When it comes to storing perfume, the most well known guidelines are 1) keeping it out of direct light, and 2) storing it someplace cool and dry. My (and Karen’s) first guess for the best place to store perfume was the fridge, but should we really be putting our pretty perfume bottles between the veggies and cheese? Are there better options?
While heat is definitely harmful to fragrances, large fluctuations in temperature can be even worse, so moving your perfumes in and out of the fridge isn’t necessarily better than storing them on your window.
Just like makeup, perfume cannot stand humidity, so the bathroom is out. Also, you want to avoid exposing them to air as much as possible; keep your fragrances closed at all times, and give preference to sprays over splashes. One problem with splashes, as well as rollerballs, is that oils and dirt can eventually spoil the scent, so try to minimize the applicator’s contact with bare skin.
I didn’t know this for the longest time, but it turns out that one should not shake fragrance, and not just to avoid breaking a fragile bottle. If you like to reapply perfume throughout the day, try to leave the bottle at home and take an atomizer along.
The best storage places for our nice smelling friends are train cases, storage boxes, closet shelves and the like — places away from direct light, heat and humidity, and where they won’t get moved around too much.
Although I’m sad that I shouldn’t put all the pretty bottles on display on my vanity table, with so many options for cute storage boxes, I’m sure I’ll find something I like! 🙂
I never even thought about the storage! I need to move my favorite, dior addict, off of my dresser next to my window. SURELY don’t want THAT awesomeness to be tainted. thanks!
Thanks for this post, Olga. When I get home I plan on finding a pretty train case for all my fragrances.
Got any exciting plans for the weekend?
Mine are in a train case with all my makeup right now, but I am still looking for the perfect storage box. IKEA, here I come! 🙂
I am going to Boston tomorrow to meet with a bunch of college friends I haven’t seen for months 🙂 So excited!
I don’t have too many perfume bottles but it’s great tips. I store most of mine in the drawers.
I always leave my perfume bottles in the boxes they came in. That way if I drop them or knock them over it won’t be a disaster.
That’s the best thing to do, Maggie, but I usually leave the one I use most often at the moment out of the box because I am just too lazy to take it out and put it back in again every day… I know its not that much work, but I am very lazy 🙁
i keep mine in my upper dresser drawer. it’s out of direct light, not a lot of temperature fluctuations, and is still very accessible.
Great tips! I really ought to buy some sort of case for mine. What’s the other reason why it’s a bad idea to shake a bottle besides possibly breaking it? Does it damage the fragrance?
Thanks Sonja 🙂 The explanation that I heard went like this: when the perfume is being manufactured, it is shaken a lot when the different ingredients are mixed in, but after that it is supposed to sit still for everything to settle down and create the right scent. Shaking the perfume after that could upset the balance and change the original scent.
Another thing that I can think of (I am not sure if its true, but seems to make sense to me) is: there is some air in the perfume bottle that comes in contact with the upper layer of the perfume. If you shake the bottle, a lot more of the perfume would be directly exposed to that air, which is bad. But thats just my theory 🙂
If the perfume separates though (I have never seen this happen, but apparently some perfumes do), one should gently shake to mix everything together again.
Thanks for the clarification, Olga! Will definitely keep that in mind.
Ahh. I was wondering the same thing.
as did i
Thanks for the post. Great tips!
Great tips, I also keep my bottles in my nightstand drawer but I wonder if putting them on the shelves in my wardrobe is a better idea to minimize movement… hmm
I put a cheap-o nite stand i bought at ikea in the closet (wierd I know) and I keep all of my fragrances in the bottom drawer. It really is awesome! I keep my vitamins and some makeup in the top drawer. It’s small enough to fit perfectly in the closet without messing with my clothing!
i have a ton of fragrance! I also keep my nail polishes in the top drawer too.
Thanks for the great info on handling/storing fragrances. My husband has spent a lot on my fragrances. Can you please post a picture of a train case? I would like to find one for storing.
Thank you.
No problem, Dorcas 🙂 Right now I store perfumes in my Kat Von D Adora train case, available from (American) Sephora. It is tall enough that most of the bottles fit standing up, and big enough for a large collection. I dont think I can attach pictures in the comments here, but I have one on my blog in a post tagged Kat Von D. There is also one on Sephora’s website 🙂
Oops. I keep everything in the bathroom! I’d better rethink that.
I have never actually given this much thought before. I’ve been keeping all my perfumes arranged neatly on top of my dresser. Better put them in the drawer eh? So sad I can’t display any of the pretty bottles 🙁 lol.. thanks for the article!
Don’t think it really hurts to keep them on your make up table. Ok, there’s a bit of light but this won’t hurt the perfume too much. I think the pleasure of seeing those pretty bottles everyday outweighs any loss of quality. At least for me 🙂
I found a bottle of DKNY in my bathroom cupboard that must me about 12 years old. Still smells fine to me! 🙂