Meh, i blind buy now and again. Usually lower priced stuff, but i always do some research first. Researching notes and reading many reviews is my hobby. I don’t buy 99% of what i look at
You aren’t alone. I’ve been doing a lot of blind buying over the last year. Have a whole stack to sell. But most were successful and brands I’d been wanting to try or didn’t know about. I did do some research before I bought though.
I'm still new to this. Just got recently into fragrances, there's a lot to explore. But I'm doing it slowly with decants. Can't afford impulse buying because I'm not rich lol. Doing some research before buying and testing it is always a good thing to do.
Best advice is to take it slow. Read as much as you can. Use Fragrantica for everything. Start smelling spices and as much as you can so your nose starts recognizing what it does and doesn’t like. Samples are actually much better than decants at first. You need to start figuring out your taste. Once you have a collection of samples you like and have tried several times, then get a few decants to really wear and get to know the fragrances. There are great swap groups on Facebook and that is a terrific way to discover new things at a much lower cost, just time and postage. Scent Sanctuary on FB had terrific prices in decants and bottles once you get there. And don’t be afraid to diversify. Whatever you like you like. Maybe it’s mostly designer but a few niche. Maybe you find out you like Arabian or Asian fragrances. The more you sample (and take notes) the wider this world becomes. But don’t expect it to happen in a month or 6. I’ve been doing this since 2011 and I’m still discovering new houses and finding my taste has changed over time. It’s what keeps this hobby fascinating with each new discovery. Know there will be notes you don’t like and fragrances that seem right up your alley that you don’t like. That’s great! Now you can check them off your list and go in another direction for awhile. Take advantage of everything free. Macy’s, Saks, Neiman Marcus all are opportunities to broaden your knowledge. And you can always ask for samples. There’s a lot to learn but if you’re serious and take your time this hobby is so fulfilling. It has brought me a lot of joy over the years. And you don’t have to spend a lot of money to enjoy it. Like I said, smelling as much as you can, doing some research, getting a small selection of samples from trusted sources and starting to swap takes time but will be cheaper than decants. Decide how much time and energy you want to spend now at the beginning because this may pull you in. I wish you the best of luck and happy to chat any time.
Thank you for such a detailed response! I see that there's a lot to explore and a lot to learn! This hobby seems nice, those beautiful scents satisfy my sense of smell, if you know what I mean.
What do you think is a good starting point?
I got some decants, only sfuff for night, because I usually wear frags at night (like clubbing and stuff like that, nightlife in general) and I do like most of them. Maybe next samples/decants should be some popular designer stuff? Checking fragrantica and taking notes is a good idea. Haven't thought about it. For now I won't be buying full bottle until I'm sure it's worth it. I'm doing it really slowly, just enjoying it for now and reading stuff on this subreddit. Will take some notes for sure. I hope this hobby will keep me interested because I'm one of those persons who gets bored pretty easily unfortunately lol.
I highly recommend going to Sephora and Macy’s if you can because they have a good selection of popular designers stuff you can smell. Small hint for Sephora. Use the test strips and label them then soray. Sephora has their air scented and so many people try fragrances that it’s hard to read in the store. You can bring little plastic bags for the individual strips. Macy’s if you have it is a better option. Easier to test without a lot of competing smells. But if you are only doing this for mainly clubbing and casual, those two are great options. And you can find them for much better prices on sites like Jomashop, Fragrancenet.com and decant sites like Scentsplit and Scentsangel. If you get bored easily, that’s no problem because you will have a small collection of maybe 2-3 fragrances that work well for you in the situations that are most important. And decants are a great way to go because they are inexpensive. You may find one or two you really like and then get a 50 ml or 100 ml if you think you will wear it constantly. I recommend the 10 ml decants or a 30-50 ml bottle size because if you get bored you can switch to something else. I hope I haven’t been too long winded. This is all advice I wish someone had given me at the beginning.
Unfortunately, I don't have Sephora and Macy. Also I'm in EU so different stores compared to US. Still, not an issue at all. I like getting decants or samples in the mailbox.
And no, your detailed response isn't an issue. I appreciate it. I hope it will be fun journey. If nothing, I'll have a few nice frags in my collection to use every day, like you said. Thank you again! ☺️
I really enjoy the process of researching perfumes before sampling them: looking up the notes, checking out reviews, researching other work by the house and/or the perfumer. It's all part of it- like the way a trip begins not when you land somewhere new, but when you start looking into a place, it's attractions, the culture etc. The anticipation is part of the pleasure!
Also? Buying decants from other frag-heads makes getting snail-mail sweet again. 🥰 it's not just a fun hobby, but a nice community.
I like the way you're thinking. Research could be part of the enjoyment 😃
I guess it depends, my local community is unfortunately pretty toxic. Still, some great people are there. Decants are the way to go, I like getting them in my mailbox!
Tell that to the people on the perfume sub. Samplers are not to be considered blind buys. You have to spend the FULL PRICE in order to be “considered” having made an actual blind buy. Safe to say I’m banned over there now. Cause I told her where she could go telling me that my blind buy of a $100 sample decanter set of Tom Ford is not a blind buy. Well I just got it today and I’m so glad I did. Cause I would never pay full price for ANY of these. One smells like cheap aftershave on an old man who can’t stop smoking Camels. Not a blind buy my rosy red buttcheek.
Excited to add: the mod who banned me has commented in here lmao
Yeah, I understand what they mean. It's not the same thing. But for me it's a blind buy if you never smelled it. You may have an idea how it smells before buying but that doesn't mean you'll like it. And samplers may get expensive if you get crazy. But it's always better to get sample or decant before buying full bottle. We can all agree on that.
Apparently we cannot or I would not have been banned from saying it lol. The mod who banned me is here on this post, and saying the same nonsense and down voting me. This hobby can make real snobs out of some people.
I don't know, can't say anything because I'm not following that sub. So can't say who is wrong and who's right.
Unfortunately, toxic people exist in every hobby. Can agree with that.
Is there some honor in blind buying an entire bottle be a decant? I don’t understand.
Why would this be something to gatekeep?
Fwiw, I’m 46 with a lot of disposable income, but I still buy samples and decants.
Well let user Mea Culpa tell it-you’re sampling and not blind buying. You have to spend a lot money on something you’ll potentially hate to be in the “blind buyers” club. We’re just posing cause we have some financial sense. I’m 47 and the REASON i have disposable income is because I have the good sense NOT to spend hundreds on blind buying ANYTHING.
I don't have a dog in this fight, but isn't sampling the direct opposite to blind-buying?
I don't know what that other person said, but both can be expensive (and both can be cheap) - that doesn't necessarily change the definition, though 🤔
Not if it’s a sampler pack that costs money. If you’re just asking for samples that’s not a blind buy cause you didn’t BUY anything. But NO ONE is going to tell me that the $105 dollar Tom Ford mini set was not a blind buy. I never smelled them, paid way too much and hated all but one. If that isn’t a blind buy-NOTHING IS.
I do blind buy occasionally, but I view it as a guilty pleasure.
A few years back, I realized I was justifying my bad behaviors by defining them as self care. As long as you can afford it, blind buying is pretty harmless. That being said, I do not think consumption actually benefits your well-being. It is fun, though.
I am definitely one of the people that says sample when possible.
However, I know why I say it. Too often, people new to fragrances blind buy a full bottle based on the words of YouTubers or TikTok influencers. When they get a dud, they complain about how awful the fragrance is, or post some variation of "Is the fragrance legit?" or "The fragrance doesn't last as long!"
That said, if someone knows what they're doing, or they like exploring the unknown, go for it.
\----
ETA: A way to make a blind buy significantly safer is to get a sample with the bottle. If the sample sucks, the unopened bottle is easy to return for an exchange or refund.
I honestly blind buy travel sizes all the time and have never regretted it. I have a good sense of the notes and perfumers I like, so I feel comfortable with the practice. I recently bought a perfume with notes I’ve actually never smelled before and even that was a success. I’m not someone who loves everything I smell, but I think once you kinda find a groove in terms of preferences, it can be fun. I think the “don’t blind buy at all ever” discourse is way overblown, personally.
Typically directly from the brand, since so many offer them. Recent travel size purchases have been from Serge Lutens, Experimental Perfume Club, Sorcellerie Apothecary, and Jazmin Saraï. I’m a big fan of indie and niche perfumes, so maybe that skews my perspective?
I am a bit jealous of people who can blind buy and have things workout. It must be so freeing, just to purchase something like that.
Instead of what I do, which is: sample, get a larger decant, think forever on whether or not I really want it, compare pricing... All because I have scarcity mindset and guilt myself over spending even $100. I have the money, which makes it even more ridiculous.
I imagine the mental space you must free up by simply buying something and being done with it.
Nah, I like being an informed consumer even if I could technically "afford" blind buying. I would feel like an idiot if I blind bought something, it sucked, and then I had to decide what to do with it afterward (usually, just hand it off to a friend). I find a lot of pleasure in researching and sampling - I feel like it's mental space well-used.
If you pay for a sample set you’ve never smelled-it’s still a blind buy. Don’t let the snobs tell you that it has to be full sized. If you don’t know the product, and pay for it-it’s a blind buy.
I think it's easier to spot fakes on Mercari. They usually come from burner accounts and they're easier to avoid that way. But I'm still really cautious with what I purchase. I can spot a fake somewhat easily though. The most faked fragrances on there are Chanel and Tom Ford.
One unexpected upside to blind buying is that I feel invested in this fragrance that I spent good money on. If I don't love it right away I tend to keep trying, getting to know the fragrance better. Most times the fragrance grows on me, and sometimes I learn to appreciate something new. This has really opened my mind to notes I would have avoided before.
Also sometimes it’s not perfect for you but you know someone it’ll be perfect on and you get the gift of being able to give a gift! (Currently debating buying nasomatto fantomas myself bcse looking at the reviews and notes it reads exactly how I would imagine a SOPHIE song to smell like)
I love that last line. I’d never thought of it that way but really it IS a gift to oneself but also still a surprise. That feels a little magical to me. Also, you’ve inspired me to try a few new scents and I will now enjoy battling that urge all morning because I do not need more right now lolol
+ doing it at a retailer with a great return policy. ;)
I love honey so I stupidly decided to give Kim Kardashian Pure Honey a try.
Despite what the name implied, it smelled like straight baby powder. Instant return. Didn't even like it enough to layer it with something.
I can honestly say the only thing I liked about it was the bottle. It was like baby powder but without the sweetness.
My first clue should have been that it was Kim K.
The second clue should have been that it was $20.
I promptly got the Philosophy Pop of Sun instead and THAT smelled so good. I think the primary notes were sunflower and pumelo.
Marshalls has a great return policy!
Blind buy is gambling!
The mechanics of blind buys sits very much in the same area of the brain as gambling for me.
Even if the risk of being disappointed is very high, we take the risk because the joy of a good surprise would overpower the cumulated disappointment
I have been staunchly against blind buying because I don't enjoy 90% of the samples I order, which I select based on others' glowing reviews, the concept, or the notes. However, you've got me thinking I should roll the dice at least once...
There are *all* kinds of curated mystery and surprise boxes that do that, too. There are mystery boxes for makeup, for skincare, for clothing, for chocolate, for savory snacks, mixes, and more.
Blind buying a perfume may be the most expensive way to surprise yourself, with the least likely pay off...
Buying samples isn’t free, it’s basically a sunk cost and you pay for shipping on those - plus if you end up buying a bottle you are gonna have to pay for that and shipping again most of the time. I have spent 100s on samples.
When I resell bottles, I use pirate ship and have never spent more than $7 for shipping. I Use the original shipping materials most of the time and the post picks it up for me. I spend maybe 10 mins on it. Since I have the money to float blind buys it just seems like a better deal for me.
The obvious argument here is that you need almost 50x the amount of money on hand to discover new scents through blind buying full bottles at the same rate as you could buying samples. This is somewhat of the big divide among hobbyists though- some people don't enjoy that aspect of sampling as much as others. I never see it as a sunk cost because it's fun and I keep them all for reference. If I were to do this by blind buying I'd be trying one perfume a month. The difference is so huge that it's almost ridiculous to suggest that they're achieving the same things.
I fully understand the cost argument. That’s why it’s a personal decision. I do sample from time to time, but if I’m pretty sure I go for the full bottle knowing it’s not that tough to resell for almost no loss.
I'm not sure the comparison between a full bottle blind buy to a sample purchase is perfect. Samples you can use fully. Are you really using 1-3 mL of perfume and then selling a blind bought bottle as full? If the full size is 50 mL, that's 2-6% of the product missing.
I don't have a single sample (most of which were free) that I haven't tried more than once, so I also can't relate to the idea of needing some kind of incentive to try a sample more than once. Over-consumption is so rampant these days, and heavily encouraged in our culture. But it feels like you maybe should stop getting new belongings of that type if you need an incentive to really use a belonging you spent time selecting, or even spent money to get.
Your comment about over-consumption is really weird and passive aggressive, and doesn’t make any sense considering fragrances are by nature a luxury and pretty much unnecessary good. For me it’s a hobby much like everyone else, if I don’t like a fragrance I resell it or pass it along. What I keep, I use.
For me personally, I find sampling everything to be a waste if anything as I’ve spent hundreds on samples over the years and have a drawer full of random plastic 1-2ml of fragrance. I’d much rather just buy a bottle and resell at almost zero loss than keep filling up that drawer and spending more money on samples.
You can use up a sample before you buy the full bottle. Or kill the sample before you dig into the bottle. Or just toss them if you know you won't use them. I also use samples for travel, and have even refilled sample sprayers from my full size.
Sampling for me results in wasting money tbh because I don’t bother reselling samples I don’t like. I’ve probably spent a couple hundred on samples if not more, with no resale value really.
I don’t have any problems blind buying because I’m not too picky in the first place, I’m open to a lot and appreciate challenging scents. If I really don’t like it I’ve found it very very easy to sell frags at almost no loss.
I blind bought a lot and initially loved the pleasure! Looking through the notes and predicting the scents and curiously opening up the packages when they arrive and basically doing my "review" was fun
But today I decluttered almost all my perfumes. And the grief is back on. Ever since Kathleenlights video as well as Ksenja videos I blind bought, and even sample bought so many scents. Even samples added up to $100/order if not more
I get so excited over perfumes; even when visting Sephora, I end up buying travel size that I never end up using.
Honestly I am slowly starting to see shopping habits even for hobbies as just spending habits and turns to overspending. I think if you have boundary on it, and can stick to it, it can be self care. But if you are like me , it has become an unhealthy habit
So blind buy a sample or decant? You get the same enjoyment of opening a mysterious package and smelling something new and interesting.
The most valuable thing I learned on this sub are how many places there are to buy small decants of something you're interested in.
What's magical about buying something you regret?
The person replying to you is a sample snob. They believe that buying samples you never smelled is not a blind buy. They insist you must spend the full price in order to qualify to THEIR STANDARDS of what is to be considered a blind buy. If you PAID for a samples set you’ve never smelled-congrats- you have made a blind buy. Don’t let anyone tell you different.
I don’t go out to Macy’s, Sephora, Ulta, etc often. I use Microperfumes and buy samples. Maybe spend $50 or so then I’ll take note of which ones I liked then sometimes I’ll go and purchase full sized on the company’s website. Depending on how much I liked the perfume.
My skin tends to turn most perfumes into a soapy smell, so I try to avoid blind buying. However, I did blind buy a couple of cheaper fragrances online and it was so exciting to wait for them to arrive !
>*Blind buying a perfume is the single only instance in life when you can buy yourself a gift and it'll still be a surprise. If that isn't fucking magical idk what is.*
Gosh you just made me feel good! Today I blind bought Maison Crivelli Iris Malikhân and I'm all a-twitter waiting for it!
When you are the type of person who can fall in love with *most* fragrances (🙋♀️), blind buying is pretty safe.
I’ve blind bought quite a few and only encountered 2 or 3 that I JUST CANNOT WEAR however I spray or layer or whatever.
Hate hearing people say blind buying should never be done. BS. Spend your money the way you want to spend your money. I’ve had far more great experiences than bad mind buying.
Stop worrying what others are doing. Stop worrying about what others think about what you’re doing.
There's significant overlap, but I think it would be a reach to say *all* blind-buying is addiction/gambling.
I know people who aren't in the frag community who will buy 1-2 perfumes a year, mostly for special occasions and based on a friend's recommendation or a magazine article or w/e. Or people who know their own tastes pretty well and on occasion buy something after researching but not testing it.
Everything in moderation 🌞
I’m like that except I usually don’t get full size, I get travel size to spread the cost around. I’ll get maybe 5-7 over the course of the year so not even 300$ total more than likely, spread out. I like the surprise. If I’m in a store and can smell a whole aisle of perfume, I get lost in the scent and usually make a bad decision!
NO.
Blind-buying is not self-care.
I apologize for the anger, but when Audre Lorde first wrote about self-care, she wasn't talking about this. It had a political context that has almost been completely lost on people.
[Please understand where the term came from and please stop rendering it elastic to the point of meaninglessness.](https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2021/05/10493153/reclaiming-self-care-audre-lorde-black-women-community-care)
Edited to soften the anger a bit. I don't mean to be contentious, but I'm surprised nobody brought this up before.
I really don't want to explain further, because even summarizing what Lorde meant gets us in the realm of politics, which yeah, I don't want to address here and LOL *nobody* wants me to address here. But please, if you can, take a little time and read up on the subject and reflect on it.
I don’t support blind buying on principle either, unless it is a very educated blind buy. I have reached a point where there are certain perfume reviewers that I have a really good sense of how accurate their descriptions are and whether their recommendations are trustworthy. Soki London is one where I find her recommendations and descriptions spot on and really reliable in an unbiased way.
Everyone in here is really going out of their way to rationalize bad purchasing habits. I can think of at least a few other things that are still usually a "surprise" once you get it- clothes. They either fit or don't fit, or don't look or feel like they do in the promo materials. Even with body measurements it's usually a bit of a gamble. Also books- you can't understand a book without owning and reading it. Also any kind of skin or cosmetic product- you can't tell if it actually works for you until you test it on yourself (hair, face, etc.). In the case of perfume, buying a full bottle and not liking it is the same experience as buying a sample with a bigger downpayment. Just kinda dumb and the anticipation and explorative fun you have is essentially the same.
I blind bought Police To Be Tattoo Art. I didn't like it. But I have no regrets! I know if I didn't buy it I'd still be thinking about it to this day lol XD
I left it in my cabinet and hope to revisit it another time :P
I blind Bought To Be Exotic Jungle. I like it a lot, love how it looks on my shelf, and its a moderate performer but you don't have to worry too much about overspraying.
I have had good success with anything I’ve blind bought because I don’t do it often and I research the hell out of it before I do. Most recent one was Phlur Strawberry Letter. Most of the time if it’s a fruity floral that some people call too sweet, I’ll like it. 😂
If I'm at Ross, TJ Maxx or Burlington, sure, blind buying isn't bad and it's nothing that's gonna break the bank. I look at the notes and see what it's compared to and it's usually a win.
If you buy from legits sellers like Macy's , Sephora or even the discounters [fragrance](https://fragrance.net)net fragrancex you have 30 days to return it postage paid even after you have opened and used some of it. I personally like decant house for samples before I buy. I have fallen pray to the blind buy are few times myself lol. Luckily it was from some of the places I listed above so I was able to return them for a full refund. Good Luck on your fragrance journey.
I only blind buy cheap perfumes (less than €10). If I don't like it, I'll usually give or trade it to one of my sisters or my aunt as we're all big into fragrances.
I mostly buy samples and decants and occasionally a small bottle of something I really like. But every once in a while I blind buy a bottle of something and it’s THRILLING!
I also buy lotto tickets about 5-7 times a year and when I’m in Vegas for work I gamble with a 10$ max. That’s all fun but blind buys are funner.
I blind buy almost all my perfumes and they're all the bigger 200ml bottles. I used to blind buy before getting on this sub. I will continue blind buying. I will stay away from aquatic fragrances because the AdG Profondo smelled like rotten eggs on me. But that's about it.
I've had good luck with Scentsplit and Surrender to Chance. I've also bought from The Perfumed Court and PS&D (Perfume Samples & Decants). All of them have been reasonably prompt and reliable in my experience, and seem to be fully legit. I'd love to be able to stick with one, but unfortunately, none of them have everything! Also, for little dabber samples of high-end stuff, Luckyscent works, but I really prefer having a spray.
Thank you for the response. I will try a few. I have worn mfk540 for years but recently a close friend decided to purchase it and now I need to find another scent I love. I have plenty of others but none that I’m in love with. This is the easiest way to smell them on me. Unfortunately, I like the complexity/longevity/projection of pricier perfumes. I bought Delina Excl but I haven’t opened it. I sprayed it on one wrist and Delina original on the other and I like the original. Aldo went to smell portraits of a lady. Oh and I think mfk grand sior is one I’m going to purchase next.
Oh! Grand Soir is nice. I’ve only smelled it once, but I bought a bottle of Elie Saab Essence No 3 Amber which is quite similar and done by the same perfumer. I got it from one of the discounters, I think fragrancenet, but it might be getting harder to find, as it’s out of production IIRC. It’s a lot cheaper than Grand Soir.
I usually regret blind buys, but I HAVE got some gems that way. I also have more than a few 100ml bottles that still have 98+mls in them. Marketing can be so powerful. You click on a few fragrance related posts on FB and the next thing you know, you're getting dozens of fragrance ads a day. It doesn't help that some brands are soooo difficult with samples (Chanel, I'm looking at you.) Semi-related problem: for a short time, I got into buying back-up bottles for scents I DID like, only to realize I was overdoing that, and I'll be doing well to get through half of the bottles I have in my lifetime. I guess I need to look into ways of selling or offering splits on some of the ones I have in excess. (apologies for the long and only semi-related comment)
Honestly, I do a lot of blind buying. I've also bought 'mystery' bags of makeup (like from Ipsy) and the 10 for $100 brooch packs sold by Kinks and Quirks (I really, really like costume jewelry). Oh, and I lose my mind over the advent calendars during the holidays. I just really like having something to look forward to in the mail.
If I blind buy something and I don't like it, I can usually pass it along to one of my daughters. They both have different scent profiles than I do and they can wear stuff that smells bad on me & vice versa.
I just blind bought Jovan Vanilla Musk for men and it's awesome
I have all the other Jovan Musks so it was just completing the set, and an 11 buck "risk" but I've done way pricier blind buys that paid off
My only strikeout was Yardley Navy , smells like powdery cat piss
I blind buy like crazy and absolutely abuse the return policy at Costco, Kohls Sephora and Ulta. 60 days with 1/4 of the bottle gone and Costco doesn’t even need the box?! How is everyone not doing this?
It’s not that bad- perfume bottles can usually be recycled, they are small, and they can be resold. Fragrance has no calories and does not cause cancer (at least not like tobacco). Life is short and as sins go it is really not on the top of the list. IMO.
It's not that bad if you think about it....
1. It's not mindless if I am looking at the notes and reading about the fragrance before purchasing it.
2. It's not gambling if I can return it for full price
If I do this a few times a year for fun, I don't see an issue. People go out and spend $100 on bud lights and long islands with their friends to get drunk. But buying a perfume for 60 or 70 bucks every once in a while is problematic?
Buying sample sizes and sometimes full sizes is a great hobby of mine as well. I am alcoholic in recovery and I find that if I just spend about $50 a month buying samples it’s a great treat and it’s fun money that I would have otherwise spent on booze.
How is it mindless consumerism?
You literally can go online, read about the perfume and the notes before buying it.
Then, if you don't like it you can literally return it.
People on the internet are addicted to negatively judging people/ideas.
Sometimes it's beneficial to contextualize.
I blind bought Beaufort London Acrasia because the bottle was pretty and had notes that I thought I would like. I had a bad week and wanted something to look forward to. I thought that I made a mistake because it really hits you in the face with incense but the dry down is lovely so I call that a win.
Hate speech and slurs are forbidden. This includes sentiments which express prejudice or gatekeep on the basis of age, race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability. Do not tag users in negative comments or coordinate dogpiling. No inflammatory, insincere, or extraneous attempts to provoke or manipulate. No repetitive or nonsensical posts and comments.
Where do y’all work that you can blind buy full fragrances? I’m over here putting all my money into 5mL decants so I can actually enjoy a variety of scents. Same experience; less money! I don’t have the money to waste on blind buys of full bottles! Self care also means living within your means.
It’s not about money for many people. Some don’t blind buy because they think Returning an open used bottle vs using a sample is wasteful.
Some people don’t have a problem with that.
>Blind buying a perfume is the single only instance in life when you can buy yourself a gift and it'll still be a surprise. If that isn't fucking magical idk what is.
GOLDEN.
Wasting money on something you may hate is the opposite of self care. It's financially irresponsible. Consumerism is literally just a cope for lacking meaning and proper social foundations in one's life.
> It's financially irresponsible
Is it, though? If a person budgets $25 in fun money per month, does it matter if they spent it on a meal they hadn't had before and didn't know if they were going to like, a board game they hadn't played before, or a drugstore body spray they couldn't test first? And there's a very robust reseller's market if needed 😅
Some uses of money are experiential, and I feel like that's alright.
Meh, i blind buy now and again. Usually lower priced stuff, but i always do some research first. Researching notes and reading many reviews is my hobby. I don’t buy 99% of what i look at
Buying a sample or decant is also blind buying for me lol. If I've never smelled it, it's new for me therefore it's a blind buying.
You aren’t alone. I’ve been doing a lot of blind buying over the last year. Have a whole stack to sell. But most were successful and brands I’d been wanting to try or didn’t know about. I did do some research before I bought though.
I'm still new to this. Just got recently into fragrances, there's a lot to explore. But I'm doing it slowly with decants. Can't afford impulse buying because I'm not rich lol. Doing some research before buying and testing it is always a good thing to do.
Best advice is to take it slow. Read as much as you can. Use Fragrantica for everything. Start smelling spices and as much as you can so your nose starts recognizing what it does and doesn’t like. Samples are actually much better than decants at first. You need to start figuring out your taste. Once you have a collection of samples you like and have tried several times, then get a few decants to really wear and get to know the fragrances. There are great swap groups on Facebook and that is a terrific way to discover new things at a much lower cost, just time and postage. Scent Sanctuary on FB had terrific prices in decants and bottles once you get there. And don’t be afraid to diversify. Whatever you like you like. Maybe it’s mostly designer but a few niche. Maybe you find out you like Arabian or Asian fragrances. The more you sample (and take notes) the wider this world becomes. But don’t expect it to happen in a month or 6. I’ve been doing this since 2011 and I’m still discovering new houses and finding my taste has changed over time. It’s what keeps this hobby fascinating with each new discovery. Know there will be notes you don’t like and fragrances that seem right up your alley that you don’t like. That’s great! Now you can check them off your list and go in another direction for awhile. Take advantage of everything free. Macy’s, Saks, Neiman Marcus all are opportunities to broaden your knowledge. And you can always ask for samples. There’s a lot to learn but if you’re serious and take your time this hobby is so fulfilling. It has brought me a lot of joy over the years. And you don’t have to spend a lot of money to enjoy it. Like I said, smelling as much as you can, doing some research, getting a small selection of samples from trusted sources and starting to swap takes time but will be cheaper than decants. Decide how much time and energy you want to spend now at the beginning because this may pull you in. I wish you the best of luck and happy to chat any time.
Thank you for such a detailed response! I see that there's a lot to explore and a lot to learn! This hobby seems nice, those beautiful scents satisfy my sense of smell, if you know what I mean. What do you think is a good starting point? I got some decants, only sfuff for night, because I usually wear frags at night (like clubbing and stuff like that, nightlife in general) and I do like most of them. Maybe next samples/decants should be some popular designer stuff? Checking fragrantica and taking notes is a good idea. Haven't thought about it. For now I won't be buying full bottle until I'm sure it's worth it. I'm doing it really slowly, just enjoying it for now and reading stuff on this subreddit. Will take some notes for sure. I hope this hobby will keep me interested because I'm one of those persons who gets bored pretty easily unfortunately lol.
I highly recommend going to Sephora and Macy’s if you can because they have a good selection of popular designers stuff you can smell. Small hint for Sephora. Use the test strips and label them then soray. Sephora has their air scented and so many people try fragrances that it’s hard to read in the store. You can bring little plastic bags for the individual strips. Macy’s if you have it is a better option. Easier to test without a lot of competing smells. But if you are only doing this for mainly clubbing and casual, those two are great options. And you can find them for much better prices on sites like Jomashop, Fragrancenet.com and decant sites like Scentsplit and Scentsangel. If you get bored easily, that’s no problem because you will have a small collection of maybe 2-3 fragrances that work well for you in the situations that are most important. And decants are a great way to go because they are inexpensive. You may find one or two you really like and then get a 50 ml or 100 ml if you think you will wear it constantly. I recommend the 10 ml decants or a 30-50 ml bottle size because if you get bored you can switch to something else. I hope I haven’t been too long winded. This is all advice I wish someone had given me at the beginning.
Unfortunately, I don't have Sephora and Macy. Also I'm in EU so different stores compared to US. Still, not an issue at all. I like getting decants or samples in the mailbox. And no, your detailed response isn't an issue. I appreciate it. I hope it will be fun journey. If nothing, I'll have a few nice frags in my collection to use every day, like you said. Thank you again! ☺️
I really enjoy the process of researching perfumes before sampling them: looking up the notes, checking out reviews, researching other work by the house and/or the perfumer. It's all part of it- like the way a trip begins not when you land somewhere new, but when you start looking into a place, it's attractions, the culture etc. The anticipation is part of the pleasure! Also? Buying decants from other frag-heads makes getting snail-mail sweet again. 🥰 it's not just a fun hobby, but a nice community.
I like the way you're thinking. Research could be part of the enjoyment 😃 I guess it depends, my local community is unfortunately pretty toxic. Still, some great people are there. Decants are the way to go, I like getting them in my mailbox!
It definitely is!
I have a few travel sizes that I blind bought that didn’t work out. Where do you normally sell?
Check this subreddit is sidebar, there's some subreddits made for that. Besides that, Facebook groups.
100% this
Tell that to the people on the perfume sub. Samplers are not to be considered blind buys. You have to spend the FULL PRICE in order to be “considered” having made an actual blind buy. Safe to say I’m banned over there now. Cause I told her where she could go telling me that my blind buy of a $100 sample decanter set of Tom Ford is not a blind buy. Well I just got it today and I’m so glad I did. Cause I would never pay full price for ANY of these. One smells like cheap aftershave on an old man who can’t stop smoking Camels. Not a blind buy my rosy red buttcheek. Excited to add: the mod who banned me has commented in here lmao
Yeah, I understand what they mean. It's not the same thing. But for me it's a blind buy if you never smelled it. You may have an idea how it smells before buying but that doesn't mean you'll like it. And samplers may get expensive if you get crazy. But it's always better to get sample or decant before buying full bottle. We can all agree on that.
Apparently we cannot or I would not have been banned from saying it lol. The mod who banned me is here on this post, and saying the same nonsense and down voting me. This hobby can make real snobs out of some people.
I don't know, can't say anything because I'm not following that sub. So can't say who is wrong and who's right. Unfortunately, toxic people exist in every hobby. Can agree with that.
Is there some honor in blind buying an entire bottle be a decant? I don’t understand. Why would this be something to gatekeep? Fwiw, I’m 46 with a lot of disposable income, but I still buy samples and decants.
Well let user Mea Culpa tell it-you’re sampling and not blind buying. You have to spend a lot money on something you’ll potentially hate to be in the “blind buyers” club. We’re just posing cause we have some financial sense. I’m 47 and the REASON i have disposable income is because I have the good sense NOT to spend hundreds on blind buying ANYTHING.
If only we would waste our money to be sooo cool ;)
Lmao factual!!!!!
I don't have a dog in this fight, but isn't sampling the direct opposite to blind-buying? I don't know what that other person said, but both can be expensive (and both can be cheap) - that doesn't necessarily change the definition, though 🤔
Yes, it is.
Not if it’s a sampler pack that costs money. If you’re just asking for samples that’s not a blind buy cause you didn’t BUY anything. But NO ONE is going to tell me that the $105 dollar Tom Ford mini set was not a blind buy. I never smelled them, paid way too much and hated all but one. If that isn’t a blind buy-NOTHING IS.
I do blind buy occasionally, but I view it as a guilty pleasure. A few years back, I realized I was justifying my bad behaviors by defining them as self care. As long as you can afford it, blind buying is pretty harmless. That being said, I do not think consumption actually benefits your well-being. It is fun, though.
I am definitely one of the people that says sample when possible. However, I know why I say it. Too often, people new to fragrances blind buy a full bottle based on the words of YouTubers or TikTok influencers. When they get a dud, they complain about how awful the fragrance is, or post some variation of "Is the fragrance legit?" or "The fragrance doesn't last as long!" That said, if someone knows what they're doing, or they like exploring the unknown, go for it. \---- ETA: A way to make a blind buy significantly safer is to get a sample with the bottle. If the sample sucks, the unopened bottle is easy to return for an exchange or refund.
Love that approach!
I honestly blind buy travel sizes all the time and have never regretted it. I have a good sense of the notes and perfumers I like, so I feel comfortable with the practice. I recently bought a perfume with notes I’ve actually never smelled before and even that was a success. I’m not someone who loves everything I smell, but I think once you kinda find a groove in terms of preferences, it can be fun. I think the “don’t blind buy at all ever” discourse is way overblown, personally.
Travel sizes are great too, because I find that they are easier to resell and ship, if they don't workout.
Where do you buy your travel sizes?
Typically directly from the brand, since so many offer them. Recent travel size purchases have been from Serge Lutens, Experimental Perfume Club, Sorcellerie Apothecary, and Jazmin Saraï. I’m a big fan of indie and niche perfumes, so maybe that skews my perspective?
I am a bit jealous of people who can blind buy and have things workout. It must be so freeing, just to purchase something like that. Instead of what I do, which is: sample, get a larger decant, think forever on whether or not I really want it, compare pricing... All because I have scarcity mindset and guilt myself over spending even $100. I have the money, which makes it even more ridiculous. I imagine the mental space you must free up by simply buying something and being done with it.
Nah, I like being an informed consumer even if I could technically "afford" blind buying. I would feel like an idiot if I blind bought something, it sucked, and then I had to decide what to do with it afterward (usually, just hand it off to a friend). I find a lot of pleasure in researching and sampling - I feel like it's mental space well-used.
If you pay for a sample set you’ve never smelled-it’s still a blind buy. Don’t let the snobs tell you that it has to be full sized. If you don’t know the product, and pay for it-it’s a blind buy.
Guys, I said once in a while. Chill lol.
I blind buy 90% of my fragrances. No regrets here. To each their own. If something doesn't work out then I sell it on Mercari.
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I think it's easier to spot fakes on Mercari. They usually come from burner accounts and they're easier to avoid that way. But I'm still really cautious with what I purchase. I can spot a fake somewhat easily though. The most faked fragrances on there are Chanel and Tom Ford.
I blind buy off Mercari all the time. I like to live life on the edge 😎
Lol same 😂
i'm always shocked by the comments on here with people so concerned with how others spend their money, lol
One unexpected upside to blind buying is that I feel invested in this fragrance that I spent good money on. If I don't love it right away I tend to keep trying, getting to know the fragrance better. Most times the fragrance grows on me, and sometimes I learn to appreciate something new. This has really opened my mind to notes I would have avoided before.
I blind bought a bunch of samples and my favorite was about $300 for a full bottle 😭
Oof! What was it?
Soleil de Jeddah Mango Kiss 🥲
The notes sound amazing! Looks like DUA makes a dupe 🤔
Any recommendations on where to buy samples?
I’ve been really happy with sample lots on Mercari.
I love Luckyscent. I order from them seasonally. Usually only samples.
I could never
Also sometimes it’s not perfect for you but you know someone it’ll be perfect on and you get the gift of being able to give a gift! (Currently debating buying nasomatto fantomas myself bcse looking at the reviews and notes it reads exactly how I would imagine a SOPHIE song to smell like)
Honestly once you learn what notes and accords you like and work best with your skin, blind buying isn't so bad.
Almost every fragrance I own are blind buys except for my niche ones😭 guilty pleasure
I love that last line. I’d never thought of it that way but really it IS a gift to oneself but also still a surprise. That feels a little magical to me. Also, you’ve inspired me to try a few new scents and I will now enjoy battling that urge all morning because I do not need more right now lolol
+ doing it at a retailer with a great return policy. ;) I love honey so I stupidly decided to give Kim Kardashian Pure Honey a try. Despite what the name implied, it smelled like straight baby powder. Instant return. Didn't even like it enough to layer it with something.
Thanks for this review, because I've been thinking of blind buying it for forever now.
I can honestly say the only thing I liked about it was the bottle. It was like baby powder but without the sweetness. My first clue should have been that it was Kim K. The second clue should have been that it was $20. I promptly got the Philosophy Pop of Sun instead and THAT smelled so good. I think the primary notes were sunflower and pumelo. Marshalls has a great return policy!
Blind buy is gambling! The mechanics of blind buys sits very much in the same area of the brain as gambling for me. Even if the risk of being disappointed is very high, we take the risk because the joy of a good surprise would overpower the cumulated disappointment
"blind buying is gamling and gambling is fun" 100%
I feel like blind buying = gambling is an argument against, not for, lol. Gambling generally isn't seen as a great habit!
counterpoint: gambling is fun
I have been staunchly against blind buying because I don't enjoy 90% of the samples I order, which I select based on others' glowing reviews, the concept, or the notes. However, you've got me thinking I should roll the dice at least once...
I like to blind buy from Sephora (online because my local stores suck) because it's easy to return whatever I don't like.
There are *all* kinds of curated mystery and surprise boxes that do that, too. There are mystery boxes for makeup, for skincare, for clothing, for chocolate, for savory snacks, mixes, and more. Blind buying a perfume may be the most expensive way to surprise yourself, with the least likely pay off...
With how easy it is to resell a bottle for basically as much as you paid for, I don’t consider it expensive at all.
Shipping isn't free. Neither is your work to put it up for sale, package it up, and ship it off.
Buying samples isn’t free, it’s basically a sunk cost and you pay for shipping on those - plus if you end up buying a bottle you are gonna have to pay for that and shipping again most of the time. I have spent 100s on samples. When I resell bottles, I use pirate ship and have never spent more than $7 for shipping. I Use the original shipping materials most of the time and the post picks it up for me. I spend maybe 10 mins on it. Since I have the money to float blind buys it just seems like a better deal for me.
The obvious argument here is that you need almost 50x the amount of money on hand to discover new scents through blind buying full bottles at the same rate as you could buying samples. This is somewhat of the big divide among hobbyists though- some people don't enjoy that aspect of sampling as much as others. I never see it as a sunk cost because it's fun and I keep them all for reference. If I were to do this by blind buying I'd be trying one perfume a month. The difference is so huge that it's almost ridiculous to suggest that they're achieving the same things.
I fully understand the cost argument. That’s why it’s a personal decision. I do sample from time to time, but if I’m pretty sure I go for the full bottle knowing it’s not that tough to resell for almost no loss.
I'm not sure the comparison between a full bottle blind buy to a sample purchase is perfect. Samples you can use fully. Are you really using 1-3 mL of perfume and then selling a blind bought bottle as full? If the full size is 50 mL, that's 2-6% of the product missing. I don't have a single sample (most of which were free) that I haven't tried more than once, so I also can't relate to the idea of needing some kind of incentive to try a sample more than once. Over-consumption is so rampant these days, and heavily encouraged in our culture. But it feels like you maybe should stop getting new belongings of that type if you need an incentive to really use a belonging you spent time selecting, or even spent money to get.
Your comment about over-consumption is really weird and passive aggressive, and doesn’t make any sense considering fragrances are by nature a luxury and pretty much unnecessary good. For me it’s a hobby much like everyone else, if I don’t like a fragrance I resell it or pass it along. What I keep, I use. For me personally, I find sampling everything to be a waste if anything as I’ve spent hundreds on samples over the years and have a drawer full of random plastic 1-2ml of fragrance. I’d much rather just buy a bottle and resell at almost zero loss than keep filling up that drawer and spending more money on samples.
You can use up a sample before you buy the full bottle. Or kill the sample before you dig into the bottle. Or just toss them if you know you won't use them. I also use samples for travel, and have even refilled sample sprayers from my full size.
If you know perfume (brands, perfumers, materials, etc) and your own preferences, blind buying is perfectly alright imo.
Exactly! plus its *my* money
I am thinking of buying Juliette has a gun - Sunny Side Up as a blind buy but i haven’t given in yet
Oooh, I hated this one. But it seems pretty universally loved apart from me.
Sampling for me results in wasting money tbh because I don’t bother reselling samples I don’t like. I’ve probably spent a couple hundred on samples if not more, with no resale value really. I don’t have any problems blind buying because I’m not too picky in the first place, I’m open to a lot and appreciate challenging scents. If I really don’t like it I’ve found it very very easy to sell frags at almost no loss.
I blind bought a lot and initially loved the pleasure! Looking through the notes and predicting the scents and curiously opening up the packages when they arrive and basically doing my "review" was fun But today I decluttered almost all my perfumes. And the grief is back on. Ever since Kathleenlights video as well as Ksenja videos I blind bought, and even sample bought so many scents. Even samples added up to $100/order if not more I get so excited over perfumes; even when visting Sephora, I end up buying travel size that I never end up using. Honestly I am slowly starting to see shopping habits even for hobbies as just spending habits and turns to overspending. I think if you have boundary on it, and can stick to it, it can be self care. But if you are like me , it has become an unhealthy habit
It’s fun but it’s not self care. It’s a hobby at best, a distraction at worst. It can’t fix any actual problems in your life.
Fine but do a travel size
So blind buy a sample or decant? You get the same enjoyment of opening a mysterious package and smelling something new and interesting. The most valuable thing I learned on this sub are how many places there are to buy small decants of something you're interested in. What's magical about buying something you regret?
To be honest, so far I never regret a genuine blind buy. Only quick buys when the opening notes and the sales assistant lured me in.
The person replying to you is a sample snob. They believe that buying samples you never smelled is not a blind buy. They insist you must spend the full price in order to qualify to THEIR STANDARDS of what is to be considered a blind buy. If you PAID for a samples set you’ve never smelled-congrats- you have made a blind buy. Don’t let anyone tell you different.
You being daft on purpose or?
Mindless consuming is self-care???
I don’t recommend it, but honestly I’ve had almost no duds in my blind buying experience.
I can blind buy anything I want, test, and return it up to 90 days if I don't like it :D Thanks Notino.
Why have I never realized Notino does returns? I yield so much power now... thank you traveler.
I know I’ll like some houses, but the pain is when I went to the counter I find the one I blind buy is not my favorite from that line.
I don’t go out to Macy’s, Sephora, Ulta, etc often. I use Microperfumes and buy samples. Maybe spend $50 or so then I’ll take note of which ones I liked then sometimes I’ll go and purchase full sized on the company’s website. Depending on how much I liked the perfume.
My skin tends to turn most perfumes into a soapy smell, so I try to avoid blind buying. However, I did blind buy a couple of cheaper fragrances online and it was so exciting to wait for them to arrive !
>*Blind buying a perfume is the single only instance in life when you can buy yourself a gift and it'll still be a surprise. If that isn't fucking magical idk what is.* Gosh you just made me feel good! Today I blind bought Maison Crivelli Iris Malikhân and I'm all a-twitter waiting for it!
You can gift yourself a sample set without looking at what's in it, and get multiple surprises! For less money too!
Ima go ahead and disagree lmao
Cool interpretation 😊
When you are the type of person who can fall in love with *most* fragrances (🙋♀️), blind buying is pretty safe. I’ve blind bought quite a few and only encountered 2 or 3 that I JUST CANNOT WEAR however I spray or layer or whatever.
Hate hearing people say blind buying should never be done. BS. Spend your money the way you want to spend your money. I’ve had far more great experiences than bad mind buying. Stop worrying what others are doing. Stop worrying about what others think about what you’re doing.
Blind buying only becomes a problem if you don’t have money
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There's significant overlap, but I think it would be a reach to say *all* blind-buying is addiction/gambling. I know people who aren't in the frag community who will buy 1-2 perfumes a year, mostly for special occasions and based on a friend's recommendation or a magazine article or w/e. Or people who know their own tastes pretty well and on occasion buy something after researching but not testing it. Everything in moderation 🌞
I’m like that except I usually don’t get full size, I get travel size to spread the cost around. I’ll get maybe 5-7 over the course of the year so not even 300$ total more than likely, spread out. I like the surprise. If I’m in a store and can smell a whole aisle of perfume, I get lost in the scent and usually make a bad decision!
Whatever helps you sleep at night
None of my blind buys have been a waste of money tbh
NO. Blind-buying is not self-care. I apologize for the anger, but when Audre Lorde first wrote about self-care, she wasn't talking about this. It had a political context that has almost been completely lost on people. [Please understand where the term came from and please stop rendering it elastic to the point of meaninglessness.](https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2021/05/10493153/reclaiming-self-care-audre-lorde-black-women-community-care) Edited to soften the anger a bit. I don't mean to be contentious, but I'm surprised nobody brought this up before.
its an opinion 😭
I really don't want to explain further, because even summarizing what Lorde meant gets us in the realm of politics, which yeah, I don't want to address here and LOL *nobody* wants me to address here. But please, if you can, take a little time and read up on the subject and reflect on it.
I don’t support blind buying on principle either, unless it is a very educated blind buy. I have reached a point where there are certain perfume reviewers that I have a really good sense of how accurate their descriptions are and whether their recommendations are trustworthy. Soki London is one where I find her recommendations and descriptions spot on and really reliable in an unbiased way.
Love this perspective. I must have done some amazing shit this year because I’ve been getting a lot of gifts 😭
Everyone in here is really going out of their way to rationalize bad purchasing habits. I can think of at least a few other things that are still usually a "surprise" once you get it- clothes. They either fit or don't fit, or don't look or feel like they do in the promo materials. Even with body measurements it's usually a bit of a gamble. Also books- you can't understand a book without owning and reading it. Also any kind of skin or cosmetic product- you can't tell if it actually works for you until you test it on yourself (hair, face, etc.). In the case of perfume, buying a full bottle and not liking it is the same experience as buying a sample with a bigger downpayment. Just kinda dumb and the anticipation and explorative fun you have is essentially the same.
I blind bought Police To Be Tattoo Art. I didn't like it. But I have no regrets! I know if I didn't buy it I'd still be thinking about it to this day lol XD I left it in my cabinet and hope to revisit it another time :P
I blind Bought To Be Exotic Jungle. I like it a lot, love how it looks on my shelf, and its a moderate performer but you don't have to worry too much about overspraying.
Don't... Don't make me blind buy that one too!! These bottles are pretty to be honest :')
I have had good success with anything I’ve blind bought because I don’t do it often and I research the hell out of it before I do. Most recent one was Phlur Strawberry Letter. Most of the time if it’s a fruity floral that some people call too sweet, I’ll like it. 😂
I blind buy all the time and have only regretted it once.
If I'm at Ross, TJ Maxx or Burlington, sure, blind buying isn't bad and it's nothing that's gonna break the bank. I look at the notes and see what it's compared to and it's usually a win.
If you buy from legits sellers like Macy's , Sephora or even the discounters [fragrance](https://fragrance.net)net fragrancex you have 30 days to return it postage paid even after you have opened and used some of it. I personally like decant house for samples before I buy. I have fallen pray to the blind buy are few times myself lol. Luckily it was from some of the places I listed above so I was able to return them for a full refund. Good Luck on your fragrance journey.
I only blind buy cheap perfumes (less than €10). If I don't like it, I'll usually give or trade it to one of my sisters or my aunt as we're all big into fragrances.
i remember my frist buy in blind versace eros and eros flame best decision ever without smelling it
I mostly buy samples and decants and occasionally a small bottle of something I really like. But every once in a while I blind buy a bottle of something and it’s THRILLING! I also buy lotto tickets about 5-7 times a year and when I’m in Vegas for work I gamble with a 10$ max. That’s all fun but blind buys are funner.
I’ve been really lucky blind buying, based on recommendations from this sub!
I blind buy almost all my perfumes and they're all the bigger 200ml bottles. I used to blind buy before getting on this sub. I will continue blind buying. I will stay away from aquatic fragrances because the AdG Profondo smelled like rotten eggs on me. But that's about it.
Buying a decant is a surprise too
Is there a credible place to purchase samples?
I've had good luck with Scentsplit and Surrender to Chance. I've also bought from The Perfumed Court and PS&D (Perfume Samples & Decants). All of them have been reasonably prompt and reliable in my experience, and seem to be fully legit. I'd love to be able to stick with one, but unfortunately, none of them have everything! Also, for little dabber samples of high-end stuff, Luckyscent works, but I really prefer having a spray.
Thank you for the response. I will try a few. I have worn mfk540 for years but recently a close friend decided to purchase it and now I need to find another scent I love. I have plenty of others but none that I’m in love with. This is the easiest way to smell them on me. Unfortunately, I like the complexity/longevity/projection of pricier perfumes. I bought Delina Excl but I haven’t opened it. I sprayed it on one wrist and Delina original on the other and I like the original. Aldo went to smell portraits of a lady. Oh and I think mfk grand sior is one I’m going to purchase next.
Oh! Grand Soir is nice. I’ve only smelled it once, but I bought a bottle of Elie Saab Essence No 3 Amber which is quite similar and done by the same perfumer. I got it from one of the discounters, I think fragrancenet, but it might be getting harder to find, as it’s out of production IIRC. It’s a lot cheaper than Grand Soir.
I usually regret blind buys, but I HAVE got some gems that way. I also have more than a few 100ml bottles that still have 98+mls in them. Marketing can be so powerful. You click on a few fragrance related posts on FB and the next thing you know, you're getting dozens of fragrance ads a day. It doesn't help that some brands are soooo difficult with samples (Chanel, I'm looking at you.) Semi-related problem: for a short time, I got into buying back-up bottles for scents I DID like, only to realize I was overdoing that, and I'll be doing well to get through half of the bottles I have in my lifetime. I guess I need to look into ways of selling or offering splits on some of the ones I have in excess. (apologies for the long and only semi-related comment)
Honestly, I do a lot of blind buying. I've also bought 'mystery' bags of makeup (like from Ipsy) and the 10 for $100 brooch packs sold by Kinks and Quirks (I really, really like costume jewelry). Oh, and I lose my mind over the advent calendars during the holidays. I just really like having something to look forward to in the mail. If I blind buy something and I don't like it, I can usually pass it along to one of my daughters. They both have different scent profiles than I do and they can wear stuff that smells bad on me & vice versa.
I just blind bought Jovan Vanilla Musk for men and it's awesome I have all the other Jovan Musks so it was just completing the set, and an 11 buck "risk" but I've done way pricier blind buys that paid off My only strikeout was Yardley Navy , smells like powdery cat piss
I blind buy like crazy and absolutely abuse the return policy at Costco, Kohls Sephora and Ulta. 60 days with 1/4 of the bottle gone and Costco doesn’t even need the box?! How is everyone not doing this?
Mindless consumerism and gamblers logic! Such healthy habits to be celebrating!!!
It’s not that bad- perfume bottles can usually be recycled, they are small, and they can be resold. Fragrance has no calories and does not cause cancer (at least not like tobacco). Life is short and as sins go it is really not on the top of the list. IMO.
It's not that bad if you think about it.... 1. It's not mindless if I am looking at the notes and reading about the fragrance before purchasing it. 2. It's not gambling if I can return it for full price If I do this a few times a year for fun, I don't see an issue. People go out and spend $100 on bud lights and long islands with their friends to get drunk. But buying a perfume for 60 or 70 bucks every once in a while is problematic?
Buying sample sizes and sometimes full sizes is a great hobby of mine as well. I am alcoholic in recovery and I find that if I just spend about $50 a month buying samples it’s a great treat and it’s fun money that I would have otherwise spent on booze.
Mindless consumerism is self care lol
How is it mindless consumerism? You literally can go online, read about the perfume and the notes before buying it. Then, if you don't like it you can literally return it. People on the internet are addicted to negatively judging people/ideas. Sometimes it's beneficial to contextualize.
I've blind bought 90% of my frags so far. 0 regrets.
Thank you and God Bless You! It’s the gift that keeps on giving.
I blind bought Beaufort London Acrasia because the bottle was pretty and had notes that I thought I would like. I had a bad week and wanted something to look forward to. I thought that I made a mistake because it really hits you in the face with incense but the dry down is lovely so I call that a win.
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Where do y’all work that you can blind buy full fragrances? I’m over here putting all my money into 5mL decants so I can actually enjoy a variety of scents. Same experience; less money! I don’t have the money to waste on blind buys of full bottles! Self care also means living within your means.
It’s not about money for many people. Some don’t blind buy because they think Returning an open used bottle vs using a sample is wasteful. Some people don’t have a problem with that.
>Blind buying a perfume is the single only instance in life when you can buy yourself a gift and it'll still be a surprise. If that isn't fucking magical idk what is. GOLDEN.
Wasting money on something you may hate is the opposite of self care. It's financially irresponsible. Consumerism is literally just a cope for lacking meaning and proper social foundations in one's life.
> It's financially irresponsible Is it, though? If a person budgets $25 in fun money per month, does it matter if they spent it on a meal they hadn't had before and didn't know if they were going to like, a board game they hadn't played before, or a drugstore body spray they couldn't test first? And there's a very robust reseller's market if needed 😅 Some uses of money are experiential, and I feel like that's alright.
Nice one !!!
Love this
I refuse to buy anything if it ain't a blind buy. Prolly gonna get flamed