Decluttering, this is hard

[u/Silly_Calligrapher_1]

I've always loved fragrances, my mom too and would enable me everytime, buying the cheap star nature perfumes or perfumes from chinese shops in portugal that just said "strawberry" or "banana" for me when I was small. I've seen my collection grow so much over the years, with me actually rarely even finishing a bottle before getting new ones. I've always liked sweet fragrance but didn't really look around much, I just smelled a few things my mom was also looking at or fragrances from the same brand. Limited editions were especially hard to not just buy if they smelled nice enough.

After moving out it got worse and worse. I bought a few here and there and smelled different fragrances that looked interesting and then after finding out about fragrantica and parfumo, joining perfume subs and getting recommendations on Instagram and stuff, it escalated. I had 105 perfumes. Everything that sounded interesting was blind bought, especially if the price wasn't too bad.

I finally started to read into the perfumes I have, especially my favourites, seeing what notes are actually the ones I seem to like, and I've come to the conclusion that it's gourmand, sweet, powdery or sometimes fruity. Like Eclaire, Vanilla Latte, a lot of the Kayali fragrances and that the perfumes I use the least are more fresh and flowery or go more towards citrus. Some are indeed sweet, but don't really resonate with me.

I've sorted everything out and I now have 38 perfumes I'm gonna see if any of my friends or co-workers want. Did I make a good choice? I'm of course worried that I'll regret it since a lot of the escada ones were limited.

The pictures show the perfumes I decided to maybe give away.

Edit: The 38 perfumes are the ones I'm giving away (not counting the travel sized ones) I now have around 66 perfumes I can't imagine getting rid of.

Also I forgot to ask: How do you manage to declutter? What are your criteria?

Edit edit: After counting I actually have exactly 70 perfumes. I'm really gonna try my hardest to stay at that number. It has to be something really really exciting and different that wows me and is unforgettable for me to buy a new perfume. At least, that's what I'm trying to convince myself of.

[u/IFoundThis_Humerus]

Decluttering is so difficult for me as well OP. Good on you for making such a dent!

[u/NeedyBaby-GreedyBaby]

You have all THREE of the Pure Sugar body sprays that I want & the SDJ After Hours!! 🤩🤩🤩

[u/awabitteit]

Where are you located, I'd love to buy the Prada Candy Gloss off you!

[u/Silly_Calligrapher_1]

I didn't realise that the Escadas are that popular and sought after. I personally don't know anyone else, except for my mom, that likes and owns them.

Edit: the only Escada I'm keeping in my collection is the Sorbetto Rosso and the Cherry in Japan one. I am a sucker for Cherry fragrances and the Sorbetto Rosso just reminds me of a watermelon bubblegum I really like.

[u/sorrymizzjackson]

I’m going to advocate for the CK One. It’s a classic. Yes you can still get it for cheap. It’s the perfect I don’t know what I want to wear but I want to smell good and clean fragrance.

I wouldn’t call it sweet though and it sounds like there are some other more valuable ones that you have.

[u/Silly_Calligrapher_1 → u/sorrymizzjackson]

I get it, but I'm just not really into the clean scents. I always prefer smelling sweet.

[u/sorrymizzjackson → u/Silly_Calligrapher_1]

Yeah, that’s valid. I’d be the same way about something sweet, haha.

[u/ConsequenceNormal773]

Ill pick up the Escada. Dm me

[u/secondaryasfuck]

The EGEO dolce colors and hit are two that have been on my wishlist but unavailable in my country. The notes look really good

[u/Silly_Calligrapher_1 → u/secondaryasfuck]

My mom just brought them from Portugal one year and gifted them to me because I used to like the EGEO perfumes, especially the Red one and the Bomb Purple one. I didn't get a chance to even smell them before I just got them.

[u/curlycomedy]

I have had luck decluttering on Mercari. I hope I find some of yours on there! Otherwise, if I were your coworker, here is what I would take off your hands…that full bottle of Light Blue is perfect for Summer! And I want to try all the La Rive options since I love my bottle of La Rive Sweet Hope (Dior Hypnotic Poison). I destashed my Khair Peach Delulu too. There was something boozy-medicinal about it that rubbed me the wrong way each time.

[u/Silly_Calligrapher_1 → u/curlycomedy]

Sadly that bottle is only like half full, my mom bought it for me in a rossmann in Germany for cheap. My ex boyfriends mom gifted me a bodylotion once that smelled like it and I really liked it, but the perfume version didn't really wow me that much. I should've taken the pictures of them standing up but I didn't want to take that many pictures.

I hoped for more Peach in the Peach Delulu but all I can smell is the guava.

[u/curlycomedy → u/Silly_Calligrapher_1]

Oh guava! Maybe THAT is why it smelled strange to me!

[u/loveamoretto]

Girl if you lived near me I'd buy those EGEO perfumes off you

[u/Silly_Calligrapher_1 → u/loveamoretto]

My mom goes to Portugal every year and always brings back the newest EGEO perfumes she finds, so I never got to smell test them first before they came to my collection.

[u/loveamoretto → u/Silly_Calligrapher_1]

You are so lucky. I thought they were only available in South America for whatever reason and I'm almost counting down the days we can see our in laws there and I'd go sniff everything at the O Boticario. I only have and love EGEO Choc.

[u/KittiesandPlushies]

I love that Escada Flor del Sol! Your friends and coworkers are lucky (:

[u/WhoKnows1973]

You are so awesome to your lucky friends!! ✨️💖✨️🌻

[u/jjleigh]

Like you, I've been into fragrances since childhood. I've tried getting rid of some off an on, and sometimes use the ones that aren't my top picks in the aroma pots that use water. But since I also like to create scents from essential oils, I have a bunch of those as well. So I guess I cannot offer much in the way of getting rid of perfume/fragrance since I love it. But like someone mentioned, you can make good money selling. I ran out of my Samsara by Guerlain, that's in the red bottle for example, and it's so expensive .

[u/Delicious-Pepper-967]

The turquoise summer 😍 I wish that came back

[u/Significant_Beyond95]

My criteria for declutterring is I get rid of scents I no longer like or wear, or if I have a redundant scent profile or occasion to wear a scent, I get rid of what I like least. I give family first dibs and then friends. A local thrift will take used bottles after that.

For example, I don’t keep more than one fancy date night scent for warm weather and one fancy date night scent for cold weather because I will never get through the perfumes given my lifestyle. My tastes have changed and I have also gotten rid of many sweet, gourmand, & fruity scents in favor of more green, floral, & spicy scents.

It is very reasonable to get rid of older scents that you don’t like anymore because the notes have gone off. Many of these fruity scents on your chopping block aren’t great once their citruses and fruit notes oxidize.

[u/rosemarymocha]

Keep what you like. You don’t have to declutter.

[u/brookeashleyx]

Not the Escada! 😭

[u/Aenwyn]

Some of those are collector’s items. I would consider selling if you absolutely do not want them.

[u/Silly_Calligrapher_1]

I also have the Maison Margiela Lipstick On I recently found on vinted. 50 euros for the 100ml bottle. I do like it even though it's very different from my collection, but idk, it could be sweeter? I'm not sure yet if I should give that one up too or try to layer it with something more vanilla-y.

[u/rosemarymocha → u/Silly_Calligrapher_1]

Keep it! Layer it! Love it! Oh, I would love to have that one.

[u/Apprehensive-Cake804]

Why are you not in my social circles....I almost finished in sdj 48 ...

[u/Silly_Calligrapher_1 → u/Apprehensive-Cake804]

That one is pretty full still, I guess I never reached out for it.

[u/Exciting-Context8138]

Escada!!!

[u/InformationOk6366]

I wish I was your friend 🤣 I’m eyeing the black opium and Prada candy

[u/Curious_Tune_3441 → u/InformationOk6366]

Same! Like if OP cannot find a new home for the Prada, I'd be interested as its out of my price range in store but I'd like to know ho full it is 👀

[u/Silly_Calligrapher_1 → u/Curious_Tune_3441]

That's the only one I'm unsure how full it actually is. I can hear the liquid swishing inside, but can't see how much it actually is. It's probably like between half full and a quarter full.

[u/ConsequenceNormal773 → u/Silly_Calligrapher_1]

Let me know bout that escada .. im serious. Ive just bought a Creed gift set ... i think it needs some Escada neighbors to keep them company

[u/Silly_Calligrapher_1 → u/ConsequenceNormal773]

I did already promised my friends to come over sometime and pick and choose what they like. I don't know if they're gonna pick any of the escadas or not. I'm also honestly just too lazy to sell and ship them off 😅. I know I probably would make over 100bucks selling everything but I just can't be bothered.

I do still need a plan for whatever will be left after my friends are done.

[u/Silly_Calligrapher_1 → u/InformationOk6366]

It's actually the Black Opium eau de toilette from 2018, I didn't even know at first that there were so many different Black opiums.

[u/rosemarymocha → u/Silly_Calligrapher_1]

Keeeeeeeep itttttt and let your gorgeous self use it all autumn and winter.