How to decant?
- Thread starter BarryR
- Start date
That's what I plan to do.
I am very picky about this...
There shouldn't be anything wrong with temporarily exposing the fragrance to air while it is transferred into the decant or vial, especially if the "donor" bottle has a removable atomizer, so you can use a pipette to extract the liquid.
However - (and this is the part I'm picky about) - When the juice is SPRAYED (atomized) into the vial or decant, it is put through quite a physically rigorous physical process, which can force premature oxidization and decay - and this is all before it even gets applied to your skin. By subjecting the volatile juice to the friction and stress of being atomized, you are putting it through an unnecessary "half-life".
THIS, most definitely IS the case (at least sometimes), when people experience a sample or decant that seems to have diminished top-notes, longevity, or sillage. It can essentially "flatten" the character of a fragrance. Full-on pumping into a decant that will eventually re-atomize your juice when you wear it... say goodbye to those top-notes.
The solution: When you can't use a pipette to suck out the liquid from the donor bottle and are forced to have to spray into the vial or decant, make your best effort to control the depression of the atomizer head, to make the juice come out in a gentle stream, rather than a mist. This is easier with some fragrances than with others, as all atomizer heads are different.
There shouldn't be anything wrong with temporarily exposing the fragrance to air while it is transferred into the decant or vial, especially if the "donor" bottle has a removable atomizer, so you can use a pipette to extract the liquid.
However - (and this is the part I'm picky about) - When the juice is SPRAYED (atomized) into the vial or decant, it is put through quite a physically rigorous physical process, which can force premature oxidization and decay - and this is all before it even gets applied to your skin. By subjecting the volatile juice to the friction and stress of being atomized, you are putting it through an unnecessary "half-life".
THIS, most definitely IS the case (at least sometimes), when people experience a sample or decant that seems to have diminished top-notes, longevity, or sillage. It can essentially "flatten" the character of a fragrance. Full-on pumping into a decant that will eventually re-atomize your juice when you wear it... say goodbye to those top-notes.
The solution: When you can't use a pipette to suck out the liquid from the donor bottle and are forced to have to spray into the vial or decant, make your best effort to control the depression of the atomizer head, to make the juice come out in a gentle stream, rather than a mist. This is easier with some fragrances than with others, as all atomizer heads are different.
Best is to use the juice from a splash or a non-atomizer bottle and measure the amount for your decants with a volumetric cylinder or even a syringe. Most high quality spray/atomizer bottles does not allow to remove the spray mechanism without destroying it.
No doubt, Rudy, My Good Friend, but how often do either of us buy high-end edts in a splash format, unless bought specifically to do a "split." Many do not even come that way.
I suspect the OP is looking for how to pull off a few samples or decants of his personal stock for swaps, etc., and there really is no way I know of other than to spray into a funnel or to destroy the atomizer and turn the bottle into a non-atomizer bottle.
Some on B&B have expressed a preference for splash formats even for their own personal use. I prefer applying edts (not taking AS here) with an atomizer anyway. But also I suspect that an atomizer helps preserve the scent by letting less "fresh air"/oxyegen in the bottle and keeps thinigs like tiny bits of skin and dust out of it. I would buy a quarter bottle of something from some essentially stranger if the bottle had an atomizer. I do not think I would if it were a splash bottle!
It would be great if someone knew of a reasonable way of getting an atomizer off, say, a bottle of Creed, and then getting it back on without harm!
- Thread starter
- #6
Yes, I'm wondering what is usually done to decant a spray and the answer seems to be funnel.
Besides the funnel, I use a bit of foil to create a tent around the open end. It keeps the overspray directed into the funnel.
When a Creed rep prepared my samples, I was surprised to see her spray directly from the bottle into the vial, without a funnel. She didn't overspray or drip. If you can control it, this seems to be a good method since it's a much more "closed" environment and minimizes the loss from expecting all the liquid to drip from the funnel.
I saw the same and was surprised. But then, their vials are having a large opening, at least the samples I collected have an opening of the vial of about double the standard vials, I am going that far that I say it is about an half inch wide. I think they are specially made for this purpose. I have gotten samples of some Creeds from other perfume houses in the standard diameter, long vials that have a bout three applications in them.
You make a good point and so does Rudy about Creed vials having larger openings than most. But, depending on the size of the decant one is doing, the container one is decanting to may have a good-sized opening. I guess the bottom line is that a funnel is not always necessary and one should remember that before simply reaching for a funnel to make a decant. One might be able to make the transfer more efficiently without a funnel.
I do think atomizers vary quite a bit. Creed, as I recall, is known for having good ones in that they do not tend to break down and do a good job of dispersing the scent. Maybe they are particularly good compared to others for spraying directly into a decant bottle.
Actually, I've got quite a bit of decanting experience, and I've got to totally disagree - Creed atomizers are particularly BAD at spraying into vials/decants. Going fast with them makes such a powerful fume that it will come out of the top of the vial, and going slow makes it dribble out of the inside of the atomizer head, leaking down onto the bottle.
Again, the best way to preserve the integrity of the fragrance AND get all of it into the recipient vial is to squirt it in a slow, steady stream if possible. The easiest bottle to do this with in my experience is Dior Homme - very smooth. Creed are really the worst, though!
Thanks for contributing the actual experience. You are not disagreeing with me! Not that there is ever a problem in disagreeing with me. I was merely speculating based on a limited experience of using Creed atomizers in the usual way, which I should not do!
