Hey there Perfume Posse, I am a serial sampler. Yes, I grab a bunch of samples on a regular basis. Samples are an excellent way for me to try, and often try again, stuff that I like. Not sure if any of you are suffering with an enormous amount of bottles like I am. It’s coming to the point where I’m going to have to institute a one in TWO OUT rule.
Samples, Samples, Samples >> Full Bottle
There are quite a few samples around here that might be the second or third of their selves. Sometimes I order the 2ml to start with and go through it in a weekend, other times I get 5ml and it sits around here for ages having a squirt here, a few squirts there. Then there are the ones that I move on because I only like them after a few sprays but then crave them the very next week. Also, I like having the 5mls to take on holidays.
Then, sometimes I cave and buy the whole bottle. Annoyingly, that bottle may sit around here unopened. Yes, it happens a LOT. I go madly through 2ml, then 5ml and instead of buying another one I think it’s my real and true forever love and MUST have the FB. Then I am onto another grand amour and the bottle sits lonely and neglected.
Samples >> Full Bottle
Here are a couple of my multi sample buys that flipped into well loved and used full bottles.
IUNX Splash Forte: Yes this smooth, cool incense fragrance is one of my go-tos. I meant to buy the 150ml bottle in Paris this year because my 20ml bottle is nearly empty but we ran out of time. Next year definitely
Guerlain Paris – Moscow: I had a couple of decants of Paris – Moscow and was always going to buy a bottle but by the time I got around to it, GONE!!! So I trawled the FaceBook ale pages and finally found a bottle. It’s nearly empty so if anyone has a bottle they don’t love please get in touch.
Hermès Eau d’Orange Vert: Yes, this one has been a constant decant in my collection. No, I’m not sure why I hadn’t just bought a FB but when I saw the 15ml Cologne Set on the blogs at Xmas last year I knew this was the way I would get a bottle into my collection.
DIOR Mitzah: OMG! This beautiful baby was another that I’d gone through a couple of smaller decants. I wanted a bottle desperately but had been holding off on the purchase. Then the D/C news came in. I was frantic but did finally snaffle a bottle at Galleries Lafayette, the DIOR girl then was fabulous and loaded us with samples and really took great care of us.
I buy most of my samples & decants at Surrender To Chance
So what have you sampled and then bought a bottle of?
Portia xx
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Hi Portia, you and me must the last owners of a full bottle of Mitzah, I snatched up the last one in the Brussels Dior Boutique about a year ago. Its so lovely another incomprehensible d/c…xx
Most of the time I don’t buy full bottles anymore. I find that even a few mL can be enough to hold me for a very long time and then if it doesn’t I’m much more likely to get a decant on the order of 20-30 mL. But I do have a list of my samples to full bottles, mostly from my earlier days in perfumery when I still bought in larger volumes. But all still very much loved. I think the only addition would be Jolie Madame, which i received as a gift not too long ago 🙂
Here’s a list! https://listmimsy.wordpress.com/tag/full-bottle/
Hey Connie,
Interesting. Yeah, you’re right. 5 or 10ml can last a lifetime.
Portia xx
The last bottle of perfume I bought was L’Heure de Nuit after going partially through a sample. It doesn’t seem to get a lot of love but I think that it’s a well done flanker. Pity that it’s been discontinued. I have bought a lot of full bottles after going through a decant or two. I just love decants
Hey Eldarwen22,
I had no idea that L’Heure de Nuit was Dcd. ASSHOLES! I love that one. thank goodness I have a bottle. PHEW!
Portia xx
I’ve been going through this with the almond Prada Infusion – spray sample, then a 5 ml decant, and now an 8 ml mini. I hope I can hold out and avoid a full bottle. Glad I’m not alone here. The struggle is real, lol.
HA! Tiffany, you are hilarious.
The struggle IS REAL!
Portia xx
I have sampled and purchased YSL Black Opium and Opuim Shock! I have so many samples and full bottles in my room that I am trying to hold off on buying a full bottle of something until I finish until I finish a bottle of my other fragrances. But, who am I kidding as long as they keep making intoxicating fragrances I may never use up a full bottle of anything!
HA! Nelle. I 100% get it.
Good luck with the conundrum.
Portia xx
These days, I only purchase the travel or rollerball size if available, and then only if I truly LOVE a fragrance. There is no point in purchasing full bottles if I don’t have to, I will never get through them all before I die and also I have had some turn–I just cannot abide waste. With samples, I log, review and pass on to others. Every one, every time… this way, I have room for new ones and there is always a million I want to try, my list never seems to get shorter! 🙂
Clever Otamom,
Yeah, having too much is a frequent perfumista complaint. Nice way to get around it.
Portia xx
Lessee — I’ve caved and bought Papillon’s Salome, Neela Vermeire’s Ashoka, and Chanel No 19, and hunted down bottles of vintage Miss Dior and vintage Mitsouko after going through decants of them quickly. Lately, I’m trying to decide about SL’s Fleurs d’Oranger and Guerlain’s Cuir Beluga, but the latter is more of a fall/winter scent, so I have a while to decide.
Hiya HeidiC,
What a fav list of sample to FB. We have very similar tastes. Everything you mention is FB in my collection, except Salome and it’s on the list to buy.
Portia xx
I have a problem with American perfumers. First they are so hard to find in Europe, second the transport costs are almost as much as a FB, so I’m happy and grateful to perfumistas from the States who have sent me some samples to start exploring. That way I fell in love with Antonia’s Flowers Tiempe Passate (and bought a FB after the second sample), Charenton Macerations ( after a sample of Christopher Street, I’ve ordered a FB and got a sample of Asphalt Rainbow in the order – I think I need a FB of that too…) and then there’s Bruno Fazzolari (I have a sample set and want to order Seyrig, but it seems that it’s not being produced at the moment – maybe I should thank heaven for it…or order another perfume from his line, like Feu Secret 😀 )
Hi there Neva,
Yes, world shipping costs are becoming excruciating. I hear you.
Gosh, you have really cool taste in fragrance.
Portia xx
I have sampled most of the Sonoma Scent Studio line and thanks to the 17ml size option I have bottles of Champagne de Bois and Equestrian. I also went for a bottle of Dame Sky Father after draining a tiny sample in 3 days. My most recent sample to bottle is Alahine, on sale!
Hey MMKinpa,
SSS is a lovely house, have you tried their Rose Musc or Tabac Aurea? They’re the ones I have bottles of. Lovely.
ALAHINE is fabulous too. Isn’t it good when they have a sale?
Portia xx
Nuit de Tubereuse – instant love, bought immediately. Dzongkha – puzzlement and dislike, but compelled me to sample repeatedly – became a deep love. JM Orris & Sandalwood -sampled and tested repeatedly, had to buy it. Mitzah – love at first sniff, bought the huge bottle, then heard it was dc’d so I bought a second one. Tauer PHI Rose de Kandahar – fell in love, thought it was a limited edition, bought five bottles. :-0. I have enough perfume to last me to the end, so I’m doing one in one out now. Plus trying to give some away, and limiting purchases. 🙂
Hey TaraC,
Nuit de Tubéreuse is bloody lovely. I have a bottle here too. When I get it out of its box it stays out and gets worn a lot but then it goes away and I forget about it.
Mitzvah!!! My dear true love. What a fragrance.
Year, I wish I was able to part with more of my lovelies.
Portia xx
I don’t want more large bottles of anything and I am enamored of indies that sell smaller bottles. I have Zoologist Civet and Hummingbird travel bottles that I bought after buying samples. My most recent purchase is En Voyage perfumes Fiore di Bellagio which I fell in love with after going through two large samples, one of which was a sample included with another purchase from En Voyage. I’m very fond of decants too, often 5ml is the perfect size and STC has been having some great sales lately!
Hey Rosarita313,
We perfumistas love our smaller sizes. In the Middle East & Russia that want 100m or MORE. I wish more companies would bring out 15ml bottles, with not too much of a price hike.
I think I’ll make this a post in the near future. Thanks.
Portia xx
I sampled Houbigant and then bought Oranger en Fleurs. Do I wear it a lot? Well, no…but I am still glad I own the bottle! I guess I will have a lot of bottles (mostly vintage) to dispense with eventually. I thought of leaving them in my will, but none of my relations are much interested in fragrance. 🙁
Hey Queen Cupcake,
I’ve never smelled Oranger en Fleurs, is it a soapy orange flower? They’re my favourite.
Portia xx
Portia, I am always confused about the “soapy” description…I think it is a lighter, brighter cousin to SL’ Fleurs d’Oranger, if you know that one. It’s a happy scent, starting off with orange flowers with other white flowers sneaking in. I put some on this morning (about an hour ago) so if I get a “soapy” vibe, I will report back!
Hi there Queen Cupcake,
Soapy is in reference to the many orange blossom soaps that come out. They have a fattiness, a creamy lather of soap smell that sends my mind thinking of functional fragrance. I quite like it but many perfumistas are not so lucky. I describe it very badly but my mind has an image.
Portia xx
Portia, that is a great description–thanks! I am definitely one who likes some soapy frags. I wore the Houbigant Orangers en Fleurs, which lasted all day on me. It was a little soapy but toward the end of the day, I got a really persistent vetiver…wasn’t expecting that!
A few years back I bought Parfum d’Empire Equistrius after ordering a sample set. Since I love it so much I went back and retried the remaining samples and fell in love with Azemour Les Orangers. I bought another 2ml decant and finished that off. While I was in Paris last December I stopped in at Jovoy. The price of the bottle in euros was less expensive than the price in dollars here in the states, so I bought a bottle to bring back with me. The sales associate also gave me a 10ml travel spray. Since December, I’ve worn it more than any other perfume I own.
Hey Tatiana,
A house close to my heart. I will go back and try my Azemour Les Orangers. If you love it, and it came from Parfum d’Empire then I’ll probably adore it too.
Portia xx
Most recently–MCMC Hunter. I had sampled it at least three times, quite liked it, and kept meaning to buy one, and then I had a 20% off code and bought it, and now I’m addicted.
Hi AKA JoannaW
LOVE a 20% off code. It’s often a dirty enabler for me too. Congratulations on your purchase.
Portia xx