Call to frugalfashionista - what are the perfume sample sites you mentioned? Or if anyone has any good, inexpensive citrussy scents a la JM Grapefruit?

[knittingbat]

Hi, sorry if that is not the done thing to direct thread to specific person, but I know that the fantastic frugal talked about some french and possibly english sites where you type in the kind of perfume you like and they send you a few sample sizes of different things? It's somewhere on the korean threads for sure, don't have the time to re-peruse all five million posts.

If anyone else knows either do share - I can't afford to buy a new big bottle as just made an expensive mistake with a cologne… Would love an Aqua Allegoria but can't afford it.

[FrugalFashionista]

Nose.fr for the 10€ sample kit!

There are other sample sites in Europe too, many perfume houses do sample and travel sets. Les Senteurs in London, Parfümeria Neroli in Budapest and Alla Violetta in Naples and Aus Liebe zum Duft in Germany do inexpensive mail-order samples of a wide variety of niche perfumes.

If you need a decant of a specific perfume, try Surrender to Chance and The Perfumed Court (both in the US) and Crystal Flacon (private perfumistas sharing their perfumes all over the world - usually better for unisex and masculines - Gerald is my favorite seller there). Prices vary. Ebay can be worth a look too, for some reason I love ebay.de for discontinued stuff.

[knittingbat]

You legend, thank you!

[CointreauVersial]

While you're at it, list your "expensive mistake" on eBay.

Part-used bottles of perfume sell like hot cakes (and it will fund your sample purchases!).

I adore Surrender to Chance - postage to the UK is on the high side, so I make sure I order a good few samples at once. They do quite a few promotions too.

[knittingbat]

I would NEVER have thought of ebaying it! Thank you!

Also thanks again frugal, so excited have some fascinating samples en route!

[TheWatchersCouncil]

Surrender to Chance is good. Try The Perfumed Court and Posh Peasant - both in US.

[Terramirabilis]

Seconding ebaying perfume mistakes - just made a surprising amount on a partly used bottle of chanel no 5.

[squoosh]

What a clever idea Nose is, have just purchased a 10 euro sample kit! Looking forward to having a good sniff.

[MissBattleaxe]

The Perfume Society in the UK has amazing Discovery Boxes, usually with at least 8 or 10 good samples in. They also do a "match your scent" thing online called Fr.Ed but its quite basic at the moment.

YY to eBay. I have almost always made my money back and am looking as a buyer as well as a seller.

[KittyB52]

Slightly off-topic, but how do you ship your part-used perfumes? I thought RM wouldn't allow opened bottles to be sent in the post? Are there couriers who will ship them? I have a virtually full bottle of a discontinued perfume I'd like to sell, but have been put off by stories of bottles sent via RM being destroyed.

[librarypictures]

Definitely ebay any mistakes - recently sold a part used bottle of Flowerbomb and almost got back what I paid for it.

[CointreauVersial]

You are OK if you are just sending a single bottle of perfume in its original packaging. And within the UK. I don't think it matters if it's been opened (and how would they know?)

When you take it to the PO ask for a Hazardous Item sticker (with a black & white diamond on it).

Most couriers (MyHermes etc) won't take perfumes, though.

[KittyB52]

I don't know, I thought the parcels were scanned. I knew about the sticker, but something stuck in my head about sending partially used bottles. I will give it a go anyway, as I'm not going to use this perfume so I might as well try to sell it.

Thanks, CointreauVersial

[FrugalFashionista]

I second selling on eBay and swaps - have recently received an almost full bottle and a mini from the lovely ToysRLuv, loving them!

[MissBattleaxe]

I sell a lot of perfume on ebay and at the post office they often ask if its in its original packaging. Often its not and is in a different box, but once it's wrapped up the post office don't know. As for scanning- I don't think they can tell if a perfume is used or part used from that.

Perfume in the UK is regularly shipped back and forth so I wouldn't worry about selling or buying on ebay.

[GwendolynMoon]

just stopping back to say thank you frugal for the nose.fr recommendation and knitting for starting the thread. My first batch of samples arrived today and I am v excited. And weirdly they have included seven rather than the five I thought I was getting but not complaining.

Only issue is, I absolutely love the first one I have tried, Heeley 'Menthe Fraiche', it is gorgeous...but costs bloody £120 a bottle. May be bankrupt soon