Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Twirling For Perfume


For the first time in years, there is no perfume that I Simply Must Have.

Nope, I'm good.

After receiving three discount coupons from my favorite online perfume stores, I still think, 'meh.' 

Usually, this is a big deal.  I fill my online shopping cart, rotating items for days before making the purchase right before the sale ends. Then, I track the shipment obsessively and, once it arrives, I clutch the package to my breast and twirl around the kitchen.

Okay, that's an exaggeration.

I don't always rotate the items.

Trying to understand exactly what my current disinterest means, I have formulated several theories:

1)  I have more full bottles, decants and samples of perfume than I can possibly test, wear or write about.  Suddenly, this seems relevant.

2)  I'm overwhelmed (and underwhelmed) by the volume of new perfume releases and bored with smelling the same thing (floral, fruity, woodsy, musky) over and over again.

3)  I've rediscovered perfumes that I haven't worn for a long time, like Angel Lily, Kenzo Flower Parfum and Escada Collection.  All of these are more interesting than many of the new releases.

Honestly, I do miss the thrill of the pursuit, and the sheer pleasure of knowing a package is waiting for me on the kitchen counter.  But even at 10% off, I'm feeling a bit ho-hum about buying anything new.

Waiting for the twirling urge to return.

Picture from Fotosearch.com

16 comments:

  1. Oh, true... I seem to get nearly as excited about swap or sample packages these days as I used to get over the FB boxes! Smelling Something New is the exciting part - especially since I have no access to local sniffies, out here in the boonies. (Sigh.)

    And I too have enough perfume that I probably cannot wear it all before I die. What have I bought over the last three months? Samples. Two vintage minis off ebay, because I wanted to smell those scents and you can't find them anywhere else. Two small splits of things I really like. And a partial bottle of SL La Myrrhe, which I have loved for two years, only bringing my 3ml sample out on very very special occasions because it is HORRENDOUSLY spendy.

    That package was very exciting. I twirled.

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  2. I'm waiting for my bank account to grow! ;)

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  3. I feel guilt looking at my perfume cabinet, I will never wear it all and I have no one to leave it to, but I'm still buying. Just ordered a bottle of Roja Dove Diaghilev, unsniffed. Fingers crossed.

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  4. The thrill of the chase is often more satisfying than the kill, I find. I started categorising my samples the other day - I only made my way through the mainstream/dept store stuff and stopped counting at about 200. I reckon I have at least that again in more niche stuff. Crazy. I've never being a full bottle boy. Besides being expensive, I know I will never work my through full bottles. I own a relatively small number - about 10.

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  5. I'm starting to feel overwhelmed by all the samples I have. In my head, I hear myself saying "I need a break to catch up", but we all know talk is cheap.

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  6. I have pretty much stopped twirling now, both in a FB and a sample sense. I used to spend about $100 a month with The Perfumed Court in the first year of my "hobbit" - bet they are missing my business...

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  7. Hello Muse - thanks for your comment! I've read several of your posts about La Myrrhe and I really want to try it!

    I, too, have those precious samples and decants that must be used judiciously. That's part of what makes them so much fun.

    Twirl on!

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  8. Hi Frida - yes, the bank account certainly takes a hit, sometimes more than others!

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  9. kjanicki - the perfume guilt bug hits us all at times. Sometimes, I could care less and have no problem ignoring Inner Critic. At other times, I am faced with the reality of this perfume obsession. Perhaps slowing down for a time, and enjoying what I have, is a good thing.

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  10. Michael, you said it perfectly, the kill sometimes doesn't live up to the chase. But chase I do. You are also wise to stick to samples and decants. Even though I don't collect perfume bottles, nor do I really care what they look like (I tell myself this), there is something strangely satisfying about testing a perfume, falling in love, then purchasing the full bottle.

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  11. JoanElaine, you are right, it's sometimes overwhelming to continue sniffing, buying and collecting perfumes. Then one day you think, 'what the hell am I doing?'

    A little break is okay, even refreshing.

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  12. Flitter, what made you stop twirling? And yes, I'm sure PC misses you!

    Do you anticipate twirling again soon? Picking up your 'hobbit?'

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  13. Hi Josephine,

    It is a 60/40 combo of 1) and 2) I reckon...

    And I am hoping not to twirl again soon, excluding swaps. Or to twirl within very finite parameters, say.

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  14. I'm having this same problem right now. Thank god you wrote about it -- I thought I was losing my perfumey mind.

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  15. Hi Diana, thanks for your comment! It's always good to know we are not alone in our perfume weirdness, whether that's obsessing over the next buy or wondering where the urge has gone.

    Fortunately, it always comes back. I just placed an order with Parfum 1 - couldn't resist the 15% off sale...

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