Like many Now Smell This readers, Tara grew up fascinated with perfume. It started with a bottle of Jean Naté splash in the bathroom, grew to appreciate her mother’s Nina Ricci L’Air du Temps and Jean Desprez Bal à Versailles, and proceeded in her early twenties to embrace classic whoppers including Giorgio, Christian Dior Poison, and Givenchy Ysatis before mellowing out. Unlike most of us, however, her collection now soars somewhere north of 700 bottles.1
Tara says that her perfume collection was a standard rotation of five or six bottles until 2005 when she discovered the Perfume of Life forum. That was the same year her husband started traveling to Europe for work. Tara began handing him shopping lists. (Once, Tara was home watching something about Serge Lutens on television. Her husband came into the room, pointed at Serge's image on the TV set, and said, “That’s the guy who waited on me in Paris.)
Initially, Tara acquired perfume in what she calls a “scatter shot approach,” buying blind based on reviews. Soon she learned she was drawn to incense, orientals, and rich florals. Two of her favorites are L’Artisan Parfumeur Dzongka (“comforting”) and Rundholz April 3, 1968 (“an animalic incense bomb”), although, in typical perfume lover fashion, she doesn’t want to be pinned down.
Tara and her husband live in Montreal (first 5 images shown) and San Diego (last 2 images), so some of her collection’s volume is due to having two homes. Particular lines of fragrances — her Amouages, Serge Lutens, and Guerlains — she keeps in both homes. For others, if she has similar fragrances—for instance Frédéric Malle Dries Van Noten and Byredo 1996 — she’ll split them between homes. For still other fragrances, she’ll simply take a decant to one home and leave the bottle at the other. Finally, she says some fragrances simply wear better in one city than the other. For instance, she likes Tauer Perfumes Rêverie au Jardin for San Diego and Le Labo Ylang 49 for Montreal.
In Montreal, Tara stores her perfume on shelves. In San Diego, she stores the bottles in bamboo shirt boxes that are open in the front and slide like a drawer from their shelves so she can get to the bottles in the back (see final image).
Lately, Tara has slowed down her purchases and, for the most part, buys about a bottle a month. She’s become jaded about niche perfume houses and has stopped feeling compelled to sample from all of them, instead focusing on those she admires, such as Naomi Goodsir, Papillon Perfumery, and Tauer Perfumes.
This year, her husband challenged her to wear all of her perfumes. Tara guesses she’ll have to wear two a day and keep track with a spreadsheet. It’s going to smell awfully nice in Montreal and San Diego in 2016.
1. The next perfumista cabinet will feature a modest collection, I promise!
W.O.W!
Next time someone tells me that I own too many perfumes, I’ll show them this article.
(and people have called me crazy for owning 2 bottles of some perfumes-one for home-one for the cottage!)
Whenever people raise an eyebrow at my perfume collection, I can almost always point to something in their lives they stockpile: wine, books, shoes, etc.
I have even more books than perfumes, but fortunately the shoe collection is smaller… I tend to go overboard when I get excited about something….
I have way too many vintage coats. Plus a lot of lamps for some reason. I understand!
Impressive and beautiful collection! This is where the line crosses (in a most fabulous way!) between collecting the fragrances and collecting the beautiful bottles for their own beauty. WOW!
Thank you, Tara and Angela, for sharing! 🙂
There really is something so nice in looking at the beautiful bottles!
I used to work as an art museum curator and was always curious about collectors’ need to own things. Clearly they got a great deal of pleasure from having things close by or in sight but often they had such big collections that many items were kept in storage. Some collectors were hoarders, of course, but on a grand scale…and it was acceptable hoarding. I love these posts. So wonderful that Tara shared her collection. Thanks!
I wonder if anyone’s written anything about the collecting urge? It’s so interesting! I feel like I could learn a lot about myself that way.
I once curated a tattoo show and I think the collecting urge was very strong amongst the heavily tattooed exhibition participants….so definitely a strong emotional connection with a bit of ‘recording’ life moments thrown in…like a visual diary whether paintings, perfume or tattoos. I like that simply looking at something can provoke such feelings of happiness. Thanks again Tara.
I never even thought about tattoos as collecting, but it does make sense.
Does anyone have some tips for organizing samples? I have mine tossed into a box with no categorization at all.
Lots of people organize with simple ziplock bags in a box, done alphabetically by house. Samples are hard to keep track of, though!
I use round tins that are about three inches in diameter and two inches tall with round “chalkboard” labels on the lid to distinguish by either by house or style. I keep the tins in a bamboo box about the size of a file box with the unsorted samples in my old Banana splits lunchbox.
I love the Banana Splits lunchbox detail!
I have them in a row of tea tins, alpha by brand. Many are in little ziplock baggies but not all (and frankly there are a good many loose ones scattered here and there in my house, when they should be in the tins! What can you do 🙂 )
I find loose samples all over the place, too! Keeping from vacuuming them up sometimes by mistake is a challenge.
I use shot glasses for some samples and smaller decants so they stay upright. Everything ends up as a mess again eventually, though lol.
Shot glasses are a great idea! This is the first time I’ve heard of it. It would work especially well if you had a handful of samples you wanted to keep handy.
I use .222 caliber plastic ammunition boxes for dabbers (holds 50 vials), and 10 or 12 gauge for 2-3ml spray samples (holds 25 vials). They are labeled alphabetically, except for favorites that I’m actively sampling and new samples, which have their own boxes (and get to live in my old Samsonite train case on the dresser). I cut pieces of foam to shove into the lids to block light and keep them from jumping around, makes it easy to accommodate a taller sample by just cutting out a piece of foam.
I used to keep my samples in ammo boxes, but my collection outgrew my boxes! Now they’re heaped in small plastic storage boxes by house.
I organize samples alphabetically by house, and alphabetically by name within house (but I’m way behind on “filling”). I use cardboard cryo sample boxes (available from lab supply companies such as Biologix. These are simple white boxes with internal dividers. They are unobtrusive and easy to stack on a shelf. The ones with 88 compartments work well for sample vials.
I’ll have to look those up online!
Thanks for the comments, sorry the resolution on my iPhone photos is not better. I love looking at my bottles and couldn’t put them in storage. I love the look and feel of full bottles so I generally avoid decants, plus since I wear each scent infrequently I have had evaporation issues and only the manufacturer’s bottles keep reliably for long periods. When I decant something for myself I try to do it small in case it goes bad.
For samples, I keep them sorted alphabetically by house in ziploc bags in shoe boxes. Not great, but adequate.
Thank you so much for letting us into your perfume collection! I wish the photos came with smell-o-vision.
I’ve had evaporation problems with some decants, too. It’s heartbreaking. Decants do, though, let me try a lot of fragrances I might not otherwise.
Does your husband enjoy collecting for himself as well? I would think shopping for you here and abroad would surely equal an occasional bottle for himself for good measure! LOL Perhaps Mr. Lutens had a suggestion or two for him?
Thank you so much for sharing your collection with us! 🙂
I can tell you that when I talked to her, Tara said her husband likes Heeley Cardinal, Musc Koublai Khan, and Fumerie Turque. So, there’s two Serges!
Bazinga! I bet Mr. Lutens is quite a charmer! 🙂
I bet you’re right!
Not really a collector himself, but all those trips to the Palais Royal Lutens boutique did influence him. 🙂 He now wears Fumerie Turque and Muscs Koublai Khan.
…and smells divine, I bet!
This really is a problem with decants. I often still buy them for new-to-me scents to see what I’ll actually use, before I commit to a bottle (given how often I wind up never reaching for something I thought I really liked, I’d rather it be a decant than a whole bottle). But I’ve had to learn the hard way, using them up really should be the intention if you’re going to buy a decant: you can’t count on it to be your lifetime’s supply of something. Alas there I think a bottle really is the only option, even if it’s more juice than you need.
I’ve been making an effort to use my decants up before they disappear on their own. So far I’ve been pretty lucky, but a few have vanished a bit.
700 bottles split between two houses doesn’t seem bad to me. If my hubby could function as a scent mule like hers did I would probably have more of my own. Plus it’s fun to just look at all the bottles. I think most of us go through a period of a lot of buying and eventually we settle down and become fussier about what we add. That’s a fabulous collection and thanks to Tara for sharing it with us.
I think Tara’s husband deserves some sort of Perfumista Spouse of the Year award!
He definitely does! Considering how many wild goose chases I sent him on trying to track down new obscure niche lines and the number of $$ he has spent, he deserves a medal.
Hey maybe someone can donate one of those ridiculous Paco Rabanne plastic trophies the PR team was giving out with the press packs for Invictus! I bet there are a few lying around. We can tape a label with your husband’s name on it to the front.
“scent mule”….love that. 🙂
It’s a good one.
Lovely!
I hope Tara gets as much pleasure out of looking at her collection as I’ve gotten today. So nice.
I sure do! Sometimes I just walk by and fondle the bottles. LOL. 🙂
Hahahaha! As well you should! 🙂
Agreed!
Goodness what a beautiful collection, and so beautifully arrayed! I have been wishing I had mine (comparatively minuscule though it is!!) arranged in a more attractive way, and this is just the inspiration I needed to do something about it–look at how lovely the results can be! Thanks for sharing Tara, this is a great treat.
And thank you Angela–this series is fantastic!!
You’re welcome!
I hope you have fun organizing your bottles!
Delurking after ages to say thank you for sharing. A beautiful collection!
Welcome! I hope we’ll hear more from you. And thank you.
I too love this series. Big thanks to both Tara and Angela for sharing and doing.
You’re welcome, and I’m glad you enjoy the series!
When I look at collections like these, I sigh- happily. I could not do this ( I have so many generous samples that they in of themselves will not be all worn until next year) but there is someone out there who loves the beauty of scent- and acts accordingly.
It really is nice to see such a passion at work!
I have spent a lot of time thinking about what and why I collect, and finally decided for me it’s about being surrounded by beauty, not necessarily using it all up. I have had times when I felt guilty that much of it will not be worn, but then decided that wasn’t my goal.
A lot of people think of beauty as inspiring, but I find it comforting.
What a collection! It puts my 50+ bottle to shame. I love the organization of it. Now, I have to find shelves to remotely make my collection to look fabulous. I’m getting closer to it.
It’s time for me to take it up a notch with my perfume collection, too. The cabinet I have simply isn’t cutting it.
Looking at this collection reminds me a lot of a favorite recurring dream of mine, the one in which I walk through a nondescript door, and suddenly find myself in a beautiful airy space, and surrounded by glass pastry cases, filled with row upon row of elaborate pastries of infinite variety…….
Wow! What an amazing dream that is. In my mind’s eye I see pastel macarons, eclairs oozing pastry cream, flaky brioches…
Oh yes! Pastries and sweets are another passion of mine. Yum!!
I’m on a “no sweets and bread” thing for January, and it’s rough!
I always chuckle when Tara tells me what she’s wearing. What perfume? Which line? Definitely an obscure niche aficionado here!
And this is not all. I love wearing the Vétiver Pour Elle that she gave me because she tired of it. So… expert, passionate AND generous. I never tire of her insight although unless she is commenting on mainstream, I am totally clueless!
Great post!
I’m not surprised that she’s generous! Now you can remember her every time you wear it and smile.
So glad you enjoy it Normand. I enjoy sharing the wealth!
Talk about being green with envy…
Wow! Very impressive! I aspire to be like Tara. Amazing!
And I bet she smells even better!
Such a nice collection! The bottles are beautiful. I’m so fickle with perfume. My taste change so much that bottles are hard for me to justify. That may change after I finish nursing school. Great post!
It sounds like you’re being smart about your bottle purchases.
Good luck in nursing school!
Ooh la la! What a nice collection and organization and such a wide ranging and diverse mix of perfumes! If Tara makes her goal of wearing every perfume once in 2016, will she get a (or several) bottle of perfume as a reward? 🙂
Oh, good point!
Now that’s a great idea! 🙂
Beautiful collection! I hope someday to have one half as nice. Love the idea of pull-out shelves and may have to re-design the perfume cabinet I’m suckering my husband into making (after he finishes the plant stands, wine rack, bed frame, and vanity/bench).
How convenient to have a woodworker in the house! (Almost as nice as having a guy who goes to Europe and brings you perfume.)
no words!!!!
I’m sure that’s a lot of us!
Thank you once again Angela and Robin for bringing us this wonderful series!
You are so welcome! I’m glad you enjoy it.
And thanks for showing mine! Hardly anyone ever sees my collection so it’s nice to share with other perfumistas.
Beautiful collection! Thanks for sharing it! I’d love a curated tour. I’ve only been seriously into this for less than 2 years and I’ve slowed way down on my niche sampling partly because there’s just sooooo much it’s overwhelming.
I get overwhelmed, too. There’s so much out there that I haven’t tried! Sometimes samples feel “meh” and similar, and then–Poof!–a really wonderful sample stands out. I guess too much is a good problem to have!
There were fewer releases when I started in 2005, so it was less overwhelming. I wouldn’t want to start over now and wade through the thousands of niche scents there are now! I had to cut back on sampling for that reason (in addition to the lack of time available to wear them all).
When I was a kid, I remember arranging, and rearranging, my tapes and books (and later, CDs) over and over again–by author/band, by genre, by color on the spine. I enjoyed the process of creating order! I could lay on my bed and admire the organization, ruminating on the choice of this or that cassette as “alternative” or “pop.” And then, a little while later, do it all over again!
Seems to me with enough space and bottles, a perfumista could readily enjoy this game as well. 😉
Oh yes, I rearrange my bottle collection a couple of times a year. I also move them around so certain houses get more visibility if they’ve been neglected. Not to mention having to dust them all!
Absolutely! It’s a whole other way to find pleasure in perfume.
I’m only a beginner compared to this, although it’s been a long time since I counted my bottles. Thanks for sharing these beauties!
Is Tara not worried about her bottles spoiling not keeping their boxes? Especially since she has such a big collection.
The bottles in San Diego are inside a closet, so they’re definitely protected. I’m not sure about the Montreal bottles, but I bet she’s made some kind of provisions for them.
Yes, the San Diego ones are in a dark closet, except for some cheapies I don’t care much about which get some light but no direct sunlight. As for the Montreal collection, half of that is in a dark closet and the other half are on the glass shelves that you see pictured in a dark bedroom where the shades are down all the time. I did open the shades to take the pictures 🙂 but otherwise there is no direct light in that room.
You’re taking good care of those bottles!
I’m so glad people and collections like this exist. And this seems like a completely reasonably sized selection to me: if I would/could buy every scent I’d gladly wear, I’m sure my collection would look similar. Using everything up isn’t my priority either.
My perfume wardrobe is relatively small (close to 40 FBs, I think?), but every month, I buy more-or-less all the books I’m interested in. This means I buy much more than I read and I read around 100 books a year. I don’t think of this as collecting, though, I’m just used to being around books and I never know which one I want to read next, so I like to be prepared 🙂
I completely understand your attitude about books! Since, as you say, I never know what I’ll want to read, I usually have three or four books going at any time. (And on days home, I can wear two or three fragrances a day.)
Ditto on both accounts! I have several books and perfumes going all the time.
Beautiful collection! Thank you for sharing, Tara!
I’m sure a lot of thought has gone into this collection and there’s great pleasure in creating it and maintaining it. Good for you.
I so appreciate how you can see the bottles! I feel like I hide away a lot of what I’ve got because I don’t have the space to display it nicely.
How fun that your husband was waited on by Mr. Lutens 😉
So enjoyed this post!
Wouldn’t that be astonishing to have Serge helping you find that perfect fragrance? You’d have to wear whatever he suggested, of course.
Yes and he was very generous with the samples and minis, much more than the SA would have given. 🙂
I’m jealous!
Thanks so much for sharing this, Tara! Your collection is so beautiful, and seeing how you’ve chosen to store and display your perfumes it’s quite evident how much you cherish and enjoy what you have.
Angela, thank you for this series! I’ve truly enjoyed seeing and reading about all the different ways that each person featured is living with and loving their collection.
You’re welcome! I’m so glad you appreciate the series. I think it helps us all to feel a little less alone.
My goodness, how wondrous! I wouldn’t be able to have so many bottles – how do you remember them all?! Gorgeous to look at, though. Like art for your closet! 🙂
The organization techniques are superb, thanks for the tips! I’ll remember those roll out shelves when we get a bigger closet/house. For now my very modest collection still fits in one cabinet, so I won’t have to worry about organization for awhile, but these posts are helping me think about the future.
Thank you to all involved for sharing this wonderful collection!
I love the ideas that come out of these posts, too!
The shirt box idea for perfume shelves is a good one. These particular boxes might not be sold anymore–Tara didn’t think so–but I bet there are some good substitutes out there.
Despite the number of bottles I pretty much know everything I have and where to find it – although a couple of months ago I was surprised to find that I owned a bottle of Rochas Lumiere, as the bottle looked very similar to Guerlain Meteorites and was hidden behind a bunch of other Guerlains.
What a great surprise!
Beautiful collection, and I love hearing how to solve the challenge of living in two locations. Thank you, Tara!
It’s occasionally frustrating when I want to wear something that is at the other location, but I can usually find an acceptable substitute. 🙂
OMG i’m so happy i’m not the only one in Montreal to be crazy about perfume!!
There are a few of us here!
Keep your nose alert, and I bet you’ll uncover a lot of perfume lovers there!
Wow!
That’s amazing. Tara and Angela, thank you for sharing this peek inside the perfume cabinet.
Over the past few days, as I was speechless with wonder, I’ve enjoyed reading everyone’s comments.
Tara, I would love to know how many fragrances from your collection you consider your most favorite.
You’re welcome! I’m glad you enjoyed it. I’m not sure if Tara will be stopping by again to look at comments, but if she is, that’s a good question!
Wow, that’s a really good question that I will probably not be able to answer definitively until January 2017 after I have worn everything in my collection, but just pulling a number off the top of my head, I would guess 20-25 would be considered top favorites. There are definitely bottles that I normally reach for more than once a month, I guess that’s how I would qualify as a top favorite amongst such a huge field.
Thank you for sharing. Twenty or more “loves” is quite a few, even out of hundreds. I would love to hear your answer again in 2017.