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Blind buying? Or buying a sample or decant first?

Hi All.

Who among you are into perfumes? Esp the niche/artisan ones?

Do you blind buy based on the reviews you see online?

or do try to buy a sample or decant first?

Though sometimes, through sampling and decanting, you will be surprised you are already spending a lot of money into it?

That you’ll go back and think that 4-5 decant bottles, could already be a full bottle of something.

It’s a situation a frequently see myself into :(
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It's sure been a long time since I posted but I remember one of the vendors sold a pretty nice list, Creed included, of decants in varying sizes. Can anyone point me in that direction if that vendor is still here?
 
I recommend sampling and not blind buying, but I don't always practice what I preach. Most of my blind buys have worked out thankfully. It is true that you can spend a lot of money buying samples and small decants, but I think it was money well spent as you don't waste money on blind buying a full bottle of something you don't love.

Luckyscent is a great place for high-end fragrance samples.
 

musicman1951

three-tu-tu, three-tu-tu
A few well reviewed samples have been less than satisfactory with my metabolism to my nose. Blind purchases definitely pose some risk.
 
I tend to just buy 5 to 10 ml. decants if the fragrance sounds appealing and I trust the perfumer (e.g. Ensar Oud, Bortnikoff, Areej Le Dore, Dusita) but I will buy samples from LuckyScent if I'm on the fence about a fragrance. Even better yet, I'll buy a bottle from LuckyScent and get four or five high-end samples for free!
 
I rarely see samples offered for high-end fragrances. How do you find these?

There are a lot of individuals and on FB groups that do this all the time.

They arrange “group buys” but many just invest and sell them with a little profit
 
I recommend sampling and not blind buying, but I don't always practice what I preach. Most of my blind buys have worked out thankfully. It is true that you can spend a lot of money buying samples and small decants, but I think it was money well spent as you don't waste money on blind buying a full bottle of something you don't love.

Luckyscent is a great place for high-end fragrance samples.
I’m curious though. When you really liked it, will you buy it? Or you will just continue just sampling all the time?

I know a couple of people that do this, they just live with samples, they use the samples for 1-2 weeks and just continue to move on trying out new and different perfumes.
 
There are a lot of individuals and on FB groups that do this all the time.

They arrange “group buys” but many just invest and sell them with a little profit

Are there fragrance group buys on Badger and Blade? If so how do I find out about them?
 
I tend to just buy 5 to 10 ml. decants if the fragrance sounds appealing and I trust the perfumer (e.g. Ensar Oud, Bortnikoff, Areej Le Dore, Dusita) but I will buy samples from LuckyScent if I'm on the fence about a fragrance. Even better yet, I'll buy a bottle from LuckyScent and get four or five high-end samples for free!
Ah yeah. Those brands you mentioned are quite expensive. I am based on the PH at least for Bortnikoff since he is based in TH, making it a little accessible.

But generally for me, buying all these niche is a very expensive endeavor even just the samples, trying to bring them here in the country.
 
Ah yeah. Those brands you mentioned are quite expensive. I am based on the PH at least for Bortnikoff since he is based in TH, making it a little accessible.

But generally for me, buying all these niche is a very expensive endeavor even just the samples, trying to bring them here in the country.
They are pricey, but they are almost always worth the price of admission. I have yet to be truly disappointed by Ensar Oud.
 
I’m curious though. When you really liked it, will you buy it? Or you will just continue just sampling all the time?

I know a couple of people that do this, they just live with samples, they use the samples for 1-2 weeks and just continue to move on trying out new and different perfumes.
If it is a fragrance that I love and I know I will wear a lot, I will buy a full bottle. I do buy a lot of 5ml and 10ml decants of fragrances that I enjoy but I know won't get worn much. In most cases, decants of these sizes will last me a lifetime.
 
I bought a bottle of Truefitt and Hill Grafton cologne based on a review that listed it as a Barbershop scent. The opening is way too strong and offputting to me (even family didn't care for it) and it takes hours to dry down into something of a powdery scent. It's sitting in a drawer and I consider it a regret buy.

So I try to buy samples when I can (TOBS Sandalwood) but I still buy after reading reviews only, mostly less expensive fragrances (Nautica, Aspen) or if I have a soap that I like (Geo F Trumper Spanish Leather, Stirling Barbershop).
 
All my perfumes have been blind bought, after thorough online research. I haven’t been disappointed so far

I can’t say the same for many shaving soaps and creams
 
I blind buy quite frequently, but I read the reviews on Basenotes and Fragrantica. I would reccomend finding a reviewer that you share the same views with. There is a member here who was quite prolific on Basenotes, he has very good taste.
 
While I have done more than my share of blind buying over the years, I definitely have had better success when sampling and strongly recommend it.
 
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