Do You (Or Would You) Open Vintage Perfume Bottles?
Some month ago I posted a question on Instagram if I should open a vintage bottle of Guerlain Shalimar and Mitsouko. Most of the answers were: open those bottles! I opened the Shalimar bottle and posted a photograph during Christmas. I still haven’t opened the vintage bottle of Mitsouko perfume for some reason. Tara from A Bottled Rose inspired me to open the vintage Vol de Nuit pure perfume bottle with one of her posts on Instagram. I am enjoying Vol de Nuit while writing this article. It’s glorious, I am glad I opened it.
This made me wonder why was it so difficult to open this bottle of Vol de Nuit? What use is it to keep it in a box or special fridge and not enjoy it in all its glory? Are you not “supposed” to open vintage bottles when you collect perfumes?
What do you think? Do you open your vintage perfume bottles? Or would you open them?
April 12, 2019 @ 17:41
Hi Esperanza, I have never bought a vintage bottle, but if I did I would certainly open it ( after a while;)
April 12, 2019 @ 22:47
Hi Mary! You haven’t 😉 ? Your taste might be more contemporary in perfume. Yes, it is nice to enjoy a bottle and admire it before opening.
April 13, 2019 @ 08:58
Hi Esperanza, I was born in 1955 so when I smelled , say from 1975, Miss Dior, Poisson, Rive Gauche, Chanel 19 , etc. that must have been the “originals” I suppose. When Pissara was at the Perfume Lounge she also brought some vintage bottles and they smelled heavenly:) At the Bijenkorf the SP at the Dior stand had a vintage bottle of Miss Dior and that smelled like I knew it from the seventies. So I know what vintage can smell like but going on the hunt for vintage bottles is not my priority at the moment and I am not so familiar on E-bay etc. Maybe you can teach me:):):)Have a fragrant weekend and we still have to make an appointment to go perfume sniffing in Amsterdam.
April 13, 2019 @ 17:32
Hi Mary, it must have been the Originals. You have a very good memory for fragrance! I can teach you a bit Although it is harder nowadays to find them for a reasonable price. Have a fragrant weekend too and we have to make this appointment for perfume sniffing! Very much love that, Esperanza Ps hope your furries are well!
April 12, 2019 @ 21:13
I adore vintage perfume, and have several bottles. I have opened most of them, a few remain unopened. I plan to open and wear them all; there is something about enjoying them in their unopened state for a little while.
I have a vintage bottle of Bal a Versailles and can’t get the stopper off sadly.
April 12, 2019 @ 22:45
Hi Kathleen, Great to see you here and leave a message. Interesting you say this, about Enjoying the unopened state of vintage bottles of perfume. I hadn’t thought of this and it is a very good point. Those Bal a Versailles bottles are gorgeous!
April 13, 2019 @ 14:44
Hi my dear – I love vintage perfumes and yes, I wear them. That’s what perfume is all about. Now, as for the bottle of Vol de Nuit you have posted. If you don’t want it, I would gladly take it off of your hands!
April 13, 2019 @ 17:29
Hi my Dear, good to see you here! I am glad with my bottle 😊 and enjoying it. You have a point about using perfume and that’s all about perfume.
April 14, 2019 @ 08:01
Good question, Esperanza. I would hesitate, but my curiosity would get the better of me too.
April 15, 2019 @ 09:02
Interesting you mention this, Rich, I am always a bit weary to be disappointed if it is still smelling ok when I open a fragrance, curiosity is a good incentive though! Thank you 😊
April 15, 2019 @ 15:41
I have bought several vintage perfumes, Vol de Nuit extrait is the most recent. Besides one I have opened them all and wear them regularly. The one I don’t dare to open is pre-ww 2 Chanel 5. I am afraid I will break the bottle, and it is actually antique isn’t it…but I am sure one day I will!
April 16, 2019 @ 12:27
I can imagine you are afraid of breaking the bottle when opening your pre ww 2 Chanel bottle. Must amazing to smell this though 😉 How are you experiencing your Vol de Nuit? Esperanza
May 27, 2019 @ 09:05
I’ve never bought an unopened vintage bottle, and I’m not sure I ever will – just because I do not trust eBay sellers and know that I will be extremely disappointed if perfume I buy isn’t smelling good any longer. But if I happened to get one of the perfumes that I might consider buying (and VdN is one of them), I’d definitely open it: it’s beautiful in the bottle, no matter whether it’s open or not, so even if I finish it, or if it goes off while I’m using it, it’ll still be beautiful. So why not to try to enjoy it?
June 4, 2019 @ 16:04
Hi Undina, I can relate to being disappointed if a vintage perfume bottle doesn’t smell good any longer. It is always a surprise when smelling a vintage fragrance and opening one. You are right, best opening and Enjoy VdN and more unopened bottles. Do you have unopened bottles?
June 5, 2019 @ 09:14
I have a couple of bottles I bought (modern ones) but haven’t opened yet because I still have a decant of that perfume. And, of course, I have a couple of back-up bottles. But other than that – I do not save bottles for later.