how I miss the perfume "tester" bottles, sigh!
By shelagh77
@shelagh77 (3643)
March 14, 2007 9:10pm CST
I have been discussing a new perfume with a friend and just realised that it is a very long time since I could waltz through a shop, squish a bit of perfume on and waltz out again to see if I like it.
The staff today seem to guard the bottles as if they were tiny children and they put the teensiest little squish onto your wrist and that is your lot!
I hasten to add that although I probably went into the shop every Saturday afternoon to make sure I got my squish of expensive perfume for Saturday night wear, I did buy perfume regularly, so I wasn't taking toooooo much advantage.
Another really nice thing they used to do was to give you a very small sample bottle of a perfume you liked. I think that companies like Avon still do this, and I must admit that is a big plus, but I can't remember the last time I got a little complimentary bottle from a perfumer.
2 people like this
9 responses
@rainbow (6761)
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15 Mar 07
Avon do still do litle sample bottle but the reps have to pay for those themselves or did when I was an agent.
I like to have a spritz ofperfume as I walk through a shop and like to have enough to be able to tell if it suits me too.
The perfume shop now puts it on a little piece of paper so you can compare several but sometimes it doesn't suit our skin s ohaving chosen the nices out of the ones offered I ask fr some on me so I can decide while I'm shopping,they usually give you a bit better squirt then.
Shrek got my Britany Spears Fantasy from there at Christmas and they were happy to give me a good squirt as I explained that sometimes perfume affects my asthma so I needed to be sure. He got his sister some too so it was worth it for the salesgirl as she sold a bottle and a gift set.
2 people like this
@shelagh77 (3643)
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15 Mar 07
I like some Avon perfumes, "Sunny Skies" springs to mind, I used to wear that to work in the summer. They do give the little bottles and I do like their wares but they are not a patch on the expensive ones, I am sorry to have to be a perfume snob here.
I agree that perfume can affect asthma. Isn't it strange how you can wear a perfume and be totally comfortable, but another one will have you wheezing like a good un?
What is the Britney Spears perfume like? sweet? spicy?
1 person likes this
@shelagh77 (3643)
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18 Mar 07
hmm, Britney definitely sounds like a young person's fragrance, doesn't it?
I still have some Sunny Skies. I don't have an Avon rep now because that is one area where I can go absolutely MAD! Perfume, perfume, perfume. I only wear make up for very special occasions but I am never without perfume, I lurve it!
I must admit I watch all the magazines for stories about fragrances and their creators and I am very hooked on Chanel. What a lady!
@shelagh77 (3643)
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18 Mar 07
Back again, Orchidee. There is a lot on eBay but you won't find it on yves roche site, because I have checked.
I am sure you have the link for ebay?
This is a fascinating site I found whilst I was looking for your perfume
www.fragrance.org
I think you might like it, I hope so.
@marlyse (1056)
• Switzerland
15 Mar 07
we must be lucky then, because we have these bottles still here. and what i love too is, they give us always samples from some perfumes, i like them so much because i collect cute bottles hehehehehe
but i understand what you mean. i always felt very special when i did that testing. but i cant do that anymore, because my son wont drive my wheelchair to a perfume shop lol
@shelagh77 (3643)
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15 Mar 07
yes, you are lucky! I like the little bottles also. As to your son, oh yes he will have to drive you into a perfume shop, or all us Mylotters will descend upon him and spray him with our various perfumes. THAT should make him take you in there lolololol.
2 people like this
@shelagh77 (3643)
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18 Mar 07
Did he faint yet? I reckon we could get a few people together and spray him until he smells beeeeeeeeeeautiful lololol.
1 person likes this
@gabs8513 (48686)
• United Kingdom
15 Mar 07
Lol well In Boots I still use their samples, and if they complain I just say well I will not buy unless I have tested and know if it suits me and I want to see if it lasts all Day on me, so they back of and of course I won't buy it for another month or so but I got to wear it and smell nice for a Day hehehe. As for the sample Bottle I have to agree with you. I might just mention that next time I am in Boots. If I create enough I might just get something out of it. Do you fancy coming with me, lol. I will look into sample Bottles, maybe you have to ask and if I stamp feet I might just get one to shut me up, hehehehe. Well Kids get away with it.
@shelagh77 (3643)
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15 Mar 07
Hey! Now there is an idea! Rainbow, are you up for this as well? What do we want? Free samples. when do we want them - NOW!!!!
1 person likes this
@shelagh77 (3643)
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15 Mar 07
Well, belive it or not you can still get the Blue Waltz. Do you think you could possibly still tolerate it, as you could wear it way back then? Here is the website I have found it on
www.auntjudysattic.com/product_detail_3.htm
There is currently also some on ebay!
@kathy77 (7486)
• Australia
15 Mar 07
Oh they do not do what you are saying in my country we still have the little bottles that we can have as much as we like in the local chemist shops And they are the expensive ones there we must be very lucky to still have these bottles seeing that you don't have them any more. I always bought my perfumes as well and I think that this was a really great idea so that I would know which perfume I would buy the next time around. But they did not give us a little complimentary bottle of perfume.
@shelagh77 (3643)
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15 Mar 07
hmmmmmmmmmm if I gave you a list could you send some over please? I would happily pay postage.
I spent many happy hours when I was at college, sniffing my way through all the different perfumes! I really enjoy fragrance but I have a severe allergy to some of them, so it is vital that I know which by a small sniff rather than a huge big splash!
Lucky you to be able to get the small bottles also. Which perfume is the one you like the most?
@breepeace (3014)
• Canada
30 Mar 07
I'm in Canada, and The Bay used to be great about having perfume samples to try out.
I went in there a few weeks ago after getting into a pseudo argument with my guy about wearing the perfume my ex bought me, fully intending to pick a few scents I could take back to get his opinion on, and all I got were the little cards with the scents spritzed on. I was really put out. I remember I used to be able to go in there and come out with enough perfume to scent myself for weeks and after it was all done I'd pick my favorite or most complimented scent.
What a shame.
1 person likes this
@shelagh77 (3643)
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31 Mar 07
Oh boy can I identify with that! However, those little cards can be placed in drawers to keep them sweet smelling. Not a patch on a nice sample bottle, but better than nothing.
Did you drag him into the shop to get his opinion anyways?
@twilight021 (2059)
• United States
16 Mar 07
I love fragrences too. But I find I am very picky. I would definately was a big spritz to make sure I liked the fragrance, make sure it stayed on me, and most especially make sure it wears well though out the day. Sometime body chemistry can do weird things to fragrences. There's nothing worse than getting stuck with something that turns sour on yuo after a few hours.
Like you, I perfer having a little sample vial so I can see if I like something for an extended period of time. Sometime I love something for a day or two, but then decide afterward that it's not for me.
Laely I have really been into fragrence oils. Have you heard of Black Pheonix Alchmey Labs (BPAL)? My current sigature scent is one from them called "White Rabbit". It's heavenly! BPAL does give out little samples called "imps" but you do have to pay for them.
@shelagh77 (3643)
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18 Mar 07
Yup, nothing worse at all than perfume that turns on you. sooooo embarrassing and the wretched stuff then adheres to your cells and will NOT wash off, will it?
I hadn't heard of the Black Pheonix but I just looked them up. I must say it was very different from most fragrance sites, quite interesting too.
For others who do not know of this firm
www.blackphonixalchemylab.com
Thank you for that, I am rather curious to know what White Rabbit smells like, I must admit.
@shelagh77 (3643)
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27 Mar 07
Thanks for that. I shall probably try this first via ebay, tightwad that I am lol.
@twilight021 (2059)
• United States
23 Mar 07
On me, White Rabbit is kinda sweet, but also clean. You can definately smell the "linen" they refer to. The sweet is more of an oaty sweet than a vanilla sweet. I'm pretty happy with it.
I love reading through all the descriptions on the bpal page. It must have been so much fun to write them!
@ChaJudLeoBit (1656)
• United States
30 Mar 07
I've been in a few places lately that have the bottles, but they are glued down. You just spray it on your wrist without getting to pick it up. I can understadn since shoplifting is rampant. But maybe they could keep them in the counter and pull out ANY that you want to try, instaed of just not having any. Speaking of Avon... I am an AVON rep and looking try out my new website. if your interested, go to avonfun.com. Since I can't put a link here yet, you can look at my profile, cuz I put it twice! I agree I have found scents I liked and bought them only because I was able to try them out first.
@shelagh77 (3643)
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31 Mar 07
Yes, cheeky, I did notice you posted twice, but you are working really hard and you deserve all the publicity and help you can get. I am sorry that you are in the States so it is probably not worth my while ordering, but I do have friends over there, so you never know . . .
@divyabijesh (19)
• United States
27 Mar 07
is there any site which gives perfumes testers for free?????????
@shelagh77 (3643)
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29 Mar 07
I haven't found one yet, but some of the freebie sites occasionally have free samples. I finding typing "free" and "free perfume" into the search engines brings up current competitions and freebies. I hope that helps.
Oh, and there is a site for Avon Cosmetics and an earlier correspondant said that they also give free samples.
www.avon.com
Good luck :-)
@ChaJudLeoBit (1656)
• United States
30 Mar 07
I don't know about free samples, since I just started selling avon, but instead of going to the mail site belonging to corporate, why not visit mine?!?!? (lol) I don't know when I can post a link here, but I have one on my website. If you don't find an offer for free samples, I'll send some to anyone who wants. I haven't had any visitors to my site yet and am curious to how it works with someone ordering and having it delivered directly to them. avonfun.com is my website.
1 person likes this
@shelagh77 (3643)
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31 Mar 07
OK, will do, and I hope lots of people visit you. If you are willing to put yourself out to work hard like that and set up your own site you deserve to do well. I hope you post back as to how you are doing.
