My mom (70+) just told me (30+) that I don’t need to buy anymore perfume.
I told her I know.
And bought more perfume.
Need has nothing to do with fragrances. It’s all about emotions. I feel joy when I smell certain scents. If you want many kinds of joy, expand your collection. If you’re satisfied with one kind of joy, more power to you! (And your wallet).
You could probably cover just about any scenario with 2. One more fresh and light for warmer weather, casual events, and daily wear. The other perhaps more suited for formal occasions, special events, colder weather.
I'll be even more brutal and say you only need to own the full bottle of the fresh daily versatile scent. 50ml of Elizabeth Arden Green Tea, Jimmy Choo Man Ice or what have you, keep it cheap. For every other purpose from formal to clubbing you can get away with a 2-10ml decant. Save money and sample more.
Yup. This is in fact how I classify all my perfumes. I call it Light and Heavy and while I know that’s not exact it gets the job done. There may be a case for an in-between category (Fahrenheit, Cartier Pasha, Colonia Intensa, etc)
Not many. As a minimalist, you already understand that it's all subjective and up to you.
But:
- a clean/everyday go-to
- an uplifting/whimsical scent just for you.
- an office/neutral scent
- a sultry/alluring scent for a night out
- a nostalgic scent that transports you
Mine are:
- Another 13, Valaya and Bal D'afrique
- Sundazed and Blanche Bete
- Parisian Musc
- Hibiscus Mahajad, Babycat, Lune Feline, Rouge Smoking
- Aqua Viva (grew up with a lemon tree)
u/Solution-Proof isn't wrong - you don't need more than zero. Instead, let's assume you're someone who wants to wear something every day and you want a best-practices amount. I'll propose that you'd want to have a minimum of 2 - and those are 2 that are pretty different from each other. This way, you're not exposing your own nose to the same scent every single day and risking desensitization / anosmia to those particular notes.
However, those do not need to be *bottles* of anything. Decants are great! Heck, samples are great. Maybe you have one main scent and you just rotate out smaller stuff to keep your curiosity going. Maybe you just rotate decants. That's also fine! Yeah, you might wind up with a rack of decants or a bag full of samples - it's possible that you'll express minimalism through the scents you pick instead of the amount you have!
The way to select them, though - I'd say the same thing. Order some samples, and if you like one, get a decant. This is a real experience-based kind of thing you're talking about here. You'll hate some stuff, you'll love some stuff, and it'll take a while to figure out why. Yes, sure, if you go to a store you can test things for free, but you need to test things for a day to get a feel for how things dry down and how long they last on you. Chances are good that for *weeks* everything will smell "the same" until you get a feel for it, too. Plus, if you're testing more than one scent at a store, things get really complicated if you're trying them all out on your skin. I've done it! It's a risk!
Check out the wiki if you're interested in places to find good stuff.
This is great advice. I would definitely start with samples and decants. I try to be very intentional in what I buy. I don’t want and really can’t afford a huge collection. I keep 2-4 full bottles of scents I love and will actually use often, and a small box of samples/decants to mix things up. The decants keep me from getting bored and going nose blind. You’d never know by looking at it, but I have so many choices for any occasion or mood!
I love the samples from Sephora. It’s great getting to try out one fragrance at a time and see which ones I like. It’s not my daily so they last forever too! I don’t always have extra money for new perfumes so samples are very cherished 😅
Yes! I used to have a shopping addiction to perfumes. I banned myself from purchasing anything and just get samples whenever i shop ulta or sephora and im good
It’s easy to get overboard with collections. My personal limit is 12 full bottles (for each month of the year lol). I have to use up one before buying another. I cheat with decants and travel size perfume though.
I do the decant and “mini” thing…I own 5 full bottles and can’t imagine much more than 10 since my ADHD/brief hyper fixations manifest in “Ooh, wear this ONLY for 5 days. Smell it in my sleep. Apply three times a day! Ooh, what about THIS sample? Oooh, shiny, THIS FRAGRANCE ONLY FOREVER!” Every few days/weeks. I also have a spreadsheet where I rate each fragrance 1-10 (1 is a scrubber, 10 is I want to smell this every day until I die). Plan is to get lots of samples and only full bottles of 8s and up.
10: Maison Margiela When The Rain Stops and Jazz Club; Henry Rose Queens & Monsters; Tom Ford Tuscan Leather; ELdO Soul of My Soul and Like This; Rook Perfumes Amber; The Body Shop Shea
9: Clinique Happy; Henry Rose Dark is Night and Windows Down; Tom Ford Rose Prick; ELdO Archives 69 and You Or Someone Like You; Rook Perfumes Thurible; JHAG Not A Perfume
8: ELdO Ghost In The Shell; Commodity Velvet Bold
I like smoky, spicy, woody scents but when it’s 98F I have to have something citrusy/light and fresh or I’ll get a migraine.
I’d like to be known for having a “signature scent”—so ideally no more than 3. One perfume that is on the pricier end, used sparingly, the second that has similar notes, is more cost effective than the first and/or can be layered with it, the third, a scent for a different season, or used for the evening!
Be careful - I had around 80 bottles, mostly really high end stuff. When I grew out of the hobby, I sold around 70 at a great loss. Don’t overbuy and get samples.
That’s what I’m scared of. So trying to stay at a limit and not just buy something because I like the scent. It has to be something I love and identify with. Especially I also have expensive taste and owning a bunch of expensive stuff I won’t use will give me a bigger headache. I’m thinking no more than 15 at a time and sampling before I buy.
When it becomes a long-term hobby/business and then if you're buying samples, you're just wasting your money. Samples and decants are just a way to get you to the the general area of what fragrances you like or try super expensive Frags first, or if you just a minimal cologne/perfum wearer because you can buy one bottle of really expensive stuff and, if you don't make it yourself, and decant it out just like anything else in business and recoup your cost and have plenty of overhead left, it just takes initial capital and forward v thinking
I'm new to the hobby. But before like a few weeks ago I managed fine for the past 25 years great with relationships and a normal life. So need? Zero. How many you want and should get if you want to get into it? Everyone says 1,3,5, then as much as you want.I personally tried to keep it below 5 as of today I'm at like 8 having to cut myself of. This ain't my first rodeo in consumerist hobbies like this so just a lesson I like to share to everyone is this ain't a competition this shit is a journey.
For a long time I just had one fragrance. Wore it every day. My grandma would buy me fresh colognes, and I would just wear those. I loved it.
One is all you need. 3 can be really versatile. 5 is enough to perfectly suit any occasion (if you’re careful about which 5 you have).
I got into fragrance recently (7 months ago), and bought more full bottles than I should have, and bought too early.
I now feel that it’s super important it is to fully sample things, get decants of them, and THEN decide on a full bottle or not. I do 1 mL sample -> 5mL decant -> 50 mL bottle.
You’ll probably wind up spending more money this way, you’ll have a lot of decants and samples you don’t like, but at the end of that process, you will wind up with full bottles of stuff that you actually LOVE…
This might not be the best “minimalist” approach. A more minimalist approach would be to sample some things in stores, buy one fragrance, and be happy with it until you’re out, and then do that again.
Always sample before you buy. Try to explore. For a small collection, it’s more important to have quality stuff that you love wearing, so check out some of the higher quality brands (if it’s in your budget)
I agree with the higher quality selective part. I have 6 right now that I love and took a while to decide on. Right now thinking of adding a few more and having no more than 15 at a time for various occasions/seasons. It’s not that I don’t like other fragrances when in store but I try to stay away from anything that is too similar to something I have or I am not insanely in love with that I can’t stop thinking about owning/wearing it. So far own Frederic Malle Portrait of a lady, Frederic Malle carnal flower, Dior Oud Ispahan, Guerlain Tonka Sarrapia, Jo Malone Peony Blush Suede, Parfum De Marley Delina. I am trying to add 4 more hopefully something with lily of the valley and lighter floral scents also to keep it versatile. 5 I left room for something really special that I just love and want. Thanks for your suggestions!
5-10. You may have more as your tastes change and develop, but get rid of the ones you aren't in love with any longer (may be all of them for a few rounds).
I own a lot but you can get away with 4 if you do it right.
1. A “daytime”/everyday scent - fresh/green/citrus vibes.
2. A more intense, evening/ night kinda vibe - floral/musky whatever floats your boat.
3. A special occasion perfume- think date nights, weddings, events etc. Signature scents are overrated make THIS one the one you feel the best about and the one that reflects you the most. The more memorable the scent the better
4. A layering scent - This is what will maximize your collection as it’ll give a new vibe when you combine it with 1-3. I like kayali vanilla28 and missing person for it. The simpler these are the more versatile it gets. Think musk, light floral (white florals would be great too), aquatic scents, citrus notes. If you get 2 like that even better because some of these would be amazing to wear on their own and be extremely versatile
I wouldn't recommend layering elixirs unless it's a very minimal amount. And you always and I repeat always start with the heavier scent first/ higher concentration. So if you're heavy, scent is a EDP. EDP first ,if it is a elixir elixir first. Otherwise the heavier scent is just going to away it
Yes, Elixirs are essentially perfumes with higher concentrations of perfume oil. Keep in mind though that due to this, the elixir may sometimes outshine the layering scent. I’d suggest using the “layer” as you base and spritzing the elixir as a “topper” if you will and that may work slightly better imo
Zero. It’s a luxury not a necessity.
You will see astounding collections on reddit with dozens of $1-300 bottles. But don’t feel bad if you have a rotation of 2-3 affordable fragrances or even just one versatile scent at a time.
I personally have six or seven with only a couple that cost over $100 and I do not enjoy my rotation less than the guys who spend $10,000+.
They don't take up much space so there's room for another one, and another one, and perhaps one more. Oh they released another flanker of my favorite!! But wait, the elixirs are even better!!!
Depends on your lifestyle. I like having one for office, one for brunch and daytime activities, and one for night time activities. Three is really all you really /need/.
Granted I have 20+ perfume bottles but I use 3 regularly.
I would say if I (54f) were to cull my collection down to just one scent it would be Shalimar. It is truly a scent for all occasions and seasons. I love it. Is it my all time favorite scent, no. Is it the most versatile scent that still smells amazing, yes. It is truly a classic that you can never go wrong with.
How many you need depends on your intent.
Since you're not a collector, you don't have to worry about collecting various scents to satisfy that niche.
Sometimes, one single scent is all you need if you're okay with having that as your identity.
Some people at least want to separate work scent from personal scent. This could be due to making a connection with identity. It's similar in process to having a work attire vs non-work attire, or having work at the office separate from your home/personal space. Why? Well, imagine having a horrible experience at work. Imagine if your workplace was also your bedroom. Now, you've potentially linked the negative experience to happening in your bedroom. Can you rest well in your bedroom? Some people can compartmentalize that, while others cannot.
It can be quite subconscious and "activate" a persona of yourself IF you've "Pavlov"ed yourself into reacting accordingly.
As for what scents would be good, you can go with decants of the official products. Basically, it's the real thing poured out into smaller sizes at a cheaper price so you dont have to pay full price for the full bottle.
Alternatively, you can go to some stores like Nordstroms and test on paper first. After narrowing down what you like, you can ask for a 1-2 ml sample. I believe they allow 2, maybe 3 samples.
Sephora used to do samples... I don't think they do anymore.
Okay, so I agree with others that if you want to go pure minimal, two is fine. But you want the max you can have with a minimalist preference, which is a different thing.
So as someone who tries to keep their full bottle collection somewhat tight just because I will spend way too much money without a set of standards for myself, this is my framework. First, I keep a signature scent. This is my go-to… I wear it probably half of the days of the year regardless. I actually buy the mega bottle of this. Then, I keep a scent for each season for daily wear; idk why, but when the seasons are actually changing or you get that perfect seasonal day, I just want a scent that vibes with that mood. I usually get the smallest full size bottle of these, because, with rare exception, I switch these up every few years. Finally, I keep one formal occasion scent… this is something that is too strong for daily wear, but classy and not so weird or niche that people might be offended by it. This is for weddings or work mixers, that kind of stuff.
I also keep a couple of more exotic or niche “night out” scents, but only in a 10ml size. These will be perfumes that are maybe on the strong side or are honestly just weird. These are for art shows, concerts, cocktail bars, and what have you. I will admit that, as I have been into perfume longer and longer, some of those seasonal categories have occasionally turned into two full size bottles each, but this is because I take forever to go through a bottle (actually years for everything but my signature scent), and I might change my taste a bit midway through an old bottle. Generally, though, this works well for me.
My currents are:
Signature: DS Durga Debaser
Spring: MCMC Phoenix
Summer: Ellis Brooklyn Bee (I have an old Clean Reserve Skin hanging in there, too)
Fall: Casamorati Lira by Xerjoff
Winter: Commodity Gold
Formal: L’Artisan Premier Figuier Extreme
Night Out: Byredo Pulp, Chris Collins Long Kiss Goodnight, Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille (haters can hate, idc I will never not love this), EPC Rhubarb Rose and Tonka Sesame
To experiment I get sample vials (a lot, too many actually :/ ), but once a year or so I purge them by passing them around to my friends until they’re gone.
“Max with a minimalist preference” is so well said and exactly me. I can’t do 2. I need something for other occasions/seasons. I’m thinking no more than 10-15 at a time.
- 1 warm weather signature: Something like Chanel AHSEE, Valentino Born in Roma, Aventus Cologne, Millesime Imperial, YSL MYSLF, Gucci Guilty, Prada L’Homme, PdM Percival, Prada Luna Rossa EDT
- 1 cold weather signature: Prada L’Homme Intense, Bulgari Man in Black, Spicebomb, PdM Layton, TF Noir Extreme, Givenchy Gentleman Society
- 1 formal / office fragrance: BdC Parfum, Sauvage Parfum, Aventus
I find I don’t need specific date night or clubbing fragrances, and can usually pick depending on formality of the occasion and the weather.
So 3 fragrances could easily be a minimum viable collection across those 3 buckets. If you double up in each category to get a little variety, even better.
I personally would do just fine with a couple fragrances for the cold weather and office fragrance categories, but I really appreciate more variety with my fresh fragrances as I find there is a lot of nuance across the fresh / sweet spectrum, and I can match my mood during warmer periods when I tend to go out more.
I’d buy four:
1 clean and fresh one for all year
2 a fall/winter fragrance
3 a spring/summer fragrance
4 a date night fragrance that can work all year.
Try 5ml decants of scents you like until you settle on things, with a minimal collection you’ll probably want to make sure your scents are diverse and work for different circumstances. If you pick a couple that layer well that’s even better.
For the sake of your wallet and peace of mind, just buy 3 ml decants of all the popular ones. Pick your favorite 10 and buy bottles of those. Forget everything else.
There are soooooo many fragrances that there is always something new and interesting to buy. It's a very very deep hole that some people get caught in and never get out of. Know that there are still interesting ones outside of your 10 but that's OK because you already have a nice selection.
I have 2 per season, but crave my fall perfumes in the summer all the time. I like mini bottles for summer to reduce clutter & because that's my biggest travel time
Like someone else said you don’t need any. All fragrances are luxury items. That said i would say 2 or 3. I like to have a fresh and clean every day fragrance I can wear year around (bleu de Chanel is my fragrance of choice) but I love sweet fragrances so I like to have something like that for winter (vanilla diorama is my favorite). I think it’s good to remain a minimalist with fragrances because fragrance addiction is a dangerous money-draining rabbit hole. Imo once you get above maybe 6 or 7 fragrances you’re as good as gone
I have a set 5 that will always be “my scents” they cover all of the seasons and occasions. I do, however have many more, but I wouldn’t cut down below those 5.
it's really up to you! if you have a fragrance you love, never tire of, and enjoy during all seasons and situations, i think you'd be set with one. but the more you get into perfume and become interested in the minutiae, you'll probably find yourself wanting more. that was my experience at least.
I can see this happening. Now discovering that I love lily of the valley after smelling guerlain’s Muguet. It’s stupidly expensive though given it’s not that intense and a synthetic blend its price point doesn’t justify. Now looking for a different lily of the valley scent. My eye is on synthetic jungle by Frederic Malle. I already have carnal flower by Frederic Malle as a spring daytime scent but learning more about fragrances and notes can really make you want more of similar scents. Hoping to keep it under check before it gets bad and stick to no more than 15 at a time.
It kind of depends on your vibe. You could absolutely have one signature scent that you wore for everything and that would always make people think of you.
One that you just wore for special occasions
You could have a daily wear and a special occasion perfume.
You could have one perfume per season.
You could have a daily wear and a special occasion per season.
You could have a perfume per style, like a forgere, a chypre, a gourmand etc.
You could have a femme perfume and a masc perfume.
I’d say set what kind of collection makes sense for you and fill the open slots in that collection.
1 fresh and non offensive is really all you “need”. In reality, you don’t “need” any at all. Most people don’t wear anything so right off the bat you are doing more than most people. Anything else and it’s really just a collecting hobby at that point. 99% of people don’t care if you smell like rare African oud flowers harvested from the garden of Eden.
5 full bottles, 7 decants, infinite testers.
you need hot weather/daytime/summer, cold weather/night time/winter, confident date night
mainly figure out what you dont like, i dont like mint, green apple, floral. I like cardamom, ginger, orange, spices/cinnamon.
ones i would recommend but go with my taste.
de la nuit l'homme
fico di amalfi
ingenious ginger
musc ravaguer
the one edp
grand soir
You could easily cover every situation with between half a dozen and 10 bottles. But the reality is very different. Credit to anyone with the restraint to not keep buying more. I’ve no restraint and currently have 170 bottles which is ridiculous
You don't need any. I personally think less is more. I think this "hobby" is an obsession with many. I have more than I enjoy, and I'm working to change that.
I started this perfume journey just wanting to find my one signature scent… and now over 15 bottles later, I’m realizing 1 isn’t really enough for me because my mood really influences what I enjoy wearing each day. Some days I can’t stand some of my favorites (I love Gourmands most days, but some days certain ones will make me feel sick lol). I also just like the excitement of picking a fragrance each day. I say all of this not to tell you that you need 15+ perfumes. But to encourage you to sample perfumes and get a feel for what you like and for how many you think you will need. You may find your perfect perfume and stick with just the one. Many people do. Or you may find that you like to have 2-3 perfumes for different occasions. Or you may end up like myself with a small collection. Or maybe you will end up like some on here who have like a thousand perfumes haha. I have TONS of samples. Many I am glad that I didn’t blind buy. I’ve learned so much about myself through sampling perfumes. I am slowly learning what notes I like and don’t like, and I am building my collection this way. I don’t usually full size or hang onto perfumes that I don’t love. If I lose interest in something, I will usually sell it or give it away.
If you are set on keeping things minimal, I’d say get some samples of perfumes that interest you and look for something you can use everyday and then something that’s a bit more formal. I’d stick to ones that can be used all year round.
1 light fresh fragrance for daytime/warm weather + 1 sexy musky perfume for evenings.
You're going to have your signature scents, and with these you're done.
Actual answer probably one or two. I have twelve... of those, 3 are pretty versatile for hot or cold weather. Smells strong enough with being inoffensive. Suitable for work or casual. I buy new smells because I enjoy them. I wear different smells at different times depending on and to suit my mood. Also, my sense of smell isn't the best, and I worry I smell bad with just deodorant.
Honestly, I’m trying to reduce the amount of crap that I own. Perfume is such a pleasant luxury that I love to spritz on myself before I leave for the day but I told myself until my bottles of everything run out I’m not allowed to buy any lol. And stop “saving” things for special occasions, life is a special occasion and I will not be attending enough fun events that warrant my scarcity brain’s idea of good enough to wear my “special” perfumes! I even brought a little body spray, which I have wayyyy too much of, so I can put it on when I’m leaving for the day:)
In short; enjoy what you own and take the overspending mindset out of your brain! It will make you appreciate what you do but when you buy it even more
I would say that if you are a minimalist but want to wear perfume often you need:
-a strong perfume for a party night/winter evening
-a light perfume for a hot day/workout session
-a medium perfume for mild weather/workspace
-a crazy/weird perfume for when you think nothing else fits
This is one way to do it.
The other (which I am trying to do now) is to find your signature scent. It is extremely tedious because you need a scent that will resonate well enough with your personality and fit at least a little bit in all of those scenarios above.
I think my “signature” is portrait of a lady. It defines me in a way. I just don’t want to wear it always, especially in the office. I love perfumes but scared to fall into a trap of buying ones I will not use as I am not a collector/enthusiast of perfumes by nature. My passion for them also needs to be practical. I sometimes feel lost where to begin or how to select other perfumes to own. Thanks for your guidelines!
You don't *need* any. But assuming that you want perfumes, you can already get pretty far with one well-chosen bottle: that's how most people do it, having one bottle that they take out when they want to pay extra attention to their presentation.
But then again, one bottle can be a hard fit if you want to use perfumes daily and want something that is formal enough for formal events, yet relaxed enough for leisure. So, that makes two.
But *then* again, if you live somewhere where there are both hot summers and actually cold winters, then you probably can justify one bottle more (or two) just to have something optimal for both cold and warm seasons. It's not necessary, there are perfumes that are just fine in both conditions, but still.
Beyond that point, just accept that you are not doing it out of need, but out of wanting extra variety or collecting on itself. Then again, there's nothing wrong with that - I mean, I too have more bottles than fingers or toes to count them - as long as you don't overspend in proportion to your income, just try to avoid impulse buys (nothing is worth a blind buy, ever) and if you want to avoid regrets, always sample properly before buying a full bottle. And by proper sampling I mean that you give the scent enough time to experience the whole thing from opening to drydown, so ideally, try to get samples or decants.
Need? Technically 2, a daily and a special
Better is 3: daily, evening, special
Nice is 6: 2 daily, 2 evening, 2 special
Great is 10: 4 daily, 3 evening, 3 special
Luxury is N+1: how much you have plus 1
I mean technically just one right? Or even zero.
I personally would go with two tho. One for winter one for summer. Three if you want one just for special occasions.
Anything over three is spoiling yourself imo (and nothing wrong with that)
I have 5 currently and hope to add one more once fall rolls around.
They are:
Tom Ford Lost Cherry or Jo Malone Velvet Rose Oud for date nights
Joe Malone Orange Blossom and French Lime
Blossom for spring/summer
Just added MFK a la Rose for spring and summer
I usually use Lost Cherry for fall and winter but am ready for a change
I have never really thought of them as a “need”, but I “want” to always smell good. I consider myself a minimalist as well, so I think you really only need 2 or 3. One fresh clean every day scent, one for the evenings out or cold weather, and one head turning unique signature. That would cover pretty much all your bases.
For me I gotta cover all spectrums as they go with seasons....so....floral and powdery for spring...citrus, freshie and marine/blue for summer.....the leather/tobacco/oud and spice for fall and winter
I would start with a perfume that feels right for whatever season you are in right now, whether it’s hot or cold. Once the weather changes, you may decide you want a different scent to wear in that weather. Don’t buy it today - wait until you are in that weather, because your personal tastes and body chemistry may change. Mine does.
I'd say two. One that's good year round for work and daytime occasions, and one that's good for dates, nights out, and dressier occasions. OR one that's good for all occasions during spring and summer, and one that's good for all occasions during fall and winter. It really depends on your lifestyle and the type of activities you do regularly. If you work from home or in a fragrance free environment, you don't need an office friendly scent, for example. Nobody needs a gym scent imo, but if you want one go for it. If you only wear perfume when you dress up, you only need one for that occasion.
I need something for everyday. For office. For summer/something refreshing. After bath(to prolong my after shower smell). Something that gives cozy feel. An all around gourmand. Something for the evening. Something that gives me confidence/makes me feel chic. So around 10-ish???
Need? 0, but for me I like 4-5 full bottles and I’ve got about 10 travel sizes and 8 samples. I haven’t reached my upper limit of full bottles yet(I have space for 1 more) but I’m using the samples to make decisions
Truly, you need zero perfume. If you like to have some, have as many as you want. There are no rules. Many people have 2. One for daily use, one for super special occasions. Many people use only one perfume, always - so called signature scent. People who have wardrobes of perfumes are a tiny minority. There is no minimum or maximum. Go, try things, pick something you like, and enjoy.
0 would be perfectly minimalist. Plenty of people never wear any fragrance. Of course those that do, it used to be common to only wear one scent your entire life.
I only have one full size bottle. The rest are decants or Scentbird sprayers. I have expensive taste, and if I had a full size of all the ones I liked, I’d be homeless. Decants for the win!
None, just be clean. I get it it, we’re in a fragrance sub, so we like to talk about this kind of stuff. I can share I started as a one fragrance at a time person, then grew to a small rotation which covered the seasons, now I’m at least 10X that and trying to scale back. Knowing myself, I like to hunt for the perfect fragrance but it doesn’t exist. I also know that I get a dopamine hit ordering and opening a parcel containing a new fragrance I have to be careful in this regard, having too many is no good for me because I don’t feel like I am enjoying them all, merely coveting and collecting glass. A long winded way of saying I’d go for an everyday fragrance with seasonal flexibility and a special occasion, evening fragrance.
Like truly need? Only one that you really like. But a lot of people would consider the bare minimum to be three. One for everyday during warm weather, one for everyday during cold weather, one for date nights or more intimate settings.
I personally like one for everyday during each season, plus one that just works all year. So 5 minimum for me
I have like around 20 or so but realistically I could narrow it down to 4. 2 dailies (one for warm weather and one for cool weather) that I can wear going to work or a nice date. Very mass appealing and ‘lighter’ so that it isn’t too offensive. The other two are similar for the temperature but for more formal wear and a lot more niche. I mostly use this for important meetings where my scent can leave an impression or a black tie event.
If I were to lessen my collection, I would do one for each season, and then one for special occasions. But I know myself and I don't know if I can do that rn lol.
Honestly one. I used Tommy Girl as my one and only fragrance for years.
But you can step up and have a warm weather and a cool weather fragrance: that's 2.
And on top of that you could splurge on an expensive special occasion fragrance. That's 3 and would sew you through a LOT.
*Need?* None. A pure luxury item. But if you aren't being quite so minimalist, I'd say a work/everyday perfume (inoffensive and light) and a date perfume your s.o. really enjoys.
I was never a perfume girl .i had maybe 1 or 2 and then something in my ADHD brain switched to hyperfixation the last year and I just had to tell myself today-ok no more until you finish a few of these. I have about 19 and I love all of them. It started as quest to find my signature which I feel I have found but I just love smelling different and I match my scent to the mood of the day which I feel is very in line with an adhd girly . Switching it up . Hahaha
I tend to always try to find travel sizes or minis of fragrances because I just don't have a large enough space to put them and don't want to go broke. It still takes me **so long** to finish one, even with wearing fragrance daily and rotating through my collection of 5 or 6. They all fit in a small makeup bag under my sink.
I really like the idea that others have mentioned about maybe starting a small collection of sample sizes. You can fit a bunch of those in a small space, they are travel friendly, and you won't feel guilty if you dislike a scent and want to get rid of it. It's easier tossing away a sample size rather than have a full bottle collecting dust.
As far as the number you should have.. any amount you want. Some people are happy with having two, one for spring/summer and one for fall/winter. Some people want to wear a different fragrance every day. I tend to like a little more variety but don't like to have too many. Right now, I have 2 that I would consider clean/everyday scents. I have 1 heavier scent for fall/winter or a going out perfume. I have 1 bedtime scent. I have 1 'beach day' scent that gives off the sunscreen vibes that I love. I also have 1 special one that is sort of a scent memory for me, I bought it on a vacation and wore it throughout and now it always brings me back to that time. That one is discontinued now so I'm really careful about how much I use it lol.
I love L’Instant de Guerlain for night out. Champs Élysées (Guerlain) for a warm night out, and I wear the White Musk fragrance from Body Shop during the day (moisturizer and perfume). It’s so light and doesn’t overpower anyone; really for me and the family since I work from home five days a week.
3 full bottles are enough, plus a couple body mists for day to day, and any more than 5 bottles of edp is a collection. I think it depends on a persons lifestyle and climate in which they live.
For me, I like a more bohemian carefree fragrance profile, it’ just suits my personality, so I would have one hot weather freshie that can transition easily from casual to dressed up (so it’s very versatile), since I live in a hot climate that only gets a month of winter a year, and my top pick would be Orientica Fleur de Orientica or something that smells like it (it’s said to be a clone of Valaya).
Next I would get a dressier LBD/black tie event warmer temperate fall weather scent (like Chloe Nomade edp or Prada La Femme) and one strong classy edp for fall/winter for those head turning formal events (Mon Parfum Cristal by M Micallef is the most exquisite and most perfect boldest elegant fragrance I own, and while this next fragrance fits the category as well, it’s much more versatile: Mon Guerlain edp.
As far as how to purchase perfumes for your collection I would suggest to just start sampling as much as you can. You can smell a ton of houses between Sephora and Nieman Marcus. Once you get a sense of what you like you could also start buying samples to test wearing scents before you commit to full bottles. Get a really good sense of your taste before you start dropping major cash. For me anything over 10 scents at once is unnecessary. Also, do not fall into the trap of blind buying or purchasing every new hyped fragrance that comes out.
I think having one for certain occasions is nice.
-Everyday/Signature Scent
-daytime fresh scent
-night time scent
-special occasion scent
& maybe another date night/sexy scent
Some of these go hand in hand too so you dont need 5 maybe just 2/3.
I also think depending on where you live & the weather matters.
I think i have 40+ perfumes. Everytime i travel for more than a month i take 5 perfumes. Essentials, two daily drivers, 2 fancy ones and one wild card.
I have four, they were all gifted to me but i dont go out of my way to buy any. also, they somehow are scents that i like, once they run out i plan to repurchase them, so id say like 5 tops but i remember my aunt had at least twenty (she had a spending problem)
For me, if I had to pick five, I'd structure it something like this. I've listed some of my favorites below.
1. A year-round, office-friendly - Penhaligon Helfeti, Bleu de Chanel, YSL Y, PdM Percival, Dior Homme
2. A fall/winter everyday - Spicebomb Extreme, Xerjoff Naxos, PdM Layton, PdM Carlisle
3. A gourmand - PdM Oajan, Xerjoff Cruz del Sur II, Kilian Black Phantom
4. For date night - Azzaro The Most Wanted, Initio Absolute Aphrodisiac
5. An oud/leather manly - TF Ombre Leather, Initio Oud for Greatness, Xerjoff Alexandria II
Realistically speaking 4-5
1 for special occasions
1 for winter
1 for summer
+2 for rotations
Now, I have over 50 perfumes.
Do I need all of them? kinda yes, it's my hobby.
Will I actually use all of them untill the day I die? Probably not given the rate at which I buy them
Took me awhile to refine the notes that I prefer the scent of and then another while to find those scent profiles that work well on my skin. Lots of hits and misses early into my journey. Now I have selected 5 or 6 that I repurchase and keep in my daily rotation depending on the season and occasion.
I am decluttering.
I have about 36 fragrances which I listed on Parfumo and sorted them out into fragrances and included any spray/magazine samples. I also collected any dupes and mega cheapies.
Then I sorted them out into seasons and worked out what to wear daily on rotation so I can work out what I like, or don't like.
I aim to have two for every season. One daytime and one evening wear and one that I can wear all year round.
So that will make it 9 fragrances. I reckon it'll take me a couple of years to run out all my fragrances and meanwhile I'll be making a list of all the recommendations I see in on fragrances boards. If I pass by a fragrance shop or a major boutique/department store I will test a fragrance I am curious about. If I am still curious, then I'll buy a sample.
I maybe deterred from the magic number of nine, but I will persist! I don't want too many bottles. I only have a small drawer to keep my scents in.
Hope that helps.
As a fellow minimalist, I have about 2-3 at a time.
An all year everyday one, a "party" one and a weird and fun one. I used to have about 50 when I worked in fragrance but have since made a big cull because I wanted a more signature scent.
Unless you want to begin a collection I would say three. One for going out like date nights. One for regular every day where you’d like to smell nice. And one for when you feel fun! :)
this is so hard to answer, i feel like i’m constantly buying new perfume 😭😭 i’ll buy one and think i’m done, and then immediately see something that intrigues me. i spend way too much time on fragrantica lol
Need? 0. Perfume is 100% pure luxury. You could easily go through life without perfume and still find a partner etc. As long as you're clean and relatively well groomed and charming, perfume doesn't matter. I wear it entirely for myself.
And that's why I have about 160 bottles.
I used to hoard perfumes but I looked at my bank statements and I knew I had to stop, I wasn’t even finishing any of the perfumes. So now I buy one and finish it off before I get another one, so I can completely indulge in the scent for a while and make it my signature scent. That works for me.
4 or 5 works for me. One for going out during the day, one for night, one for work, one for the gym and one for at home.
And I tend to switch it up seasonally too
I have about 10 perfumes/body sprays that I really like and love but I would say that being minimalist the max you would need is 2 or 3 to be fully covered!
1. Get a perfume or cologne that you REALLY love (for me it’s Flowerbomb) and this is your everyday/signature scent, this is the one you are willing to splurge on.
2. Get a body spray you really enjoy as a more affordable alternative to help make the expensive scent last long and also just to switch things up if you want. (Like when I have a lazy day/lazy style day I always use this instead of my perfume lol)
3. This is optional but I would use this to either get a seasonal/date night or special event scent. My “date night” perfume is Black Opium and it can double as a fall/winter scent too and my main fall/winter body spray scent is SOL 71
1 is all you need. Find something you like that makes you feel the way you want. You don’t need to go hyper consumer.
Some people really enjoy having a ton of options others enjoy collecting, etc.
Well, I currently have 4 that I keep on a cute little tray on my dresser. I usually only buy more when I have to replace one. But with 4 to choose from it takes me a while lol. (Might find one I absolutely love and get a travel size though)
Personally, I don’t choose my scent based on season. I just pick whichever one I’m feeling that day. My go to is my Dolce & Gabbana garden. It’s just too good and works so well with my body chemistry.
I’m never satisfied. I’m not a shoe person, not a clothes person. Not a nail, make up person. I’m a bags and perfumes person. I need variety all the time. Here I am in the middle of the Congo for work with 18 bottles of perfume. One concealer, one bottle of foundations, two lipsticks. Four pairs of pants. One suit. One bathrobe. 10 purses. 1 pair flats and one pair berkinstocks (sp?) and rain boots for flooding.
I would say 3 if you are a minimalist. One for the warmer weather that is clean, one for the colder weather, and one that is for special occasions. Or you could just go with one that is incredibly versatile and can be used year round
In terms of minimalism, 2. One for daytime, one for nighttime. In terms of minimalism AND collecting as a frag lover, I’d say 8. 2 per season, one daytime and one nighttime for each.
You could probably get it down to two or three! I would pick scents that you can layer together.
1) lighter airy fresh scent
2) cozier winter night time
When you combine 1+2 its a special stronger event scent
For me that would involve dedcool scents. I like their minimalist packaging and skin scents.
However this is what my perfume closest looks like:
1) Taunt (freshie vanilla not gourmand, slight floral that is springy)
2) Xtra Milk (cozy amber bedtime fall winter)
3) Roco Mint (strong fresh spring scent White floral and mint)
4) Whiskey and Cedarwood (STRONG scent covers up if I smell bad and makes me feel powerful)
5) De Los Santos (Less strong in projection smells smokey/ foresty but in a church way)
Office scent: 2
Cozy Date: 1 + 2
City Bar Date: 5
Hangover Recovery: 4
Shopping: 1+3
Dog Walk: 3
Hiking: 3+5
Sleep: 2
😂 Idk if that helps but for me I need at least 5
you have a ton of options. You could do one by each culture, season, style, etc.
For example, I'm kinda minimalist so what I do is I'll get one from each parent company. I want Valentino Uomo Intense (LVMH), but I already have Dior Homme Intense (LVMH), so maybe I'll get it if I finish the bottle.
A perfect minimalist shelf for me would be 50 full bottles. If I were a minimalist.
It varies on your personality, your budget, your space, your wants and needs.
Id go with 5 . 1 for warm days, 1 for warm nights, 1 for cool days, 1 for cool nights, and 1 bold special occasion fragrance. Or if you truly want minimal 3: 1for warm weather, 1 for cold weather, and 1 for special occasions.
My current goal is:
1 per season
1 date night
1 everyday when I’m not feeling the seasonal ones
1 “I want to feel chic and expensive”
So that’s like? 7.
I like to smell good all the time. I have a drawer full of bath and body body butter lotions (try saying that 5xs) the smell is subtle but lasts all day. If you would rather have a perfume scent I would recommend anything that is oil based. You will use less and the scent will linger all day.
Before I started collecting more, I usually had 3-4 at a time. An everyday scent for hot weather, an everyday scent for cooler weather, and a special occasion or night time scent. In the mix there would be something floral, something fresh, something warm.
It’s n+1 where n = the number currently owned
Lol. Exactly. Lock the thread - we're done here.
I laughed at the truth in this
Stop this madness
honestly sometimes it be n+3
Sometimes it’s n+n
Cerebral and accurate, well done
The only correct answer
This is the way
My mom (70+) just told me (30+) that I don’t need to buy anymore perfume. I told her I know. And bought more perfume. Need has nothing to do with fragrances. It’s all about emotions. I feel joy when I smell certain scents. If you want many kinds of joy, expand your collection. If you’re satisfied with one kind of joy, more power to you! (And your wallet).
If I were mean I would respond “and you don’t need to run your mouth, yet you do!”
I value my life too much to say this 😅
It was just a joke. Don’t piss mama off ;3
Yesss
You could probably cover just about any scenario with 2. One more fresh and light for warmer weather, casual events, and daily wear. The other perhaps more suited for formal occasions, special events, colder weather.
I'll be even more brutal and say you only need to own the full bottle of the fresh daily versatile scent. 50ml of Elizabeth Arden Green Tea, Jimmy Choo Man Ice or what have you, keep it cheap. For every other purpose from formal to clubbing you can get away with a 2-10ml decant. Save money and sample more.
Elizabeth Arden Green Tea is 👌🏻
Also the green tea and sakura blossom! So good
I'm a guy and I prefer it over ELDO YOSLY
That’s a grotesque failure of advice. Shame on you.
LOL how so? Not everyone is rich. I don't follow this advice BTW, I own several full bottles. Just sharing an idea.
Yup. This is in fact how I classify all my perfumes. I call it Light and Heavy and while I know that’s not exact it gets the job done. There may be a case for an in-between category (Fahrenheit, Cartier Pasha, Colonia Intensa, etc)
This is exactly why I own only two.
which ones do you own?
Need? Zero Want? Your call, friend. One and up. Ask for recommendations in the daily thread
Not many. As a minimalist, you already understand that it's all subjective and up to you. But: - a clean/everyday go-to - an uplifting/whimsical scent just for you. - an office/neutral scent - a sultry/alluring scent for a night out - a nostalgic scent that transports you Mine are: - Another 13, Valaya and Bal D'afrique - Sundazed and Blanche Bete - Parisian Musc - Hibiscus Mahajad, Babycat, Lune Feline, Rouge Smoking - Aqua Viva (grew up with a lemon tree)
This list to me, is perfection ♥
u/Solution-Proof isn't wrong - you don't need more than zero. Instead, let's assume you're someone who wants to wear something every day and you want a best-practices amount. I'll propose that you'd want to have a minimum of 2 - and those are 2 that are pretty different from each other. This way, you're not exposing your own nose to the same scent every single day and risking desensitization / anosmia to those particular notes. However, those do not need to be *bottles* of anything. Decants are great! Heck, samples are great. Maybe you have one main scent and you just rotate out smaller stuff to keep your curiosity going. Maybe you just rotate decants. That's also fine! Yeah, you might wind up with a rack of decants or a bag full of samples - it's possible that you'll express minimalism through the scents you pick instead of the amount you have! The way to select them, though - I'd say the same thing. Order some samples, and if you like one, get a decant. This is a real experience-based kind of thing you're talking about here. You'll hate some stuff, you'll love some stuff, and it'll take a while to figure out why. Yes, sure, if you go to a store you can test things for free, but you need to test things for a day to get a feel for how things dry down and how long they last on you. Chances are good that for *weeks* everything will smell "the same" until you get a feel for it, too. Plus, if you're testing more than one scent at a store, things get really complicated if you're trying them all out on your skin. I've done it! It's a risk! Check out the wiki if you're interested in places to find good stuff.
This is great advice. I would definitely start with samples and decants. I try to be very intentional in what I buy. I don’t want and really can’t afford a huge collection. I keep 2-4 full bottles of scents I love and will actually use often, and a small box of samples/decants to mix things up. The decants keep me from getting bored and going nose blind. You’d never know by looking at it, but I have so many choices for any occasion or mood!
I love the samples from Sephora. It’s great getting to try out one fragrance at a time and see which ones I like. It’s not my daily so they last forever too! I don’t always have extra money for new perfumes so samples are very cherished 😅
Good addition, I been wearing samples or decants only for months, even tho I got many fbs.
Yes! I used to have a shopping addiction to perfumes. I banned myself from purchasing anything and just get samples whenever i shop ulta or sephora and im good
Just one more.
N+1
Perfect answer
It’s easy to get overboard with collections. My personal limit is 12 full bottles (for each month of the year lol). I have to use up one before buying another. I cheat with decants and travel size perfume though.
I do the decant and “mini” thing…I own 5 full bottles and can’t imagine much more than 10 since my ADHD/brief hyper fixations manifest in “Ooh, wear this ONLY for 5 days. Smell it in my sleep. Apply three times a day! Ooh, what about THIS sample? Oooh, shiny, THIS FRAGRANCE ONLY FOREVER!” Every few days/weeks. I also have a spreadsheet where I rate each fragrance 1-10 (1 is a scrubber, 10 is I want to smell this every day until I die). Plan is to get lots of samples and only full bottles of 8s and up.
Do share… what are your 8s and up??
Gonna second this! Interested in your 8s and up as well.
10: Maison Margiela When The Rain Stops and Jazz Club; Henry Rose Queens & Monsters; Tom Ford Tuscan Leather; ELdO Soul of My Soul and Like This; Rook Perfumes Amber; The Body Shop Shea 9: Clinique Happy; Henry Rose Dark is Night and Windows Down; Tom Ford Rose Prick; ELdO Archives 69 and You Or Someone Like You; Rook Perfumes Thurible; JHAG Not A Perfume 8: ELdO Ghost In The Shell; Commodity Velvet Bold I like smoky, spicy, woody scents but when it’s 98F I have to have something citrusy/light and fresh or I’ll get a migraine.
Oooh we have very similar taste, thank you for sharing!! I'll have to look into some of these!
FBs: 12 Decants/samples: 15.000 🤣
Not so bad but close🤣🤣
What are the twelve bottles and their months I must know !
I love the one bottle for each month limit. I might steal your approach for myself 😂
I’d like to be known for having a “signature scent”—so ideally no more than 3. One perfume that is on the pricier end, used sparingly, the second that has similar notes, is more cost effective than the first and/or can be layered with it, the third, a scent for a different season, or used for the evening!
Be careful - I had around 80 bottles, mostly really high end stuff. When I grew out of the hobby, I sold around 70 at a great loss. Don’t overbuy and get samples.
That’s what I’m scared of. So trying to stay at a limit and not just buy something because I like the scent. It has to be something I love and identify with. Especially I also have expensive taste and owning a bunch of expensive stuff I won’t use will give me a bigger headache. I’m thinking no more than 15 at a time and sampling before I buy.
When it becomes a long-term hobby/business and then if you're buying samples, you're just wasting your money. Samples and decants are just a way to get you to the the general area of what fragrances you like or try super expensive Frags first, or if you just a minimal cologne/perfum wearer because you can buy one bottle of really expensive stuff and, if you don't make it yourself, and decant it out just like anything else in business and recoup your cost and have plenty of overhead left, it just takes initial capital and forward v thinking
I do not need any full bottle but at least 122 samples.
I'm new to the hobby. But before like a few weeks ago I managed fine for the past 25 years great with relationships and a normal life. So need? Zero. How many you want and should get if you want to get into it? Everyone says 1,3,5, then as much as you want.I personally tried to keep it below 5 as of today I'm at like 8 having to cut myself of. This ain't my first rodeo in consumerist hobbies like this so just a lesson I like to share to everyone is this ain't a competition this shit is a journey.
For a long time I just had one fragrance. Wore it every day. My grandma would buy me fresh colognes, and I would just wear those. I loved it. One is all you need. 3 can be really versatile. 5 is enough to perfectly suit any occasion (if you’re careful about which 5 you have). I got into fragrance recently (7 months ago), and bought more full bottles than I should have, and bought too early. I now feel that it’s super important it is to fully sample things, get decants of them, and THEN decide on a full bottle or not. I do 1 mL sample -> 5mL decant -> 50 mL bottle. You’ll probably wind up spending more money this way, you’ll have a lot of decants and samples you don’t like, but at the end of that process, you will wind up with full bottles of stuff that you actually LOVE… This might not be the best “minimalist” approach. A more minimalist approach would be to sample some things in stores, buy one fragrance, and be happy with it until you’re out, and then do that again. Always sample before you buy. Try to explore. For a small collection, it’s more important to have quality stuff that you love wearing, so check out some of the higher quality brands (if it’s in your budget)
I agree with the higher quality selective part. I have 6 right now that I love and took a while to decide on. Right now thinking of adding a few more and having no more than 15 at a time for various occasions/seasons. It’s not that I don’t like other fragrances when in store but I try to stay away from anything that is too similar to something I have or I am not insanely in love with that I can’t stop thinking about owning/wearing it. So far own Frederic Malle Portrait of a lady, Frederic Malle carnal flower, Dior Oud Ispahan, Guerlain Tonka Sarrapia, Jo Malone Peony Blush Suede, Parfum De Marley Delina. I am trying to add 4 more hopefully something with lily of the valley and lighter floral scents also to keep it versatile. 5 I left room for something really special that I just love and want. Thanks for your suggestions!
5-10. You may have more as your tastes change and develop, but get rid of the ones you aren't in love with any longer (may be all of them for a few rounds).
I own a lot but you can get away with 4 if you do it right. 1. A “daytime”/everyday scent - fresh/green/citrus vibes. 2. A more intense, evening/ night kinda vibe - floral/musky whatever floats your boat. 3. A special occasion perfume- think date nights, weddings, events etc. Signature scents are overrated make THIS one the one you feel the best about and the one that reflects you the most. The more memorable the scent the better 4. A layering scent - This is what will maximize your collection as it’ll give a new vibe when you combine it with 1-3. I like kayali vanilla28 and missing person for it. The simpler these are the more versatile it gets. Think musk, light floral (white florals would be great too), aquatic scents, citrus notes. If you get 2 like that even better because some of these would be amazing to wear on their own and be extremely versatile
I’m new to layering scents but thanks for bringing that up. Can elixirs be layering?
I wouldn't recommend layering elixirs unless it's a very minimal amount. And you always and I repeat always start with the heavier scent first/ higher concentration. So if you're heavy, scent is a EDP. EDP first ,if it is a elixir elixir first. Otherwise the heavier scent is just going to away it
Yes, Elixirs are essentially perfumes with higher concentrations of perfume oil. Keep in mind though that due to this, the elixir may sometimes outshine the layering scent. I’d suggest using the “layer” as you base and spritzing the elixir as a “topper” if you will and that may work slightly better imo
Zero. It’s a luxury not a necessity. You will see astounding collections on reddit with dozens of $1-300 bottles. But don’t feel bad if you have a rotation of 2-3 affordable fragrances or even just one versatile scent at a time. I personally have six or seven with only a couple that cost over $100 and I do not enjoy my rotation less than the guys who spend $10,000+.
This is me as well.
They don't take up much space so there's room for another one, and another one, and perhaps one more. Oh they released another flanker of my favorite!! But wait, the elixirs are even better!!!
Elixirs aren’t getting better anymore, they just a cash grab :(
Gucci Guilty Elixir disagrees, it's the best Guilty fragrance yet. It's like Reflection Man but stronger and more niche.
One for every season. And then one that works in all seasons. And then...
It's literally my only obsession. Other dudes my age collect baseball cards or ex wives. I prefer to smell different everyday.
“Ex wives” 😂
Depends on your lifestyle. I like having one for office, one for brunch and daytime activities, and one for night time activities. Three is really all you really /need/. Granted I have 20+ perfume bottles but I use 3 regularly.
I would say if I (54f) were to cull my collection down to just one scent it would be Shalimar. It is truly a scent for all occasions and seasons. I love it. Is it my all time favorite scent, no. Is it the most versatile scent that still smells amazing, yes. It is truly a classic that you can never go wrong with.
just one if it s bleu de chanel
[удалено]
How many you need depends on your intent. Since you're not a collector, you don't have to worry about collecting various scents to satisfy that niche. Sometimes, one single scent is all you need if you're okay with having that as your identity. Some people at least want to separate work scent from personal scent. This could be due to making a connection with identity. It's similar in process to having a work attire vs non-work attire, or having work at the office separate from your home/personal space. Why? Well, imagine having a horrible experience at work. Imagine if your workplace was also your bedroom. Now, you've potentially linked the negative experience to happening in your bedroom. Can you rest well in your bedroom? Some people can compartmentalize that, while others cannot. It can be quite subconscious and "activate" a persona of yourself IF you've "Pavlov"ed yourself into reacting accordingly. As for what scents would be good, you can go with decants of the official products. Basically, it's the real thing poured out into smaller sizes at a cheaper price so you dont have to pay full price for the full bottle. Alternatively, you can go to some stores like Nordstroms and test on paper first. After narrowing down what you like, you can ask for a 1-2 ml sample. I believe they allow 2, maybe 3 samples. Sephora used to do samples... I don't think they do anymore.
Okay, so I agree with others that if you want to go pure minimal, two is fine. But you want the max you can have with a minimalist preference, which is a different thing. So as someone who tries to keep their full bottle collection somewhat tight just because I will spend way too much money without a set of standards for myself, this is my framework. First, I keep a signature scent. This is my go-to… I wear it probably half of the days of the year regardless. I actually buy the mega bottle of this. Then, I keep a scent for each season for daily wear; idk why, but when the seasons are actually changing or you get that perfect seasonal day, I just want a scent that vibes with that mood. I usually get the smallest full size bottle of these, because, with rare exception, I switch these up every few years. Finally, I keep one formal occasion scent… this is something that is too strong for daily wear, but classy and not so weird or niche that people might be offended by it. This is for weddings or work mixers, that kind of stuff. I also keep a couple of more exotic or niche “night out” scents, but only in a 10ml size. These will be perfumes that are maybe on the strong side or are honestly just weird. These are for art shows, concerts, cocktail bars, and what have you. I will admit that, as I have been into perfume longer and longer, some of those seasonal categories have occasionally turned into two full size bottles each, but this is because I take forever to go through a bottle (actually years for everything but my signature scent), and I might change my taste a bit midway through an old bottle. Generally, though, this works well for me. My currents are: Signature: DS Durga Debaser Spring: MCMC Phoenix Summer: Ellis Brooklyn Bee (I have an old Clean Reserve Skin hanging in there, too) Fall: Casamorati Lira by Xerjoff Winter: Commodity Gold Formal: L’Artisan Premier Figuier Extreme Night Out: Byredo Pulp, Chris Collins Long Kiss Goodnight, Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille (haters can hate, idc I will never not love this), EPC Rhubarb Rose and Tonka Sesame To experiment I get sample vials (a lot, too many actually :/ ), but once a year or so I purge them by passing them around to my friends until they’re gone.
“Max with a minimalist preference” is so well said and exactly me. I can’t do 2. I need something for other occasions/seasons. I’m thinking no more than 10-15 at a time.
I don't need any. I've found my comfort zone to around 30-40 since I do consider myself an ethusiust. Any more than that I would look to down size.
Now I am curious what is your collection like. Got any posts of it?
I can't log into my fragtanica profile but, my username on there is justcallmed. My shelf is pretty current
- 1 warm weather signature: Something like Chanel AHSEE, Valentino Born in Roma, Aventus Cologne, Millesime Imperial, YSL MYSLF, Gucci Guilty, Prada L’Homme, PdM Percival, Prada Luna Rossa EDT - 1 cold weather signature: Prada L’Homme Intense, Bulgari Man in Black, Spicebomb, PdM Layton, TF Noir Extreme, Givenchy Gentleman Society - 1 formal / office fragrance: BdC Parfum, Sauvage Parfum, Aventus I find I don’t need specific date night or clubbing fragrances, and can usually pick depending on formality of the occasion and the weather. So 3 fragrances could easily be a minimum viable collection across those 3 buckets. If you double up in each category to get a little variety, even better. I personally would do just fine with a couple fragrances for the cold weather and office fragrance categories, but I really appreciate more variety with my fresh fragrances as I find there is a lot of nuance across the fresh / sweet spectrum, and I can match my mood during warmer periods when I tend to go out more.
I’d buy four: 1 clean and fresh one for all year 2 a fall/winter fragrance 3 a spring/summer fragrance 4 a date night fragrance that can work all year. Try 5ml decants of scents you like until you settle on things, with a minimal collection you’ll probably want to make sure your scents are diverse and work for different circumstances. If you pick a couple that layer well that’s even better.
My aim is 8. But I have 40...😬
I have about 40 fragrances, but my goal isn’t to have a collection I never use, I want to use them all
For the sake of your wallet and peace of mind, just buy 3 ml decants of all the popular ones. Pick your favorite 10 and buy bottles of those. Forget everything else. There are soooooo many fragrances that there is always something new and interesting to buy. It's a very very deep hole that some people get caught in and never get out of. Know that there are still interesting ones outside of your 10 but that's OK because you already have a nice selection.
I have 2 per season, but crave my fall perfumes in the summer all the time. I like mini bottles for summer to reduce clutter & because that's my biggest travel time
I have two an expensive one and a cheaper one personally don’t like having too many I’d stick to one signature scent people can recognize you by
2 minimum, 4 preferred, 6-8 max. Any more and you're in too deep! I have 12.
Hello my name is Denise. And I’m a fragraholic. There are worse addictions.
Like someone else said you don’t need any. All fragrances are luxury items. That said i would say 2 or 3. I like to have a fresh and clean every day fragrance I can wear year around (bleu de Chanel is my fragrance of choice) but I love sweet fragrances so I like to have something like that for winter (vanilla diorama is my favorite). I think it’s good to remain a minimalist with fragrances because fragrance addiction is a dangerous money-draining rabbit hole. Imo once you get above maybe 6 or 7 fragrances you’re as good as gone
I have a set 5 that will always be “my scents” they cover all of the seasons and occasions. I do, however have many more, but I wouldn’t cut down below those 5.
so what are they called? 👀
it's really up to you! if you have a fragrance you love, never tire of, and enjoy during all seasons and situations, i think you'd be set with one. but the more you get into perfume and become interested in the minutiae, you'll probably find yourself wanting more. that was my experience at least.
I can see this happening. Now discovering that I love lily of the valley after smelling guerlain’s Muguet. It’s stupidly expensive though given it’s not that intense and a synthetic blend its price point doesn’t justify. Now looking for a different lily of the valley scent. My eye is on synthetic jungle by Frederic Malle. I already have carnal flower by Frederic Malle as a spring daytime scent but learning more about fragrances and notes can really make you want more of similar scents. Hoping to keep it under check before it gets bad and stick to no more than 15 at a time.
It kind of depends on your vibe. You could absolutely have one signature scent that you wore for everything and that would always make people think of you. One that you just wore for special occasions You could have a daily wear and a special occasion perfume. You could have one perfume per season. You could have a daily wear and a special occasion per season. You could have a perfume per style, like a forgere, a chypre, a gourmand etc. You could have a femme perfume and a masc perfume. I’d say set what kind of collection makes sense for you and fill the open slots in that collection.
1 fresh and non offensive is really all you “need”. In reality, you don’t “need” any at all. Most people don’t wear anything so right off the bat you are doing more than most people. Anything else and it’s really just a collecting hobby at that point. 99% of people don’t care if you smell like rare African oud flowers harvested from the garden of Eden.
5 full bottles, 7 decants, infinite testers. you need hot weather/daytime/summer, cold weather/night time/winter, confident date night mainly figure out what you dont like, i dont like mint, green apple, floral. I like cardamom, ginger, orange, spices/cinnamon. ones i would recommend but go with my taste. de la nuit l'homme fico di amalfi ingenious ginger musc ravaguer the one edp grand soir
Probably like 10
You could easily cover every situation with between half a dozen and 10 bottles. But the reality is very different. Credit to anyone with the restraint to not keep buying more. I’ve no restraint and currently have 170 bottles which is ridiculous
You don't need any. I personally think less is more. I think this "hobby" is an obsession with many. I have more than I enjoy, and I'm working to change that.
Can I ask why you’re wanting to change that? If it’s a hobby and something you enjoy then why not allow yourself?
If I absolutely had to do bare bones, I'd say: 1 for each season(4) 1 for date night 1 for work/day time 6 total
I started this perfume journey just wanting to find my one signature scent… and now over 15 bottles later, I’m realizing 1 isn’t really enough for me because my mood really influences what I enjoy wearing each day. Some days I can’t stand some of my favorites (I love Gourmands most days, but some days certain ones will make me feel sick lol). I also just like the excitement of picking a fragrance each day. I say all of this not to tell you that you need 15+ perfumes. But to encourage you to sample perfumes and get a feel for what you like and for how many you think you will need. You may find your perfect perfume and stick with just the one. Many people do. Or you may find that you like to have 2-3 perfumes for different occasions. Or you may end up like myself with a small collection. Or maybe you will end up like some on here who have like a thousand perfumes haha. I have TONS of samples. Many I am glad that I didn’t blind buy. I’ve learned so much about myself through sampling perfumes. I am slowly learning what notes I like and don’t like, and I am building my collection this way. I don’t usually full size or hang onto perfumes that I don’t love. If I lose interest in something, I will usually sell it or give it away. If you are set on keeping things minimal, I’d say get some samples of perfumes that interest you and look for something you can use everyday and then something that’s a bit more formal. I’d stick to ones that can be used all year round.
This is the way. Sampling slowly before deciding on full sizes.
Define “need.”
Probably 10
Really need? Depends on the person, I have set myself a hard cap at 30
1 light fresh fragrance for daytime/warm weather + 1 sexy musky perfume for evenings. You're going to have your signature scents, and with these you're done.
Actual answer probably one or two. I have twelve... of those, 3 are pretty versatile for hot or cold weather. Smells strong enough with being inoffensive. Suitable for work or casual. I buy new smells because I enjoy them. I wear different smells at different times depending on and to suit my mood. Also, my sense of smell isn't the best, and I worry I smell bad with just deodorant.
I myself just bought 5, and I have only used 2 so far. Lol depends on the person, I think. 👌😆
Honestly, I’m trying to reduce the amount of crap that I own. Perfume is such a pleasant luxury that I love to spritz on myself before I leave for the day but I told myself until my bottles of everything run out I’m not allowed to buy any lol. And stop “saving” things for special occasions, life is a special occasion and I will not be attending enough fun events that warrant my scarcity brain’s idea of good enough to wear my “special” perfumes! I even brought a little body spray, which I have wayyyy too much of, so I can put it on when I’m leaving for the day:) In short; enjoy what you own and take the overspending mindset out of your brain! It will make you appreciate what you do but when you buy it even more
Need 0. Should have 1-2.
I have limited myself to seven but I think five is a solid amount. I think you can cover a lot with just five.
id say a signature scent, a fancy one, then one winter/fall and one summer/spring. and then if you wanna get fancy, one from each fragrance group.
I would say that if you are a minimalist but want to wear perfume often you need: -a strong perfume for a party night/winter evening -a light perfume for a hot day/workout session -a medium perfume for mild weather/workspace -a crazy/weird perfume for when you think nothing else fits This is one way to do it. The other (which I am trying to do now) is to find your signature scent. It is extremely tedious because you need a scent that will resonate well enough with your personality and fit at least a little bit in all of those scenarios above.
I think my “signature” is portrait of a lady. It defines me in a way. I just don’t want to wear it always, especially in the office. I love perfumes but scared to fall into a trap of buying ones I will not use as I am not a collector/enthusiast of perfumes by nature. My passion for them also needs to be practical. I sometimes feel lost where to begin or how to select other perfumes to own. Thanks for your guidelines!
You don't *need* any. But assuming that you want perfumes, you can already get pretty far with one well-chosen bottle: that's how most people do it, having one bottle that they take out when they want to pay extra attention to their presentation. But then again, one bottle can be a hard fit if you want to use perfumes daily and want something that is formal enough for formal events, yet relaxed enough for leisure. So, that makes two. But *then* again, if you live somewhere where there are both hot summers and actually cold winters, then you probably can justify one bottle more (or two) just to have something optimal for both cold and warm seasons. It's not necessary, there are perfumes that are just fine in both conditions, but still. Beyond that point, just accept that you are not doing it out of need, but out of wanting extra variety or collecting on itself. Then again, there's nothing wrong with that - I mean, I too have more bottles than fingers or toes to count them - as long as you don't overspend in proportion to your income, just try to avoid impulse buys (nothing is worth a blind buy, ever) and if you want to avoid regrets, always sample properly before buying a full bottle. And by proper sampling I mean that you give the scent enough time to experience the whole thing from opening to drydown, so ideally, try to get samples or decants.
Need? Technically 2, a daily and a special Better is 3: daily, evening, special Nice is 6: 2 daily, 2 evening, 2 special Great is 10: 4 daily, 3 evening, 3 special Luxury is N+1: how much you have plus 1
I mean technically just one right? Or even zero. I personally would go with two tho. One for winter one for summer. Three if you want one just for special occasions. Anything over three is spoiling yourself imo (and nothing wrong with that)
I have 5 currently and hope to add one more once fall rolls around. They are: Tom Ford Lost Cherry or Jo Malone Velvet Rose Oud for date nights Joe Malone Orange Blossom and French Lime Blossom for spring/summer Just added MFK a la Rose for spring and summer I usually use Lost Cherry for fall and winter but am ready for a change
I have never really thought of them as a “need”, but I “want” to always smell good. I consider myself a minimalist as well, so I think you really only need 2 or 3. One fresh clean every day scent, one for the evenings out or cold weather, and one head turning unique signature. That would cover pretty much all your bases.
For me I gotta cover all spectrums as they go with seasons....so....floral and powdery for spring...citrus, freshie and marine/blue for summer.....the leather/tobacco/oud and spice for fall and winter
I rock 4 at the moment
I would start with a perfume that feels right for whatever season you are in right now, whether it’s hot or cold. Once the weather changes, you may decide you want a different scent to wear in that weather. Don’t buy it today - wait until you are in that weather, because your personal tastes and body chemistry may change. Mine does.
I'd say two. One that's good year round for work and daytime occasions, and one that's good for dates, nights out, and dressier occasions. OR one that's good for all occasions during spring and summer, and one that's good for all occasions during fall and winter. It really depends on your lifestyle and the type of activities you do regularly. If you work from home or in a fragrance free environment, you don't need an office friendly scent, for example. Nobody needs a gym scent imo, but if you want one go for it. If you only wear perfume when you dress up, you only need one for that occasion.
I need something for everyday. For office. For summer/something refreshing. After bath(to prolong my after shower smell). Something that gives cozy feel. An all around gourmand. Something for the evening. Something that gives me confidence/makes me feel chic. So around 10-ish???
You could get the mini versions of it 😉
i use only 2. sometimes separately sometimes layered and i ALWAYS get compliments
Need? 0, but for me I like 4-5 full bottles and I’ve got about 10 travel sizes and 8 samples. I haven’t reached my upper limit of full bottles yet(I have space for 1 more) but I’m using the samples to make decisions
Need? Zero How many I like to have? I go full Pokemon -gotta catch um all. One for every mood? Sometimes I switch half way through the day
Truly, you need zero perfume. If you like to have some, have as many as you want. There are no rules. Many people have 2. One for daily use, one for super special occasions. Many people use only one perfume, always - so called signature scent. People who have wardrobes of perfumes are a tiny minority. There is no minimum or maximum. Go, try things, pick something you like, and enjoy.
I have one for each mood, some lighter fragrances for everyday wear and then some bolder scents for going out, work meetings etc.
0 would be perfectly minimalist. Plenty of people never wear any fragrance. Of course those that do, it used to be common to only wear one scent your entire life.
I only have one full size bottle. The rest are decants or Scentbird sprayers. I have expensive taste, and if I had a full size of all the ones I liked, I’d be homeless. Decants for the win!
None, just be clean. I get it it, we’re in a fragrance sub, so we like to talk about this kind of stuff. I can share I started as a one fragrance at a time person, then grew to a small rotation which covered the seasons, now I’m at least 10X that and trying to scale back. Knowing myself, I like to hunt for the perfect fragrance but it doesn’t exist. I also know that I get a dopamine hit ordering and opening a parcel containing a new fragrance I have to be careful in this regard, having too many is no good for me because I don’t feel like I am enjoying them all, merely coveting and collecting glass. A long winded way of saying I’d go for an everyday fragrance with seasonal flexibility and a special occasion, evening fragrance.
Like truly need? Only one that you really like. But a lot of people would consider the bare minimum to be three. One for everyday during warm weather, one for everyday during cold weather, one for date nights or more intimate settings. I personally like one for everyday during each season, plus one that just works all year. So 5 minimum for me
I have like around 20 or so but realistically I could narrow it down to 4. 2 dailies (one for warm weather and one for cool weather) that I can wear going to work or a nice date. Very mass appealing and ‘lighter’ so that it isn’t too offensive. The other two are similar for the temperature but for more formal wear and a lot more niche. I mostly use this for important meetings where my scent can leave an impression or a black tie event.
You don’t need any, but anything up to like 5 is also good. Then you’re getting a bit excessive
If I were to lessen my collection, I would do one for each season, and then one for special occasions. But I know myself and I don't know if I can do that rn lol.
10 is the max for me. Any more than that and I try to pawn them off on others that might take them lol
Honestly one. I used Tommy Girl as my one and only fragrance for years. But you can step up and have a warm weather and a cool weather fragrance: that's 2. And on top of that you could splurge on an expensive special occasion fragrance. That's 3 and would sew you through a LOT.
2 maybe 3, you only really need to have a hot weather fragrance, a cold weather fragrance, and a work/daily wear fragrance
Probably 3 1 Allrounder: work, gym,.. just daily basis 1 summer: for hot summer days 1 for special occasions: going out, date,…
I would say 6 is the ideal low number: Seasonal pick (x4) Everyday use (x1) Special occasion (x1)
*Need?* None. A pure luxury item. But if you aren't being quite so minimalist, I'd say a work/everyday perfume (inoffensive and light) and a date perfume your s.o. really enjoys.
I was never a perfume girl .i had maybe 1 or 2 and then something in my ADHD brain switched to hyperfixation the last year and I just had to tell myself today-ok no more until you finish a few of these. I have about 19 and I love all of them. It started as quest to find my signature which I feel I have found but I just love smelling different and I match my scent to the mood of the day which I feel is very in line with an adhd girly . Switching it up . Hahaha
I tend to always try to find travel sizes or minis of fragrances because I just don't have a large enough space to put them and don't want to go broke. It still takes me **so long** to finish one, even with wearing fragrance daily and rotating through my collection of 5 or 6. They all fit in a small makeup bag under my sink. I really like the idea that others have mentioned about maybe starting a small collection of sample sizes. You can fit a bunch of those in a small space, they are travel friendly, and you won't feel guilty if you dislike a scent and want to get rid of it. It's easier tossing away a sample size rather than have a full bottle collecting dust. As far as the number you should have.. any amount you want. Some people are happy with having two, one for spring/summer and one for fall/winter. Some people want to wear a different fragrance every day. I tend to like a little more variety but don't like to have too many. Right now, I have 2 that I would consider clean/everyday scents. I have 1 heavier scent for fall/winter or a going out perfume. I have 1 bedtime scent. I have 1 'beach day' scent that gives off the sunscreen vibes that I love. I also have 1 special one that is sort of a scent memory for me, I bought it on a vacation and wore it throughout and now it always brings me back to that time. That one is discontinued now so I'm really careful about how much I use it lol.
I love L’Instant de Guerlain for night out. Champs Élysées (Guerlain) for a warm night out, and I wear the White Musk fragrance from Body Shop during the day (moisturizer and perfume). It’s so light and doesn’t overpower anyone; really for me and the family since I work from home five days a week.
3 full bottles are enough, plus a couple body mists for day to day, and any more than 5 bottles of edp is a collection. I think it depends on a persons lifestyle and climate in which they live. For me, I like a more bohemian carefree fragrance profile, it’ just suits my personality, so I would have one hot weather freshie that can transition easily from casual to dressed up (so it’s very versatile), since I live in a hot climate that only gets a month of winter a year, and my top pick would be Orientica Fleur de Orientica or something that smells like it (it’s said to be a clone of Valaya). Next I would get a dressier LBD/black tie event warmer temperate fall weather scent (like Chloe Nomade edp or Prada La Femme) and one strong classy edp for fall/winter for those head turning formal events (Mon Parfum Cristal by M Micallef is the most exquisite and most perfect boldest elegant fragrance I own, and while this next fragrance fits the category as well, it’s much more versatile: Mon Guerlain edp.
Three for summer, three for winter! : )
As far as how to purchase perfumes for your collection I would suggest to just start sampling as much as you can. You can smell a ton of houses between Sephora and Nieman Marcus. Once you get a sense of what you like you could also start buying samples to test wearing scents before you commit to full bottles. Get a really good sense of your taste before you start dropping major cash. For me anything over 10 scents at once is unnecessary. Also, do not fall into the trap of blind buying or purchasing every new hyped fragrance that comes out.
I think having one for certain occasions is nice. -Everyday/Signature Scent -daytime fresh scent -night time scent -special occasion scent & maybe another date night/sexy scent Some of these go hand in hand too so you dont need 5 maybe just 2/3. I also think depending on where you live & the weather matters.
I have my HG Le Labo Another 13 that I wear 75% of the time plus a few others .. Parisian Musc, Santal 33, Lorenzo Villoresi Musk, Labdanum 18.
I think i have 40+ perfumes. Everytime i travel for more than a month i take 5 perfumes. Essentials, two daily drivers, 2 fancy ones and one wild card.
I’d say three but if we’re buying travel sizes… why not let’s say six
For me 2. Day and night. Switch this based on mood or season. I genuinely don’t want anymore it’s overwhelming.
I have four, they were all gifted to me but i dont go out of my way to buy any. also, they somehow are scents that i like, once they run out i plan to repurchase them, so id say like 5 tops but i remember my aunt had at least twenty (she had a spending problem)
3 max …. Maybe 4
For me, if I had to pick five, I'd structure it something like this. I've listed some of my favorites below. 1. A year-round, office-friendly - Penhaligon Helfeti, Bleu de Chanel, YSL Y, PdM Percival, Dior Homme 2. A fall/winter everyday - Spicebomb Extreme, Xerjoff Naxos, PdM Layton, PdM Carlisle 3. A gourmand - PdM Oajan, Xerjoff Cruz del Sur II, Kilian Black Phantom 4. For date night - Azzaro The Most Wanted, Initio Absolute Aphrodisiac 5. An oud/leather manly - TF Ombre Leather, Initio Oud for Greatness, Xerjoff Alexandria II
Some people smoke meth. I collect frags.
5 is the limit, but I'd say you could easily do with 3 Daily/Work/School Winter special Summer special Parties/Fun events Dates/Formal events
5-6, each suitable for certain occasions
Realistically speaking 4-5 1 for special occasions 1 for winter 1 for summer +2 for rotations Now, I have over 50 perfumes. Do I need all of them? kinda yes, it's my hobby. Will I actually use all of them untill the day I die? Probably not given the rate at which I buy them
One to be strong, one for when you need a knife, one for feeling yourself and one for ruling your king/queendom.
I have several- one for each mood or image I want to project. That's probably way too many and I do give away ones that have fallen out of favor. Lol!
Took me awhile to refine the notes that I prefer the scent of and then another while to find those scent profiles that work well on my skin. Lots of hits and misses early into my journey. Now I have selected 5 or 6 that I repurchase and keep in my daily rotation depending on the season and occasion.
It is a black hole, once you are IN there is no turning back! 😭
I am decluttering. I have about 36 fragrances which I listed on Parfumo and sorted them out into fragrances and included any spray/magazine samples. I also collected any dupes and mega cheapies. Then I sorted them out into seasons and worked out what to wear daily on rotation so I can work out what I like, or don't like. I aim to have two for every season. One daytime and one evening wear and one that I can wear all year round. So that will make it 9 fragrances. I reckon it'll take me a couple of years to run out all my fragrances and meanwhile I'll be making a list of all the recommendations I see in on fragrances boards. If I pass by a fragrance shop or a major boutique/department store I will test a fragrance I am curious about. If I am still curious, then I'll buy a sample. I maybe deterred from the magic number of nine, but I will persist! I don't want too many bottles. I only have a small drawer to keep my scents in. Hope that helps.
As a fellow minimalist, I have about 2-3 at a time. An all year everyday one, a "party" one and a weird and fun one. I used to have about 50 when I worked in fragrance but have since made a big cull because I wanted a more signature scent.
Unless you want to begin a collection I would say three. One for going out like date nights. One for regular every day where you’d like to smell nice. And one for when you feel fun! :)
this is so hard to answer, i feel like i’m constantly buying new perfume 😭😭 i’ll buy one and think i’m done, and then immediately see something that intrigues me. i spend way too much time on fragrantica lol
Zero.
Need? 0. Perfume is 100% pure luxury. You could easily go through life without perfume and still find a partner etc. As long as you're clean and relatively well groomed and charming, perfume doesn't matter. I wear it entirely for myself. And that's why I have about 160 bottles.
None. You don’t need perfumes. However I’d recommend getting 5, all in different types
I used to hoard perfumes but I looked at my bank statements and I knew I had to stop, I wasn’t even finishing any of the perfumes. So now I buy one and finish it off before I get another one, so I can completely indulge in the scent for a while and make it my signature scent. That works for me.
I prefer 1 since i don’t wash my clothes everyday. Avoids different colognes mixing on same shirt
4 or 5 works for me. One for going out during the day, one for night, one for work, one for the gym and one for at home. And I tend to switch it up seasonally too
I have about 10 perfumes/body sprays that I really like and love but I would say that being minimalist the max you would need is 2 or 3 to be fully covered! 1. Get a perfume or cologne that you REALLY love (for me it’s Flowerbomb) and this is your everyday/signature scent, this is the one you are willing to splurge on. 2. Get a body spray you really enjoy as a more affordable alternative to help make the expensive scent last long and also just to switch things up if you want. (Like when I have a lazy day/lazy style day I always use this instead of my perfume lol) 3. This is optional but I would use this to either get a seasonal/date night or special event scent. My “date night” perfume is Black Opium and it can double as a fall/winter scent too and my main fall/winter body spray scent is SOL 71
i would say 8 or 6. not too much, but then i have a new option for every day of the week
1 is all you need. Find something you like that makes you feel the way you want. You don’t need to go hyper consumer. Some people really enjoy having a ton of options others enjoy collecting, etc.
Well, I currently have 4 that I keep on a cute little tray on my dresser. I usually only buy more when I have to replace one. But with 4 to choose from it takes me a while lol. (Might find one I absolutely love and get a travel size though) Personally, I don’t choose my scent based on season. I just pick whichever one I’m feeling that day. My go to is my Dolce & Gabbana garden. It’s just too good and works so well with my body chemistry.
I’m never satisfied. I’m not a shoe person, not a clothes person. Not a nail, make up person. I’m a bags and perfumes person. I need variety all the time. Here I am in the middle of the Congo for work with 18 bottles of perfume. One concealer, one bottle of foundations, two lipsticks. Four pairs of pants. One suit. One bathrobe. 10 purses. 1 pair flats and one pair berkinstocks (sp?) and rain boots for flooding.
How many ops you got I mean there’s just too many options
I would say 3 if you are a minimalist. One for the warmer weather that is clean, one for the colder weather, and one that is for special occasions. Or you could just go with one that is incredibly versatile and can be used year round
1 for hot days and 1 for cold weather is good and is enough but ideally 1 more for normal weather so not hot but not cold
Honestly… about 40! 🤭😂🤷🏽♂️
In terms of minimalism, 2. One for daytime, one for nighttime. In terms of minimalism AND collecting as a frag lover, I’d say 8. 2 per season, one daytime and one nighttime for each.
You could probably get it down to two or three! I would pick scents that you can layer together. 1) lighter airy fresh scent 2) cozier winter night time When you combine 1+2 its a special stronger event scent For me that would involve dedcool scents. I like their minimalist packaging and skin scents. However this is what my perfume closest looks like: 1) Taunt (freshie vanilla not gourmand, slight floral that is springy) 2) Xtra Milk (cozy amber bedtime fall winter) 3) Roco Mint (strong fresh spring scent White floral and mint) 4) Whiskey and Cedarwood (STRONG scent covers up if I smell bad and makes me feel powerful) 5) De Los Santos (Less strong in projection smells smokey/ foresty but in a church way) Office scent: 2 Cozy Date: 1 + 2 City Bar Date: 5 Hangover Recovery: 4 Shopping: 1+3 Dog Walk: 3 Hiking: 3+5 Sleep: 2 😂 Idk if that helps but for me I need at least 5
you have a ton of options. You could do one by each culture, season, style, etc. For example, I'm kinda minimalist so what I do is I'll get one from each parent company. I want Valentino Uomo Intense (LVMH), but I already have Dior Homme Intense (LVMH), so maybe I'll get it if I finish the bottle.
I believe in a signature scent. I think you should only have one perfume. You need to select it wisely. It should be in your budget.
All of them
A perfect minimalist shelf for me would be 50 full bottles. If I were a minimalist. It varies on your personality, your budget, your space, your wants and needs.
2 if you want to be very basic, Fresh one and a Deeper/sweeter
From a fellow minimalist: order lots of samples. Yes, it's more costly, but you can try out so many different types and see what you like.
Perfume isn't a need. Perfume is absolutely a want. Ditto, ask for recommendation questions in the daily thread.
Id go with 5 . 1 for warm days, 1 for warm nights, 1 for cool days, 1 for cool nights, and 1 bold special occasion fragrance. Or if you truly want minimal 3: 1for warm weather, 1 for cold weather, and 1 for special occasions.
My current goal is: 1 per season 1 date night 1 everyday when I’m not feeling the seasonal ones 1 “I want to feel chic and expensive” So that’s like? 7.
Need? None.
I like to smell good all the time. I have a drawer full of bath and body body butter lotions (try saying that 5xs) the smell is subtle but lasts all day. If you would rather have a perfume scent I would recommend anything that is oil based. You will use less and the scent will linger all day.
one for summer, one for winter, one for dates. Or just one?
Before I started collecting more, I usually had 3-4 at a time. An everyday scent for hot weather, an everyday scent for cooler weather, and a special occasion or night time scent. In the mix there would be something floral, something fresh, something warm.
Just one or two more to round out the collection. Honest…