Saturday Question: When Do You Back-Up?

/ AustralianPerfumeJunkies

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Portia

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Hello Fellow Fumies,

At APJ we have a Saturday Question. Everyone gets to chime in with an answer, chat with other responders and it’s a fun event each week. Taking sides never means taking offence and everyone keeps it respectful and light, even though we can sometimes trawl the depths.

The idea is you’ll see it on the weekend or chime in through the week. Hopefully you will come back regularly and see if anyone has responded to your comment and you can reply to them. The aim is to generate real conversation and connection even though we are scattered around the globe.

 

Over 100 responses I will draw a Secret Scent Sample Pack (from my collection)

Last Weeks Winner: Old Herbaceous

eMail me at (portia underscore turbo at yahoo dot com dot au) with your address please

Saturday Question: When Do You Back-Up?

OK, I know loads of you don’t have a second, third or fourth bottle of anything. That’s cool, if you want to join in this week you can tell us why you DON’T have backups.

For the rest of us it’s a near obsessive compulsion to make sure we have enough of a few fragrances in case we live to 700 years old and ONLY wear that perfume for the rest of our days. If we don’t have that amount we start to panic buy more. It’s terrifying.

My Answer:

OK, so I definitely back up if I adore something and it’s discontinued, going to be discontinued, has changed bottle, formula, ownership or anything else. Let’s talk DIOR Mitzah and Miss Dior, vintages of Guerlain, CHANEL, YSL, Boucheron, Jean Patou, Hermès, Versace and a few niche releases that have gone. Let’s also not forget my spectacular collection of Niki de Saint Phalle.

Also, seeing a bottle for a ridiculously low price will often push me over the edge into backup territory too. If it has even a whiff of discontinuation then I’m panic buying for Jesus. Madonna’s Truth or Dare & Naked, a few of the L’Eau d’Issey Pour Homme and JPG Le Male flankers. Does anyone remember when Versace Blonde, Boucheron Trouble, Cacharel Liberté or Niki de Saint Phalle were going for peanuts on the discounters? I may have stocked up.

When I first started wearing Neela Vermeire’s Mohur I was never sure if the company would survive in the cutthroat world of niche so I may have bought a couple of backups.

There was a flurry of panic buying when the Serge Lutens, the Grandiflora and the Guerlain bottle change overs were announced.

Also, a hint of reformulation panic and I’m online searching those last skerricks of my loves out ASAP. Remember the CHANEL EdT to EdP changeover, that seriously dented the savings and credit cards. Likewise when I heard DIOR was overhauling the exclusives.

My Saturday Question to you is:

When Do You Back-Up?

106 thoughts on “Saturday Question: When Do You Back-Up?”

  1. For all the reasons you described Portia! Because I don’t want to run out and live without my loves in the future should I live forever; if it will be discontinued or reformulated (very likely); if there is a fragrance from the past that I loved or missed out on for a ridiculous discounted price.

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      • My first back up bottle was Cartier Panthere (from 1986, not the newer La Panthere, no similarities). I eventually used up my bottle that I bought in the late 1990s. Maybe about 10 years ago, my bottle was getting low so I went to Nordstroms to get another bottle. Discontinued! I was terribly disappointed. And then I discovered ebay! I happily paid the inflated price to have a couple more bottles. Since then, I make sure I have enough of my loves and frequently worn perfumes.

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  3. I do back-ups when I really really really really really really love something! Especially when it’s vintage-only or when I fear IFRA might mess with it soon! The one I have the most backup bottles of is New York Intense from Nicolaï. I’m so afraid that IFRA will mess with it that I have to get several bottles. Then it’s Le Temps d’une Fête since it’s my partner’s favourite and it’s discontinued. The lady at one of Nicolaï’s boutiques was really kind to help me special order some remaining bottles but sadly she told me it was the last time it could be done. I also have backups for vintage Opium!

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  4. Even though I know it’s unlikely I’ll ever need the backup, I will buy them for all the reasons mentioned. It soothes my anxious heart to have them on hand. I have lots of duplicates because I live in two different countries, and two bins of additional backups.

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      • Actually yes, since San Diego in the winter and Montreal in the spring/summer have a lot of of temperature overlaps, although it’s still snowing in April in Montreal, so I get to wear deep winter stuff that never works in San Diego.

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  5. I do back up a lot :)) Last fragrance was dior homme parfum, since there were rumors it will be discontinued or reformulated, so i purchased 3 bottles. I was once wrong with my love Photo from Karl Lagerfeld, i forgot to make some backup and of course it was discontinued ,also the prices went up. So never again :)) , backups are important in my life 😁

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  8. Never thought about it until I started reading perfume blogs. For many years I had just a select few bottles. Only the ones I really loved would get replaced but only when completely empty. Otherwise I would add something new to my collection.
    Off the top of my head I think Heaven might be the only one that I have a backup of. Unless you count my various Reglisse Noires- current formulation, travel size and older bottle. I also have a vintage Nocturnes and one in the Les Selections bottle which I think was the third reform?

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  9. I haven’t been at it long enough to feel much need for backups since I have yet to come close to using up anything I own! The only fragrance which qualifies is SSS Equestrian- I had a 17ml which was about half gone and when Laurie was closing she had some 34ml bottles available so I grabbed one. Now I have enough to last to the end of time at my current rate of use.

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  11. Mostly, I don’t. I do have a couple of multiples of vintage scents, but that’s pretty much it other than an extra Fleurs de Sel for snarl because it was discontinued and very cheap, and he loves it. If, however, i ever bump into a favourite in the future (say, an extra rozy voile or a bottle of aeon) you’re damn right I’ll pounce on it if it’s not a silly price.

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  12. Oh dear – I might stop the practice of back-up bottles, because I have noticed that I very often fall out of love with a perfume during the second bottle. I have just spritzed Biehl PC01, which I have shamefully neglected since I bought the backup in Toronto, at full price no less.

    I stuck my head into the armoire to see that I have backups for: Prada Infusion d’Iris Eau de Parfum Absolue (discontinued! – but then a friend gave me the rest of her bottle); AG L’Heure Exquise (already slowing down on the first 100 ml bottle); Cuir de Lancome (okay, probably a good idea); Bas de Soie (discontinued! new and more expensive bottle! can’t have too much iris!); Dusita (blasted through first bottle).

    The not-great backup buys were: VCA Midnight in Paris, because it’s pretty similar to Fleurs de Sel and I haven’t finished the bottle of that either; Kenzo Flower Oriental, as I am less of a fan of gauzy summer orientals than I thought I was.

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  13. I have backup bottles of vintage Shalimar, Mitsouko, Miss Dior, Safari and Parfum Sacre. Most of them are different batches so I’m not entirely sure it counts. Two Cuirs de Lancome, a couple pre-Clarins Angels, two Filles de Berlin (one would suffice, though). I love backups. Modern scents sometimes get me frustrated, I need to be sure that I’ll have something to combat this poison of mediocrity in the years to come.

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    • The only backup you mention initially that I don’t have is Safari Diana,
      I did have Cuir de Lancome but found myself not wearing it because it was too precious so I sold all three bottles.
      If you’re going to back up a Serge then Filles de Berlin is a good one. So wearable in many situations.
      Portia xx

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    • Diana, you’ve put it so well – there’s this fear of not finding anything worth admiring scent wise. Despite the hyperproduction of perfume and multitude of perfume houses, one can very seldom find a true gem.

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      • Neva and Diana,
        I am rediscovery forgotten gems that are heavily discounted at online retailers like Boucheron, Niki de Saint Phalle, Couregges Blanc, Safari, etc. Any perfumista on a tight budget could certainly smell fabulous in some of those older beauties.

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    • Ah yes, I forgot about my Miss Dior backups. How could I have done that? Two Cuir de Lancome is a nice little stash.

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  14. I’m really bad…..
    It started as an obsession with the “big 5” Guerlains in vintage (Shalimar, Jicky, L’Heure Bleue, Mitsouko, and Vol de Nuit). I have multiple backups of the vintage extraits AND the vintage EdCs or EdTs. And the vintage Carons (Narcisse Noir, Bellodgia, Nuit de Noel, looking for another Poivre). Then the discontinued things, like I bought 5 bottles of Black Cashmere, and 3 bottles of Youth Dew Amber Nude…. But now I have backups of some modern scents. Like 7 full bottles of Encens Mythique d’Orient. (Maybe justified NOW, but I bought them in 2016 & 2017, before the bottle change was even announced!) I know it’s excessive, but there are some things I just can’t imagine running out of.

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  15. I don’t have any back ups. Too many perfumes in my collection that need to be finished first. I get replacements once my favorite full bottles or large decants are gone. However, I regret not getting back ups of:
    1. Chanel 28 La Pausa EdT, when I knew it was going to be discontinued. But I could not justify a new bottle when the one I have was almost full at that time. Now, I am hoarding whatever little is left. Insane, since it is my favorite iris petfume.
    2. Donna Karan Black Cashmere, a big incense favorite also discontinued. I am also hoarding the few drops I have left.
    A perfume that is not discontinued and that I would love yo get a back up of is Masque Milano L’Attesa since my full bottle is running very low. I will think about it for my birthday at the end of the year.

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  16. I am not sure mine have any rhyme or reason. Youth Dew, Paloma Picasso, Arpege are three mainstram, easy to buy sorts that I do have back ups of, simply for fear of further reformulation or the possibilty of discontinuation.

    As for the others, a sniff of D/C had me get an extra bottle. Suffolk Lavender and La Vie Est Belle Eau Florale are the main culprits, though I hardly touch the Eau Florale now, I still consider my decision right.

    Then there are loves that just rock my world; many TRNP scents, L’Heure Bleue in any formulation, Vol de Nuit, Bal a Versaille, L’Instant Magic. See a trend here?! *cough* Guerlainmania.

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  17. Few rules that guide my back-up behavior:
    1. When I LOVE the fragrance and I know it is a matter of time before it is changed or reformulated.
    2. When the price is too good.
    3. Scarcity (this is usually the reason I might be willing to pay more than I would under other rules. I do make sure though that if it is a blind-buy, I should be able to recover my price in case I do not like it. I will never pay a bonkers price for even the rarest fragrances because being able to wear and enjoy the fragrance is important to me. I never collect just to have bragging rights).

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  18. I am thinking about buying a backup of Parfums Del Rae Amoureuse. One of my all time favorites. However, that might have to wait a bit since I just ordered a purse backup from Cambridge Satchel Company. I love, love the style (Daisy) and decided I wanted to make sure that I had another in case they ever discontinued it. 😉

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  19. Pretty much the same answer as you gave. Discontinuation, or fear of it, could almost bring me out in hives😂 I have backups of backups of a few that I can’t live without – Fragile, and all the body products to match, backups of those too. Vintage Fidji, edt, edp and parfum. DK Gold., the edp and Sparkling. Vintage Magie Noir. AG Songes was my last backup, a honking big 100ml. There was a limited edition of sparkling body oil of this, wish I had bought a backup of that but I was caught napping. But I’m happy enough with all these. If Portia is planning to live to 700 to use everything then I’ll probably need to live until 150 or so.

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  21. I don’t buy backups, but have been known to buy a new bottle of my earlier signature scent (or go-to fragrance) AA Pamplelune before the bottle was totally empty.

    I do kick myself for not buying a backup of SL Five o’clock au Gingembre before the old bottles disappeared locally, it is a firm favourite in colder weather.

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  22. My middle name is BUB…ha, just kidding. I primary stock up when I feel like it (No. 19 EDP), I hear of discontinuation or reformulation or when there’s a new size / packaging that’s attractive. I got extras of 28 La Pausa, Coromandel, Bvlgari Black, lots of Sonoma Scent Studio, No.5 L’eau, Tea for Two, Safran Troublant, Cuir Beluga, Neroli Outrenoir. There may be others… oh, and there’s always the “Where did I put my bottle of x” and then I end up just buying another bottle rather than trying to look for it — the ultimate in laziness.

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  23. Hi P!
    Pretty much for all the reasons you have listed. Really.
    I think I was scarred very badly by my Gucci Envy experience – Around 10 years of wearing it, only to be told it was no more – discontinued. Now, when I really love something, I get back ups. Kinda like copying my iTunes library to an external hard drive in case of calamity 😛
    So Bal A Versailles, Rive Gauche, Magie Noire, Madame Rochas, Givenchy Gentleman, and many others, all have multiple appearances in my collection.

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    • Scott, the same thing that happend to you witht Gucci Envy I experienced with Clinique Wrappings. Suddenly it was discontinued for many years…and the recent version isn’t the same, needless to say. I’d have bought a lifelong supply if I’d seen it coming.

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    • Understandable with Envy and Rive Gauche. Both are amazing scents that are somewhat unique. I think if I was to have backups of anything those would be my top 2 choices.

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  24. I don’t buy back-ups. My cabinet is so loaded, I can’t afford the space. When I thunk a bottle (except for my few signature scents, of course) I move on to new loves.

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  25. I think I’d only need backup bottles of my top five/six perfumes to feel safe. So far I have backups of some vintages for the well known reasons you have mentioned above. It’s the first Giorgio Armani and Clinique Wrappings. Both backup bottles are only half full.
    My recent disappointment was the sudden discontinuation of Antonia’s Flowers Tiempe Passate. I’ve only just discoverd it two years ago, bought a bottle, wanted a backup and it was already gone!

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