Going Broke For Fragrances? Brutally Honest Advice

Are you going broke to buy fragrances? Is your spending on perfumes ruining your future finances? Many of us get a bit obsessed and over consume with this hobby so I share my thoughts and ideas on how to better manage fragrance buying. Should you even be purchasing perfumes at all? I list a few scenarios whereby purchasing perfumes will be detrimental to your financial health - with bad financial management and debt you can be sure stress and poor mental health will follow. I also outline some basics of financial management for those that may need it. I really hope this doesn't come across as condescending or patronising, I know that much of my audience are mature, responsible and knowledgeable and this is not really aimed at those people but rather the few that find themselves over spending and buying more fragrances than they truly are comfortable with. I come from a place where I have made most of the mistakes and not been great at managing my own spending so I promise there is no judgement here and I just hope that this video is helpful to some.

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About me - I'm Claire and I live in the UK. My taste in perfumes is usually quite sweet but not too sweet, I love white florals but not tuberose so much. I like gourmands as long as they smell like perfumes still, I require my perfumes to change a little bit as I wear them ie not linear. I don't enjoy oud, leather, cumin, saffron or strong patchouli however there can be occasions where I do like perfumes with these notes if they are not too dominant. I enjoy most florals as long as they are backed up with something sweet or perhaps resins / insense. I tend to not enjoy anything very soapy. I also don't really enjoy very green fragrances. I am averse to overdoses of ambroxan and iso E super (timbersilk or similar) just because I find it annoying! I have no problem with synthetics in perfumery but I do enjoy perfumes that have some notes that at least smell like they could be from nature. My favourite type of perfumery is indie and I love Francesca Bianchi, Teone Reinthal, 4160 Tuesdays and Papillon Artisan Perfumes.

#smurfygurly #fragrancereviews #perfumereviews

Adverts - I know they are annoying but they earn me a few pennies from the Adsense which I put back into buying perfumes to talk about on this channel.

[mizpah]

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.

[jeanetteh.]

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

[SK]

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.

[isaks.]

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!

[raq]

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

[aubreezarges]

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.

[dcjimr]

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!

[curlynightmares]

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

[justaddlight]

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! ❤

[fernandacampestrini]

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.

[Enig_Mata]

You're so right about over-consumerism and blind-buying. I got into knitting about 5 years ago and the amount of yarn I have acquired is insane. More yarn than I will ever be able to knit. Thankfully, it finally sunk it late last year and I have not purchased anything this year. If I see something I want, I write it down and tell myself I can buy it later - this trick has worked and I have not purchased anything new.. At some point, I'm going to go through my collection and give away some things I know I will not use... some point, not today. :)

[alisalavine]

I'm a new subscriber. I am always on the lookout for real reviews as opposed to an infomercial.

I only recently started buying fragrances and really learning about the world of perfumes. I can't believe the size of the collections some YouTubers have! And many of them are high end, luxury fragrances. How do they afford them all?

I wanted to say that I'm just in love with your hair. The color, the curls; just lovely.

Thank you, for covering this topic. Now that I know that there are really great scents at low price points I'm definitely finding myself adding more and more to my wish list. It could easily become out of control.

[niklaus]

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!!

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!

[OlfactiveStories]

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 😂).

[katechipata]

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 😊

[redolenss]

I stopped worrying so much, life’s too short for so many worries and anxious feelings, I just enjoy what I have in my collection and if I add more, I add more, if I don’t, I don’t. I don’t have the money, I don’t buy. I also don’t buy monthly, it’s not something set in stone. Of course we’re never going to finish all of them but passion is not about efficiency, it’s about something that makes you happy. Once it starts being a burden or gives so much worry and uncomfortable feelings it’s not a passion anymore. I don’t blind buy any longer, I used to do that years ago, but after 30 years of perfumery I don’t find blind buying so exciting anymore. I test first and have become much more selective with what I add to my collection. I also find that lots of things are similar these days and I already have something similar in my collection or even almost identical. Nevertheless I have lots of fun always testing new stuff, I do purchase many samples and find that much more exciting these days than buying full bottles because I already have enough of those. The curiosity still exists though, to test the new releases and discover new brands. I guess it also all depends on where one is in their fragrance journey.

[mediocrebankai]

My collection has gone from four small bottles to nearing 70 (not including samples but including travel sprays) it’s overwhelming and I get a high from purchasing. Granted I don’t drop 100$ on each but my goodness…at some point you can’t enjoy them all. My mother has always had a couple perfumes and remarked when I let her look at some samples I had that she is already overwhelmed by her 4 fragrances at her vanity, 4!!!! I think I will start to sell some I don’t love and not repurchase some after I finish the bottle. If a frag addicted person is reading this, you probably already have a few signature scents like me I think we can stop looking now 😂

[helencavanagh]

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 🙏

[CreTaylor]

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 ❤.