SYNCHRONICITY, SAMPLES, AND GIVEAWAY WINNER

First, the winner of last week's giveaway: NELLE 25

To claim your winnings, please send an e-mail to olympicorchids at gmail dot com with your full shipping address.

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My laptop died last week, and I've lost at least four days getting a replacement, setting it up, and figuring out how the new versions of everything operate. In the meantime, as spring arrives, I've been thinking about a lot of things, including what to do with all of my perfume samples. 

It's funny how often events seem to coincide. I had slowly gotten to the point where I couldn't file away any more perfume samples in my "mini-osmotheque" library because the sheer number had become overwhelming, so many of them had evaporated, leaked, congealed, or otherwise gone bad, all of my file boxes were full to bursting and, most importantly, 90% of the samples I've collected are ones that I would not even want to revisit, let along take the time, trouble, and skin space to actually wear. My dilemma was what to do about the glut of sample vials.

A few months ago I gave up on filing and started dumping samples in a big box after I had tested them. I had also started keeping out the samples that I liked, and wearing them. The first one that I used up was DSH Albino, which performs well in public in that it is pleasant to me, but keeps a low enough profile so as not to bother other people. 

My final strategy is going to be to have three boxes - the first will be the old set of  file boxes, which will be strictly for useful references (i.e., vintage classics, especially noteworthy perfumes that are hard to find, etc, all stored in secure vials). The second box will be samples I want to wear and use up, and the third will be a box of samples to give away. The giveaway box will be by far the largest. I will be offering interested readers samples in 100 g lots for as long as I have samples to give away. The selection will be totally random.

Synchronicity comes into play because today I read a post onAPJ expressing the need to use samples rather than file them away, and recounting the writer's experience of finding that samples had leaked away, evaporated or were discontinued. That resonated completely with my intention to stop hoarding samples that I really don't want. For most, my notes are enough. Too many perfumes, so little time to enjoy them all!

If you would like to receive a pack of random samples measured out by weight, please leave a comment about how you deal with perfume samples. Do you save them, use them, pass them on, or do something else with them? Because international shipping is so expensive (not my choice!), this offer is for USA only. I haven't decided yet how I will choose the recipients of the samples, but your chances of getting a portion are very good!

[Cyclamen and jumbled samples photos are mine; library photo is from Wikimedia]

FILING SAMPLES: TAMING THE CHAOS

I’m a perfume sample whore. I admit it. Every time I see an opportunity to add to my enormous collection, I ask myself if I really need more samples, but my brainstem kicks in with its primitive collecting-and-hoarding reflex and makes me order still more. I have boxes and boxes of untested samples sitting around waiting for their few hours of fame, but I can only wear one, or at most 2-3 perfumes a day, and can only do that when I’m not working on my own formulas.

Testing samples is not a bad thing. In fact, it’s part of what I do as a perfumer. Writers read a lot, musicians listen to a lot of music, and perfumers smell a lot of different things. But like the writer whose house is overrun by books, or the musician whose shelves are crammed with CDs, my closets are overflowing with perfume samples. The perfume samples are in addition to all my books and CDs, which I won’t even mention.

The samples finally got to the point where I had to do something. If I ever wanted to revisit one, there’s no way I could have found it without hours of searching. I’m not sure quite how the idea arose, but I had a couple of small plastic storage boxes, complete with flip-down handles, that I’d been using for something else. I emptied them and started to create a file system for my samples, putting them in alphabetical order, by house. The samples themselves are contained in zip-top plastic “snack-size” baggies that are cut to fit the storage box, taped together on the cut side with clear packing tape, and labeled on the top zip area. I put an index card in each one so that it will stand up straight. I could actually attach samples to the card if they’re in those vials with the little hooks, but they are doing fine just standing on their own in the baggies. Suddenly I have a system in which I can immediately find anything! Well, anything that I’ve filed. It’s shocking!

I started with the samples that I’d already tried and reviewed, filing them at the rate of a few a day so that the task didn’t become overwhelming. I’m still working on the previously tested samples, but the end is in sight. To give you an idea of the magnitude of the task, I started with a partial box of baggies, and have nearly finished a second box of 100. That means I’ve filed perfume samples from over 100 different houses. Incredible. The photo is from when I first started filing. I now have two boxes jam-packed full.

Now, as I test things, I file them in the appropriate baggie or make a new one if I don’t already have one. It’s a slow process, but at least I have a working system for knowing where things are. If any of you out there are also struggling with sample storage, some variation of this system might be worth a try, especially if you have a lot of samples in small vials.