2025 was a very interesting year for me when it came to perfumes. I learned so much about various fragrance competitions, ingredients, and creation. I also gained a broader perspective on what goes with what, where, and when. I bought quite a few new scents, revisited old ones, and tried a whole bunch! All of this exploration had taught me many lessons in terms of what fragrances to buy, when to buy them, and when to hold back.
This past year has definitely made me reevaluate my purchasing habits and altered my fragrance preferences. As the past year was hectic, it made me want to set some fragrance resolutions and ground rules for next year to keep things from getting out of control. Again.
1. Don’t Purchase New Fragrances Until Out of Old Ones
This past year, I purchased many new fragrances. More than I needed, honestly. This is one thing that I regret because I ended up with a bunch of fragrances that I don’t really use because I was still using up the ones I already have. Therefore, this year I am placing a rule for myself. As long as I have fragrances at home, I will not purchase new ones.
2. Own No More Than Two Perfumes at a Time
I would rather own just one, but after assessing what I would actually need and how often I would switch things up, I realised just one isn’t realistic. I took a step back and reassessed what my needs are when it comes to fragrances. I advise that you do the same and set the number of fragrances you need based on your personal needs. As for me, I will only need one scent for everyday wear. This one will have to be more on the affordable side, versatile, but still fall in the category of fragrances I personally love. As for the second one, I plan to purchase something niche and fancy. This I will keep for special occasions, date nights that require dressing up, and certain events.
3. Get Samples Before Committing to a Bottle
Fragrances change over time; they dry down differently, and you might feel differently about some of them after your first or second try. I currently own a bottle that I loved when I first bought it because it appealed to me greatly when I tried it in the store. I now rarely ever reach out for it. There are others I thought I would never like, let alone love. But I got these as samples and tried. I was able to observe how they develop on my skin and how the scent changes after first use. Turns out I judged these scents too fast and actually really enjoy them now. Therefore, I will not be purchasing fragrances based on first impressions, and I will definitely not be purchasing anything I can’t have a sample of, or at least try a few times before deciding to buy a full bottle. Another option is to get a mini version of the fragrance if you can’t find samples of it.
4. Aim to Please Yourself, NOT Others
I sometimes make the mistake of wearing or purchasing a fragrance because I know it’s a crowd pleaser and will get me compliments. I certainly fell for this lowkey toxic mentality last year for sure. But I have decided that won’t be the case anymore. If I don’t like a fragrance, I don’t care about how many people compliment it, and I will simply not purchase it. Both fragrances that I will choose to have in my collection will be carefully selected based on my own personal taste and needs. Because at the end of the day, I am the one who will be constantly walking around wearing these perfumes, therefore, my opinion is the one that matters most.
5. Include Scents in Non-Perfume Aspects of Your Routine
For the times when I get the urge to get a new scent in the form of a perfume, but already have all I need, I won’t. I’m not saying I wouldn’t be indulging my need to smell something different or new. What I am saying is that I can do that in other ways. I’ve already run out of my hand cream, for example. I wouldn’t mind purchasing one with a scent that I absolutely love! This could apply to body lotion as well. Not just that; I, for one, love candles, and there are many options for home fragrances that I can add to my everyday routine so that I never get bored with my minimal fragrance collection.
Well, there you have it. My fragrance resolutions for 2026. Do you have any resolutions yourself?!
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