Every year, I try to start by wearing a different perfume each day for at least the first month. This year, inspired by fellow perfume blogger Flaconneur who undertook this project last year, I’m also aiming to wear every single perfume in my collection at least once (except those few that have never yet been opened—those I’ll get to when I’m ready!). I should be done before the end of March, taking into account anticipated breaks for travel.
I began the year 2026 with a firm favorite, Atelier Materi Cacao Porcelana. A couple of days later, the bout of (most likely) COVID I’d contracted over the holidays stole my sense of smell completely for about half a day. At that time, I came up with the brilliant idea to wear my least favorite perfumes one by one, starting with Mauboussin Histoire d’Eau.
It may be a beautiful, retro, spicy amber floral to those who love the genre, but one or more of the spices strongly disagrees with me. I had bought it without ever smelling it because I was captivated by the bottle design. If it were glass instead of plastic, it would be even more impressive.
Luckily, it wasn’t as abrasive to my gradually recovering sense of smell. Next up was Lalique Encre Noire, which I vaguely remembered disliking but wasn’t sure exactly why. This took a positive turn because my still partially anosmic nose picked up the grapefruit note followed by a very clean vetiver, making for a cheerful and refreshing experience.
Now I’m fully recovered, but I’ve continued this pattern of wearing perfumes I don’t like as much on days when I stay home and those I like a lot when I go out. So far, it has become apparent that:
- Most of the perfumes I own that I don’t really care for were purchased because I went gaga for the bottle design, and/or because I’d read or heard how great it was. I think I’ve gotten better at resisting this kind of temptation over the years.
- The perfumes I’m indifferent to don’t really have specific memories associated with them. Perhaps nothing memorable happened on the rare occasions that I wore them previously.
- The perfumes that feel very “not me” are not that difficult to coexist with (yes, “coexist” is the word that comes to mind when wearing them). They may be on me, but are still apart from me rather than a part of me—a bit like Inspector Clouseau’s ill-fitting, comical disguises in the old Pink Panther movies that I’ve been watching out of order recently. They’re showered off at the end of the day and promptly forgotten.
The costume idea is easier to develop when a feature is exaggerated, rather like a caricature, because that makes it obvious who the character is supposed to be. Otherwise, how is one to role play being relatively nondescript?
Still, the exercise helps me pay attention to what I’m wearing each day, whether the fragrance is one I love or not. And I’m “wasting not” in hopes of “wanting not.” So, why not?
Nose Prose 
Perfume is disguise! I love it. This really resonated Nose Prose.
Maybe I wear fragrance as disguise quite a lot.
It definitely bears more thought.
Portia xx
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It’s interesting the idea of perfumery as disguise, or part of a disguise.
Our community often discusses wearing perfume x, y or z to give them comfort, confidence or to be outgoing.
Even finding a fragrance you really enjoy, then someone you know & dislike turns up wearing that same scent & you can never wear it again.
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I think the confidence angle is a similar idea involving role play. As for someone ruining a liked fragrance, that’s happened to me before, although it wasn’t that I disliked the person so much as I just wanted to be distinct from them.
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Great plan, Nose Prose. And that’s a great idea to wear something you don’t like when you’re under the weather. I love those old Pink Panther movies and return to them now and again. Sellars was very funny as Clouseau, but I always enjoyed watching the hapless Herbert Lom as Dreyfus.
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If I were really feeling unwell, I’d probably wear something familiar and light or no fragrance. In this case my symptoms were relatively mild.
Agreed, it must take a lot of talent and skill to play Dreyfus! From the eye twitching and whimper-giggling to being thrown in the water in a full suit several times in a row…
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I’m delighted that my journey has inspired yours, Nose Prose. I’m embarking on a second round of wearing each of my perfumes this year, but my goal is more analytical this time. As you recall, last year I rotated through my entire perfume collection, and created a photo of each one I wore to post to my Instagram page. This time, I’m truly exploring my relationship with each perfume, and discover if the perfume and I can coexist successfully, as you so eloquently put it. I’ll be sure to share my findings in a future post. Today, I’m wearing Royal Delight by Creed, and it’s definitely a keeper.
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I look forward to reading about Part 2 of your journey! Are you planning to sell or otherwise part with the perfumes that you no longer feel a connection to? My secret hope is to make a tangible dent in using up my collection over the next few years, such that eventually I’m maintaining just a few favorites in rotation.
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While selling those perfumes that no longer appeal to me seems beneficial for both the potential recipient and myself, I’m not entirely sure how practical it would be to try selling them. Interest seems to be low these days. I had many successful purchases when I listed the perfumes on Basenotes in past years, but that platform is no longer available. I simply enjoy that channel because it already had a captive fragrance audience actively searching for a possible purchases. I’ve also sold perfumes on eBay with some minor success. I certainly don’t intend to fund my retirement through the sale of perfumes I’m bidding farewell to. Instead, I’m seeking a reasonable return and the opportunity to bring joy to someone else who genuinely appreciates the perfume. I don’t believe that’s an unreasonable request.
I think you’re on the right track, Nose Prose. I wish you success in making a dent in your collection. I’ve stopped hoping I’d put a dent in mine years ago, since I probably have enough perfume to last for decades.
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