Blind Buying Fragrances: Is It Worth the Risk?

Note: Hobbies are great. They let us engage in activities just for the fun of it. But they should come with a warning label, because a hobby can turn into a form of self-medication … especially when life gets crazy. And before you know it, it gets out of hand. This story shows how this happened to me during covid. It was first published online last year.

About two years ago, I accidentally spilt milk on the carpet.

I was enjoying my breakfast in bed, jumped up to open the window and spread my bowl of cereal far and wide. I couldn’t get rid of the smell for a few days. So I turned to YouTube for a solution.

This sparked my interest in fragrances.

Back then, my fragrance collection was non-existent. I had a nearly empty bottle of Fire & Ice for Men by Revlon (1994) packed away somewhere. But I hadn’t touched it for nearly 25 years.

My interest developed into a hobby during the covid lockdowns. Fragrance videos kept popping up in my YouTube feed. So I watched a few, then a few more.

And before I knew it, I was blind buying.

What is blind buying?

A blind buy involves purchasing a fragrance before you have tested it. Armed with a wi-fi connection and a credit card, it’s easy to comb through fragrance sites and click “buy now.”

Blind buys are a gamble where the house always wins! Still, a winning blind buy is something I would hope everybody in this hobby experiences at least once. It’s fabulously entertaining!
— Redneck Perfumisto (Feb 27, 2008)

Why do people blind buy?

A blind buy can occur for many reasons:

• It’s hyped on the internet;
• You like the listed notes;
• It is from a specific perfumer or favourite brand;
• There is no sample or tester;
• It’s similar to a fragrance you like;
• A friend recommended it;
• It is cheap or on sale;
• You’re bored and enjoy receiving gifts in the post;
• Impatience;
• Like gambling, it can be exciting.

My experience

I now own close to 60 fragrances.

Most were blind buys. The covid lockdowns prevented me from going to a store, picking a few, and sampling them. I bought most of my collection on sale, and I am glad I got at least a 30% discount. But I don’t need that many. I was impatient and could have waited.

I regret over half of my blind buys.

While I discovered a range of fragrance types from a few different brands, I doubt I’ll buy a second bottle of most of them. I’m glad I discovered a few favourites, even if I can count them all on one hand.

If I were to do it over again, I’d research-far-more, spend less, and buy-samples.