When my friend came over to my place the other day, she couldn’t help but comment on my perfume collection and how I had such ‘classics’ such as Escada’s Rocking Rio and Calvin Klein’s Euphoria. I replied and said that actually, I’ve had them both since I was 16. She gasped, and then so did I – I’M NOT 16 ANYMORE?! Alas, we got to talking – or rather, she asked me – how I managed to preserve the fragrances.
Now I know that the lifespan of a perfume is a couple of years, but if you want your fragrance to last (or just have too many to finish within 3 years), then keep all your perfume away from direct sunlight. Both the sun and heat can affect the scent and its lifespan. What I do is I keep it on a shelf that is on the opposite end of my room, away from the window. (I’m a bit of a perfume fanatic, though – the pic above isn’t my full collection, just the ones that are still going strong after many years!)
Where do you usually keep your perfumes? How long before you feel the fragrance goes ‘bad’?
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{ 24 comments… read them below or add one }
As a perfume fanatic (at last count I have over 200 bottles!) I keep them in plastic shoeboxes and in a dark closet. I have perfumes that are older than I am. I found a full bottle of Guerlain Mitsouko that was over 50 years old at an estate sale and did a dance of joy! It’s still lovely, hasn’t turned at all, because it’s been stored so well. I’ve had others that have gone off after only a year or two. It depends on the strength of the formula and the quality of the ingredients, but mainly, like you pointed out, on storage.
Wow, over 200 bottles and some are older than you? That’s amazing! I would die to see your collection, I love fragrance as well and I especially love the bottles – to me they are pieces of art.
You have a nice collection going on there! I’m trying to build my almost non-existent one right now haha. I keep them on the top of my dresser where not even a spot of sunlight could reach! x
That’s great, Eve!
Happy shopping! Perfume shopping is so much fun, and it’s always so beautiful when it’s on your dresser (or wherever you display it!). Although this is not my full collection, maybe 3/4 of it – I have a few new bottles but I didn’t want to add it in the pic since I wanted to pic to be more of all my “old” fragrances that have lasted years upon years. xx
I am a perfume addict too….so I keep all my perfumes in my wardrobe where it is dark, cool, and away from sunlight. I think it makes them last much longer. I tend to toss them out (reluctantly) when it just smells “off”….I rem scents very vividly so if it doesn’t smell the same as before consistently (in diff seasons eg. it smells weird in winter AND summer; sometimes summer heat can change the nature of the perfume you are wearing)…then I would throw it out.
Yes, summer heat is the worse – that’s why it’s good to keep them away from the sun. Strange that it happens in winter, though. I can’t test this out though, never experienced winter in my life
What a great tip! I never really thought about the sunlight affecting my fragrances. I keep mine on my dresser in the corner of my room which thankfully is out of the sunlight. I tend to only have 3 or 4 fragrances at one time, so I haven’t run into them smelling off.. I’d say my oldest is only 3 years old!
xx B
I too have a few I use on rotation… I am obsessed! I’d love a signature scent but there’s too many good scents out there.
How funny, I have the Burberry one too..Never seen anyone else have it
Aw, it’s nice isn’t it? I was given it maybe 8 years ago, still going strong
My house gets really, really hot in the summer and as you said- heat can be terrible for perfumes. So I keep mine either in a drawer that stays relatively cooler than my bedroom, or sometimes I stick them in a fridge. It’s a myth that all perfumes go bad after 3-4 years… some do! But some don’t. My grandma just gave me a vintage bottle of Chanel No. 5 Eau de Cologne and it’s at least 30 years old, but smells much better than most of the No. 5 sitting on shelves now.
Wow, your grandma sounds so sophisticated – Chanel No. 5 is such a classic!
I love perfumes too, though not as much as skincare (Thankfully? Not thankfully? Haha!), and my favourites so far are Lancome Magnifique, Harajuku Lovers Angel and more recently, Vera Wang Rock Princess. I keep them out of direct sunlight (In a cupboard) and still in their box
Ooh I need to take a whiff of those! I NEED to try out the Harajuku Lovers line… I haven’t tried anything from Gwen Stefani yet, and she’s such a style icon I’m sure it’ll be good!
I love the bottles too! Sadly the rest doesn’t suit me (Scent-wise), or I’d have the entire set already haha!
I just bought my first official perfume. It`s Nina L’Elixir, I love it. But I worry if putting it out on the closet, which I obviously did since its dark and all, wont be too hot for it? I usually always use air conditioning in my room at night. . . because it is always summer here, sort of.
It should be fine in your closet, Natalia, great choice! What is bad is the direct heat and sunlight… it’s a scent killer!
It’s summer here all the time too! Where do you live?
xx
Brazil
Hey, Renee! It’s been a while since i’ve commented, but i totally agree with this! My very first perfume, I got when I was in 13. It was super cheap, but I loved it, and placed it in front of my window for maximum admiration impact. Bad idea. It turned, and started smelling weird. That was from the Gap, I got a different one and kept it in shade, and it turned after only a year.
I guess Gap doesn’t have very good scents, I’m afraid…
Hey Kich! Nice to hear from you again! Hope you’ve been well.
Sucks about Gap fragrances… to be honest, I never knew they had fragrances! I wonder if they sell it here.
Hey Renee! This was a great reminder especially for us who live in Singapore…we’re already dying of heat so what more our perfumes?
One question though: what about the storage of other beauty products? Is this a brainless question?
Just asking cos my mainstays are at my mirror, an area which gets hit by sunlight cos it’s near the window. It’s good for putting on makeup as it’s well-lit by sunlight, but I’m not sure if it’s good for the products. If I keep them in a black box or something, it may still be a warm area for cosmetics to hang out, if you know what I mean.
Anyway, I love your blog! Have been subscribed for at least half a year I think!
Keep the great work going:)
Hey i keep mine in my wardrobe too! I was given elizabeth arden- arden beauty a few years ago ive finished the bottle but carn’t seem to find another 1 : ( x
Hi Renee! I keep my perfumes in the cupboard…I used to keep them on the windowsill until my mum told me about the heat and sunlight! So ever since then I’ve kept them in my bathroom cupboard…although in England we don’t have to worry much about sunlight haha! I’ve never noticed my perfumes going off but I think I get through them too quickly, since I only use about three at a time and replace them when they run out.
I would love it if anyone reading this would swing by my new blog, just for fun
Ok, ok, ok, first it was the Chubby stick… now I see that we both have Euphoria!?