THIS FRAGRANCE THING.....
I fell down the rabbit hole. Willing, I might add. I have always loved fragrance. I grew up with women who had more than ten bottles at a time, drenched themselves at any given moment, and always had a perfume being brought in by a friend who had traveled from the duty-free section at the airport. It would be easy to say that eventually starting to seriously collect perfume was inevitable. Even as a young thing, I had more bottles than my mates and my mates would always say, ‘You have so much perfume!’ LOL.
Now, I will admit, I didn’t know much about fragrance. I bought them because they were pretty and they smelt good. That’s it. I didn’t have a clue about notes, sillage, and houses. Now, I am a grown woman who considers herself a very intentional beauty lover. I have a rather extensive collection of all things beauty and now knowing what I own is a part of this love.
Now, it’s not just about pretty bottles and smelling good. I now study notes, houses, and the stories behind fragrances. And I really like it. Thoroughly enjoying myself. Fragrance is connected to one of our most powerful senses. A sense, so strong that a whiff can take you back into the past, make a kitten feel like a lion, or even lull you to sleep. Immersing myself in the world of fragrance has definitely been one of the highlights of my early thirties.
Back to that part of being an intentional beauty lover. Curating a large collection of fragrances not only takes time and knowledge but also costs a pretty penny. I do wish there were some nuggets of wisdom I had known before I fell down my rabbit hole. Let me share them with you, just in case you too, wish to join me down my rabbit hole
Slow down. At the beginning of most loves, it’s heady, full-on, and unbridled. When you start collecting fragrances, it is so easy to go crazy buying fragrances especially if you have a budget to play with. Why am I asking you to do this? Simply to actually learn what you are buying. You have one nose. Take your time to learn about notes and what notes you actually like and your buying habits will be shaped by this.
Learn how to wear fragrances properly. As in proper! There is actually a technique to this. Want to smell your fragrance all day? Want folks to smell you all day? Then you have to learn how to wear fragrance well. Spoiler alert: its not as simple as a sprtiz here and there
Align your fragrance journey with your money goals and values. Look at your budget and be honest with yourself. A touchy subject but definitely worth mentioning!
Space! Have you thought about where you are going to actually put these bottles?! So overlooked but such an important part of collecting. Your storage considerations should be around aesthetics, temperature, and space
Be mindful of being influenced. This is somewhat tied to all the tips above. If you are easily influenced then be mindful about who you watch and why you watch them. If you watch channels that only do hauls and you struggle with spending then you are doing yourself a disservice. But then if you watch someone who focuses on fragrance education, then just maybe you learn even more about fragrances and make better buying choices.
Here is to rabbit holes. Full of lessons and adventures