I also discovered afterpay, that sure didn't help my blind buying.

Its me to a tee.

FOMO is a real thing amongst the fragrance community for sure. Especially when new releases come out. It’s interesting how certain fragrance reviewers can talk me into buying almost every fragrance based off the fact that I really enjoy their taste and perfumes. It’s as if I feel like I need to purchase every single one that they love. Although, lately, I am realizing that a lot of them declutter the same ones that they were raving about weeks prior. 😅I’m starting to see that a lot of these influencers are just doing it because they are sponsoring. 🙌🏼🤍

I had been pretty good about cutting back on buying perfume, however last month I lost my job & went crazy putting things on credit. I'm now luckily employed again & did not do any damage that cannot be fixed in a month, but my trigger is definitely buying when I'm stressed. I also did it alot when I was in a very unhealthy relationship.

I made a similar video speaking on this topic with some of your same sentiments. It started with me doing inventory. When I realized I was in the realm of 100 plus. I knew it was time to scale back and re evaluate life lol. Thanks for sharing ❤.

Everything you said is Spot ON !! Just wish I could get on with stopping this emotional roller coaster. Thanks for your time doing this message!

I have to remind my 15yr old daughter that influencers majority of the time receive these high end expensive perfumes for free in return of bushing sales. I’m self employed & don’t earn an awful lot & of course with the cost of living, rent increase etc, I have to live within my means…I will be honest & say that it is tempting still, but I have to keep ‘parent talking’ myself 😂 I’m 47yrs old & only over the past year have gradually got better with saving(embarrassing that it has taken me this long 😳) Your advice on here is great regarding finances 🙏

Yes, I’m in a obsessive phase. I tried to have no buy months but ended up buying anyway. I am trying to not search around because there are always bargains, and to use my samples and decays before buying a full bottle🙃 it’s difficult but just make more sense.

Always good to be reminded of this. I've vastly reduced my purchasing because, frankly, nothing is exciting me these days (fragrance-wise). Cheers, Claire!

FANTASTIC video

Nice video 👍I stopped buying full bottles I buy minis and samples way cheaper and I don’t feel guilty. I also make sure I really like the perfume before I buy full size❤we really don’t need all the new perfumes that come out on the market. Setting a budget is key👍better to have a collection of mini fragrances you love than full expensive bottles just for display and hardly used…

Thank you Claire! This was eye opening for me . I spent approximately 400.00 in the last 3 months. Possibly slightly more….ugh… I have almost 100 full bottles… and 2 on the way… I think it’s time to declutter… whoa Nellie … time to reign myself in… 👀👀👀😱

I have 15 fragrances and I already feel like I shouldn’t buy more and just simplify it and downsize further. I think 5-12 fragrances is enough to have variety and a collection without being a hoarder. I do keep a bag full of samples and that keeps my collector mode satisfied.

"You don't need to try everything" is probably the best thing you said in this video. Thanks.

My collection has grown so much over the past 6 months that I had to purchase a large “perfume” cabinet which I keep in my bathroom. When I look at my collection I am very grateful, however I can’t help but think about all the money I could have saved instead of spending it on perfumes. I’m just so passionate about perfume and yes, it is an addiction. Lately, I’m getting my more pleasure from watching my bank account grow instead of waiting for my next shipment of perfume. For now, it’s getting better. Thanks for the video-this topic definitely needs to be addressed more often.

Yes, I definitely realize I have a lot... So I'm slowing down and definitely sampling more. It gets expensive! And I definitely have other financial priorities. So slowing down at this point is normal and welcomed. I'm also less interested in many of the KZbin content at this point. So much of it is on the latest greatest new fragrance... The hype gets old...

The papers are actaully burned in Armenia not Paris, thus Bois D'Armenie( Armenian Papers )

I'm in mourning and found myself going on a vintage perfume spree. (I'm on a no buy for the next four months now. Hopefully, that habit will stick.) I'm confident that the ones I have chosen can be resold later, if necessary. I've bought some items from eBay. From both professional and ordinary individuals. I've also bought from Etsy and Gumtree. So far, so good. It's important to check the the seller is reputable. Do they have a store dealing with vintage fragrances or is this a one off sale from an non-professional? What kind of reviews do they have? What is their satisfaction percentage? Sometimes a family member will sell off the perfumes of a deceased family member and the products are bona fide. However, we have to be on the lookout for unscrupulous sellers looking to make a fast buck. Obviously, items that come in spray form are more tamper proof. Be aware that sometimes old sprayers can be faulty. (I bought one that leaked each time I sprayed it. Fortunately, the seller gave me a full refund. They also offered the option of a heavy discount.) Boxes with intact original cellophane is best, but you'll likely pay a premium for that. Be a bit suspicious of opened items that are still completely full. Especially if the bottle label or bottle itself is worn. Bottles can be topped up with perfumers' alcohol or something similar. Also, pay attention to the colour of the juice. Vintage juice tends to be darker. Perhaps some scammers are clever enough to doctor their offerings with colourant to mimic this. In the case of your bottle, Claire, it does sound as if it was topped up with basic iso e super in perfumers' alcohol (Which is pretty cheap by comparison.) Of course, I'm only guessing. Trust your own nose. Less experienced noses may not notice such a deception. Iso e super is added to so many fragrances these days. It blends in and smells quite appealing to a lot of noses.

Great video , I’m on now buy but recently got a few Zara perfumes, luckily not very expensive 🌸

Heard! 👏👏🤞

Thanks so much this is very much appreciated I get my Smelly with avon ever 4 weeks and I never seem to have enough always need more and alway so kind and give them alway so I I order more 😢😅 its re a vicious circle I can't afford designer.I just get avon ps What colour is your hair it's very beautiful ❤ And different lot of love tash xxx hope u having a beautiful weekend ❤

I'm just trying to save up money to replace my fragrances that were stolen. Yes, stolen. I had about 30, and I can't do half the stuff I used to do, including travel, due to a stroke crippling me. The only people with access to my scents were my caregivers. They took Philosophy Amazing Grace, Perry Ellis 360, Burberry, Stella McCartney Pop Bluebell, Kate Spade Walk on Air, and one body spray. Oh, and Dune -- which I will never have the money to replace. I don't do much but I do love fragrance, something my late mom and I shared.

I am still working bottle from 20 years ago because it takes forever for them to finish up. I only throw them away when the scent is no longer good for whatever reason.

Great video, this really needs to be discussed more. I’ve been feeling this over saturation with new fragrance releases for a while, it’s blatantly OTT. Add to that the silly price increases and ethical issues by these designer houses, I’m finding it all rather too much. I’m happy to wear what I already have which is a mix of niche, designer classics, Middle Eastern houses and perfume oils. There’s lots of new layering combinations to explore and experience. If I’m interested in anything I will wait for samples to cross my path. I only watch videos of people who have the same taste as me- people who don’t push anything and not into what’s trendy. I’ve also been decluttering a lot, if there are similar fragrances (calling out orange blossom ones 😂), I only keep one and get rid of the rest. I have some things in my wish list (a few Francesca Bianchi fragrances) but I’m happy to wait because I know it will be a quality and worthwhile purchase.

This woman is beautiful!! Hair looks amazing, healthy skin and her eyes 🌊

I needed this video! Things has sort of been getting out of hand on my part last couple of months.. i’ve been spending alot of money on fragrances when in reality i cant afford it (i have money to barely make it each month in the first place😅) also whenever i get some extra unforseen money into my bank account i can only think about how i should spend that money on my next fragrance. So i rarely spend money on other things. I feel like a drug addict😂 i guess its emotional driven for me, as ive been struggling with mental health issues lately. so i guess purchasing fragrances is a way of getting comfort, which is sort of ironic. Cause it mostly leads to stress (considering my finacial situation) So the fact that this video popped up on my recommended is definitely a sign that i need to step back and reassess hthings, so thanks for that!

I never blind buy but I am always searching for my perfect scent which means I buy a lot of discovery sets or samples

I just buy the decants and still spent too much!

I have many bottles and fragrances that I love. I'm really picky now about new fragrances I add to my 'collection'. I really avoid blind buying and prefer sample first. And if it's a love I tend to buy the smallest version available, even a travel size. If I'm going through it quickly and feel like I miss it, it's a good sign that I'm ready for a full bottle 😊 I also try to let go the ones I don't love or don't wear anymore so my mother has a nice collection too now 😆 Even if she tends to finish them quite quickly (she's team oversprayer 😂).

I’m very much an emotional buying. I’ve been made redundant and been unemployed for 2 months now. My obsession was disappearing slowly before this but now I’m back to feeling obsessive because scent is incredibly therapeutic to me and I guess I’m just looking for comfort at this time. I haven’t caved yet but if I do buy anything, it will most probably be with a gift card. Great video!!

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😂🎉

This was a very interesting video Claire. After a house move two years ago, I was going so well, down to 18 bottles but it has slowly crept back up again to close to 35 which I know is not a lot compared to others but it is too many for me. A lot of travel is happening for me in the next 12 months so I should be putting my money there and I was for a while but things seems to have gotten out of hand with spending money on stuff I don’t need. Not just perfumes, candles and skincare are also an issue. I am in no way going into debt for this shopping but I am definitely using money I could put to better use 😢

Yes Yes Yes!

I had been having some moodswings earlier in the week and then nearly bought a backup of a perfume I haven't finished, and a rebuy of an old love the other day. I've spent my budget for this month so I was thinking of using klarna so I could psychologically "count it as next month" 🤣 But then I have less to spend next month on stuff I might run out of, skincare etc. I snapped out of it and closed the tabs and I am so glad I did, I don't even want them! After that I spent some time looking through my budget notebook and reaffirming the path I want to stay on

I've been told that I'm a bit of an organizational nut, but crunching the numbers and tracking them using graphs is never a bad idea. When you put all the lines in the same chart, the visual aid can sometimes really help put things in perspective. Personally, I have a hobby account and prioritize from that across all hobbies, meaning that every fragrance purchase is ultimately a sacrifice somewhere else. Keeps things clean and neat and surplusses can go into other accounts if needed (and they sometimes are). Shifts attention from "perfume" to "current interests" which takes away the association to personal identity or need. Like I said....perspective. 😄 Hope all is well Claire! ❤

I might be a bit of an oddball but I only blind bought once for about 30 odd quid. I liked it but it didn't work on my skin so I resold it and only lost about a tenner. But I really did not like how the disappointment felt, and I have sworn to sample first. Sniffing once in store before buying doesn't cut it for me either.

I stopped blind buying and being unemployed right now helps me only buy essentials. I only own 1 perfume that I bought today on sale for $20 CAD. It’s a 50ml floral perfume. I will get 5 samples from niche house before I decide to invest in a bottle. I will never spend more than $200 on a bottle of perfume. If someone buys me an expensive bottle, I would gladly accept it 😊

Timely video. There’s a great little app called Days Since which enables you to set a counter so I set mine to days since I bought a perfume. The times are gradually stretching out!

I feel so exposed! Haha🤣

0:00 yes lol

Don’t fall in love with the bottles! Get travel sizes first. That way, if you hate it, not a big loss. If you love it, you have time to buy the bigger one.

I have about 7 bottles. And if I had more money, I would probably have about 50. Lol.

No, it is not ruining my future. I do not have debt. I have 60+ and am enjoying them every day. Aromatehrapy, memories, melodies. How many music pieces do you store on Your pc?

Claire, you gave me a nice American giggle today when you exaggerated your English accent with "little nice bit of powdery-ness in there" 😆

I think before the 1970s the terms eau de toilette and eau de parfum were not in use so if it's a 60s bottle Eau de Cologne doesn't mean what it does now ie a low strength concentration. There was a defunct name of 'parfum de toilette' in use too. Raiders of the Lost Scent helpfully says 'Chanel is one of the most difficult perfume houses to understand when dating a perfume' in their piece on Chanel batch codes which use 00-99 for the months in order then start all over again! Nightmare. The box looks very like my late 1970s No.19 (also a splash which also dates it to 60s-70s). I can't see why anyone would fill an old bottle with something else - there just wouldn't be any old fragrance vibe at all.

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When does she talk about cockatiel?

I am also in love with Chanel 22, my favourite Chanel, while I can’t do the aldehydes of number 5. I have a newer also second hand bottle and it’s great to know it’s not altered. I adore the dry down of incense towards the eye of the day, which always catches me by surprise 😍 Enjoy your treasure!

I was not in love with Les Indemodables despite the clarity and transparency on the percentage of naturals (4% ish) which they highlight, because their use or choices of aromachemicals did not agree with me- or at least it didn’t at the time I sampled them. I found them indescribably scratchy and many were overpowering.