Just curious. I’ve got a bottle that is about 1/3 full that is coming up on nine years old.
Is that odd?
I have perfumes that old, too, and I’ve discovered that since I don’t use perfume often, the smaller the bottle the better (those little tester vials are perfect), since perfume goes off with age.
I have at least 1 cologne that dates back to college (Aramis). I graduated 28 years ago ('82) so it’s that and then some. So there’s probably 10 on my dresser and their ages are roughly evenly spaced ranging from 1 to 30 years old.
I have an almost-empty bottle of Sunflower cologne that dates back to high school (mid-90’s). I found it this past weekend; the sprayer was a bit clogged, but the cologne still smells good. I also have some Gap colognes that are probably even older…all but one seem to have aged fairly well.
About six years, I think - I actually just threw it away, the bottle was leaking.
I need some new stuff now, I rarely wear it, but I like to have it around for when I do want it.
Oldest is about 3-4 years old. Most are less than 2 years old. I have about 7 different colognes on my bathroom countertop. Put on a small amount everyday after showering.
I throw away perfume after about 2-3 years, maybe a bit longer, due to the likelihood of it going off with age - and I do not want to be stuck in something nasty one day when I try an old bottle without thinking.
My oldest is a tiny bottle of sandalwood oil from '90.
I have some from the mid 70’s. I have a lot from the mid 80’s. None is from this century. I don’t really wear the stuff.
I wish I could get Night Spice but that hasn’t been made for over a decade.
I just got some (Gwen Stefani Harajuku Lovers G) in the mail about an hour ago. I don’t have any older stuff.
I have a bottle of coco chanel from 1994.
I was just wondering the other day what’s the shelf life of this ancient bottle of coco chanel.
I have a bunch of perfumes that are at least 5-10 years old. They are for show purposes. My Givency Hot is about 2 years old. I get about 3 years out of a bottle.
And I thought my two year old bottle was old.
How long do these things last before they lose their smell?
I don’t know that they lose their smell so much as they go “off”. I guess storage conditions and the actual composition of the cologne (or any other scented product, for that matter) affects when the product will start going. I’m not really experienced in chemistry; I guess it’s a result of oils breaking down?
The worst scented product breakdown I’ve ever encountered was a bottle of Bath & Body Works maple syrup-scented body wash. A year after purchase, it smelled like a vat of random chemicals, with no trace of maple scent at all.
I’ve noticed that the colours change in old perfumes, too, which indicates that they are not as they were. I think if they still smell fine, I’d still use them, but I’d smell them first.
I collect vintage perfumes. The oldest ones I have that are still good are from the 1950s.
If you keep them in a cool, dark place, perfumes will last a long time. The top notes might fade, but most will keep well.
If you put them out on your dresser, they won’t last as long.
I do have some samples of perfumes from around 1900. They all smell mainly of pickle juice (eew).
That’s my thinking too. I have a bottle of Opium that I got last Christmas, and I have an owl-shaped brooch from the 70s which has solid perfume in it, but I don’t wear the perfume. I just have the brooch because I collect owls, and I think that it’s cute.
I have some of those glass cars from Avon that still have aftershave in them. c.1973.
I have a bottle of aftershave (or as my wife calls it, insteadofshave) that I started using in 1976. It was a large bottle and I don’t use it every day - but considering its the only bottle of the stuff I’ve ever owned it should be dry by now.
I still have bottles of Hai Karate (the after-shave and the cologne). I gave them to my dad for Christmas ca. 1969, and came across them while cleaning up my mother’s house after she died. My dad wasn’t a huge user of such products, so they were both about 3/4 full. When I opened the lids, they smelled exactly like I remembered them.
He also had some English Leather, which appears to have separated, with noticable small pools of oil present. I’m just wondering if a paint shaker would re-blend them…