Convenient Half-Truths & Your “Old” Perfume
One of the things that rarely fail to crack me up is the constant message from beauty magazines that fragrances only have a shelf life of a couple years before they go bad.
I’m sure this advice has nothing to do with the constant marketing drive to get consumers to buy! buy more! and buy again!
I own any number of fragrances that are older than I am (30) which I frequently wear and enjoy. Just glancing at the shelves in my closet, one I spot right away is a cute little art deco style bottle of Coty’s L’Aimant that dates back approximately 70 years or so. It still smells fantastic, and in fact, much fuller and more complex than the newer (and reformulated) versions of it that are being sold. Why on earth would I ever buy a new bottle of L’Aimant when it’s not half as good as my old one? Thank god the previous owner never received such crazy advice to throw this lovely flacon out years before I was even born.
But there’s a partial truth to the message. Perfumes DO turn, depending on their ingredients, and how they’ve been stored.
Bottles kept in the bathroom are doomed to ruin relatively quickly compared to those stored elsewhere. Generally, it is the humid heat of the bathroom which is the hardest on any fragrance kept within. Those frequent and steamy temperature fluxes can be very trying to the juice inside the bottle.
If you’re a fan of keeping your collection on top of a bedroom vanity or a dresser, be aware that the sunlight that streams through transparent bottles can cause fragrance to prematurely age and break down. If you spot little “floaties” in a vintage bottle you’re considering buying, be cautious and sniff carefully before plunking down the cash. Floaties are the most visually noticable symptom of sun exposure or decay in my experience. Not all fragrances with floaties are ruined ones, however, so you don’t necessarily need to panic if you spot them in a bottle you own.
I do happen to keep some bottles out on the dresser, but nothing I truly adore. Keep the ones you like looking at that have little collectible value or are easily replaced on the dresser, but store those that are dear to you away from the light in a cool, dark location.
Check the color of the liquid, as well. Some fragrances are naturally very dark, especially many older ones, but not all. If you feel unsure what it’s “supposed” to look like, you can check it against any number of books for bottle collectors, or against any available online galleries from perfume museums (or old advertisements!) to see if the fragrance inside is approximatly the correct color. For instance, if evaporation has occured over time because air is getting into the bottle, what’s left behind will have slowly changed color as it condensed. (Condensed is not quite the right word, I think, but for lack of a better one…)
A sniff test is, of course, the best test. When aged, some fragrances do lose the intial first phase of aromatic bloom. Those first notes you smell are called top notes, and they are usually the most volatile molecules in the composition. Some vintage fragrances will retain a bit of the top, some will not. But the overall fragrance should still smell “right” to you, since the heart notes and base notes are generally not as volatile.
Many times this is a function of the composition, but I’ve noticed it also has a lot to do with the bottle’s storage history. If it had been kept in an attic in the middle of the Midwest, for example, it has been exposed to the extremes of sweltering summer heat and below-freezing winter cold; No matter how stable the notes are, those swinging extremes are more likely than not to cause unfortunate spoilages over fragrances’ lifetimes.
You CAN keep fragrances in your refrigerator if desired. It’s certainly not unheard of, and the cold helps preserve them while not reaching chilly enough temperatures that might destroy your stuff. I don’t go for that, but only because A.) My collection is large enough that I would never be able to keep food there, and B.) Something about reaching around the ketchup and leftover lasagne to get a quick spritz seems terribly un-beautiful. I also would not wear certain fragrances directly from the fridge. It’s like certain wines or beers - you miss some elements when they are not at room temperatue I feel. But this method of storage seems like an option worth mentioning. Don’t stick any of your fragrances in the freezer, however, because… well, duh. Vetiver Frozen, indeed!
If you’re not a mad collector, you likely have a limited number of fragrances you own and rotate constant use between them. Should you be worried that you bought that bottle of say, Estée Lauder Beautiful, five years ago and are now wondering if you should throw it out and buy it again? To put it bluntly: not really. If it has really gone bad, YOU, whether you feel like an “expert nose” or not, will be able to tell. It will smell funny or off; Maybe it bears a fleeting trace of rancidness when you wear it; Or maybe it suddenly smells a little flat or dull to you after time. Try finding a tester at a fragrance counter. How does it smell compared to your old one? If you can’t smell a difference, then does it matter how long you’ve had your bottle? I’d say no.
We often choose fragrance for our own pleasure, much more than for the sake of others, and if you still find it enjoyable, there’s no need to waste your money. Fragrances can be expensive, and not everyone is as inclined as perfume addicts to shell out hundreds of dollars a year for such fripperies. If you’ve stored it safely, in the cool and dark, you’ve got much less to worry about than all those beauty magazines lead you to believe. And even if you haven’t… your nose will know better than some conveniently advertiser-friendly advice. If Cadbury chocolates from the Boer War can still be edible, I think a little “old” perfume is not such a big deal.
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Excellent piece! You know I love vintage frags. I asked Luca why the topnotes were always wrecked in old fragrances, and the explanation turns out to be easy: when larger molecules break down, they break into smaller pieces, and smaller molecules are more volatile — in other words, they fly off first, in the topnotes. I have a few vintage bottles with nasty topnotes, that smell sort of like rancid burned butter, but straighten up and fly right after a few minutes. I love them, so I endure a bit of difficulty at first for the pleasure of their company afterward.
Funny warning about keeping fragrance in the fridge: A friend of mine has a lot of raw materials, because he plays with fragrance as a hobby. He tends to put some of them in the fridge. Cashmeran flavored butter is apparently not a delicacy he recommends.
Tania
14 Jan 07 at 7:07 pm
Ooooh, thanks T! I I knew about volatility, but I didn’t know that had anything to do with the actual sizes of the molecules. Cool. *mentally files that info away for future use* That makes sense, but I pretty much tuned out during most of my required chemistry classes, so thanks for the detail.
I have a few with ruined tops, too, but I feel the same way: the overall effect and message of the fragrance is there, so it’s not any sort of a big deal really.
I can honestly say I hope to never ever taste Cashmeran butter in my lifetime. Gah! That must have been fun to find when he went to make toast in the morning. Ish….
Scentzilla!
14 Jan 07 at 7:29 pm
Wonderful post Katie. I bought a bottle of Miss Dior off eBay–it was still in its orginal packaging, cellophane and all. I didn’t pay much for it, and I think it’s a little “off.” *sigh* At least I like the box.
greeneyes
15 Jan 07 at 6:21 am
I completely agree with you! I have a bottle of Estee Lauder’s Spellbound that I purchased my first year of college, some 10 years ago, and it still smells as fantastic as it did new-from-the-store. I happened to mention to one of the sales ladies that I loved this fragrance a few months ago and they told me that it should only have a shelf-life of 2 years. I brought it in to prove them wrong. I no longer feel guilty about making this a special occasion fragrance!
SherBears
15 Jan 07 at 10:01 am
greeneyes - well, the Miss Dior bottles are awfully adorable looking, so at least you can put it out for display somewhere, right? Is it just the top that’s turned, or is it the whole thing? Hopefully, it’s not completely wrecked!
SherBears, yeah, with only 10 years on some fragrances, the effect is not really all that dramatic as the SAs and the beauty editors would have us all believe. I wonder why they keep giving out this line when so many folks own evidence to the contrary (like you do.) *shrug* If it works for you still, then it works.
Scentzilla!
15 Jan 07 at 12:41 pm
What a marvelous site! I had a mad fit of cleaning out fragrances “Angel” had turned green color, a bottle of Miss Diorbought vintage which smelled faintly but that’s it. I think the ones I ditched were too sweet, “ANgel” just made me urpy everytime I wore it.
Your article was so perfectly timed as I had to move rather hurriedly 2 years ago and put my fragrance collection in storage (all 97 bottles)along with the rest of my belongings. I can only hope they are more or less intact when I finally perch and unpack. You have relieved some of my terror at losing any of them. Thank you for that.
Looking forward to reading more of your writings.
Mary Alice
15 Jan 07 at 5:00 pm
Dang!! I shouldn’t have thrown out that bottle of Djedi?!? But it was really old!
marchlion
16 Jan 07 at 5:38 am
I do use fridges for storage of part of my perfumes. It’s best to buy fridges for that speciifc purpose rather than mix perfumes with food, I think. I have been told not to store pure parfum extracts in the fridge though, although ohter concentrations are okay.
The Scented Salamander
16 Jan 07 at 7:32 am
Mary Alice - Oooh, green Angel… no, that does NOT sound good. Pity about the Miss Dior for you, too. That’s got to be a bummer. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you on the rest of them! Hope they’ve fared well in storage! And thanks.
March - Djedi is SO old! Oh noes, and OMG! Into the trash at once! Heh.
Salamander - oh that is wondeful! Ideally, I’d love to have a fridge to keep all my ‘fumes in all to their selves, too, but I’ve no idea where I’d find the room. Sigh. I suspect this is a problem that plagues many of us collectors. How cool that you can keep yours safe like that!
Scentzilla!
16 Jan 07 at 11:14 am
Actually, I got two medium-sized fridges that I use to put a counter top on
The Scented Salamander
17 Jan 07 at 9:02 am
Goofy experts, they are so dumb. The nicest thing about living in Colorado, lack of temp extremes and the dry, dry air. I figure my perfumes should last seven lifetimes. :)
Patty
17 Jan 07 at 11:41 am
salamander - Oh! Well, that does sound a little more compact ;) Hm, if I rip out part of the shelving in the closet, I could fit at least one medium sized one… hm…. I think my husband would absolutely die about it, though! Heh.
Patty - The constant wetness of the air here in my neck of the woods is worriesome, but at least it’s so durned temperate here (usually, that is, our current troubles with global warming patterns not withstanding) that there’s not too much to stress about. Your collection must be breathtaking. Take some pix and post them up sometime! I’d love to see your organization/display of them.
Scentzilla!
17 Jan 07 at 1:10 pm
I know from a fact that this is sooooo true. My mom still has two bottles in their original boxes stored away in the drawer of her vanity table; one Chanel No5 and one Diorissimo - from round 1965-67 I think. Added to that collection in the early 70th is Ma Griffe and they still smells great all three of them.
I have always stored my own fragrances (hmm, well yes, it’s been some time now since I bought any LOL) in their original boxes away from light and heat and the ones I got in NY in the late 80th are still in terrific shape:-D
Ylva
18 Jan 07 at 2:55 am
Ylva - Your mom had fantastic taste! Wow! My mom gravitated towards the Avons (for the bottles) and nothing much else. It\’s no wonder you have such nice taste yourself, growing up with those scents around you.
It seems like just protecting from heat and light is really the key, isn\’t it? Such a simple step to take, fortunately! What are your 80s frags, if I may ask? I ask from dumb curiosity, since it\’d be interesting to know what lurks in your stash :P
Scentzilla!
18 Jan 07 at 5:12 pm
Hi There: Thanks for the insight.
I recently got a bottle of CK Euphoria for Xmas this year. I was wearing it from time to time for a week or two after Xmas. I stopped because it started smelling different - to which I didn’t find as enjoyable. Yes, you can still smell the fragrance, but not the original smell I have been adoring for months while passing through the duty-free stops at the border. I wouldn’t go to the extent of a skunk…but a tad bit “skunky” perhaps.
Any suggestions? I thought I’d come and take a peek online to see if I have have ruined the perfume in some way. I know I left it in my van at a New Years party when it was quite cold. But after reading about some people putting their perfume in the fridge, I’m sure its ok. Unless it froze? I couldn’t tell you, since I only used it a few days later after it would have been thawed.
I’ll find out where my gift was purchased and hopefully take it back for an exchange. I really do love the scent.
Thanks!
Lindsay
18 Jan 07 at 9:30 pm
Great post!
I have some bottles that are years and years old. I don’t refrigerate mine (although I guess I could), but I do keep them in their original boxes in a shelf in the closet on the way to but no in the bathroom, and I decant those into small vials that I keep on the dresser. The main reason for that is that I live in earthquake country, and I feel they are safer that way. The upside is that they are always away from light and temp extremes so they last forever!
tmp00
19 Jan 07 at 10:50 am
Kaite, the one and the most cherished is Obsession. OK, there - not such an amazingly different taste - huh? LOL. It was my No1 love since I smelled it the first time and while visiting the States in 1988 (yeahh, go figure I’m verraahhhh old) and I still got an unused bottle of schampoo and body oil in my stashes along with a bottle of edp.
L’Heure Blue I got in the middle of the 80th and repurchased in early 90th - oh how I adore that scent. Sadly my bottles of Chanel No5 (from the 80th and earlier on) is gone, as are Schiapirellis Shocking, , Lauders Private Collection and Cinnabar… I loved them all to pieces. Ahh there was Arpege too and Youth Dew and….
From the early 90th I have; First (Van Clef & Arpel), Safari (Lauren), , Kishara (my wedding scent), Must II (Cartier), Talisman (Balenciaga) and the best summer fragrance (except for that one with the zebra/grass striped cap that no-one knows what it was)- Crabtree & Evelyn’s Summer Hill. But the last one I bought in London in the spring of 2001 ;-) so it don’t count. Top that of with a small collection of minis, that I haven’t stored properly so they smell… well, I would never want to use them ever again.
Fragrant Hugs,
Ylva
Ylva
19 Jan 07 at 11:54 am
Lindsay - Skunky? Eeeek. That’s not good (understatement.) I’m not sure what you might do. A vehicle can be awful hard on fragrance, too - the temperatures drop so cold at night, coupled with the greenhouse-like heat that happens as sun enters through the windows during the day. It’s odd that that it would happen that quickly over a few days, but I can see how it might now that we’re in the heart of winter in the Northern hemisphere. You can always explain what happened to a sales assistant at the store it was purchased, though and see if they’re sympathetic - it wouldn’t hurt to try, since you’ve got nothing to lose. The worst that’ll happen is they’ll say no. So sorry you can’t wear your brand spankin’ new Christmas gift, that sucks!
Tom, I feel you on the earthquakes. When we moved, was the first thing I did secure the water heater or bolt the bookshelves to the wall so we wouldn’t be crushed to death? Oh no. The perfumes were priority number one, and all the vintages in lower drawers so they’d be less likely to fall, break or spill. So, so sad. Decanting some of the regulars into smaller vials is a great idea, thanks.
Ylva, no, that sounds like a lovely collection. And miniature bottles aren’t such a big deal to have the juice go awry in, they’re just so durned cute to look at no matter what :)
Scentzilla!
19 Jan 07 at 6:30 pm
I have a bottle of Coco - my signature and ABSOLUTE FAVORITE. I’ve had it for over a year now, but I bought it from eBay, so there’s no telling how old it really is… I’ve been keeping it in the top drawer of my dresser, but the top notes are starting to go (a little soapy smelling, if that makes sense), and the overall scent is becoming a little harsh. Does that mean it’s becoming rancid? I do have a floaty or two, as well… I really hate to replace it, but I will, if I must.
April S.
18 Feb 07 at 3:15 pm
Yeah, when it starts to smell “off” I would personally replace it with a new bottle. If the juice has lost its lustre, you certainly shouldn’t feel guilty about tossing it. And if it’s smelling harsh to you overall, well… you’re not likely to wear it anyhow if it’s harsh, so this is a good an excuse as any to treat yourself to a new bottle :) (I love Coco, too, btw!)
Scentzilla!
18 Feb 07 at 4:11 pm
Thanks for your advice! I’ve got a fragrance addiction, so your knowledge on this subject is of great value to me! =D
PS: Coco is truly the greatest! ^_~
April S.
22 Feb 07 at 1:01 pm
No problemo! Glad to see Coco is still beloved by fellow addicts :)
Scentzilla!
22 Feb 07 at 2:10 pm
I wanted to purchase fragrance online, but I noticed since it’s July and I live in the South the packages I receive are really hot. Could this heat ruin the fragrance in shipping? Thanks!
serendipity
13 Jul 07 at 8:40 pm
Yes, the heat, especially if it’s hot during the whole shipping phase too, can ruin or at least damage a fragrance. If possible, I’d try to wait just a bit until the really high temperatures of summer die down. I mean, it’s not for sure that the heat would ruin them or anything, but if possible, I’d try to hold off for a month or two if it’s really sweltering where you’re located?
Scentzilla!
20 Jul 07 at 6:31 pm