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Post by Azar
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Hello Perfume Pals,
Stocking up, prepping, hoarding, collecting – whatever you call it, many of us indulge in flagrant fragrance excesses of every kind. Probably the most important thing I’ve learned from my fellow perfume junkies is to dump the guilt, go with the flow and simply stop and enjoy the perfume. Knowing that I have a supportive network of like-minded “hobbyists” has made it possible for me to re-tool the pejorative phrase “anything that is worth doing is worth over-doing” into a mantra that supports my fascination with scent. It is OK to collect mass quantities of perfume – as long as the collection doesn’t break the bank, sink the ship or crowd me out of house and home.
For many years I’ve enjoyed the thrill of finding treasures for the cheapest possible prices. Nowadays I search for the best deals on various household items but I also scour the auction sites and bargain bins for the lowest prices on perfumes. While some folks must have total immersion (the ambience and service offered by fragrance boutiques or perfume shops) I find my ultimate satisfaction in the lowest price per milliliter. Yes! Bigger can be better. So why not buy in bulk!
Now don’t scoff! I know that at least two of you seriously consider ppml (Price Per ml) before you purchase! Thrifty shoppers look at the unit price of everything, from the cost per square foot for homes to the price per pound of bananas. I am well aware that lumping luxury purchases into the same category as the basic essentials of life (bananas?) might be stretching it a bit – but so what? The bigger and cheaper the bottle the better – and I’m not talking about factice here. The big bottles must be filled with the real thing and – better yet – include the original box.
For some, the Holy Grail of giant perfume bottles is the 1.5 liter (50.721 oz) Shalimar India Nights extrait. These monsters were created as limited editions. The sheer size is breathtaking, but so is the price! A whopping $12,000 US (plus) disqualifies this one from my bargain search. But no worries – there are other big ones out there to satisfy my lust for large.
Vintage Eau de Rochas by Rochas 1970
Vintage Eau de Rochas by Nicolas Mamounas
Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Lime, mandarin orange, basil, grapefruit, bergamot, lemon, verbena
Heart: Coriander, carnation, patchouli, jasmine, narcissus, wild rose
Base: Oakmoss, sandalwood, amber, musk, vetiver
Just the other day I purchased a full 14.9 oz (440ml) near pristine vintage Eau de Rochas, including the original box, for $9 US – that’s approximately 2.045 cents per ml! My big bottle was shipped quickly and arrived in perfect condition with no leaks or stains. It smells exactly like it should too – cooling, citrus-y, herbal with a breath of fresh carnation, jasmine and vetiver. The bottle looks like a huge chunk of ice. That alone makes me smile. The jus itself is certainly worth its weight in denatured alcohol!
Is ppml important to you? What is the biggest bottle of fragrance you have ever seen – or purchased?
Azar xx
(Ed: All photos donated by Azar.)
Australian Perfume Junkies 
I do own few large size bottles with real perfume. My largest 2 bottles are both vintage eau sauvage, one is 1 liter and the other is 900ml or something. The one with 900ml something seems like one of the true vintage formulas but the other seems from early 2000s. Other perfumes I have in large sizes including Capucci Punjab (400ml something), another vintage eau sauvage (500ml something), original coty chypre cologne (400ml something), Lubin Nuit de Longchamp (400ml something), Cologne Missions (sdv substitute, 500ml bottle), Guerlain vintage Habit Rouge edc (500ml), vintage diorella (about 60 percent full of 440ml size)..So far these are the ones I remember and there may be some others, too. The list of 250ml and 200 mls is longer 😀
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And I am, indeed, one of those who pay close attention to price per ml 🙂
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Hi Fazal!
What an incredible collection of really big ones! Amazing! I am especially impressed with the original Coty Chypre cologne and the vintage Diorella (favs of mine). Not just a big but a high quality collection – almost a museum. Wonderful!
Azar xxx
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WOO HOO! That is a HUGE bottle. You’ll be using it for decades.
Only big bottles around here are a large Shalimar EdC watch bottle, Lavande EdC by L’Occitane and a vintage YSL Y.
I prefer 50ml or less because I’m never going to get through even one hundredth of what is here.
Portia xx
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Hi Portia,
A good size comparison for the Eau de Rochas is Fender. He is a Havanese x so that gives a good idea of the bottle size. BTW Fazal’s big bottle collection is truly amazing!
Azar xx
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I cannot imagine the luxury of having a half litre of any perfume, but if I did it would be in my bath, my linen cupboard, mixed with body lotion, washing the dog etc
I bought 200 mls La Pausa and Cologne pour le Soir…still going strong
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Hi Jackie b,
In the photo I just realized that Fender seems a little concerned that I might use that Rochas on him! 🙂 I don’t how (or where) I can ever use all of this stuff, but the price per ml sucked me in!
Azar xxx
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Wow. Just wow. If I fell over that inexpensive vat of Eau de Rochas I`d feel I`d gone to heaven. I didn`t even know such a bottle size existed when I bought Eau de Rochas in the 70s. I think the concept is splash bottles are for splashing on ounces at a time 🙂 Same WOW with the vintage bottle of Diorella that Fazal has. I wouldn`t be using that one copiously as I`d want it to last forever and ever and ever.
I guess more of the huge bottles existed when more people wore a signature scent and didn’t have to deal with scent-free environments.
I don`t (yet) have any bottles over 100 ml and have often bought a smaller, less economical bottle because less total cost fits my fewer $$ budget.
Congratulations on your score.
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Thank you Lindaloo!
The best part of it is that I love this vintage Eau de Rochas. So tart and juicy and cooling. Great stuff. I thought about doing a give-away (since I have so much of it) but I also thought that I was the only person on the planet who liked/loved it and didn’t want to be embarrassed if no one signed up for the draw 😉 If anyone is interested I will add a decant to a future give-away post.
You are so right about the signature scent thing. I wonder how many big abandoned bottles are out there – just waiting for a new home – at the right ppml, of course! 🙂
And Fazal’s collection – my goodness!
Azar xxx
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lot of my stuff is in boxes but I found a picture of diorella on my computer so uploading it on APJ’s Facebook page under this post.
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Hi Fazal! Great looking bottle. How tall is it?
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Well you have definitely found another Eau de Rochas lover.
Maybe Luca Turin would enter a draw 😉 He described Eau de Rochas as a patchouli cologne and gave it a 4. He’s a genius when a fragrance I love gets a 4 or 5 and he’s crazy when it gets only a 1 or 2. 😀
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I will definitely add some Eau de Rochas to my next give-away :)…
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Hi Azar,
Fabulous buy!!!
Gorgeous Fender.
Seriously handsome bottle.
My largest bottle is the 1 litre of Mugle’s Cologne. Unopened yet since I have a smaller bottle to get through first.
Love some of the bottles mentioned In the comments.
Cheers, Tim
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Hi Tim,
Mugler makes some great looking bottles. This big cologne must be stunning!
Azar xx
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I love the picture of Fender. So cute! That is a seriously big bottle of perfume. And I thought the Bright Crystal you sent me was big!!
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Hi Lauren,
That bottle of Bright Crystal had a great ppml and qualifies as BIG by anyone’s standard! In the photo Fender looks like he is a bit concerned – like “you don’t plan to use that stuff on ME, do you?”
M. Azar xx and X
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Hi Azar,
Nice inexpensive or I’ll say free purchase of Vintage Eau de Rochas.
I also do care while purchasing perfumes as price/vol & that’s why prefer bigger bottles subject to availability.
I own few large size bottles with original perfume juice like Guerlain Metallica (discontinued 500 ml) and 2 bottles (500ml each) of Le Couvent des Minimes Cologne of the Missions.
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Sorry for the mistake……correction……Guerlain Metallica is 250 ml.
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Hi Hikmat Sher Afridi,
OH! A 250 Metallica – very nice! That bottle must be a beautiful sight to see.
And it IS fun when the purchase is almost free 🙂
Azar xx
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I am an avid perfume connoisseur! With all my traveling and collecting perfume, the bottles are endless. I LOVE the EU DE Rochas and cannot find it anywhere. I bought mine from the Bahamas a long time ago.
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Hi Stephanie,
I have seen the newer version of the big bottle of Eau de Rochas in various online shops for very reasonable prices. I’m not sure about how it differs from the older version but it might be worth a try:) BTW I plan to offer a decant from this bottle in some future post.
Azar xx
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