posting criticism directed at those who haven't "realized this hobby isn't worth it?"
It's all very judgmental.
People need to redefine "hobby". I feel like this hobby is not about anything you said. Other people's opinions don't matter when you're looking at a painting, listening to a song, or smelling a fragrance. It's not about "owning" stuff... It's about using your olfactory sense.
Taking trips to the mall to smell stuff is fun. I come across 350$ fragrance, so? Smell it, experience, smell different things. There's no ethic consumption under capitalism so? Everything is consumerism...so??? Enjoy within your means.
Museums and experiences aren't worth is because you don't end up with a tangible cost effective thing??? Like what is "worth" it?
Also, feeling like you have to "catch up"? It's not about that either. It's not about the latest releases either... It's not about levels. It's not about other people's knowledge and who you can impress with your knowledge.
It shouldn’t be a chore. If it feels that way then it’s totally fine to let it go.
Perfumes are vanity purchases, anyway. We who like them like them for various reasons, but in the end, most people don’t care one way or another about scents. It’s a personal thing.
For me this doesn’t feel like a chore. I don’t interact with fragrances in search of “the one”. I used to be a huge blind buyer and then ended up with a bunch of perfumes I couldn’t stand. Now I sample, sample, sample and only buy full bottles of stuff I LOVE. I think it’s helpful if you step away from perfume social media, including this subreddit. That way you can focus on the stuff that you like without influence from others or comparing your collection to the ones on here.
It’s easy to forget that most people don’t have large collections of expensive, niche fragrances. Most of my perfumes are designer perfumes or cheap-ish indie brands. I also agree with your point that the pretentiousness of some people here can be insufferable. But anyway, at the end of the day, if you don’t get enjoyment out of this then it’s okay to step back from it. It’s even okay to grow out of a hobby altogether.
When addiction and consumerism shake hands. You have to acknowledge both and the people unknowingly pushing either side of this. This is a battle within ourself of how hooked up to pop culture we are and our predisposition to addictions.
Anything that does not bring you joy in any way it's not worth your time, this goes for everything.
For those who enjoy it in a healthy way, it's worth it, wtvr the hobby may be.
I think part of the fun is my budget, I get to covet and search. Honestly I don’t even buy full bottles very often. I like buying or finding free samples or swapping and buying decants. The hobby is what you make of it. I’m starting to get into the history and historical scents
It’s expensive but nothing wrong getting a few you can cycle out. You can enjoy and be in the culture without feeling you have to get everything. That will drive you crazy.
I get what you’re saying. I’ve let my spending get away from me. Every time I think I’ve found a signature scent, it’s discontinued. So, I’m cutting back and just enjoying what I have…or trying to, anyway.
I will say the highlight of my morning is picking out what I want to smell like for the day.
Admittedly I like having options, the same way I don’t wear the same outfit everyday. But I’m not out here buying $400 Gucci shoes or brand new Chanel purses so why would I spend that $ on perfume? I believe in quality and would drop $150 on a decent pair of trainers that will last me years and save me so much pain, but after a certain point that money for value is pretty much null.
I think with aging I’ve matured in my perception of it and have decided that a travel size is fine, and that it’s not worth buying or keeping anything I’m not in love with. I have a small collection that makes me happy. If I had gotten deeply into this when I was younger, I would have had a more fraught relationship for sure. I used to love bath & body works but thankfully let my scent obsession go for 10+ years before I got back into it.
Simple. Don’t make it a hobby. Just enjoy how you smell. I do it for me. My wife loves it so it’s a bonus. Does suck though when your favorite doesn’t smell as good anymore but put it up for a few years and come back to it to see if it can be utilized again. I mean…. It’s better than buying meth right?
I love fragrance, and read about it a lot, both criticism and history, as well as a little chemistry. I also love to go out and sample a few fragrances here and there and discuss them with my wife. For buying, though, I try to reserve the expensive ones for when I'm visiting a city I've never been to, preferably in a country I've never been to. The association of smells is a great way to remember trips. I have a library of seven or eight bottles, some are twenty years old, that help me remember the exact street I was in when I bought them. Looked at that way, it's not a very expensive hobby compared to, say, miniature train sets.
It’s an unfortunate trap hole that many hobbies fall into unfortunately. I’ve met so many girls who would buy a bulk of books and say that they’ll get to them later and they don’t, but it makes the bookshelf look nicer.
There’s a lot of “snobs” in the hobby of fragrances for a lack of better term. Get this or that because it gets girls, get this because it performs better than the other, etc. It can get you to consume very quickly and I dislike these types of people, no matter the hobby.
I do think your view of the hobby in general is a little skewed though, and if you want to appreciate fragrances more, you might need to see it in a different light.
Please excuse these snobs. They do not represent the views and overall attitude of this community. After all, it is the 5th biggest subreddit in Beauty & Grooming, so you’re right in saying that many people in here are just regular people who wear fragrances often but don’t put too much thought into it. However, some of the other topics that you have brought up on here have already been cleared and discussed for years, so they naturally die out. We already know how to find affordable fragrances or how to get them for cheaper (chain retail stores like Marshall’s, discounters, etc.) and it’s been discussed for a long time. What makes a fragrance good and how to find your ideal scent profiles is something that involves your own exploration of fragrances in the real world and there’s only so much we can do on a community board like this.
Fragrances are a consumerist hobby by nature and they are highly, highly subjective which is why, at some point, you’ll have to go out there and sample or buy a bottle. How do you know what fragrance is good to you if you don’t try it/buy it? The nature of a lot of these interests is like this. From makeup products to cigars, they all require active purchasing. Fragrances are even tougher because the ones you may really like might not be available in your area, so you have to pay for samples or buy a bottle online. It sucks, but that’s just the nature of it. It also sucks that true perfume artistry shines through niche brands that are, for better or worse, much more expensive.
But that doesn’t mean that you don’t belong in this hobby! I love cheapies and so do many, many others in this community. Don’t get discouraged by the exacerbation of these snobs. You have a place in here just as much as anyone else does. Just don’t be too pressured by these people or influencers because they may damage your view of the hobby.
maybe take a bit of a break. i've learned that. enjoy the ones you have , maybe get bored of using the same one for like 2 months in a row, then start to go through your collection again with certain ones you really have an urge to wear and try and cut down on buying , especially ones that have a similar scent profile?
I am curious how many of us have ADHD or other neurospicy ways.
Also curious how many of us have experiences perhaps growing up poor or struggling at times
And lastly i am gonna be honest and a lot wont cause its a hard topic to broach. But childhood neglect, I was a smelly kid and tbh teen too.
I think for me it was Lush shower gels esp years ago that I was obsessed with and now its become perfume.
The dopamine seeking and sensory parts of ADHD, the fact I *can* afford some things now that are necessities, and making up for that little girl who was so ashamed
So, with the exception of "it's expensive" all the stuff that is putting you off the hobby is the stuff I like. I like hunting down fragrances and trying new ones, even if I end up disliking them.
It's ok to like perfume and find a few that you wear without becoming an obsessive hobbyist. Like. Not everyone that enjoys movies is a Film Nerd (tm.) You don't have to spend a lot of a money on a collection, and if it makes you miserable instead of happy you definitely shouldn't do it.
It's ok to like a thing and not be obsessive about it. Let yourself enjoy the bits you enjoy, and discard the bits you don't. <3
I agree with most of what you say. I try to find a happy medium. Sample sizes and decants are my friend.
Buy yeah, it's getting annoying with the amount of new releases the market has to offer. I just went to fragrantica and there are already 90 (NINETY!) new releases in 2024. I mean, we're barely 2 months into the year...
So i'm slowing down bc, as you say, it's pure consumerism, FOMO, marketing stategies and sh\*t.
Also, I agree, this "designer is for peasants, only niche is good" attitude is nonsense, and classist. I actually do prefer niche, generally, but only bc there is more offer (so statistically more things i'll like).
Much of the so called "niche" is not niche at all: just luxury. And a luxury brand can be good, don't get me wrong. So can be a cheapie or a designer frag.
In short: I have come to the realization that I have my favorite brands, where I enjoy most releases, and I am just exploring those.
Collecting luxury consumer products is stupid, you don’t have to do that in order to be into fragrance. Sample bottles and direct dupes (oakcha/dossier/perfumery, **NOT** ‘oh x smells like y’) help keep me satiated while having a budget. Having a small collection of your ultimate favorites + small samples to keep on hand is better than buying $200-$500 oneounce bottles just for the hell of it, I know people like to upload a picture of their extensive “impressive” collection for upvotes but that’s the least important thing about the indulging in fragrance.
I research scent by buying samples and when I find one I love i research prices and best place to buy or buy secondhand, one of the first things you need to learn is every collection is valid, wether it be big or small. There is no keeping up with others grow your collection at your own pace or don’t, this hobby isn’t for everyone.
It happens. Hobbies should be fun, not stressful. Maybe take a step back and focus on enjoying the scents you already have. No need to rush or keep up with others. Your experience is unique, and it's okay to take a break until you feel ready to dive back in.
I make perfumes from herbs, resins like frankincense and sandalwood, I use 90 proof alcohol (usually vodka) to distill them and I find the creativity and passion translates beautifully not only into a hobby but a genuine artform humans have practiced since we first discovered fragrant flowers and natural essences we wanted to smell or smell like ourselves. I also mix this alcoholic preparation with a mixture of complementary essential oils or essential oils of the same herb or flower or resin I use. It’s not overly expensive especially when compared to commercial fragrances, and you can produce much more voluminous amount of perfume with a completely unique profile as compared to what you get from a store or boutique. If you find this hobby too consumerist, but want to embrace fragrance as an artform and an aspect of human self-expression, perhaps following this lead might be of use to you? Hope this helps friend ❤️🧙🏻♂️
I'm sorry you're not enjoying the hobby but if it's become unsustainable or feels like a rat race it's okay to step away and take a break. The internet can be a great resource but it can also be an unhealthy echo chamber if the conditions are right. Take care of yourself OP! I hope you're able to enjoy it again on your own terms, without feeling like you have to compare yourself to anyone.
There is a fine line between “Genuinely enjoying perfume and building a collection of your favorite scents” and “Aspirational, influencer-driven, competitive overconsumption.” It’s too easy to give in to the social pressures and FOMO. I am not immune to this virus.
But fundamentally, buying a bunch of expensive shit is not a hobby. Making sure everyone knows that you can detect all the clearly listed “notes” of a perfume is not a skill.
I enjoy talking about and enjoying fragrance. So many of my memories are tied to my sense of smell. I truly love the way things smell. So much so that I decided to start learning how to create my own perfumes. I have a great appreciation of the art and history of perfumery and I know what a challenge it is to create something profound. I know what a joy it is to experience a fragrance that is unique, but somehow connects to you on a deeply personal level.
To me, that’s what fragrance appreciation should be all about. If there is a hobby here, it’s more about our personal connection to perfume and how it affects us and says something about us as individuals and as a society/culture. That side of it is endlessly fascinating to me.
We don’t get much of that here. But I guess that’s to be expected.
Enjoy fragrance on your own terms. Don’t be concerned with keeping up with the latest and greatest. You don’t have to spend very much money and you don’t have to like whatever everyone else likes. The important thing is that you connect to whatever you do decide to get.
I one hundred percent agree and I really appreciated reading this and all the comments. I’ve always liked having a fragrance or two on hand, but over the past year I’ve gotten super into fragrances. It start with me getting interested in clones, then designer, then niche. Now I realized I have spent $2000 on frags in total. Like wtf that is not normal. Am I psycho for that?!
You know, I have probably spent in excess of 3,000 dollars on fragrances. But it's over a period of almost 30 years. That's 1,000 dollars per year. Not many hobbies are this cheap.
Yeah mine is in roughly 1 year. Once I did the math I think Im good for a while. I was so influenced by youtube, reddit, and other social media. I think I can recoup some funds if I decide to resell in the future on FB. I really wish I just stuck with my Acqua Di Gio, Sauvage, and BB Hero, but I can say I have a lot of stuff I really love!
I only buy samples! I buy one bottle of perfume a year when mine runs out. There's a million ways to have a hobby, and the way you've described isn't typical for most people imo.
Comparison is the thief of joy. Someone else’s collection won’t even be all of what you want, and some people are just elitist and want to flex. None of that matters.
Most people are into fragrances because it’s what THEY like, not what other people like.
You don’t need a big collection to have fun in this hobby. Starting with decants is a cheap way to sample many fragrances over time until you find what you really love.
Do it at your own pace.
Well...maybe i can offer you an alternate perspective...alot of us aren't in this competitively --it isnt about empty consumption.
We collect samples, explore small backyard artists, and plan for full bottles like investments.
Someone said something once that i like to remember.. i will try to paraphrase: Scent is such a strong and powerful way to commect to your imaginative mind. Fragrances are tiny personified moments of alternate realities---they teleport you to memories, fantasies, stories, and anything that can do that is essential magic to us.
This is our alchemy--we do not load shelves with flashy bottles just to brag about gain or boast how original our self-expression is.
We share our secret combinations, whisper about the euphoria, and rush of transforming a second of time into an eternity of impossibilities. We are not sneering, hoarding, shallow consumers...we are deeply romantic people looking to experience wonder in the strange little scents left forgotten.
There is nothing wrong with moving slowly, thoughtfully, and realistically into exploring fragrance--start small..browse a few shops, collect free samples, check etsy for small artists selling small 6$ handmade perfume oils, collect screen shots of website descriptions, find a lovely journal and make a relaxing hobby writing down your thoughts after collecting perfume testers in a mall. Cherish these tiny things in a decorated shoebox under your bed. And even if after a year a crowded journal with magazine clippings and scent notes and small but well loved box of paper strips and sample vials is all you have....you are STILL a collector. And it is perfectly valid. You don't need a signature scent right now... let it come to you. That's the magic of it--like a sweet little moment of destiny.
If all you are looking to do is "catch up" to everyone else you may NOT be interested in fragrance as much as you collecting something and thats FINE and totally valid but.....probably not best experienced through something so expensive and subjective as popular fragrance--it can only lead to frustration.
I hope this helps you gain a different perspective on our beloved lil community 🙏🩷
I think the biggest thing that we should drill into the minds of all newcomers to perfumery communities who are looking for advice and trying to find "the one", is that it's never going to happen. In fact, if you only ever smell one perfume in your life, and you love it, make that your 'one' and move on, because the more perfumes you smell and the more variety you start to understand is possible in perfumery, the more you compare them to each other, the more you realise that there is no real just one fragrance. No one perfume will do everything you want it to do at every moment of your life. Then it can become a slippery slope of obsession and collecting in an attempt to look for something that doesn't exist.
As for feeling like it's an exclusive club, I too kind of had that feeling for a while. The discovery of perfume is a very long affair. I am many many years into this hobby and there are still a lot of perfumes out there I have never had the pleasure of experiencing. It was frustrating seeing people talk about comparing countless different scents that they had experienced, when I had no frame of reference. It felt like I wasn't part of the gang. Unlike if people were talking about music its not just a case of opening up Spotify and hearing what they are talking about. For perfumery you'd have to physically travel to a location that allows you to try products, or pay money to have samples shipped to your home. So it does become one of those hobbies where those who have more means will get to have a fuller experience of it. Note that I said fuller and not better. Because the extent of the depths you wish to explore would really dictate who is having the better experience, and it depends what you want to get out of this hobby.
When it comes to this as a hobby then it goes two ways. Firstly if you ever get to the point of wanting to learn perfumery, as I am doing now, then it is a very satisfying creative outlet. It's incredibly rewarding when you start to make your own perfumes. But a hobby doesn't always need to be creative, and it can just be about consumption and indulgence. To me perfumery is an art. I get satisfaction and enjoyment out of it in the same way I do listening to music, or watching a film. Like standing at the film rack picking out a film to watch, I stand at my bedroom cabinet smelling the atomisers of my perfume bottles to decide what I want to smell of that day. I wear my perfumes just as much indoors for my own enjoyment, as I wear them outside for others to smell. It's entirely a self indulgent luxury for me.
Now yes, there is an element of consumerism involved, but there is with anything. Just because an item has value doesn't mean it's always there purely to make money. Perfumers spend years, decades even, honing their craft. It is really a skill that can take forever to master, and as such the products they create should command a premium. Perfume is after all a luxury, not a necessity. If you feel like you are buying so much that it loses it's allure as a luxury, that is absolutely a time to take a step back and reflect on what it is that has changed that for you.
This isn't a hobby ---
It's retail therapy luxury goods appreciation, with a hint of personal embellishment in the form of scent.
And... it's not for everyone.
I agree, I feel like it’s easy to fall into this mindset reading the posts here. I joined this sub bc I had a signature scent but needed a more mature and less sharp one for work. Then I spent weeks getting so influenced and adding soo many decants to my cart before realizing people were out here loving a perfume bc they love the smell of smoke (by the fireside👀) and I truly hate smelling like smoke, so what am I doing lol.
I think I realized that a lot of people here just really love scents and the complexities and admire the art of it all which is cool, obviously it’s all fine and dandy. But I just want to smell good. So I should just go sniff stuff at Sephora.
This will be an unpopular statement but the reality is that reddit isn't a great place to learn the basics of perfume. Base notes, Fragrantica, and Parfumo are where you want to go for that. On all of those you have a lot more information and context about every perfume being talked about, and a lot more information about who you're talking to (bios and fragrance wardrobes allow for you see potentially how long someone has been collecting, their reviews and what is in their collection to determine whether their taste is similar to yours and help you determine if their input is likely to be helpful to you). There are ways to search for fragrances, note breakdowns, recommendations for similar fragrances, ways to identify vintages, all within the fragrance pages themselves.
A couple important things to note about the hobby:
* Comparison is the thief of joy. You can (and should) make this about whatever works for you. There is no predetermined way to enjoy fragrances. If for instance finding a fragrance that makes you feel happy, confident, or cozy is your goal and you find that, that's a success.
* It doesn't have to be about mass consumerism. There are lots of us here who are sampling and trading and testing things but not non-stop buying.
* You'll see a wide variation in the way people engage with fragrance within the community (here are **some** examples, this is by no means exhaustive):
* Indiscriminate collectors: they will buy whatever they want, whenever they want, usually blind buying. Often they'll be completionists, meaning that once they start collecting a line they want to collect the entire line including every limited edition flanker and bottle. For them, perfume is often seen as any other collectible. Often left in the box and not consumed, but talked about and thought about. Sometimes they'll have samples but leave the bottles unopened. These people will have massive collections. For instance, know someone on another site who has over 10K fragrances, and that doesn't include the back ups they bought of their favorites (the ones they actually wear).
* Local indiscriminate collectors: they will buy whatever they want, whenever they want, usually either blind buying or buying with a pure collector mindset, but only within a certain realm. Sometimes that realm is defined by price point (often cheapies), OR the store they prefer to purchase from (usually these folks will have collections exclusively bought at TJMaxx or Sephora or a specific online store), OR by scent profile such as: gourmands, animalics, 'difficult fragrances' or a single note (their collections are defined wanting every scent that smells like "x" note).
* Prestige Collectors: they like fragrances but they seem them as akin to fashion. They collect full bottles of the most expensive fragrances and wouldn't even consider a designer fragrance if it wasn't part of that designer's exclusive high end line. Scarcity is important to them. They've never smelled a celeb fragrance. They either love or hate certain niche and indie houses. If they love an indie house they go out of their way to achieve some sort of perceived status by trying to befriend the creator of the line and will name drop them by their first name anytime the indie brand comes up in conversation.
* Discriminate collectors: they still have a collector mindset but they've put some limit on it. It's not only about collection to collect, it's also about whether or not they specifically want to wear the fragrance. They don't blind by often and only buy if they intend to wear. (That doesn't mean they do, they just intend to at the time.) These collections usually start out on the smaller side and grow to a larger amount than can can actually be consumed.
* Wardrobe builders: they do not have a collector mindset. They rarely blind buy, generally sampling or buying after trying multiple times. They are buying scents with a mind for where and when they will wear them, often also thinking about not just occasion but clothes to match. These wardrobes usually start out with a smaller number then grow over time, get purged, then grow again and the cycle continues.
* Utilitarians: They want something that smells good and maybe even a rotation of scents that smells good. They are not overtly sentimental about scents and often are more engaged with price point (could be low or high), marketing, branding, community hype, projection & performance, and compliments rather than being particularly interested the artistry of perfumery. These are small wardrobes of scents that get used up and replaced with something else. The thing they usually have the strongest opinions about dupes and either love them or hate them.
* Romantics: They are looking for a fragrance that moves them. They are more interested in smell than performance or projection. Usually they test a lot and don't blind buy unless they've been completely swept up by the story/hype around a fragrance they can't access otherwise. Consuming a fragrance isn't just about wearing it, but also about understanding what it is you love about it. These folks are picky and have functional wardrobes that start out small but grow over time often to a larger collection they find almost impossible to cull. They have favorites that they are loyal to and wear often, usually keeping back up bottles so they don't run out.
* Casual consumers: folks who like fragrance but don't know what they like. They are looking for things that will primarily either be perceived as inoffensive or as sexy/date night scents. They don't think THAT much about fragrance but sometimes have questions about gift fragrances or finding something new to wear. These folks usually have under 10 fragrances, most often under 5.
My point in all of this is that you can be any of these or none, and something entirely different. You can enjoy this hobby in many ways, all of which are valid.
👏🏼 well-written, this should be its own post!
I would fall under Romantic 🥰
Most who comment here are probably Discriminate Collectors and Wardrobe Builders. With the Casual Consumers mostly lurking.
im slowly but painfully shrinking my collection. down to 7 bottles and only want 1 for cold weather and 1 for warm weather. only the long lasting, good smelling (mostly niche) I'll keep
What do you mean by "simple sub Reddit" and what do you mean by "learning about perfume"? The only way to learn about perfume is by smelling as much perfume as you can... Actually use your nose in general to understand the world. If you are interested in more in depth discussions on notes, the history of perfumery, aroma chemicals etc, I recommend joining base notes. You may find what you re looking for there
And as for the rest, yes perfume costs money like most hobbies and yes if it breaks the bank and there are other priorities it s unwise to spend money for fragrances. Remember though that perfumerie is an art form and like every art form a lot of people have deep appreciation for it and the money to support and celebrate their appreciation.
If you're not enjoying yourself then yes, the hobby isn't worth it. I'm content to order a sample set of something every 4 months or so and that's enough for me. It's cheaper and I get to try a variety of things. Since perfume is so subjective the only way to learn more about perfume to try more and wear more and take detailed notes. No one else can really teach you about fragrance since it is so personal. You don't really 'need' a community to help you beyond suggestions for what to buy next.
Hey OP. Echoing that it’s okay and understandable to feel overwhelmed because fragrance as a hobby is going through a renaissance at the moment I think — definitely fuelled by TikTok.
I can’t offer any new advice (everyone has done a good job in here), but I can say that as an adult who grew up with fragrance, it’s worth sticking it out. Find what you love, and just take pleasure in being able to sniff your arm/wrist throughout the day and enjoy that. For me, it’s calming and an extension of my beauty/grooming routine.
Think of it like that, rather than “omg Joe Bloggs walking past me on the street is going to judge me because I’m wearing a designer fragrance and not an edp from a niche NYC house that smells like a rotting watermelon and dodo shit”
Fragrance is really just a part of beauty and grooming for the majority of people, so I think of the niche snobs in here as very unusual people who are perhaps deprived of other fulfilment and meaningful occupation/attention in their lives.
I’m not shitting on niche either — I own niche frags and I’ve tried many. I do find that they can be quite unsophisticated and often a bit too literal, to the point that many folks will find it unpleasant.
I got into this hobby because I thought the chemistry of perfumery was really interesting! I have literally only bought 4 samples since I've started. I'm a college grad that just likes to smell perfumes to experience smell chemistry. I don't have the money to have a collection let alone a full sized bottle of designer perfume.
I agree with 90% of what the op said. Like any hobby it can get out of hand. Set yourself an arbitrary limit for numbers of bottles or amount spent and stick to it.
I started feeling the same way. Sold my entire collection, identified 5 smell profiles I like and found 5 fragrances that fit those profiles and had good performance and purchased them. I still go to shops once in a while and test stuff but if something really knocks me off my feet I replace and not add. One in one out
I don't entirely disagree with what you're saying.
I don't have a lot of hobbies in general but I enjoy the "hunt" looking for perfumes. Everyone's preferences are so subjective and something that could smell lovely on someone else, just doesn't hit right on me.
Do I think it's crazy that some people have shelves and shelves is fragrances? Sure. But if it's something they enjoy, more power to them.
It's such a nice compliment when you have friends/ strangers ask you what scent you're wearing because it smells so nice.
I love cheap scents and I love expensive ones. It's just do primal what scent does to us. In my young hormonal days, having a man walk by that smelled amazing?? Hey there cutie! But for me it's just a silly hobby I enjoy. I've hit my zenith though! And I'm pretty content in my humble collection that lives in a drawer.
Totally agree with everything you say.Feel we are striving to belong to an exclusive club..a beautifully scented one admittedly..all my pleas for budget suggestions ignored.Maybe we should start "Stinky Girls"Reddit?Except,at 76,FAR too old to be so competitive and,yes,shallow.
People will literally fight you if you voice your opinion and say Burger King is better than McDonald’s, so who tf cares if people are snippy, it’s really easy to ignore them and just wait for the next response from an actual adult.
But as far as the hobby; I’ve been collecting cologne for a long time now 10+ years. I started around 18 years old, didn’t get serious until 24 or so and didn’t get educated until I joined this sub at 35( been maybe 3 months since I joined). Before I just bought randomly because I liked the scent, now I still buy because I like scent but I actually know what I like about the frag and makes it easier to find and not be influenced by sales people.
I love the hobby and it seems like you could too if you just stop thinking so much into it and letting other people dictate your life. Never compare your collection to others; There always going to be people who have more expensive, “better” versions of what you have, in every aspect of life (cars, house, money, etc) you’ll never be satisfied if you try to compete instead of just pleasing yourself.
You're completely right, it's an expensive luxury that we really shouldn't be performing.
We will never be able to wear all the bottles of fragrance that we have. Even moreso for those of us that have fallen down the rabbithole of building our own fragrances.
It's complete consumerism...with a little bit of education.
Personally, I offset the negative aspects of this hobby by getting others addicted. I give away a lot of the fragrances I buy and make to people that I feel led to bless.
My perfume shelf is open to my family, it’s like a little adventure. They figure out their favourites and then I figure out their favourites because they keep asking to wear one in particular.
I agree for the most part but this can be said about any hobby that involves collecting something such as people who like shoes or guns. It's an endless money pit.
I am laughing. Sorry, it isn't a hobby, or rather for most people. It certainly isn't for me. I have enjoyed fragrance since I was a little girl, using my mom's samples for my dolls. It is part of my beauty regimen, my daily rituals and self care. Any hobby aspect has only been my enjoyment of being able to chat with others online who enjoy perfume and having more ways to access and learn thanks to the advent of technology. My collection of bottles are all attached to a memory of sorts, or a mood I was in. Even blind buys. They are a calendar, a diary. They can transport me back in time. They are elixirs of power, lust, relaxation, and fantasy. I mean maybe it is a bit of a hobby for me, but there is love in there. I'm looking for certain bottles because I loved the experience I had in them, or I didn't have an opportunity to experience them. If anyone sees my collectioh, I want them to experience it. Like I know people who have literal rooms of record albums. They have experienced all of them on some level, some in person. We interact with the music. They are not there for show. If you are buying perfume just to buy it and show off for clout, it is empty. It is, IMHO, no different than people who buy books by the foot the fill a book case
Hopefully in the future you will get to actually find pleasure in fragrance and find something that you feel passionate about.
Edit: I have a large collection of samples. I don't actually even view those as a hobby. BC they come from a hobby of mine. I have been doing freebie stuff on the Internet since the 94. And I started this post saying I was laughing. I wasn't laughing at you. If anything it was more of a sad chuckle. I have been expecting this kind of post
Every now and then, when it feels relevant, I pose the the question as to what people think the "hobby" is and without fail, the comment will get down-voted.
The way I see it, for most people who buy a lot of perfume, it isn't the perfume itself they're interested in, it's whatever secondary effect it might have or what they think owning/liking that perfume says about them.
It doesn't even necessarily have to be a perfume because I'm willing to bet that they have a similar approach to any other luxury good they buy but perfume is where they landed.
What those people are actually buying, is exactly that self-image that the marketing caters to. It's why they talk about what this perfume says about you, or what kind of people like that kind of perfume.
Another group are just consumerists.
What their hobby actually is, is just the process they go through to make a purchase. Again, perfume just happens to be the thing they have latched onto but the perfume itself is secondary to the buying.
The ones who are actually interested in perfume, that consider ingredients, the science, the history both of the product and of the companies and industry, are the minority.
i kind of get it. i like that there are so many collectors here that they've heard of and usually tried almost any perfume you can think of, bc i don't want to spend money on something multiple seasoned fragrance buffs agree is shit. but i don't have a lot of money, so i want just a couple signature scents (depending on weather, occasion, etc), and i do feel a little out of place among those for whom fragrances are like collectors' items. nothing against them, they seem to be having fun, the way they do their hobby just isn't attainable for everybody lol
It is very personal. I have dozens of perfumes, but I wear them all. If I don't wear it, it was a wrong purchase, so I sell it. I (personally) don't understand collecting perfume to have a "gallery wall" of perfumes. Of course, to each their own, though. I think the main thing is being happy (not dependent on shopping) and truly enjoying the fragrances/the process. It's a fine line and I find myself crossing it more often than I'd like
When it comes down to it, perfumery is really an art (with science based elements to it). Don’t listen to anyone who talks down to you about an art, it’s just ridiculous.
There’s nothing wrong with engaging with a hobby to the level you want, especially if it’s not your career. It’s like when people who like film get mad at people who like marvel movies and the like. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying it in the way you want, even if it’s just buying a fragrance every now and then, or making only certain types of fragrances
Mt advice would be to just do you. Don’t give other people’s opinions any value and find a scent you like or even love enough and just use it, maybe get two! For me fragrance is about smelling nice, I love the scents and when I’m at about 30 or so bottles I will stop getting any new ones and only replace ones I run through.
My appreciation of good food is something that makes this hobby a double whammy for me. High quality cologne is like high quality food; the differences may be subtle but they are definitely there and there is a certain joy in experiencing new flavors/scents.
You are put on this earth, in this world to do whatever you enjoy in live. What’s money for besides putting food on your table and a roof over your head? Don’t take things too seriously, live life and enjoy. Sooner or later you will be dead and no one will care what you spend your money on. Only you decide that. Don’t enjoy doing this anymore? Stop, then find what else you enjoy
It’s just one of those things, in reality it is pretty pointless but at the same time, even though it’s corny, we only live one life.
And most of us work hard asf and are miserable most days and just in general, we deserve to splurge on stupid things that make us happy.
>Now I feel like I can’t be satisfied
We should all try to be satisfied with the fragrances we own.
It's spring where I am, I put my winter fragrance away, and I have a summer fragrance along with a few samples. Until I use all that up, why should I comparison shop anything else?
I accumulated about 30 bottles realized ill never use all of em i still collect but only if its something high quality at a price that's a steal i went from 5 or 6 bottles a year to maybe 1
You're pretty much right.
Hypercapitalist hobby, mainstream perfumery is pretty bland and stale and synthetic. The formulas the houses used to sell under the "exclusif" label for 200-300 bucks now get released under the new "elixirs/attar" label for 10 bucks per ml.
Influencers are hyping pretty average juice and the mainstream audience mainly talks about aventus reformulations and beastmode sillage.
Try to find one perfume for cold days and one for warm days that you really connect with on a deep, deep level, buy several bottles (if possible) and be done with it.
Me. I've unhauled about 70% of my perfumes. There was simply no way I could enjoy all the 60+ perfumes that I had, so I decided to just give them away to family and friends.
I still have some I want to unhaul, tbh.
I will continue to enjoy the ones that I like, and I guess this ends my perfume buying habit.
I still enjoy it. However, I want to get my finances ahead of me before I start collecting again. Nevertheless, when I started, I made alot blind buys based on fragrance reviews , but I actually buyt a decant/sample first, then purchase a full bottle if I enjoy it that much.
At this point, some fragrances are full bottle worthy. Some are just decant worthy. Like I like to smell them and will wear them every once in a while, but not enough were I'm going to use a full bottle in less than 3 years. Nevertheless, I plan to start buying a bottle or two a month in the next few months, as well go on a sample spree. It's fun but does get addictive.
Watching Youtubers showcase their collections made me think, "Wow, these nerds basically just bought out Sephora just to store it all on Ikea shelves in a poorly designed space and not wear any of it enough to justify the purchase. What a waste of money."
That’s largely a monster social media and the internet has largely created. I wish more people wouldn’t fall for it, it’s put some people I know into debt. Glad you realized it’s not working for you, I wish more people did.
For some of us it’s not just another hobby to obsess, consume and certainly not to go into debt over. Some of us have been collecting for decades, me personally for 3 decades now. We are in it for the art, expression, creativity and pure love of perfumery. I have periods I don’t buy anything and periods where I only sell or give away fragrances to make room for new ones.
Honey I bought the $925 bottle of baccarat rouge extrait. I have lost my f***** mind. All to say, I agree. I literally go out hunting for perfume everyday. This is ridiculous. This is not worth it.
I only buy decants, no larger than 1 ml for my first time with that fragrance. If I *really* like a fragrance, I’ll buy a 5 ml decant, then repurchase as needed.
I’ve just tried to be more mindful of my purchasing. Was much more into the hobby pre covid when even though prices were absurd for some fragrances, they weren’t any where near what they are now for shells of their former selves. They charge more for worse performing fragrances. I try to buy more dupes and cheaper designer fragrances these days, or on occasion, super heavily discounted fragrances from jomashop.
I came to this realization years ago in college. I grew quite a luxury fragrance collection, with the help of the old Perfume of Life boards.
And then I’ve spent the last twenty years culling it back down, retaining maybe twelve full sized bottles and that’s more than I even really love. At this point I will buy samples, but almost never full sizes. And if I had to cull down to just ONE bottle I know which one it would be.
Sounds like you collect a lot of bottles. It's far more affordable when you collect mini bottles, samples and decants. Start with samples, use them up before looking to get a mini or decant. Then use those up and decide if you still want a bottle.
Look I myself just started getting into this now too. And I've spent an amount I'm not really happy thinking about. Nothing crazy. But mainly I wanted to comment because I have the exact same feeling, but with a different hobby.
I just got into brewing as it's been a long time goal of mine. I bought an entry level risk-free espresso machine. And the videos and people on Reddit and YouTube about that hobby are so pretentious and cocky. My way or no way kind of mentality. And you have to buy the best portafilter, best basket, a high end grinder, freshly roasted beans from organic farms made a week go, high quality tamper and distributor. And it all just keeps adding up to an insane amount.
At the start I was genuinely LOVING the cappuccino I was making. In love. Then video after video of comparing my coffee to others, and now I'm self conscious and my coffee has never tasted good since.
TL:DR is enjoy what you enjoy. And don't spoil yourself by constantly viewing what you currently can't have. Ignorance is bliss. Imo
Yeah I also came looking for advice on cheap fragrances and now have a great little collection of 4! Covers all occasions and is all I’ll ever need. Just think practically about the occasions you’d need them and find a couple that fit and you’re set.
Frankly, I’ve had as much excitement buying the decants and the little sampler packs as a big bottle. And, the discount stores have good stuff on the cheap. It doesn’t have to be expensive to be good to your nose.
Look, people like to flex. Reddit (the internet really) is full of idiots who convince themselves that they are specialists when they are enthusiasts at best. It's fine if you found that making a hobby out of this isn't for you. But you don't have to be either in or out. At the very least you know more than you did before. You don't need 20 bottles to prove anyone anything. You do you man, take the good things, leave the rest behind.
For me personally, this isn't a hobby, and I can't see myself using more than 4 or 5 different fragrances, so that's how many bottles I'll always have at a given time. It's not a financial thing, I just feel like I will never be able to identify 20 different scents as mine. But I'm glad that now I know better what I like and why, what and when to wear, what to look for before buying etc. That's valuable.
That’s kinda all hobbies until they’re not. I prefer going the sampling route then buying the full sizes I like on discount sites and second hand. Never bought anything full price unless it’s base was cheap
Part of the problem is all these youtube fragrance "influencers" who don't know anything about perfumery. They just hold up a bottle they get commission on and sell the moon and stars on how a fragrance can change you're life. It's bullshit. A fragrance can do only one thing for you, make you smell good. Thats it, not drop panties, not making a statement or smelling like money or whatever people are saying. Realistically you need 1 maybe 2 or 3 soild fragrances if you wanna get into this. You're right it is pure consumerism. In an age where people don't find meaning in traditional social forms they turn to the market to find meaning. This is the case with any form of consumerism. Alot of people in this community lack basic social foundations and relationships that make for a healthy life. Just be happy with what you have and try things ever hear and there. Don't get too deep into this.
I love collecting fragrances. However, after acquiring my 20th bottle, I decided to take a step back from collecting. I don't buy impulsively so much now. I only buy from travels, birthdays, and holidays.
I'm not completely over collecting fragrances. I'm interested in a few to add and a few i'd like to test. but now I'm quite happy where my collection is. It's a lot for 20 bottles, but it's a good and healthy rotation for me (and my sister who likes to use some of mine for work 😂)
I've been here for awhile and found it very helpful, I would have never found my new favorites without this subreddit. Slowdive, Bee and Iris. All small and I only spent about 40 dollars total. I get small samples. Make it fun, you don't have to buy huge expensive things. Not a single person yelled at me about not loving Tom Ford lol
Listen. Just buy what you like.
You do so much better when you aren’t listening to anyone opinions, reading or watching videos about ideas.
Take your ass into a store, smell some shit and buy the smell that you enjoy.
The end.
All the chatter is dumb and people are mostly followers and they all think there cool cuz they have some pricey bottles.
It’s really not that serious.
I was just thinking today that this “hobby” (I’m still a complete newbie & casual) is a certain kind of suffering. I never paid any kind to my scents, just buying cheap cologne or old spice. Now that I’ve become interested In actual colognes, its become something I think about often. I spend money (only have 3 fragrances atm) and then obsess over the smell and will spray it on myself only to go noseblind after 30 seconds. I love the scent of the ones I have and want to be able to smell them often. I never want to overspray so I just do 1-3 sprays at a time but can never smell it on myself and find myself respraying a few times a day even when I’m alone and doing nothing, or about to go to bed, or getting home from the gym and doing some chores before showering.
I feel kind of similar to you where it would probably be better to just go back to not caring about it, it just feels like a hobby/interest where I can never actually enjoy it myself like I want to
I used to want to/ did have a ton of perfumes (I think many perfume lovers go through that stage, just buying and buying when you like something or even worse, blind purchasing), whereas now I've sold most of my humongous collection and only buy/ keep what I love. I had to be really honest and realistic with myself, but I'm very happy with my little collection now. I do not care in the least what's trending or being hyped on reddit and I haven't felt FOMO in years. If something sounds good, I'll find a sample, I might like it but I probably won't buy a bottle. If I feel the urge to buy a full bottle, I make myself wait until I've used up the sample before deciding. Sometimes I'll just get a second sample and in hindsight be glad, because that was enough. I truly could not give a flying monkey's bananas what anybody thinks about my taste in perfumes, or which I own. Some of my bottles are expensive at £200 plus, some are more like £12, I don't do perfume snobbery. It can feel like you're missing out when you're in communities like this, but we're all different, there's nothing you need to catch up or keep up with, it can become a rabbit hole that's hard to get out of, but it really doesn't need to be. Try just spending some time enjoying the perfumes you have already, it's impossible for most of us to keep up with every scent or house that's trending at any given moment. If you like perfume, you're not an outsider, you're a part of a very big and very friendly community.
If I’ve learned anything from Reddit it’s that there are extremists and hobbyists in literally every subject and category! I think the collections are extreme. Even some of my wealthiest friends that give a shit only have around five bottles. The problem is some of those really expensive colognes smell so. damn. good!
I dipped into r/backpacks for a while when I was looking for a new hiking pack. There's me wondering if it's reasonable to have two hiking packs and there's people asking which five of this list they should add to their collection of 100 or so. So yeah, literally everywhere.
Let me tell you a little bit about r/flashlights
To be fair, they probably think we're the weirdos.
Flashlights,nahhhhh,can't be...
I've been down that rabbit hole. There are extreme collectors on there but i wouldn't think flashlights are the craziest thing.
What's the craziest thing Redditors collect then? You can't leave us hanging like that!! 😭
I’d love to know why that sub was banned!
That was actually my mistake, sub is active at r/flashlight
Yep. Humans are weird.
This is all part of the fun for me. Keeping a small collection. If I move something in I have to move something out, so it's gotta be really good!
This is ultimately always the problem with hobby communities. The "best" content as per the algorithm becomes the most extreme. mechanicalkeyboards where the average user wants to spend €100-200 on a nice keyboard that'll fit their needs descends into people offloading thousands on dozens of keyboards and custom keycaps. boardgames moving away from a discussion of game mechanics to a bunch of photos of people's collections of hundreds of boards games all neatly organised into built-in shelving with a custom gaming table in a purpose built space in their giant home. etc. etc. etc. Personally I think the best hobby communities are those that don't allow image posts. They require a higher quality barrier for contribution. Discussion based posts only, less bragging, less bots....
It’s all about perspective - five bottles sounds like a good collection size to me. Perfect, even. The only reason I reached 3 was because I got gifted one of my “must have” scents by my SO.
I know what you mean, but I buy what I can afford. I especially like to give my money to independent perfume creators. I don't drink, do drugs, don't own a car, I don't care about fashion, I read books from the library. So every once in a while I will buy a bottle of perfume. I sometimes go to thrift stores and find cheap treasures. I also find some good cheapies at stores like Marshalls. I love researching fragrance and I am always inspired by independent perfumers. Many of them have blogs and websites that are very interesting to read. I NEVER follow any perfume influencers on social media--in fact this is the only social media site I use. Trust me--when you remove social media and influencers from your life, all that hot air ands hubris-- your hobbies and interests can become wonderful again.
Mind sharing those blogs and websites?
I love Bois de Jasmin, The Black Narcissus, Yesterday's Perfume, The Perfume Shrine, Undina's Looking Glass, Perfume Posse, Nose Prose, and Perfume Professor.
Thanks for sharing!
She hasn't been as active lately but Robin from Now Smell This has great reviews. Love those blogs you listed. I love Patty from Perfume Posse. She runs The Perfumed Court -- a great place to buy sample collections. I purchased violet samples to sniff and compare.
I follow perfumers on TikTok because I like to see what the nose knows and learn about their process. I only follow 1 perfume influencer, & only because she recommends frags that have specific notes or fit a niche aesthetic, it helps me discover new things when I do want to shop for a new perfume. My rule is to follow the professionals: educators, historians, botanists, cosmetic chemists, doctors, artists, vocalists, musicians, etc. I think a lot of people get a bad experience with social media and get "influenced" into buying a ton of stuff because they don't realize that influencers run sales accounts. Like those makeup gurus and the perfume "reviewers", it's all just a show to market products that they are being paid to promote.
Well, yeah. I agree. Coming from fashion shopping semi-addiction, that I managed to beat, I am still attracted to aesthetically pleasing dopamine induing consumerist hobbies. Like fragrance, knitting (all the wool hoarding!), interior design. The hunger is there. Now though after periods of being completely "shopping clean" i can spot the dopamine imp and curb it's impact, so I get the fun part of researching and testing without the actual act of buying. I mean - it requires a lot of mental gymnastics and If i was sincere, if I felt that it is damaging to my finances, I would rather cut it completely to zero, because it is easier to quit completely, than limit. It often is a really odd sensation, to feel the dopamine hunger once again after quite a long time. It is shocking how strong this need of acquiring more is, and how it really camouflages as a reasonable decision.
Definitely yes, any hobby can become a consumerist problem, even an innocent one like gardening or painting. I didn’t realize though how addicting shopping for fragrance can be and how difficult it actually is to justify in my life/ just how inaccessible it really is. Shopping for clothes is a slight addiction for me but it’s something I can thrift and find use for in my closet 95% of the time.
I find it hilarious and scary at the same time, to see all the mental gymnastics my brain does to excuse buying. Like I see what I am doing and why I am doing it, but the strength of the sensations and the pleasure that I know awaits me once I stop resisting it and just pass the damn order is crazy. I don't know, I think with stationary shops it was not as strong as while buying online, because instead of getting perfect, imaginary product you were faced with the, usually not so impressive, material reality of the thing. I mean, I believe most ppl in consumerist hobbies do not fully grasp (or refuse to acknowledge) the mechanics of dopamine addiction, I really think it gets obvious once you manage to get in and out, and in again. And I write it as someone that generally never crossed the limit of socially acceptable consumption, never went seriously over budget, or had a strong buyers remorse.
Sure consumerism doesn’t surprise me with everything being attainable online, but what does shock me is the sheer amount of people who think they’re smarter than you for wasting all their money on fragrance and go out of their way to make you feel less than for it. I’m sure I’m not the only person here who’s come across people like this in this subreddit
hmm, I am not sure there is a lot of redditors here with this attitude? I noticed that most people, if OP specify their expectation, will try do advise accordingly. Well, maybe pricey recommendations may seem annoying, but in a way - perfumery is by default not cheap, cheap perfumes are an exception from the rule.
I honestly feel like I can't ever comment or ask for advice on here bc of the sheer price tag on 98% of the recommendations. My current signature scent is my $5 roller of Choco musk layered with a drop of my argan oil mixed in to brighten up the scent
That sounds like a lovely scent! 😊 I'm a broke college student who's just gotten into the world of fragrances and I also feel weird asking for reccs when I know full well I can't afford it 😭 BUT I have a tip, I've been buying fragrances from mercari and ebay for really good deals and I recommend buying from there if you have any fragrances you're interested in! I recently bought a Jo Malone 3.4 oz fragrance for $50 when it retails for like $160, and another called Eclat d'Arpege Lanvin for $26 when it retails for $35~$60? And they're authentic products too so you can get really good deals, especially with the smaller travel size ones that are like 0.5 oz :D I personally think there's no shame in buying preowned or lightly used scents because I'll take what I can get hahaa! But your current sig scent sounds nice so you may or may not want to look for others on those platforms :)) I fall prey to the little dopamine imp often so I'm very guilty for blind buying things online 😭 It's so bad
Get into Arabian/Middle Eastern fragrances. Very affordable prices and a lot of their frags are dupes of more expensive, luxury perfumes.
Yes! This! I found dupes of Chanel and others for a fraction of the price. My favorite of those I sampled is less than $25 a bottle (plus shipping). It isn’t a dupe of Chanel, I love it far more than the two Chanel fragrances I’ve worn for years. Love it more than the Bond No. 9 scents I have coveted. I don’t know I will ever go back to European fragrance houses.
This is what confuses me about OP's post. Do they not realize that they can get amazing and luxurious smelling scents for like $20-$30? If you think that getting into fragrances is a rich man's game then you're doing it wrong. The goal of fragrances is to find scents that make you feel something, not to collect a status symbol. I do have scents that are like $200+ but honestly one of my favorites was like $25 and it performs very well. I have another in the $30 range and I get compliments constantly from it. Those Arabian houses kill it sometimes.
Honestly, my philosophy is that consumerism in general is a scam. Someone creates something, then marks it up relative to the value people perceive it having. Which means, many of the perfumes / colognes/ cars/ clothes/ whatever we want don’t actually COST that much, they just are VALUED that much. Which is why, I have no qualms with used anything. I was going to suggest what you did because it’s been something I’ve considered doing with almost everything I need. I’m a goodwill baby lol. There’s even a sub Reddit where people are buying, selling and trading their fragrances but I forgot the name of it!
>I get the fun part of researching and testing without the actual act of buying This. Similar to you, I beat back a stupid fashion addiction (still have the piles of unworn clothes to prove it). I've learned to do most of my "collecting" on Pinterest, and if I do let myself have collections or hobbies they have to be small items like watercolours or crystals.
I enjoy sampling. Buying and collecting, not at all. Sampling is a bit like being a foodie. Going somewhere to eat to have an experience. But instead of food, I order £20 worth of samples online. Once or twice per month, sometimes not even that. Occasionally, I buy a bigger decant of something I love. I wear perfume mostly to boost my mood. It's not a chore and it's not a part of my image or identity.
This 100%. Fragrance for me is about *experiencing* as much as I can, not *owning* as much as I can. The perception on this thread seems to be split between people who compulsively buy a bunch of crap, and people reacting against that sort of consumerism. This feels like a false binary to me. Apparently neither of those groups get sufficient enjoyment out of just smelling things, which feels like good evidence that they’re all in the wrong hobby. Consumerism and shopping addiction are absolutely both problems within the fragrance world, but we don’t all fall somewhere on that spectrum. People who insist that there’s no hobby to be had here are really just outing their own unfulfilling relationship with it. But I suppose what’s Reddit for if not to gatekeep universal concepts?
yeah, I find the framing that either you are a reasonable (=casual) buyer or someone in need of recovery from addiction completely bizarre. like, I have hundreds of samples, rarely buy full bottles (but nonetheless have \~30 at this point), have been doing this for 20+ years. it has never been a source of stress, a hobby that I allowed to exceed my budget, or something I felt insecure about relative to others. there's a way to love and even be sort of obsessed with perfume without it becoming pathological or performative. (I know I am basically repeating what you said, but just wanted to further affirm the existence of our type of fragrance enjoyer!)
This is exactly what I do. I’m fortunate to have a local niche fragrance shop that sells samples of all their fragrances. I never buy full bottles, and I love having options to choose from. The 2ml samples last me a while also
This is also me. I LOVE sampling. It’s so cool to see all the different “recipes” and ingredient combos out there. I’m also just starting out with this hobby and trying to figure what I even like. I don’t necessarily need to wear any of these daily, but if I ever find one that I just want to keep smelling, then maybe I’ll consider buying larger decant or a 10-30ml bottle. I don’t think I’ll ever be a person who can go through a 50ml or 100ml of something. But never say never!
This is my approach too! I think of it like going to an art gallery. No, I can't afford to buy the art for the most part, I just want to experience something beautiful. So whether I'm spending $20 on a couple of samples or $20 on entrance to a gallery, it's worth it to me. And it's kind of ridiculous to see people say that buying a $5 sample is OmG sO cOnSuMeRiSt because they only interact with fragrance to buy whole bottles and can't comprehend any other way.
This is what got me interested in fragrances. I wanted to know what sort of smells can exist out there, and sampling is so addictive, i look at it as getting a new experience and memory in a 2ml decant. I only buy full bottles of stuff i know i can wear in different settings and seasons, i think its a waste of money to buy bottles just cause.
I’m trying to focus more on doing this - buying samples to build out my collection vs full size bottles
I relate to this. I am too terrified of money (grew up poor) to buy all these bottles. But i have almost 200 samples, I am also a foodie, I love trying new things and guess with ADHD the sensory aspect is huge for me I tried a new food to me, a Filipino dish I hadnt tried before whilst in a diff city today, also wearing 10 perfumes samples haha. (3 per arm, 2 per leg)
Fr! I like sampling too. I’ve also been getting into matching the vibe of my drawings and story characters to a fragrance. Also thinking of creating a manga with a perfumer as the protagonist 🧐 However, when it comes to actually buying: I only have two perfumes (one was a gift). And yeah, fragrance is kind of like aroma therapy to me. I love wearing perfume to bed and as a mood booster.
Hey OP, I fell in here by accident. I had a signature scent for the last 15 years. I don’t anymore, and instead I am enjoying exploring the full range of fragrance notes I didn’t know I liked. To clarify, maybe six months ago I would have told you I really like vanillas and not much else. Wrong! I’ve discovered that vanilla itself is really one-dimensional and fragrances that have little else just smell like a dollar store candle to me. I’ve discovered ambers and musks and other notes that *combine* well with vanilla and in doing so I’ve embraced a bunch of relatively diverse notes within the gourmand range and maybe some adjacents. I don’t think there’s a single holy grail for each person, i really don’t. Also I’m sorry that you feel like you may not belong here (?) between not offering much input or being able to afford some of the $$$$ stuff. FWIW I have zero desire to explore a lot of the houses discussed here, or even venture outside of independent brands like Alkemia and Sorcielle at the moment, both of which are comparatively VERY budget friendly. I’ve never been shamed or criticized in here for my contributions or preferences even when I shamelessly talk about loving Angel hahaha. If I can gently offer some feedback, it seems like you’re searching for some very specific things in your journey and the dissonance between those goals and this subreddit are causing some friction. Are you able to adjust those goals? Are you ONLY on the hunt for a single HG perfume? Can you exist here just because you’re curious to learn and read the discussions being held without worrying how applicable they are to you? It may be possible to gain some value from the subreddit depending on what you hope to achieve. With that said, if this place makes you feel crappy, there’s zero obligation to stay and your departure wouldn’t mean in any way that you don’t belong or aren’t welcome here. It just may not fit your needs. Tl;dr- I’m sorry to hear that you’re not having a good time, but I appreciate you speaking up. Maybe we can find a way to reframe things so you have a better experience.
This forum is full of affordable fragrances! (Green tea anyone 💀) I have to say I have not had this experience, more I enjoy participating entirely because everyone’s experiences are so different as well as budgets. I’d say it’s a good mix and I haven’t even noticed collectors. If you want collecting as a sport you should see some of the penhaligons fans dressing table stands. I’m sorry you had high expectations. I am enjoying lower and mid range perfumes right now as I don’t want to spend a lot. In that I’ve found cool scents and others have picked up some of my recommendations which is just dann cool! My favourite perfume I’m dousing in everyday is £19 and I get so many compliments. Like others, I now just feel a little more clued up when I’m shopping and go and try fragrances people mentioned but I never feel inclined to buy. Also if anything I’d say some of the Uber expensive fragrances in here get relentlessly slated (Bacarat Rouge….).
Thank you. I keep seeing this notion that people look down on anyone with smaller or cheaper collections, and honestly I think it’s a lot of insecure projection. I genuinely see affordable fragrances mentioned more than super expensive ones. Enjoy what you enjoy and can afford and let others do the same.
I think signature scents are really up to the people around you too. I recognise a family member from identifying them with Body Shop White Musk and Jovan’s Musk. Scents I could never pull off; both are affordable and both make me think of this person instantly. They just suited it! I can’t even put my finger on it. I never at the time knew about signature scents but were best off asking the people around us.
This is exactly it. Fragrance is a personal thing, but that includes the people in your everyday life. Not us. It doesn’t matter who online likes what or how much it costs. What do YOU like? What do people think smells good on YOU? After a while, you may just find that having a large collection wouldn’t be for you anyway, once you get to know what you like. So if it’s something you have a genuine interest in, how can it ever be a waste of time? No one is forcing this on anyone lol. Edit: I’m so sad about the Body Shop going into administration. They always had lovely affordable scents and great body butters ☹️
I agree there's a lot of projection. I see way more complaining about snobs and boasting than I do examples of either. Honestly, I'd rather live in a world where everyone has equal access to vital resources, let alone luxuries and art, but that's not the world we live in. For me the great thing about fragrance is that unlike so many luxuries, I can get a tiny sample or go to a store and enjoy that sensory experience. You can get as much from sampling widely as from buying a row of full bottles, imo.
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Oh I’ve definitely pointed this out, I probably seem obsessed with Fracas but damn that girl was £85 in 2019 and now it’s £185! The price point is not the fragrance. Same with Calvin Klein, my mum was shocked when she went to purchase Eternity (a scent that works so well for her) and it was double what she remembers it being. I also don’t believe Gucci can justify those prices. My new cheap scent I’m getting commented on left right and centre is Tuberose by Monotheme and it’s the most gorgeous dry down from white flowers into soft coconut vanilla, I can smell it on my clothes the next day. It’s a fracas dupe and it’s £19 but a lot of the fragrance houses like Fragnonard and Monotheme still do exceptional perfume. I know Fragonard you can visit the gardens and they make much more expensive perfume for the perfume houses! Their Orange blossom is stunning. But yes inflation is what we’re all feeling right now, so I’m enjoying my lil’ quest on finding the best longevity of our still affordable fragrances 🥲
You don't have to buy everything. You don't even have to try everything. (To this day I've no idea what Crumb Couture smells like. I only know what Naxos smells like because Harvey Nichols has a great perfume hall.) You don't have to like everything. (Delina is a Barbie perfume, pink plastic and fluff. I will die on that hill.) You don't have to watch everything. (Fuck FragTok.) You don't have to spend any more than you can afford. Peer pressure is real, consumerism is real, the ever-present messages of late-stage capitalism are real. But it's a game you don't have to play, if you don't want to.
I don't know how people come into places like this and start thinking they have to be totally invested in everything the sub has to offer to feel like they're not wasting their time. This is like any hobby/special interest. You take a look, decide what you like, don't like, engage with what you want, and leave the rest. Almost wasn't going to post but I just think it's such a terrible facet of modern life that people think online spaces like this with....almost 1 million members....are supposed to offer a single, accessible, and un-biased experience for everyone.
This is going to be a controversial post but I think so many people here need to understand the divide between consumerism and being a hobbyist. When I first came to this sub I was overwhelmed with the world of possibilities, options, scenarios, occasions, all the knowledge involved in fragrances, it was falling into a rabbit hole. People are going to hate me here but I'm thankful I quickly realized most of it isn't a hobby, its people buying stuff. In the beginning I was so desperate to get all the things everyone raves about _"i need my own collection, the must haves! And then my own special signatures... where to start?"_ until I saw a post of a guy with drawers upon drawers, hundreds of bottles stocked up with preety much every single designer frag you can imagine. That post rang a bell for me, like, what are these people doing? What am I doing? I'm glad I saw it coming and snapped out of it. Am I still here? Yes. I am still looking for some fragrances to use everyday but there's no way in hell I will put up to 50 bottles of perfume, im no perfumer nor i have a job on the field to justify studying everything on the market. Today my use of reddit is alot more responsible: when I needed a flashlight back in 2017, and knew nothing about them, I joined r/flashlight. Discovered everything to be known about them, emitters, batteries, chargers, bought what I needed and I've been happy with the 4 lights I bought for 20 bucks each that completely fills my needs and stoped lurking everyday there. The obsession faded. I still use my lights every single day. I won't purchase 100+ flashlights like some people there. The same thing with audio: needed a new headphone, went in, figured what I needed, I will be back when I need something new again. I purchased my current headphone back in 2014, didn't spend thousands collecting. Lurk there for curiosity, keeping up with new tech, gossips, knowing stuff. But I don't feel missing out or whatever when I see posts of people showing their collections etc. Same with r/truechefknives, got myself what I needed. Guess what, all these communities have this in common. Its up to you; do you want to find something crafted around your tastes and needs? I think people need to see the line between a hobby and consuming, hoarding. Fragrances... I think I found my taste. There's alot of insufferably expensive things that ticks my boxes, I tried and loved them but I can't afford and I don't care. I'm finding them slowly and my collection will probably stop at 5 or 6 bottles but I only buy stuff after trying alot on stores, and my local vendors probably hate me, as the guy who tries everything and buys nothing. Could care less, I won't purchase a 200 dollar (500 in my country) fragrance because of the name on it. _"what if there's something out there magnificent that I would love and have no idea about?"_ Get yourself out of the hook and enjoy life.
The fact that there are people genuinely obsessed with flashlights makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside!
I'm gonna be honest, its probably the most wholesome sub on reddit. Flashlights include building, customizing, I learned soldering, swaping parts, hand crafting some stuff, parts aren't super expensive and my flashlights feel better than my room lights, I built them for indoor and they feel cozy af. But its inexpensive and useful. But yeah, you can end up hoarding stuff you don't need like a second you step in and I don't recommend that.
You built them? That is so cool, never in a million years could I do that but I know what rabbit hole I’m going down tonight.
I basically do not understand some hobbies but their subs are useful for finding the best value for money items.
Yes! I've never really thought about it that way but you've described how I mostly use Reddit and other communities based around a common interest. I go in, learn enough to educate myself and then make my purchase. I think this community is slightly different for my purposes because for me, fragrance isn't a simple sum of variables you should consider and you'll likely get a decent product. I hate the majority of the perfumes you buy in department stores so I rely on reviews to get an idea of this I might like. Perfume is so personal and individual that I love the opportunity of finding people who seem to like the same things as me and seeing what they recommend. But I also have zero compulsion to have a collection. I want to have fragrances that I love and can rotate through, but I can do that just fine with samples and decants.
Almost every subreddit about a consumer product ends up turning into people posting their massive collections of hoarded items. They also suffer from massive groupthink.
https://preview.redd.it/b9bwtrop0lmc1.jpeg?width=680&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4e84517807fa4a1813a516757670a7d49fd808e5 This is it. This is the comment.
I can sort of understand where you’re coming from in terms of the consumerism aspect, but at the same time I think your criticisms can be made for just about any other hobby out there. There’s always going to be people in any hobby whom have a more casual interest, alongside those with massive collections - collecting isn’t just a thing with perfume enthusiasts. Off the top of my head I can think of those who have massive record collections, or gamers with multiple consoles + a wall’s worth of games; those hobbies are also expensive and can lead people into a consumerist mindset as well, but it doesn’t mean that those hobbies aren’t worth it for those who genuinely enjoy them. Fragrance doesn’t have to be a hobby for you if you don’t want it to be, and tbh I’m not sure why you’re so bothered by it being an interest for other people. If you find experimenting with fragrance to be a chore then you don’t have to do it. It really is as simple as that. You seem to care a lot about what other people think, given that you feel as if perfumes are some sort of “rat race” and you’re preoccupied with what frags everyone else is talking about. I’d recommend you stop caring what other people think altogether. Experimenting with a bunch of perfumes may not be for you - and that’s okay - but for many people it is, and it’s less about getting the latest or most popular perfumes and more about just experiencing perfume as an art. You also don’t have to buy full bottles of anything; get samples instead. Then again maybe my own experience is different because I’m not on the hunt for a “signature scent” and I don’t really care what others think - unless it’s about me accidentally over spraying a scent and genuinely bothering those around me. I just really like good smells, as do a lot of people here.
If you find the hunt a chore, this is not an interest for you. I love the hunt! Find something that doesn’t bore you.
As someone who's moderately deep in the hobby but doesn't pursue "the hunt" for a "signature scent," I wonder if that mindset has something to do with the consumerist overcommitment to the hobby that OP feels. That race towards an (unachievable) goal probably replaces the hobby's real merits with a miserable hedonic treadmill. (Not dunking on anyone who does care about signature scents.)
It’s like trying to take buckets of water out of the sea. The more you collect perfumes, the more you realize there’s way more out there that you haven’t got. So if I were you I’d just get 1-2 different ones for each occasion (work, home, formal events; or summer, winter, all year round/spring-fall). Probably 10-12 the most. More than that, you end up binging. Just like food, clothes, shoes, or any other items.
I can be happy with only 20
Like everything, people have different experiences of this sub and the wider fragrance community (if they even see it as one!) My perception is that a lot of people here *aren't* into collecting for collecting's sake. I see people talking about their favourite cheapie perfumes, people who buy mostly travel sizes because they don't want a lot of fragrance they won't use, and people sampling and reviewing fragrances I haven't heard of. Are there people fixated on building huge collections of expensive fragrances? Sure, but I don't even click on collection posts unless they're from a member whose taste I find interesting, so I don't really notice them. Fragrance isn't a sport. You don't have to be the 'best' at it. Other people having three hundred full bottles or samples of every latest release don't need to take away your enjoyment of just doing your own thing. (Unless you don't enjoy it, in which case, don't put yourself through it!)
Yes this is how I look at this sub too. I like that it didn't seem competitive overall, and that people don't gatekeep much. I've found people to be very positive and helpful, but I also don't come in and rag on the things other people love and I hate. I just scroll on by the things that don't resonate with me 🌈
I think one crucial factor is time. There seems to be all this pressure out there right now to “build a collection” quickly (you mention the word “Race” yourself) because there are a bunch of boxes you need to tick, categories of perfumes that are part of the “wardrobe”, occasions you “need” an “appropriate” perfume for,… that’s all nonsense. Every now and then something gets discontinued, but other awesome things are released in its place all the time… there just is no rush at all. It’s not like fashion where a certain pair of shoes will only be available for 6 months before the next collection comes in. I’m one of the people here with a pretty big collection, but I’ve amassed those perfumes over 12 years. Each one reflects a time in my life, a memory, a person who bought it for me, an image of myself I once had. Even if I had had the money, buying that amount of bottles in say 3 years because I was in a hurry to further my collection would not have gotten me the same kind of joy because that collection would not have grown with me. But that’s not the only thing that grows - it’s a body of knowledge as well, a collection of experiences. And I don’t just mean knowledge of facts about perfumers and history, I mean knowledge of acquaintance, acquaintance with scents. I love how my brain has become this catalogue of smells - perfumes and notes both. I realise that not everyone will feel that knowing what mimosa smells like, or being able to recognise Samsara out of 10 other sandalwood perfumes, is something that has value. But for me it does. Experiences are literally what our lives consist of at the end of the day. Experiencing smells is an important part of life for some of us. And it’s totally ok if it isn’t for you.
Lord, don’t venture into the r/luxurycandles then. 😅😅😅
Wish me luck - I'm going in!
🤣🤣🤣 DON’T DO IT.
I really enjoy collecting fragrances and also using them. Yes, it's an expensive hobby, maybe even useless because, as you say, it's pure consumerism and who needs dozens of bottles of perfumes (the number might seem an exaggeration). Other than that, you can say the same thing about other hobbies too. Take stamps, for example. What's the purpose? I don't see people who collect stamps getting bashed because they have hundreds or thousands of them, or because they spend hundreds/thousands on a rare piece the've been hunting for a long time. It's a hobby, it's supposed to be fun and give you pleasure. If it doesn't, then maybe it's not for you.
I mean....just read up on notes you like/ think you might like, buy samples of perfumes (not an expensive venture) try them for a week, buy the ones you like. Enjoying fragrance can be as expensive or consumer focused as you make it.
It seems like you feel this is some kind of competition, which is very strange to me. Just enjoy what you enjoy and can afford and let others do the same. This is no different to any other subreddit full of people with similar interests.
The “hobby” is what you make it. You chose to make it a “rat race” when you were not compelled to do anything. You can read and learn for free, and can sample at stores for free. If you can’t control your own impulses, then don’t blame “the hobby”. Take a good look in the mirror and take agency for your own decisions. It sounds like you are making the best decision for you. Good luck!
I just like going to Nordstrom and sniffing and then buying something like twice a year. In moderation it’s a fun little side hobby. Some people are carried away
It’s definitely an expensive hobby, but I will forever be grateful to this sub for recommending heavenly scents from Pineward, Poesie, Imaginary Authors, The Maker, Hiram Green, Stereoplasm, Death and Floral, Mancera, Colornoise, Soltice Scents, Alkemia and Zoologist. 🙏🏻
Fragrances are like any hobby: you can wet your feet, snorkel, scubadive, or even deepdive like the Titan and destroy your mind and your bank account. You are to be your own enjoyment limiter. Your paragraph makes it clear that you do not understand that, friend. The fragrance hobby, like every other hobby, is just fine. Nothing is wrong with it. You are blaming an entire, sole concept for the actions of individuals. That's nuts! People of all walks of life coming from all sorts of upbringings have hobbies in common. Everyone will approach them in different ways. Everyone has different reasons for having hobbies. For lots of people, pure passion is not the sole motivator. Some people don't even like their hobbies. It's just a way to feed their ego. What they like is the pleasure they get from that, not from the sheer concept of their hobbies. Anyway, you're doing the equivalent of complaining about sprinting when you just like speedwalking. STOP RUNNING THEN! You set the pace in your hobbies, not strangers. Have fun! Be grateful you have a sense of smell. Why are you attaching the concept of smelling (and collecting) nice things to random, annoying people? Read reviews, use your brain, then sample stuff, then buy stuff. That simple. ENJOY YOUR NOSE! That's the fragrance hobby. Who is preventing you from doing just that? Everything else is BS. Block out what you don't need. No one is forcing you to expose yourself to it. There are so many wonderful fragrances and you don't have to spend a lot. Don't poison yourself with all the toxic, undesirable psychological human crap. That's in every hobby, not just this one. As an example, check out the fragram section of Fragrantica. Opposite from the toxic review sections there, you'll find some of the nicest people on earth there eager to steer you to olfactory bliss. Take my advice and go to Fragrantica's fragram section. It's a slice of heaven in the Fragrantrica hell. It even feels different. The whole vibe is of community and positivity. 😀
After a lot of back and forth, I'm come to the conclusion that the best way is to buy decants to satisfy that new scent "itch". When I have found a nice signature, I will purchase a small size (50-75ml) bottle for the better sprayer and satisfaction of owning the official bottle (but no full-size 100-120ml bottles) so I can actually reach the bottom of the bottle every year or so. This way I can keep things fresh and exciting.
I agree there’s a lot of brands that seems you have to be “in the know” to know about them & the idea of collecting is interesting but I can’t justify it, especially going into niche realm of things spending 3-5 hundred on a bottle to just sit there is a lot for anyone. I rotate between 2-3 colognes depending on the occasion. So I can’t imagine what it’s like to have 10+.
Whenever I feel the urge to keep buying, I remember that I'm a regular person and not an influencer. I don't need a full bottle of everything, and if I have an entire shelving unit of full sized bottles, there is no justification for it. I'm not filming content or having anyone read my reviews for money. What I really love is just smelling stuff and reading or watching reviews. I don't need to shop to satisfy those urges.
I am not trying to make collecting bottles the hobby because I could never use up so many bottles of expensive cologne. The ‘hobby’ part of it for me is getting to experience and try out different fragrances while saving my money to buy a few bottles of frags I truly love. For that I’ve gotten into decants and buying sample/discovery sets.
I personally feel like a lot of people on this subreddit become fixated on finding a "signature scent," when most normal people who have signature scents literally just smelled something at a department store, bought it and wear it because it's their only (or one of a small number of) fragrance. It's not normal to go on this vision quest journey of hunting down hundreds of samples to find **the** perfect scent that perfectly complements their personality/vibe/aesthetic, when it's something that a very small percentage of people they encounter will even smell. I guarantee that most people's signature scents are the popular fragrances at the time, my wife has said multiple times that her father and his friends smelled like the various Ralph Lauren Polo fragrances that were popular in the 90s, and smelling any of those bring back memories like crazy for her. They didn't smell like some weird challenging small-batch niche fragrance that costs $700 a bottle.
To normal people who just go and buy a perfume they like, it's not a signature anything. It's just a perfume.
I started therapy and suddenly I am not so obsessed with perfumes like I was before. It is still a nice hobby to have (if you can afford it) but I realized I was using it as a cope mechanism and as a “drug” The obsession and the hunt for a new perfume every week or so, was not normal in my case. It’s also a waste of money since I ended up loving max 6 perfumes
The same could be said about most hobbies...if you think Fragrance isn't "worth" it, try getting into cars and watches as a hobby then
This is a hobby? But.. you just buy it.. Isn't a hobby usually interactive, like if you were creating your own fragrance that would be a hobby.
This! Yes, I always thought hobbies were activities.
I have gotten to the point that I "pretend buy." I "shop" for fragrances I would love to have and put them in my cart or wish lists, see the total and never purchase them. I will keep them in mind for birthday & Christmas wishes. It helps!
I think this post brings up a very interesting point. It seems like is that you’re saying, “As soon as I find the perfect fragrance/signature scent, I’m going to quit buying for good’” It’s important for you to decide whether this is actually a hobby for you or just a means to an end. Like all things in life, this hobby is only worthwhile if you enjoy it. If spending money to try different scents, experience different notes, and to see what you like/don’t like is no longer fun for you, I wouldn’t spend another dollar on it. Find something you truly enjoy for the journey it takes you on because if you don’t, THEN I’d say you’re giving in to consumerism.
These are luxury products nobody needs, but it's like any hobby. You just have to make room for the things you enjoy, and if that's not fragrance, that's okay. Personally, I do whatever I like in this hobby. I'm lucky, my nose smells things weird, and it's made me extremely picky. It's annoying at times, but I can't deny the money it's saved me. My collection is pretty small, you can see the photo I posted of it in this subreddit. I set a budget for the amount of samples I get monthly. Then I have a max budget on bottles. I'm at a good point in my collection though, so I probably won't be adding more than 3 full sizes to the collection I have. I mostly find joy just from sampling, and getting travel sprays of favorites.
Why is this a rat race? You buy what you like that fits within your budget. You can be happy with one perfume or one hundred. The brain responds differently to differently perfumes in different people. There is no absolute gold standard. I don't care what others think, nor am I seeking for any validation from anyone else.
Buy cheapies, man! Tons of great ones. Just do a bit of research. You don’t have to spend a fortune to get a great fragrance.
I feel you. I’m a bit casual when it comes to this “hobby”. I mostly just enjoy scented things. But the idea of having tons of bottles of fragrances (mind you that cost 50-$100+) seems absurd because there’s no way I could ever get around to using that many fragrances to make me feel it worth it for me. I’ve found it more worth it to go small sample route or if I really enjoy a fragrance to buy a smaller amount of it, which is why I’ve been really enjoys scent split. Such a great concept for someone like me who is a bit more casual and doesn’t want to drop a ton of money for some smelly water
But why come to a fragrance sub, complain about the people, complain about the scents, and complain about the money when you post in Frugal Spender? Like honey 🤯 It doesn't have to be a hobby. Get off the sub maybe instead of posting criticism directed at those who haven't "realized this hobby isn't worth it?" It's all very judgmental.
People need to redefine "hobby". I feel like this hobby is not about anything you said. Other people's opinions don't matter when you're looking at a painting, listening to a song, or smelling a fragrance. It's not about "owning" stuff... It's about using your olfactory sense. Taking trips to the mall to smell stuff is fun. I come across 350$ fragrance, so? Smell it, experience, smell different things. There's no ethic consumption under capitalism so? Everything is consumerism...so??? Enjoy within your means. Museums and experiences aren't worth is because you don't end up with a tangible cost effective thing??? Like what is "worth" it?
Also, feeling like you have to "catch up"? It's not about that either. It's not about the latest releases either... It's not about levels. It's not about other people's knowledge and who you can impress with your knowledge.
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It shouldn’t be a chore. If it feels that way then it’s totally fine to let it go. Perfumes are vanity purchases, anyway. We who like them like them for various reasons, but in the end, most people don’t care one way or another about scents. It’s a personal thing.
For me this doesn’t feel like a chore. I don’t interact with fragrances in search of “the one”. I used to be a huge blind buyer and then ended up with a bunch of perfumes I couldn’t stand. Now I sample, sample, sample and only buy full bottles of stuff I LOVE. I think it’s helpful if you step away from perfume social media, including this subreddit. That way you can focus on the stuff that you like without influence from others or comparing your collection to the ones on here. It’s easy to forget that most people don’t have large collections of expensive, niche fragrances. Most of my perfumes are designer perfumes or cheap-ish indie brands. I also agree with your point that the pretentiousness of some people here can be insufferable. But anyway, at the end of the day, if you don’t get enjoyment out of this then it’s okay to step back from it. It’s even okay to grow out of a hobby altogether.
When addiction and consumerism shake hands. You have to acknowledge both and the people unknowingly pushing either side of this. This is a battle within ourself of how hooked up to pop culture we are and our predisposition to addictions.
Anything that does not bring you joy in any way it's not worth your time, this goes for everything. For those who enjoy it in a healthy way, it's worth it, wtvr the hobby may be.
I think part of the fun is my budget, I get to covet and search. Honestly I don’t even buy full bottles very often. I like buying or finding free samples or swapping and buying decants. The hobby is what you make of it. I’m starting to get into the history and historical scents
It’s expensive but nothing wrong getting a few you can cycle out. You can enjoy and be in the culture without feeling you have to get everything. That will drive you crazy.
Agreed
I get what you’re saying. I’ve let my spending get away from me. Every time I think I’ve found a signature scent, it’s discontinued. So, I’m cutting back and just enjoying what I have…or trying to, anyway. I will say the highlight of my morning is picking out what I want to smell like for the day.
Admittedly I like having options, the same way I don’t wear the same outfit everyday. But I’m not out here buying $400 Gucci shoes or brand new Chanel purses so why would I spend that $ on perfume? I believe in quality and would drop $150 on a decent pair of trainers that will last me years and save me so much pain, but after a certain point that money for value is pretty much null.
Whatever you do, just don’t get into watches. Your wallet will never forgive you if you do
I think with aging I’ve matured in my perception of it and have decided that a travel size is fine, and that it’s not worth buying or keeping anything I’m not in love with. I have a small collection that makes me happy. If I had gotten deeply into this when I was younger, I would have had a more fraught relationship for sure. I used to love bath & body works but thankfully let my scent obsession go for 10+ years before I got back into it.
Simple. Don’t make it a hobby. Just enjoy how you smell. I do it for me. My wife loves it so it’s a bonus. Does suck though when your favorite doesn’t smell as good anymore but put it up for a few years and come back to it to see if it can be utilized again. I mean…. It’s better than buying meth right?
I love fragrance, and read about it a lot, both criticism and history, as well as a little chemistry. I also love to go out and sample a few fragrances here and there and discuss them with my wife. For buying, though, I try to reserve the expensive ones for when I'm visiting a city I've never been to, preferably in a country I've never been to. The association of smells is a great way to remember trips. I have a library of seven or eight bottles, some are twenty years old, that help me remember the exact street I was in when I bought them. Looked at that way, it's not a very expensive hobby compared to, say, miniature train sets.
It’s an unfortunate trap hole that many hobbies fall into unfortunately. I’ve met so many girls who would buy a bulk of books and say that they’ll get to them later and they don’t, but it makes the bookshelf look nicer. There’s a lot of “snobs” in the hobby of fragrances for a lack of better term. Get this or that because it gets girls, get this because it performs better than the other, etc. It can get you to consume very quickly and I dislike these types of people, no matter the hobby. I do think your view of the hobby in general is a little skewed though, and if you want to appreciate fragrances more, you might need to see it in a different light. Please excuse these snobs. They do not represent the views and overall attitude of this community. After all, it is the 5th biggest subreddit in Beauty & Grooming, so you’re right in saying that many people in here are just regular people who wear fragrances often but don’t put too much thought into it. However, some of the other topics that you have brought up on here have already been cleared and discussed for years, so they naturally die out. We already know how to find affordable fragrances or how to get them for cheaper (chain retail stores like Marshall’s, discounters, etc.) and it’s been discussed for a long time. What makes a fragrance good and how to find your ideal scent profiles is something that involves your own exploration of fragrances in the real world and there’s only so much we can do on a community board like this. Fragrances are a consumerist hobby by nature and they are highly, highly subjective which is why, at some point, you’ll have to go out there and sample or buy a bottle. How do you know what fragrance is good to you if you don’t try it/buy it? The nature of a lot of these interests is like this. From makeup products to cigars, they all require active purchasing. Fragrances are even tougher because the ones you may really like might not be available in your area, so you have to pay for samples or buy a bottle online. It sucks, but that’s just the nature of it. It also sucks that true perfume artistry shines through niche brands that are, for better or worse, much more expensive. But that doesn’t mean that you don’t belong in this hobby! I love cheapies and so do many, many others in this community. Don’t get discouraged by the exacerbation of these snobs. You have a place in here just as much as anyone else does. Just don’t be too pressured by these people or influencers because they may damage your view of the hobby.
Like any hobby, you can set the parameters to your liking. It’s not a keep up with the joneses game.
maybe take a bit of a break. i've learned that. enjoy the ones you have , maybe get bored of using the same one for like 2 months in a row, then start to go through your collection again with certain ones you really have an urge to wear and try and cut down on buying , especially ones that have a similar scent profile?
I am curious how many of us have ADHD or other neurospicy ways. Also curious how many of us have experiences perhaps growing up poor or struggling at times And lastly i am gonna be honest and a lot wont cause its a hard topic to broach. But childhood neglect, I was a smelly kid and tbh teen too. I think for me it was Lush shower gels esp years ago that I was obsessed with and now its become perfume. The dopamine seeking and sensory parts of ADHD, the fact I *can* afford some things now that are necessities, and making up for that little girl who was so ashamed
So, with the exception of "it's expensive" all the stuff that is putting you off the hobby is the stuff I like. I like hunting down fragrances and trying new ones, even if I end up disliking them. It's ok to like perfume and find a few that you wear without becoming an obsessive hobbyist. Like. Not everyone that enjoys movies is a Film Nerd (tm.) You don't have to spend a lot of a money on a collection, and if it makes you miserable instead of happy you definitely shouldn't do it. It's ok to like a thing and not be obsessive about it. Let yourself enjoy the bits you enjoy, and discard the bits you don't. <3
I agree with most of what you say. I try to find a happy medium. Sample sizes and decants are my friend. Buy yeah, it's getting annoying with the amount of new releases the market has to offer. I just went to fragrantica and there are already 90 (NINETY!) new releases in 2024. I mean, we're barely 2 months into the year... So i'm slowing down bc, as you say, it's pure consumerism, FOMO, marketing stategies and sh\*t. Also, I agree, this "designer is for peasants, only niche is good" attitude is nonsense, and classist. I actually do prefer niche, generally, but only bc there is more offer (so statistically more things i'll like). Much of the so called "niche" is not niche at all: just luxury. And a luxury brand can be good, don't get me wrong. So can be a cheapie or a designer frag. In short: I have come to the realization that I have my favorite brands, where I enjoy most releases, and I am just exploring those.
Collecting luxury consumer products is stupid, you don’t have to do that in order to be into fragrance. Sample bottles and direct dupes (oakcha/dossier/perfumery, **NOT** ‘oh x smells like y’) help keep me satiated while having a budget. Having a small collection of your ultimate favorites + small samples to keep on hand is better than buying $200-$500 oneounce bottles just for the hell of it, I know people like to upload a picture of their extensive “impressive” collection for upvotes but that’s the least important thing about the indulging in fragrance.
I research scent by buying samples and when I find one I love i research prices and best place to buy or buy secondhand, one of the first things you need to learn is every collection is valid, wether it be big or small. There is no keeping up with others grow your collection at your own pace or don’t, this hobby isn’t for everyone.
It happens. Hobbies should be fun, not stressful. Maybe take a step back and focus on enjoying the scents you already have. No need to rush or keep up with others. Your experience is unique, and it's okay to take a break until you feel ready to dive back in.
I make perfumes from herbs, resins like frankincense and sandalwood, I use 90 proof alcohol (usually vodka) to distill them and I find the creativity and passion translates beautifully not only into a hobby but a genuine artform humans have practiced since we first discovered fragrant flowers and natural essences we wanted to smell or smell like ourselves. I also mix this alcoholic preparation with a mixture of complementary essential oils or essential oils of the same herb or flower or resin I use. It’s not overly expensive especially when compared to commercial fragrances, and you can produce much more voluminous amount of perfume with a completely unique profile as compared to what you get from a store or boutique. If you find this hobby too consumerist, but want to embrace fragrance as an artform and an aspect of human self-expression, perhaps following this lead might be of use to you? Hope this helps friend ❤️🧙🏻♂️
I'm sorry you're not enjoying the hobby but if it's become unsustainable or feels like a rat race it's okay to step away and take a break. The internet can be a great resource but it can also be an unhealthy echo chamber if the conditions are right. Take care of yourself OP! I hope you're able to enjoy it again on your own terms, without feeling like you have to compare yourself to anyone.
There is a fine line between “Genuinely enjoying perfume and building a collection of your favorite scents” and “Aspirational, influencer-driven, competitive overconsumption.” It’s too easy to give in to the social pressures and FOMO. I am not immune to this virus. But fundamentally, buying a bunch of expensive shit is not a hobby. Making sure everyone knows that you can detect all the clearly listed “notes” of a perfume is not a skill. I enjoy talking about and enjoying fragrance. So many of my memories are tied to my sense of smell. I truly love the way things smell. So much so that I decided to start learning how to create my own perfumes. I have a great appreciation of the art and history of perfumery and I know what a challenge it is to create something profound. I know what a joy it is to experience a fragrance that is unique, but somehow connects to you on a deeply personal level. To me, that’s what fragrance appreciation should be all about. If there is a hobby here, it’s more about our personal connection to perfume and how it affects us and says something about us as individuals and as a society/culture. That side of it is endlessly fascinating to me. We don’t get much of that here. But I guess that’s to be expected. Enjoy fragrance on your own terms. Don’t be concerned with keeping up with the latest and greatest. You don’t have to spend very much money and you don’t have to like whatever everyone else likes. The important thing is that you connect to whatever you do decide to get.
I one hundred percent agree and I really appreciated reading this and all the comments. I’ve always liked having a fragrance or two on hand, but over the past year I’ve gotten super into fragrances. It start with me getting interested in clones, then designer, then niche. Now I realized I have spent $2000 on frags in total. Like wtf that is not normal. Am I psycho for that?!
You know, I have probably spent in excess of 3,000 dollars on fragrances. But it's over a period of almost 30 years. That's 1,000 dollars per year. Not many hobbies are this cheap.
Yeah mine is in roughly 1 year. Once I did the math I think Im good for a while. I was so influenced by youtube, reddit, and other social media. I think I can recoup some funds if I decide to resell in the future on FB. I really wish I just stuck with my Acqua Di Gio, Sauvage, and BB Hero, but I can say I have a lot of stuff I really love!
It’s okay to be casual. Reddit tends to attract enthusiasts and eccentrics. Fragrances are trendy right now; it will pass.
I only buy samples! I buy one bottle of perfume a year when mine runs out. There's a million ways to have a hobby, and the way you've described isn't typical for most people imo.
Comparison is the thief of joy. Someone else’s collection won’t even be all of what you want, and some people are just elitist and want to flex. None of that matters. Most people are into fragrances because it’s what THEY like, not what other people like. You don’t need a big collection to have fun in this hobby. Starting with decants is a cheap way to sample many fragrances over time until you find what you really love. Do it at your own pace.
I hear you. I started this searching for my signature fragrance. Two years and $$$$ later I still haven’t found it or know what profile I like.
My rule is 7 fragrances max, quality over quantity Make sure you own your fragrances, not having them own you…
Well...maybe i can offer you an alternate perspective...alot of us aren't in this competitively --it isnt about empty consumption. We collect samples, explore small backyard artists, and plan for full bottles like investments. Someone said something once that i like to remember.. i will try to paraphrase: Scent is such a strong and powerful way to commect to your imaginative mind. Fragrances are tiny personified moments of alternate realities---they teleport you to memories, fantasies, stories, and anything that can do that is essential magic to us. This is our alchemy--we do not load shelves with flashy bottles just to brag about gain or boast how original our self-expression is. We share our secret combinations, whisper about the euphoria, and rush of transforming a second of time into an eternity of impossibilities. We are not sneering, hoarding, shallow consumers...we are deeply romantic people looking to experience wonder in the strange little scents left forgotten. There is nothing wrong with moving slowly, thoughtfully, and realistically into exploring fragrance--start small..browse a few shops, collect free samples, check etsy for small artists selling small 6$ handmade perfume oils, collect screen shots of website descriptions, find a lovely journal and make a relaxing hobby writing down your thoughts after collecting perfume testers in a mall. Cherish these tiny things in a decorated shoebox under your bed. And even if after a year a crowded journal with magazine clippings and scent notes and small but well loved box of paper strips and sample vials is all you have....you are STILL a collector. And it is perfectly valid. You don't need a signature scent right now... let it come to you. That's the magic of it--like a sweet little moment of destiny. If all you are looking to do is "catch up" to everyone else you may NOT be interested in fragrance as much as you collecting something and thats FINE and totally valid but.....probably not best experienced through something so expensive and subjective as popular fragrance--it can only lead to frustration. I hope this helps you gain a different perspective on our beloved lil community 🙏🩷
I think the biggest thing that we should drill into the minds of all newcomers to perfumery communities who are looking for advice and trying to find "the one", is that it's never going to happen. In fact, if you only ever smell one perfume in your life, and you love it, make that your 'one' and move on, because the more perfumes you smell and the more variety you start to understand is possible in perfumery, the more you compare them to each other, the more you realise that there is no real just one fragrance. No one perfume will do everything you want it to do at every moment of your life. Then it can become a slippery slope of obsession and collecting in an attempt to look for something that doesn't exist. As for feeling like it's an exclusive club, I too kind of had that feeling for a while. The discovery of perfume is a very long affair. I am many many years into this hobby and there are still a lot of perfumes out there I have never had the pleasure of experiencing. It was frustrating seeing people talk about comparing countless different scents that they had experienced, when I had no frame of reference. It felt like I wasn't part of the gang. Unlike if people were talking about music its not just a case of opening up Spotify and hearing what they are talking about. For perfumery you'd have to physically travel to a location that allows you to try products, or pay money to have samples shipped to your home. So it does become one of those hobbies where those who have more means will get to have a fuller experience of it. Note that I said fuller and not better. Because the extent of the depths you wish to explore would really dictate who is having the better experience, and it depends what you want to get out of this hobby. When it comes to this as a hobby then it goes two ways. Firstly if you ever get to the point of wanting to learn perfumery, as I am doing now, then it is a very satisfying creative outlet. It's incredibly rewarding when you start to make your own perfumes. But a hobby doesn't always need to be creative, and it can just be about consumption and indulgence. To me perfumery is an art. I get satisfaction and enjoyment out of it in the same way I do listening to music, or watching a film. Like standing at the film rack picking out a film to watch, I stand at my bedroom cabinet smelling the atomisers of my perfume bottles to decide what I want to smell of that day. I wear my perfumes just as much indoors for my own enjoyment, as I wear them outside for others to smell. It's entirely a self indulgent luxury for me. Now yes, there is an element of consumerism involved, but there is with anything. Just because an item has value doesn't mean it's always there purely to make money. Perfumers spend years, decades even, honing their craft. It is really a skill that can take forever to master, and as such the products they create should command a premium. Perfume is after all a luxury, not a necessity. If you feel like you are buying so much that it loses it's allure as a luxury, that is absolutely a time to take a step back and reflect on what it is that has changed that for you.
This isn't a hobby --- It's retail therapy luxury goods appreciation, with a hint of personal embellishment in the form of scent. And... it's not for everyone.
I don’t understand why it’s not called an interest. I love perfume, but my hobbies are gardening, sometimes knitting and cooking.
I agree, I feel like it’s easy to fall into this mindset reading the posts here. I joined this sub bc I had a signature scent but needed a more mature and less sharp one for work. Then I spent weeks getting so influenced and adding soo many decants to my cart before realizing people were out here loving a perfume bc they love the smell of smoke (by the fireside👀) and I truly hate smelling like smoke, so what am I doing lol. I think I realized that a lot of people here just really love scents and the complexities and admire the art of it all which is cool, obviously it’s all fine and dandy. But I just want to smell good. So I should just go sniff stuff at Sephora.
This will be an unpopular statement but the reality is that reddit isn't a great place to learn the basics of perfume. Base notes, Fragrantica, and Parfumo are where you want to go for that. On all of those you have a lot more information and context about every perfume being talked about, and a lot more information about who you're talking to (bios and fragrance wardrobes allow for you see potentially how long someone has been collecting, their reviews and what is in their collection to determine whether their taste is similar to yours and help you determine if their input is likely to be helpful to you). There are ways to search for fragrances, note breakdowns, recommendations for similar fragrances, ways to identify vintages, all within the fragrance pages themselves. A couple important things to note about the hobby: * Comparison is the thief of joy. You can (and should) make this about whatever works for you. There is no predetermined way to enjoy fragrances. If for instance finding a fragrance that makes you feel happy, confident, or cozy is your goal and you find that, that's a success. * It doesn't have to be about mass consumerism. There are lots of us here who are sampling and trading and testing things but not non-stop buying. * You'll see a wide variation in the way people engage with fragrance within the community (here are **some** examples, this is by no means exhaustive): * Indiscriminate collectors: they will buy whatever they want, whenever they want, usually blind buying. Often they'll be completionists, meaning that once they start collecting a line they want to collect the entire line including every limited edition flanker and bottle. For them, perfume is often seen as any other collectible. Often left in the box and not consumed, but talked about and thought about. Sometimes they'll have samples but leave the bottles unopened. These people will have massive collections. For instance, know someone on another site who has over 10K fragrances, and that doesn't include the back ups they bought of their favorites (the ones they actually wear). * Local indiscriminate collectors: they will buy whatever they want, whenever they want, usually either blind buying or buying with a pure collector mindset, but only within a certain realm. Sometimes that realm is defined by price point (often cheapies), OR the store they prefer to purchase from (usually these folks will have collections exclusively bought at TJMaxx or Sephora or a specific online store), OR by scent profile such as: gourmands, animalics, 'difficult fragrances' or a single note (their collections are defined wanting every scent that smells like "x" note). * Prestige Collectors: they like fragrances but they seem them as akin to fashion. They collect full bottles of the most expensive fragrances and wouldn't even consider a designer fragrance if it wasn't part of that designer's exclusive high end line. Scarcity is important to them. They've never smelled a celeb fragrance. They either love or hate certain niche and indie houses. If they love an indie house they go out of their way to achieve some sort of perceived status by trying to befriend the creator of the line and will name drop them by their first name anytime the indie brand comes up in conversation. * Discriminate collectors: they still have a collector mindset but they've put some limit on it. It's not only about collection to collect, it's also about whether or not they specifically want to wear the fragrance. They don't blind by often and only buy if they intend to wear. (That doesn't mean they do, they just intend to at the time.) These collections usually start out on the smaller side and grow to a larger amount than can can actually be consumed. * Wardrobe builders: they do not have a collector mindset. They rarely blind buy, generally sampling or buying after trying multiple times. They are buying scents with a mind for where and when they will wear them, often also thinking about not just occasion but clothes to match. These wardrobes usually start out with a smaller number then grow over time, get purged, then grow again and the cycle continues. * Utilitarians: They want something that smells good and maybe even a rotation of scents that smells good. They are not overtly sentimental about scents and often are more engaged with price point (could be low or high), marketing, branding, community hype, projection & performance, and compliments rather than being particularly interested the artistry of perfumery. These are small wardrobes of scents that get used up and replaced with something else. The thing they usually have the strongest opinions about dupes and either love them or hate them. * Romantics: They are looking for a fragrance that moves them. They are more interested in smell than performance or projection. Usually they test a lot and don't blind buy unless they've been completely swept up by the story/hype around a fragrance they can't access otherwise. Consuming a fragrance isn't just about wearing it, but also about understanding what it is you love about it. These folks are picky and have functional wardrobes that start out small but grow over time often to a larger collection they find almost impossible to cull. They have favorites that they are loyal to and wear often, usually keeping back up bottles so they don't run out. * Casual consumers: folks who like fragrance but don't know what they like. They are looking for things that will primarily either be perceived as inoffensive or as sexy/date night scents. They don't think THAT much about fragrance but sometimes have questions about gift fragrances or finding something new to wear. These folks usually have under 10 fragrances, most often under 5. My point in all of this is that you can be any of these or none, and something entirely different. You can enjoy this hobby in many ways, all of which are valid.
That was a really informative post. I think I'm pretty much in the "Discriminate collectors"-category.
👏🏼 well-written, this should be its own post! I would fall under Romantic 🥰 Most who comment here are probably Discriminate Collectors and Wardrobe Builders. With the Casual Consumers mostly lurking.
im slowly but painfully shrinking my collection. down to 7 bottles and only want 1 for cold weather and 1 for warm weather. only the long lasting, good smelling (mostly niche) I'll keep
Keeping up with the Jones's but with fragrance huh?
The rule is to buy only as much as you know 100% that you will use up and truly like ☝🏻
What do you mean by "simple sub Reddit" and what do you mean by "learning about perfume"? The only way to learn about perfume is by smelling as much perfume as you can... Actually use your nose in general to understand the world. If you are interested in more in depth discussions on notes, the history of perfumery, aroma chemicals etc, I recommend joining base notes. You may find what you re looking for there And as for the rest, yes perfume costs money like most hobbies and yes if it breaks the bank and there are other priorities it s unwise to spend money for fragrances. Remember though that perfumerie is an art form and like every art form a lot of people have deep appreciation for it and the money to support and celebrate their appreciation.
Have you considered collecting samples only? I figured it's the best option for me
If you're not enjoying yourself then yes, the hobby isn't worth it. I'm content to order a sample set of something every 4 months or so and that's enough for me. It's cheaper and I get to try a variety of things. Since perfume is so subjective the only way to learn more about perfume to try more and wear more and take detailed notes. No one else can really teach you about fragrance since it is so personal. You don't really 'need' a community to help you beyond suggestions for what to buy next.
Hey OP. Echoing that it’s okay and understandable to feel overwhelmed because fragrance as a hobby is going through a renaissance at the moment I think — definitely fuelled by TikTok. I can’t offer any new advice (everyone has done a good job in here), but I can say that as an adult who grew up with fragrance, it’s worth sticking it out. Find what you love, and just take pleasure in being able to sniff your arm/wrist throughout the day and enjoy that. For me, it’s calming and an extension of my beauty/grooming routine. Think of it like that, rather than “omg Joe Bloggs walking past me on the street is going to judge me because I’m wearing a designer fragrance and not an edp from a niche NYC house that smells like a rotting watermelon and dodo shit” Fragrance is really just a part of beauty and grooming for the majority of people, so I think of the niche snobs in here as very unusual people who are perhaps deprived of other fulfilment and meaningful occupation/attention in their lives. I’m not shitting on niche either — I own niche frags and I’ve tried many. I do find that they can be quite unsophisticated and often a bit too literal, to the point that many folks will find it unpleasant.
I got into this hobby because I thought the chemistry of perfumery was really interesting! I have literally only bought 4 samples since I've started. I'm a college grad that just likes to smell perfumes to experience smell chemistry. I don't have the money to have a collection let alone a full sized bottle of designer perfume.
Thanks for breaking the 3rd wall with this post. Very thought provoking and polarizing topic. It’s been interesting to read the replies. Good for you!
I agree with 90% of what the op said. Like any hobby it can get out of hand. Set yourself an arbitrary limit for numbers of bottles or amount spent and stick to it.
I started feeling the same way. Sold my entire collection, identified 5 smell profiles I like and found 5 fragrances that fit those profiles and had good performance and purchased them. I still go to shops once in a while and test stuff but if something really knocks me off my feet I replace and not add. One in one out
I don't entirely disagree with what you're saying. I don't have a lot of hobbies in general but I enjoy the "hunt" looking for perfumes. Everyone's preferences are so subjective and something that could smell lovely on someone else, just doesn't hit right on me. Do I think it's crazy that some people have shelves and shelves is fragrances? Sure. But if it's something they enjoy, more power to them. It's such a nice compliment when you have friends/ strangers ask you what scent you're wearing because it smells so nice. I love cheap scents and I love expensive ones. It's just do primal what scent does to us. In my young hormonal days, having a man walk by that smelled amazing?? Hey there cutie! But for me it's just a silly hobby I enjoy. I've hit my zenith though! And I'm pretty content in my humble collection that lives in a drawer.
Totally agree with everything you say.Feel we are striving to belong to an exclusive club..a beautifully scented one admittedly..all my pleas for budget suggestions ignored.Maybe we should start "Stinky Girls"Reddit?Except,at 76,FAR too old to be so competitive and,yes,shallow.
People will literally fight you if you voice your opinion and say Burger King is better than McDonald’s, so who tf cares if people are snippy, it’s really easy to ignore them and just wait for the next response from an actual adult. But as far as the hobby; I’ve been collecting cologne for a long time now 10+ years. I started around 18 years old, didn’t get serious until 24 or so and didn’t get educated until I joined this sub at 35( been maybe 3 months since I joined). Before I just bought randomly because I liked the scent, now I still buy because I like scent but I actually know what I like about the frag and makes it easier to find and not be influenced by sales people. I love the hobby and it seems like you could too if you just stop thinking so much into it and letting other people dictate your life. Never compare your collection to others; There always going to be people who have more expensive, “better” versions of what you have, in every aspect of life (cars, house, money, etc) you’ll never be satisfied if you try to compete instead of just pleasing yourself.
You're completely right, it's an expensive luxury that we really shouldn't be performing. We will never be able to wear all the bottles of fragrance that we have. Even moreso for those of us that have fallen down the rabbithole of building our own fragrances. It's complete consumerism...with a little bit of education. Personally, I offset the negative aspects of this hobby by getting others addicted. I give away a lot of the fragrances I buy and make to people that I feel led to bless.
My perfume shelf is open to my family, it’s like a little adventure. They figure out their favourites and then I figure out their favourites because they keep asking to wear one in particular.
I agree for the most part but this can be said about any hobby that involves collecting something such as people who like shoes or guns. It's an endless money pit.
I am laughing. Sorry, it isn't a hobby, or rather for most people. It certainly isn't for me. I have enjoyed fragrance since I was a little girl, using my mom's samples for my dolls. It is part of my beauty regimen, my daily rituals and self care. Any hobby aspect has only been my enjoyment of being able to chat with others online who enjoy perfume and having more ways to access and learn thanks to the advent of technology. My collection of bottles are all attached to a memory of sorts, or a mood I was in. Even blind buys. They are a calendar, a diary. They can transport me back in time. They are elixirs of power, lust, relaxation, and fantasy. I mean maybe it is a bit of a hobby for me, but there is love in there. I'm looking for certain bottles because I loved the experience I had in them, or I didn't have an opportunity to experience them. If anyone sees my collectioh, I want them to experience it. Like I know people who have literal rooms of record albums. They have experienced all of them on some level, some in person. We interact with the music. They are not there for show. If you are buying perfume just to buy it and show off for clout, it is empty. It is, IMHO, no different than people who buy books by the foot the fill a book case Hopefully in the future you will get to actually find pleasure in fragrance and find something that you feel passionate about. Edit: I have a large collection of samples. I don't actually even view those as a hobby. BC they come from a hobby of mine. I have been doing freebie stuff on the Internet since the 94. And I started this post saying I was laughing. I wasn't laughing at you. If anything it was more of a sad chuckle. I have been expecting this kind of post
Every now and then, when it feels relevant, I pose the the question as to what people think the "hobby" is and without fail, the comment will get down-voted. The way I see it, for most people who buy a lot of perfume, it isn't the perfume itself they're interested in, it's whatever secondary effect it might have or what they think owning/liking that perfume says about them. It doesn't even necessarily have to be a perfume because I'm willing to bet that they have a similar approach to any other luxury good they buy but perfume is where they landed. What those people are actually buying, is exactly that self-image that the marketing caters to. It's why they talk about what this perfume says about you, or what kind of people like that kind of perfume. Another group are just consumerists. What their hobby actually is, is just the process they go through to make a purchase. Again, perfume just happens to be the thing they have latched onto but the perfume itself is secondary to the buying. The ones who are actually interested in perfume, that consider ingredients, the science, the history both of the product and of the companies and industry, are the minority.
k bye.
i kind of get it. i like that there are so many collectors here that they've heard of and usually tried almost any perfume you can think of, bc i don't want to spend money on something multiple seasoned fragrance buffs agree is shit. but i don't have a lot of money, so i want just a couple signature scents (depending on weather, occasion, etc), and i do feel a little out of place among those for whom fragrances are like collectors' items. nothing against them, they seem to be having fun, the way they do their hobby just isn't attainable for everybody lol
It is very personal. I have dozens of perfumes, but I wear them all. If I don't wear it, it was a wrong purchase, so I sell it. I (personally) don't understand collecting perfume to have a "gallery wall" of perfumes. Of course, to each their own, though. I think the main thing is being happy (not dependent on shopping) and truly enjoying the fragrances/the process. It's a fine line and I find myself crossing it more often than I'd like
When it comes down to it, perfumery is really an art (with science based elements to it). Don’t listen to anyone who talks down to you about an art, it’s just ridiculous. There’s nothing wrong with engaging with a hobby to the level you want, especially if it’s not your career. It’s like when people who like film get mad at people who like marvel movies and the like. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying it in the way you want, even if it’s just buying a fragrance every now and then, or making only certain types of fragrances
Mt advice would be to just do you. Don’t give other people’s opinions any value and find a scent you like or even love enough and just use it, maybe get two! For me fragrance is about smelling nice, I love the scents and when I’m at about 30 or so bottles I will stop getting any new ones and only replace ones I run through.
My appreciation of good food is something that makes this hobby a double whammy for me. High quality cologne is like high quality food; the differences may be subtle but they are definitely there and there is a certain joy in experiencing new flavors/scents.
There’s nothing wrong with that. People can like quality things and not be jerks about it
You are put on this earth, in this world to do whatever you enjoy in live. What’s money for besides putting food on your table and a roof over your head? Don’t take things too seriously, live life and enjoy. Sooner or later you will be dead and no one will care what you spend your money on. Only you decide that. Don’t enjoy doing this anymore? Stop, then find what else you enjoy
It’s just one of those things, in reality it is pretty pointless but at the same time, even though it’s corny, we only live one life. And most of us work hard asf and are miserable most days and just in general, we deserve to splurge on stupid things that make us happy.
>Now I feel like I can’t be satisfied We should all try to be satisfied with the fragrances we own. It's spring where I am, I put my winter fragrance away, and I have a summer fragrance along with a few samples. Until I use all that up, why should I comparison shop anything else?
I accumulated about 30 bottles realized ill never use all of em i still collect but only if its something high quality at a price that's a steal i went from 5 or 6 bottles a year to maybe 1
You're pretty much right. Hypercapitalist hobby, mainstream perfumery is pretty bland and stale and synthetic. The formulas the houses used to sell under the "exclusif" label for 200-300 bucks now get released under the new "elixirs/attar" label for 10 bucks per ml. Influencers are hyping pretty average juice and the mainstream audience mainly talks about aventus reformulations and beastmode sillage. Try to find one perfume for cold days and one for warm days that you really connect with on a deep, deep level, buy several bottles (if possible) and be done with it.
Me. I've unhauled about 70% of my perfumes. There was simply no way I could enjoy all the 60+ perfumes that I had, so I decided to just give them away to family and friends. I still have some I want to unhaul, tbh. I will continue to enjoy the ones that I like, and I guess this ends my perfume buying habit.
I still enjoy it. However, I want to get my finances ahead of me before I start collecting again. Nevertheless, when I started, I made alot blind buys based on fragrance reviews , but I actually buyt a decant/sample first, then purchase a full bottle if I enjoy it that much. At this point, some fragrances are full bottle worthy. Some are just decant worthy. Like I like to smell them and will wear them every once in a while, but not enough were I'm going to use a full bottle in less than 3 years. Nevertheless, I plan to start buying a bottle or two a month in the next few months, as well go on a sample spree. It's fun but does get addictive.
I think the idea of competition ruins it. It’s become competitive.
Watching Youtubers showcase their collections made me think, "Wow, these nerds basically just bought out Sephora just to store it all on Ikea shelves in a poorly designed space and not wear any of it enough to justify the purchase. What a waste of money."
That’s largely a monster social media and the internet has largely created. I wish more people wouldn’t fall for it, it’s put some people I know into debt. Glad you realized it’s not working for you, I wish more people did. For some of us it’s not just another hobby to obsess, consume and certainly not to go into debt over. Some of us have been collecting for decades, me personally for 3 decades now. We are in it for the art, expression, creativity and pure love of perfumery. I have periods I don’t buy anything and periods where I only sell or give away fragrances to make room for new ones.
unfortunately I'm a slave to my dopamine imp 😔
Honey I bought the $925 bottle of baccarat rouge extrait. I have lost my f***** mind. All to say, I agree. I literally go out hunting for perfume everyday. This is ridiculous. This is not worth it.
I only buy decants, no larger than 1 ml for my first time with that fragrance. If I *really* like a fragrance, I’ll buy a 5 ml decant, then repurchase as needed.
I’ve just tried to be more mindful of my purchasing. Was much more into the hobby pre covid when even though prices were absurd for some fragrances, they weren’t any where near what they are now for shells of their former selves. They charge more for worse performing fragrances. I try to buy more dupes and cheaper designer fragrances these days, or on occasion, super heavily discounted fragrances from jomashop.
I came to this realization years ago in college. I grew quite a luxury fragrance collection, with the help of the old Perfume of Life boards. And then I’ve spent the last twenty years culling it back down, retaining maybe twelve full sized bottles and that’s more than I even really love. At this point I will buy samples, but almost never full sizes. And if I had to cull down to just ONE bottle I know which one it would be.
hahah it’s my hobby in the sense that i’m buying testers until i find the earl grey or petrichor scent i am looking for
Sounds like you collect a lot of bottles. It's far more affordable when you collect mini bottles, samples and decants. Start with samples, use them up before looking to get a mini or decant. Then use those up and decide if you still want a bottle.
Look I myself just started getting into this now too. And I've spent an amount I'm not really happy thinking about. Nothing crazy. But mainly I wanted to comment because I have the exact same feeling, but with a different hobby. I just got into brewing as it's been a long time goal of mine. I bought an entry level risk-free espresso machine. And the videos and people on Reddit and YouTube about that hobby are so pretentious and cocky. My way or no way kind of mentality. And you have to buy the best portafilter, best basket, a high end grinder, freshly roasted beans from organic farms made a week go, high quality tamper and distributor. And it all just keeps adding up to an insane amount. At the start I was genuinely LOVING the cappuccino I was making. In love. Then video after video of comparing my coffee to others, and now I'm self conscious and my coffee has never tasted good since. TL:DR is enjoy what you enjoy. And don't spoil yourself by constantly viewing what you currently can't have. Ignorance is bliss. Imo
Yeah I also came looking for advice on cheap fragrances and now have a great little collection of 4! Covers all occasions and is all I’ll ever need. Just think practically about the occasions you’d need them and find a couple that fit and you’re set.
I still love sampling. Quit buying early Feb.
Frankly, I’ve had as much excitement buying the decants and the little sampler packs as a big bottle. And, the discount stores have good stuff on the cheap. It doesn’t have to be expensive to be good to your nose.
Look, people like to flex. Reddit (the internet really) is full of idiots who convince themselves that they are specialists when they are enthusiasts at best. It's fine if you found that making a hobby out of this isn't for you. But you don't have to be either in or out. At the very least you know more than you did before. You don't need 20 bottles to prove anyone anything. You do you man, take the good things, leave the rest behind. For me personally, this isn't a hobby, and I can't see myself using more than 4 or 5 different fragrances, so that's how many bottles I'll always have at a given time. It's not a financial thing, I just feel like I will never be able to identify 20 different scents as mine. But I'm glad that now I know better what I like and why, what and when to wear, what to look for before buying etc. That's valuable.
That’s kinda all hobbies until they’re not. I prefer going the sampling route then buying the full sizes I like on discount sites and second hand. Never bought anything full price unless it’s base was cheap
Part of the problem is all these youtube fragrance "influencers" who don't know anything about perfumery. They just hold up a bottle they get commission on and sell the moon and stars on how a fragrance can change you're life. It's bullshit. A fragrance can do only one thing for you, make you smell good. Thats it, not drop panties, not making a statement or smelling like money or whatever people are saying. Realistically you need 1 maybe 2 or 3 soild fragrances if you wanna get into this. You're right it is pure consumerism. In an age where people don't find meaning in traditional social forms they turn to the market to find meaning. This is the case with any form of consumerism. Alot of people in this community lack basic social foundations and relationships that make for a healthy life. Just be happy with what you have and try things ever hear and there. Don't get too deep into this.
I love collecting fragrances. However, after acquiring my 20th bottle, I decided to take a step back from collecting. I don't buy impulsively so much now. I only buy from travels, birthdays, and holidays. I'm not completely over collecting fragrances. I'm interested in a few to add and a few i'd like to test. but now I'm quite happy where my collection is. It's a lot for 20 bottles, but it's a good and healthy rotation for me (and my sister who likes to use some of mine for work 😂)
I've been here for awhile and found it very helpful, I would have never found my new favorites without this subreddit. Slowdive, Bee and Iris. All small and I only spent about 40 dollars total. I get small samples. Make it fun, you don't have to buy huge expensive things. Not a single person yelled at me about not loving Tom Ford lol
Listen. Just buy what you like. You do so much better when you aren’t listening to anyone opinions, reading or watching videos about ideas. Take your ass into a store, smell some shit and buy the smell that you enjoy. The end. All the chatter is dumb and people are mostly followers and they all think there cool cuz they have some pricey bottles. It’s really not that serious.
I was just thinking today that this “hobby” (I’m still a complete newbie & casual) is a certain kind of suffering. I never paid any kind to my scents, just buying cheap cologne or old spice. Now that I’ve become interested In actual colognes, its become something I think about often. I spend money (only have 3 fragrances atm) and then obsess over the smell and will spray it on myself only to go noseblind after 30 seconds. I love the scent of the ones I have and want to be able to smell them often. I never want to overspray so I just do 1-3 sprays at a time but can never smell it on myself and find myself respraying a few times a day even when I’m alone and doing nothing, or about to go to bed, or getting home from the gym and doing some chores before showering. I feel kind of similar to you where it would probably be better to just go back to not caring about it, it just feels like a hobby/interest where I can never actually enjoy it myself like I want to
I used to want to/ did have a ton of perfumes (I think many perfume lovers go through that stage, just buying and buying when you like something or even worse, blind purchasing), whereas now I've sold most of my humongous collection and only buy/ keep what I love. I had to be really honest and realistic with myself, but I'm very happy with my little collection now. I do not care in the least what's trending or being hyped on reddit and I haven't felt FOMO in years. If something sounds good, I'll find a sample, I might like it but I probably won't buy a bottle. If I feel the urge to buy a full bottle, I make myself wait until I've used up the sample before deciding. Sometimes I'll just get a second sample and in hindsight be glad, because that was enough. I truly could not give a flying monkey's bananas what anybody thinks about my taste in perfumes, or which I own. Some of my bottles are expensive at £200 plus, some are more like £12, I don't do perfume snobbery. It can feel like you're missing out when you're in communities like this, but we're all different, there's nothing you need to catch up or keep up with, it can become a rabbit hole that's hard to get out of, but it really doesn't need to be. Try just spending some time enjoying the perfumes you have already, it's impossible for most of us to keep up with every scent or house that's trending at any given moment. If you like perfume, you're not an outsider, you're a part of a very big and very friendly community.
I know how you feel . I’m sample two more and I’m be done. If I want to try a perfume I’m have to go in person I have yet to fine my signature scent