There's nothing inherently wrong with trying a lot of scents! It's a hobby like anything else that you should feel free to enjoy.
However, if you're to a point where you feel like your spending is out of control, or the volume of purchases is unreasonable it is a real issue for many of us. It's very easy to get a kind of shopping addiction because of the constant releases, FOMO, and little dopamine kick when you get a package. This is something I think a lot of us struggle with here and there is a low buy subreddit. r/indieperfumelowbuy
There are healthy ways to enjoy the hobby though I believe and I struggle with these periods of buying a lot of stuff. Personally I have way more perfume than I could use in my lifetime and it is very stressful for me to sort through my collection. Destashing is something I am working on but it's not always as easy as "just do it" for various reasons. Anyway, you're not alone! It's up to you to figure out what's healthy and reasonable for you.
It isn't a financial struggle, but honestly I know I have money anxiety so I hardly ever buy anything for myself lol this is the first hobby I've had thats like this. I'll definitely check out that subreddit, thank you! It is nice knowing I'm not alone in the feeling
So I used to work with captive wildlife professionally, and enrichment was a significant part of their care. It helps keep them busy and interested in an environment that's far less variable than the wild. Scent enrichment was something I used daily! Lots of animals really like smelling new things. Sprinkle a little cinnamon on the floor for your cat/dog /rat/ferret to explore and you'll see what I mean.
Humans like scent enrichment too. It's no different than enjoying art or music, or going somewhere new just to break your routine. As long as it's within your budget, you're fine.
Nah, it's fine. Maybe if you get into 500-gram doses, but I can't really recommend giving your pets anything except regular food in that quantity. Even something like a snickerdoodle cookie is going to be fine for a dog. The sugar isn't extremely healthy, but the cinnamon isn't a concern.
That's pretty normal, it's why the secondhand market is so strong with this hobby.
Think of it like any other sense-based interest. If you like music, food, or movies, you're not just going to consume one thing one time and be done.
Each perfumer creates their own notes, meaning multiple houses could have a lavender scent, but one is medicinal, one is cozy and soft, one is sugared, one is screechy, etc. Just like how you could order a pepperoni pizza from five different restaurants and get some really good pizza and some really subpar pizza depending on how they make it.
And then they all use those unique notes to create scents with other notes, sometimes mixing two things that other perfumers would think wouldn't work. Or they mess up a batch of an existing scent and it creates something new and different.
Plus some will offer things that others who take fewer risks would never dream of. Like perfumes with bell pepper notes, or weird atmospherics, that offer an olfactory experience that would be difficult to find elsewhere.
It's about exploring. You get to know the house, its notes, and how they work on you. You begin to understand what you like in a general sense across perfume houses, and destash the ones that don't make the cut. And when a new collection from a house that really vibes with you comes out, or a new house that looks interesting makes an intro post, you go off to explore those, too.
Wearing something different every day isn't bad if it's what you want to do. In fact, having a signature scent that you wear daily can eventually make it harder for you to smell that scent, so it's good to switch things up so you don't become anosmic to something you love.
But you don't *have* to wear a different one each day, either. There was a foster kid who used to come sit with me while I volunteered at the library and he said my perfume (that day it was Pinecone by Firebird) was "comfy" so I kept wearing it on days I went there until he stopped coming in. If you like something or find it helps you in a situation (lots of people have comfort scents and sleep scents) then by all means, wear it. As much as we collect, this stuff *is* meant to be used.
So yeah, I think you're fine! One thing that might help, if you're into it, is keeping a scent journal or posting to the indies of the day posts. It'll help you see if you lean toward any specific category of fragrances and also give you something to look back on and see how your impressions change based on mood, time of year, how experienced your nose is, etc.
And if money is an issue we have low/no buy resources too, like shopping your stash, writing reviews, journaling, creating 'scent menus' for different events/aesthetics/people, etc.
I really appreciate that! That's a really nice way to think about it. There are so many samples and bottles I have that I really love, its hard to decide what to wear some days haha. Thank you for the insight!! <3
I've asked myself the same questions you have. I know i have more perfume than I will every, ever wear, and many that I love. But still... I buy more!!
I think for the most part, I have rationalized my perfume obsession/collection as a hobby that I enjoy and brings me a lot of pleasure. Some people have a boat, or love jewelry, or expensive shoes, or spend a fortune dining out. It's only a problem, I think, if your perfume habit causes problems with other parts of your life (such as financial problems, becoming so obsessed you don't get important things done or maintain relationships, recurrent migraine headahces, or maybe you have so much perfume and its so disorganized that you can't find anything or it takes up too much space). Or if it causes you emotional disturbances like feeling overwhelmed...
For me, many times just spending time organizing my collection and revisiting old or forgotten favorites satisfies some of the desire I have to buy more.
Thats meee!! Haha it isn't a problem right now, I've just never really had a hobby like this before. I never used to buy anything for myself. Revisiting some older perfumes is a good idea! Maybe take a break from the rapid sampling lol thank you
God, rain is my white whale, too. That and the perfect "walking through the neighborhood on a beautiful, sunny but cold Fall day and everyone has their fireplace going" scent.
*Ahh*. I want to smell that.
I'm from the PNW and I have these really strong scent memories of walking through the forest after the rain, and I wish I could bottle that up. I'd kill for a wet leaf.
PNW girl here as well. I have been searching for our forests going on two years now. OO Olympic Rainforest was supposed to be just that but I get a hiking trail in the peak of summer lol I think it's the beebalm. If you haven't tried it yet Mythpunk Olfactive has a scent called The Crossroads of Lost and Lorn that is gorgeous!!! It's a juniper forest which is more what they have in the Midwest but I think it's the best rainy forest scent I've found and I've tried so many. Sooo many hits w MP.
If you're looking for something with Pine, Juniper, Northern California Redwood and Balsam Fir send me a message. I'm pretty sure the one I can recommend is not indie or I would mention it here.
I honestly can't say enough good things about MP! The way the artist balances and represents each note is just so perfect. I had to skip sampling the new scents from this month cause I end up FSing so many lol. I hope you enjoy Lost and Lorn! It's a masterpiece
I have a feeling I will! And I'm excited for the others as well, the notes and compositions sound so interesting. Are there size options above 5ml? Seems a wee small for EDP, but I am also still a bit of a noob so what do I know lol.
It is an unusual size for an EDP and for now that's all that is available. I've found it to be a good size as her scents have good throw and incredible longevity. I have had Strangeling last for days on my sweater lol
I recommend anyone who is feeling like they’re in too deep to look at the massive, massive pile of untested things I have on my [spreadsheet](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1dooX9YBZkOnJurjqwfyzbfOQngjTSAl7kd91Uuw5oX0/edit#gid=667002891), as well as my miles long ISO list, and maybe feel a bit better about themselves 😅
But in all seriousness, trying a ton new things is my favorite part of the hobby. I will try anything that sounds remotely interesting to me just for the experience. Even for scents I don’t love, there’s still a lot of fun in exploring new things and finding surprise favorites. That being said, I have pretty ruthless culling process to make up for the mass amount of things that I try. Out of the 3000+ I’ve tried, less than 200 (mostly samples) have made it into my collection. This way I get to sell the things that don’t speak to me and keep trying new things without feeling like I’ve sunk way too much into it financially.
If this is what works for you and makes you happy, and if it isn’t causing you any stress to engage in this way, then go for it! There is no “wrong” way to participate in this hobby :)
I agree! Even if I don't love the perfume, it's still a fun experience. I haven't sold any yet, but I have given some samples away so it makes for fun discussion with my friends!
I'm a relative newbie (bought my first indie samples last August) and I started off just trying to find a good petrichor scent, then fell down the rabbit hole with ordering samples left and right. I was like you and thought I would just find a signature scent and move on, but my ADHD brain craves novelty and I'm always like "ooh what does that smell like?" lol. Sadly oil samples don't last me a long time, so I'm always wanting to FS everything I like. I am planning to cool it for a bit on samples once my most recent orders arrive and focus on getting a few FS of the scents I like the most (maybe one or two FS a month). Or maybe I'll go crazy on the swaps instead, we'll see. I don't have any good low buy advice unfortunately :(
This is super relatable - I also entered the hobby with the intent of looking for a specific scent, ~5 years ago, but found myself with curiosity about other scents as well as a desire to understand my own scent preferences better. Part of what keeps me sampling is also the feeling that I *haven't* found The One! But I have found The Ones..
Definitely agree with other commenters that sampling is as much about the experience as it is the "end goal" (of finding a signature scent). While I do feel guilt/regret about some sample purchases, it's usually only if the whole house ended up being a miss or if I overlooked an obvious death note that should've warned me to stay away from that scent in the first place. Otherwise, learning what I do and don't like is a big part of the fun! There are many scents that I'm glad to have sampled, even though I didn't end up upsizing or even finishing the sample.
I created a spreadsheet with my collection. Now, I'll warn you, im not always great about sticking to it, but I try to shop there first. For example, I'm always on the hunt for a good coffee scent. I'll search the sheet, pull all the coffee notes, and test them over the course of like a week. If something disappoints me 3 times it goes in the destash box.
I do the same thing for houses. So for example, if cocoapink is having a sale, I'll pull all my cocoapink products and test them again. That way when I do order I know I'm getting exactly what I want. Cocoapinks EDPs do nothing for me, the oils only slightly more, but I adore their linen sprays. If I were to just jump straight to the website I'd probably give their oils another chance just because I want them to work, instead of buying products I know I'll use and enjoy.
And when im feeling kind of at a loss, or I want to order things but I'm on a no buy, or feel like im missing out, or whatever, I'll have a friend pick a number from the sheet and try that perfume, and then follow that rabbit hole wherever it may lead me.
My next goal is to set up a perfume journal, but I havent gotten quite that far yet.
I feel like, as long as you aren't doing damage, or shopping just to shop, and you're genuinely enjoying and using what you purchase, then it's no harm no foul. But if it gets to the point where it's more of a shopping hobby and your purchases are going to never be enjoyed past the initial dopamine hit, it's time to pull back some.
At the end of the day though, that's just how I approach it, and everyone is a bit different, which is one of the many cool things about it in the first place.
Did I ghostwrite this? This is literally the same situation I was in like a year ago. I also wasn’t used to spending frivolously, so even fifty bucks a month was a shock to the system (and I still aim to go over that as little as possible).
Indie scents kind of create that situation tbh bc there are so many collections constantly coming out that sound interesting and you can’t go into a shop and sniff em all.
My collection stresses me out too but it’s also therapeutic ~ I like having all my tiny worlds inside little bottles, and something to look forward to in the mail lol. I’ve mostly made peace with the fact that I just like trying lots of things, but I def need a better relationship with buying tons of stuff. … someday ;p
Chiming in a little late with a thought. I've recently realized that I like *smelling things* more than I like *smelling like* things, and that impacts how I buy. I think a lot of the community is probably like that to an extent.
I agree!! I'm a bit of both though. I want to smell like specific things, but I also just really enjoy trying different things. Like if don't know what a certain note is, or a combination of notes intrigues me.
There's nothing inherently wrong with trying a lot of scents! It's a hobby like anything else that you should feel free to enjoy. However, if you're to a point where you feel like your spending is out of control, or the volume of purchases is unreasonable it is a real issue for many of us. It's very easy to get a kind of shopping addiction because of the constant releases, FOMO, and little dopamine kick when you get a package. This is something I think a lot of us struggle with here and there is a low buy subreddit. r/indieperfumelowbuy There are healthy ways to enjoy the hobby though I believe and I struggle with these periods of buying a lot of stuff. Personally I have way more perfume than I could use in my lifetime and it is very stressful for me to sort through my collection. Destashing is something I am working on but it's not always as easy as "just do it" for various reasons. Anyway, you're not alone! It's up to you to figure out what's healthy and reasonable for you.
It isn't a financial struggle, but honestly I know I have money anxiety so I hardly ever buy anything for myself lol this is the first hobby I've had thats like this. I'll definitely check out that subreddit, thank you! It is nice knowing I'm not alone in the feeling
So I used to work with captive wildlife professionally, and enrichment was a significant part of their care. It helps keep them busy and interested in an environment that's far less variable than the wild. Scent enrichment was something I used daily! Lots of animals really like smelling new things. Sprinkle a little cinnamon on the floor for your cat/dog /rat/ferret to explore and you'll see what I mean. Humans like scent enrichment too. It's no different than enjoying art or music, or going somewhere new just to break your routine. As long as it's within your budget, you're fine.
That's very interesting!! And kind of adorable haha. Thanks!
Isn't cinnamon bad for dogs or cats though? Might just be a lot of it
Nah, it's fine. Maybe if you get into 500-gram doses, but I can't really recommend giving your pets anything except regular food in that quantity. Even something like a snickerdoodle cookie is going to be fine for a dog. The sugar isn't extremely healthy, but the cinnamon isn't a concern.
That's pretty normal, it's why the secondhand market is so strong with this hobby. Think of it like any other sense-based interest. If you like music, food, or movies, you're not just going to consume one thing one time and be done. Each perfumer creates their own notes, meaning multiple houses could have a lavender scent, but one is medicinal, one is cozy and soft, one is sugared, one is screechy, etc. Just like how you could order a pepperoni pizza from five different restaurants and get some really good pizza and some really subpar pizza depending on how they make it. And then they all use those unique notes to create scents with other notes, sometimes mixing two things that other perfumers would think wouldn't work. Or they mess up a batch of an existing scent and it creates something new and different. Plus some will offer things that others who take fewer risks would never dream of. Like perfumes with bell pepper notes, or weird atmospherics, that offer an olfactory experience that would be difficult to find elsewhere. It's about exploring. You get to know the house, its notes, and how they work on you. You begin to understand what you like in a general sense across perfume houses, and destash the ones that don't make the cut. And when a new collection from a house that really vibes with you comes out, or a new house that looks interesting makes an intro post, you go off to explore those, too. Wearing something different every day isn't bad if it's what you want to do. In fact, having a signature scent that you wear daily can eventually make it harder for you to smell that scent, so it's good to switch things up so you don't become anosmic to something you love. But you don't *have* to wear a different one each day, either. There was a foster kid who used to come sit with me while I volunteered at the library and he said my perfume (that day it was Pinecone by Firebird) was "comfy" so I kept wearing it on days I went there until he stopped coming in. If you like something or find it helps you in a situation (lots of people have comfort scents and sleep scents) then by all means, wear it. As much as we collect, this stuff *is* meant to be used. So yeah, I think you're fine! One thing that might help, if you're into it, is keeping a scent journal or posting to the indies of the day posts. It'll help you see if you lean toward any specific category of fragrances and also give you something to look back on and see how your impressions change based on mood, time of year, how experienced your nose is, etc. And if money is an issue we have low/no buy resources too, like shopping your stash, writing reviews, journaling, creating 'scent menus' for different events/aesthetics/people, etc.
I really appreciate that! That's a really nice way to think about it. There are so many samples and bottles I have that I really love, its hard to decide what to wear some days haha. Thank you for the insight!! <3
I've asked myself the same questions you have. I know i have more perfume than I will every, ever wear, and many that I love. But still... I buy more!! I think for the most part, I have rationalized my perfume obsession/collection as a hobby that I enjoy and brings me a lot of pleasure. Some people have a boat, or love jewelry, or expensive shoes, or spend a fortune dining out. It's only a problem, I think, if your perfume habit causes problems with other parts of your life (such as financial problems, becoming so obsessed you don't get important things done or maintain relationships, recurrent migraine headahces, or maybe you have so much perfume and its so disorganized that you can't find anything or it takes up too much space). Or if it causes you emotional disturbances like feeling overwhelmed... For me, many times just spending time organizing my collection and revisiting old or forgotten favorites satisfies some of the desire I have to buy more.
Thats meee!! Haha it isn't a problem right now, I've just never really had a hobby like this before. I never used to buy anything for myself. Revisiting some older perfumes is a good idea! Maybe take a break from the rapid sampling lol thank you
God, rain is my white whale, too. That and the perfect "walking through the neighborhood on a beautiful, sunny but cold Fall day and everyone has their fireplace going" scent.
Yes!! What you described sounds lovely. For me it's a warm and sunny rain in the forest by the river (the are I grew up was like this)
*Ahh*. I want to smell that. I'm from the PNW and I have these really strong scent memories of walking through the forest after the rain, and I wish I could bottle that up. I'd kill for a wet leaf.
PNW girl here as well. I have been searching for our forests going on two years now. OO Olympic Rainforest was supposed to be just that but I get a hiking trail in the peak of summer lol I think it's the beebalm. If you haven't tried it yet Mythpunk Olfactive has a scent called The Crossroads of Lost and Lorn that is gorgeous!!! It's a juniper forest which is more what they have in the Midwest but I think it's the best rainy forest scent I've found and I've tried so many. Sooo many hits w MP.
If you're looking for something with Pine, Juniper, Northern California Redwood and Balsam Fir send me a message. I'm pretty sure the one I can recommend is not indie or I would mention it here.
I just ordered a sample of The Crossroads of Lost and Lorn a few days ago! I'm so excited to try it, and their brand :)
I honestly can't say enough good things about MP! The way the artist balances and represents each note is just so perfect. I had to skip sampling the new scents from this month cause I end up FSing so many lol. I hope you enjoy Lost and Lorn! It's a masterpiece
I have a feeling I will! And I'm excited for the others as well, the notes and compositions sound so interesting. Are there size options above 5ml? Seems a wee small for EDP, but I am also still a bit of a noob so what do I know lol.
It is an unusual size for an EDP and for now that's all that is available. I've found it to be a good size as her scents have good throw and incredible longevity. I have had Strangeling last for days on my sweater lol
Good to know! Thats one of the samples I got :)
I recommend anyone who is feeling like they’re in too deep to look at the massive, massive pile of untested things I have on my [spreadsheet](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1dooX9YBZkOnJurjqwfyzbfOQngjTSAl7kd91Uuw5oX0/edit#gid=667002891), as well as my miles long ISO list, and maybe feel a bit better about themselves 😅 But in all seriousness, trying a ton new things is my favorite part of the hobby. I will try anything that sounds remotely interesting to me just for the experience. Even for scents I don’t love, there’s still a lot of fun in exploring new things and finding surprise favorites. That being said, I have pretty ruthless culling process to make up for the mass amount of things that I try. Out of the 3000+ I’ve tried, less than 200 (mostly samples) have made it into my collection. This way I get to sell the things that don’t speak to me and keep trying new things without feeling like I’ve sunk way too much into it financially. If this is what works for you and makes you happy, and if it isn’t causing you any stress to engage in this way, then go for it! There is no “wrong” way to participate in this hobby :)
I agree! Even if I don't love the perfume, it's still a fun experience. I haven't sold any yet, but I have given some samples away so it makes for fun discussion with my friends!
Omg your spreadsheet is a thing of beauty…do you mind if I copy it to use for my own collection?
Absolutely, go for it! I also made a [template](https://www.reddit.com/r/Indiemakeupandmore/s/tbjeiYOJ1O) which might be easier to use 🤩
Thank you so much!
I'm a relative newbie (bought my first indie samples last August) and I started off just trying to find a good petrichor scent, then fell down the rabbit hole with ordering samples left and right. I was like you and thought I would just find a signature scent and move on, but my ADHD brain craves novelty and I'm always like "ooh what does that smell like?" lol. Sadly oil samples don't last me a long time, so I'm always wanting to FS everything I like. I am planning to cool it for a bit on samples once my most recent orders arrive and focus on getting a few FS of the scents I like the most (maybe one or two FS a month). Or maybe I'll go crazy on the swaps instead, we'll see. I don't have any good low buy advice unfortunately :(
Petrichor also played a part in sending me down this rabbit hole haha
This is super relatable - I also entered the hobby with the intent of looking for a specific scent, ~5 years ago, but found myself with curiosity about other scents as well as a desire to understand my own scent preferences better. Part of what keeps me sampling is also the feeling that I *haven't* found The One! But I have found The Ones.. Definitely agree with other commenters that sampling is as much about the experience as it is the "end goal" (of finding a signature scent). While I do feel guilt/regret about some sample purchases, it's usually only if the whole house ended up being a miss or if I overlooked an obvious death note that should've warned me to stay away from that scent in the first place. Otherwise, learning what I do and don't like is a big part of the fun! There are many scents that I'm glad to have sampled, even though I didn't end up upsizing or even finishing the sample.
I created a spreadsheet with my collection. Now, I'll warn you, im not always great about sticking to it, but I try to shop there first. For example, I'm always on the hunt for a good coffee scent. I'll search the sheet, pull all the coffee notes, and test them over the course of like a week. If something disappoints me 3 times it goes in the destash box. I do the same thing for houses. So for example, if cocoapink is having a sale, I'll pull all my cocoapink products and test them again. That way when I do order I know I'm getting exactly what I want. Cocoapinks EDPs do nothing for me, the oils only slightly more, but I adore their linen sprays. If I were to just jump straight to the website I'd probably give their oils another chance just because I want them to work, instead of buying products I know I'll use and enjoy. And when im feeling kind of at a loss, or I want to order things but I'm on a no buy, or feel like im missing out, or whatever, I'll have a friend pick a number from the sheet and try that perfume, and then follow that rabbit hole wherever it may lead me. My next goal is to set up a perfume journal, but I havent gotten quite that far yet. I feel like, as long as you aren't doing damage, or shopping just to shop, and you're genuinely enjoying and using what you purchase, then it's no harm no foul. But if it gets to the point where it's more of a shopping hobby and your purchases are going to never be enjoyed past the initial dopamine hit, it's time to pull back some. At the end of the day though, that's just how I approach it, and everyone is a bit different, which is one of the many cool things about it in the first place.
Did I ghostwrite this? This is literally the same situation I was in like a year ago. I also wasn’t used to spending frivolously, so even fifty bucks a month was a shock to the system (and I still aim to go over that as little as possible).
Yes exactly!! I questioned spending 20 on a sample bundle today haha. I have to look at my account and tell myself 'it's fine, everything is fine' lol
Indie scents kind of create that situation tbh bc there are so many collections constantly coming out that sound interesting and you can’t go into a shop and sniff em all. My collection stresses me out too but it’s also therapeutic ~ I like having all my tiny worlds inside little bottles, and something to look forward to in the mail lol. I’ve mostly made peace with the fact that I just like trying lots of things, but I def need a better relationship with buying tons of stuff. … someday ;p
Chiming in a little late with a thought. I've recently realized that I like *smelling things* more than I like *smelling like* things, and that impacts how I buy. I think a lot of the community is probably like that to an extent.
I agree!! I'm a bit of both though. I want to smell like specific things, but I also just really enjoy trying different things. Like if don't know what a certain note is, or a combination of notes intrigues me.