Too Many Fragrances

In my very first post not long ago, I expressed a desire to downsize my fragrance collection. My reasoning: “fragcomm” and influencers have a tendency of promoting what I believe to be unhealthy habits in spending and hoarding. The average consumer does not need more than five full bottles of perfume, in my opinion. Yet, there I was with more than 60.

There is no need to extensively revisit how my collection got to that point. Impulsivity, disposable income, and persuasive influencers were all factors. Now that I have reduced my collection to 45 bottles, I have reached something of a crossroads in this journey. My goal of 20 bottles is an attempt to strike a balance between how I interpret practicality, and the passion I have for a diverse collection. A rule I had given myself was to remove two in my collection for each new one I would obtain. The problem? Of the 45, all of them I love due to various factors ranging from composition to sentimentality. Some are cheapies, some are expensive, some are common, and some are rare, but all are equally important to me. Furthermore, there are scents that I still want to explore and potentially own (beyond the practice of sampling).

Photo by Jeroen den Otter

Just as I began to lament the future of my hobby, a bit of clarity came while browsing the r/fragrance subreddit. A user had asked a question many had asked before: why did people collect so many bottles if they were not going to use them all in their lifetime. I do not feel like looking for the post or directly quoting anything, but here is the general gist of one of the first replies:

“My fragrances will outlive me, but so will my clothes, jewelry, and most other physical possessions I have. When it’s my time to go, what will happen to my other things will likely happen to my fragrances. Either be given away, sold, claimed by my children, etc. As for why I have so many? Things add up after many years of purchasing and being gifted perfumes.”

It was a shockingly simple answer. Was I so cynical that I could not imagine the organic growth of a perfume collection? Was I so ashamed of my hobby that I could only imagine my collection being a burden for the next generations of my family, and not my hundreds of books, music, or blu-ray collections?

Despite my attempts to not internalize the nonsense of “fragcomm,” it appears that I managed to do just that, albeit in a different way. This journey was supposed to be a personal one, yet here I was plotting the best course of action to reduce my collection and enthusiasm for it out of fear of judgment. Did some of what I acquire come about due to unhealthy spending on my part? Absolutely, but those were habits I had already addressed.

As I began writing this post, there were four fragrances in my collection in line for eventual removal. Now, there is only one. This “eventual removal” list was only made in anticipation of future purchases from some shops in Europe later on this summer (that will be fun to write about when it happens). What is clear is that this desire to downsize has increasingly less to do with what I actually want.

Photo by Robin van der Ploeg

“Minimalism” was never a lifestyle option for me. I come from a culture that celebrates vibrancy in things and space. My mother had her large collections of things that she liked, and so did my grandmother. If I never looked at their collections with judgment, why would I expect my theoretical children to react in that way to mine?

I may jokingly refer to perfume as “smelly water,” but it is more than that. It plays an incredible role in human history; smell has always been important to how we experience the world. The art of perfume making traces back to multiple ancient civilizations, and is still widely respected today with the titles of “master perfumer” bestowed upon the creators of the show-stopping fragrances that keep the lights on in these multi-million dollar designer and niche houses. These are, without question, consumer products, but if we can recognize the design quality and artistic direction of watches, handbags, and shoes despite them being mass-produced, then good perfume deserves the same amount of respect.

What this ultimately means for me and my collection is that I need to rethink my downsizing mission. I still have no desire to have a large collection, and there will come a time when my journey with a particular fragrance will come to an abrupt end, but maybe I can be a bit more flexible. Perhaps I can allow myself the purchase of a bottle or two of new fragrances I like without stressing over a self-imposed need to get rid of something else in my collection.

Photo Akhilesh Sharma 

So, what is the overall verdict? Is it still true that the average consumer does not need more than five fragrances? Generally, yes, but it depends. The average consumer who does not see fragrance as anything more than smelly water could get away with just one bottle of perfume in their wardrobe. Those who like and appreciate variety in fragrance would likely thrive with five or more bottles. But anyone who is weird (like me) and has more than a passing interest in the art, history, and diversity of the world of perfume may not be willing to limit themselves in such a way, and that’s okay. When it comes to collecting and curating fragrances, the actual number is unimportant. A collection can grow and shrink for a variety of reasons over time. What is important is that the growth is organic and based on developing tastes and well-paced adventures, not spending sprees triggered by someone’s “Top 10 Beginner Fragrances for COMPLIMENTS” list on YouTube. 

I get it, the first sniff of the expanding world of fragrance will have you wanting to have every scent that was ever constructed in your collection. I am not a therapist, so I do not know how one can get over that kind of euphoria so quickly. All I can recommend is that you learn to love and enjoy what you have, and when it is time to expand, please for the love of all things holy do not blind-buy fragrances. Sample what you are interested in and make educated purchases. Every day I witness young, impressionable fools posting their 20 or 30 bottle collections accrued in all of 2 months. Do not be like these fools. Allow your collection to grow and evolve at a reasonable pace relative to the other aspects of your life.

-The Fragrance Maven