I admit that packaging does matter to me, because it becomes a part of perfume aesthetic. Of course, I have my own conceptions of what I find beautiful, and keeping that in mind, I would never pass up a great fragrance just because it comes in a so-so bottle. For instance, I dislike Parfums de Nicolai bottles, yet the fragrances are lovely. In same vein, just because the bottle is beautiful, I am not going to love the fragrance, yet it does influence me to try harder.

Realistically though, my collection is not on the display, hidden from light. Once in a while, I bring out some of my most beautiful bottles, look at them and then hide them again. My favourite bottles are vintage Caron almost anything, Guerlain Apres L'Ondee extrait, limited edition Serge Lutens.

V, I do not mind the PdN bottles, but am always seeing negative posts about them on basenotes so you are not alone.

Would LOVE to have a bottle of Apres L'Ondee extrait!

I am not influenced by packaging although I admire beautifully-displayed bottles in stores. Mine are stored in their original boxes in a cabinet. I decant almost every fragrance (except parfum) into decants for daily use.

The prettiest bottle I have: Bond So New York (star shape). Ugliest: La Perla Eclix. Cheapest for an expensive scent: POTL.

Should have thought of Eclix. It is not only an ugly bottle, but the bottle seems particulary disassociated with the character of the juice.

POTL is one that I have only in decant, so can't comment on the bottle except that everyone says it feels flimsy.

I think almost everyone here knows that you keep perfume in the box, away from light and heat, if you want to keep the scent well preserved, so I don't like to use bottles to decorate my dresser and try not to have their aesthetics influence my purchasing decisions. I like the zebra striped box that Guerlain uses to house their art-deco Vol de Nuit bottle, which is my favorite perfume bottle design ever. It's the Chrysler building of perfume bottles.

1. Bottles that were prettier than the juice- Vendetta by Valentino, ditto on the Niki de Saint Phalle, Violetta by Penhaligon's (wish the juice lasted longer on me to justify the purchase)
2. Bottle design that turned me off from its juice - "Stacked Style" labels cheesed me off big time. Very Bangkok strip club aesthetic, if you ask me.
3. Bottles that would be boring if not for the labels (I think you mean perfume houses whose appeal rely too much on packaging for its appeal) - ditto on Dyptique, the Royal Delight box of Creed (au cheval!)
4. Vintage bottle I would love to have -- At the Chanel exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum, I was entranced by a 1920's bottle of No. 5. The label was nearer to the top, the typography is beautiful. In fact the case it was in which contained other vintage Chanel toiletries, made me weak in the knees. Also, the bottle for Oscar de La Renta's Ruffles was pretty.
5. Recent bottle I would love to have -- not a bottle, but one of those ceramic limoges easter egg shaped boxes with a nightingale by a pond that they sell at Caron.

The etched Penhaligons bottles are lovely. I guess the Stacked Style bottles are supposed to be "fun", but I don't like them either.

Just looked up the Vendetta bottle: very nice. And I will take ANYTHING from the Caron store, really.

And re: your number 3, I just meant that the labels are pretty even though the bottles themselves are rather dull. Changed the wording in the article to make it clear.

Oh, OK. The box of the Creed Royal Delight with the horseback riding scene is a nice example of French Anglophilia. The bottle itself is rather plain. Re: Caron - I don't think I would ever be dissapointed with a gift from that store. If they took Aimez-moi out of there, I would be happy to do a blindfolded (bandana over eyes and nose) shopping spree.

Be happy to take the Aimez-Moi out of there for you ;-)

C, I think I saw the same exhibit, however I do not recall whether it was at the MET or FIT. I do remember amazing Chanel bottles from 1920s as well as the case. I liked the entire conception very much.

Also, I will add that Poiret's Parfums de Rosine bottles are completely enchanting, in Art Nouveau style.

The FIT exhibit was heaven. The only obvious flaw was that there were no osmotheque.

If you have the time, you should go to the current Karl Lagerfeld curated Chanel show at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, because in addition to the clothes, there is a case there with vintage bottles of No. 5, Ivoire (I think) plus vintage Chanel skin care and cosmetics, and the packaging is wonderful. The show closes on August 7th.

Oh, I am actually planning to go to NYC before that day, and now I know I simply must! Thank you very much for the heads up.

Yes, I wished there was an osmotheque at the FIT exhibit. It was great nevertheless.

Hi there -

I am not influenced by the aesthetics of the bottle but still appreciate when a perfumer makes an effort - does that make sense? For example I too loved the bottle for Magradore for Men but not enough to buy it - partly because my collection stays in the dark. Part of me still longs for Shalimar for the bottle - which I love but again- Shalimar and I do not agree so alas the bottle is still at Bergdorfs. I admire Caron and Bond for allowing us the option of choosing the bottles for our juice and long for one of those Caron yellow ones that sit on a dresser. So I do adore certain bottles including Apres L'Ondee, Jicky and my bell shaped SLs but I wouldn't spend my money on any whose juice I did not love!

Love that Shalimar bottle too. Don't know why I don't love the Shalimar light bottle. It isn't the right shade of blue, for one thing. (picky, picky, picky)

Would love to have a bell shaped SL too. One day...

I like a pretty bottle as much as the next person, but I'd never buy something just for the bottle. Then again, I would definitely *try* something for the bottle if I saw it in the store. And I've definitely passed things up when their packaging screamed to me, "NOT FOR YOU!" Example: Nanette Lepore. I am not that girly. Thanks for the warning. My favorite bottles, though, are your standard rectangular blocks of glass. I think I like that because 1) it's easy to hold, 2) it won't roll off the dresser if the cat leaps up, 3) it doesn't try to oversell the scent to me. I am really fond of those classic Guerlain Baccarat crystal bottles, but not enough to go bidding against collectors for them.

The NL juice is in fact very girly. I actually liked the bottle better than the juice, but it is far from a favorite bottle at that.

Hey babe!

I don't display my bottles either. I keep them in a closed, dark cabinet near the entrance to my bathroom.

Two 'confessions:'

1. I love that Omnia bottle, girlfriend! Maybe because of the tortoise shell, and I have always loved tortoise shell anything...hairclips, sunglasses, perfume bottles. LOL!

2. I ordered a 2.5 oz. bottle of Jicky Parfum de Toilette last year. By accident, they sent me a 1/4 oz. Jicky parfum. I thought I would die swooning when I opened the package. And, it came in a beautiful olive green velvet box (more swooning and disbelief!). But, my conscience got the better of me, and I ended up returning it for the correct order.

I tell myself that I did the right thing.

Hugs!

Now see, I loved the picture of the Omnia bottle. But when I picked it up in the store, I hated the feel of the plastic. I understand that there is an inner glass bottle, but it still does not have a satisfyingly heavy feel to me.

You did the right thing on the Jicky. But it must have hurt.

You mentioned that you had ordered Eau de Parfum Jicky by Guerlain and by mistake they sent you the Parfum. I have been unsuccessful in locating the Parfum and would love to know where you ordered it from. Please let me know! Thank you,
Please reply to Lachaloupe@aol.com,
Thank you.

I gave you a wrong e-mail address to respond when I asked you where you had found a place to order the Perfume Jicky by Guerlain. Here it is : Lapetitechaloupe@yahoo.com.
Thank you,
Lea

I like the PdN bottles! What's the problem?

I would never be put off buying a scent I liked by the packaging and bottle (although that Moschino Olive Oyl bottle is pushing it...). I like simple bottles that are easy to spray and don't just dribble down my hand, and where I can see exactly how much is left in the bottle. I think the l'Artisan 50ml bottles are my pragmatic ideal!

I think my least favourite is YSL Nu, which fails on every count - it looks and feels like a can of shoe polish; opening it has all the seductive thrill of taking the back off your mobile phone, it's a bugger to hold and you end up spraying your eye, the curtains, your crotch... And you still haven't a clue how much is left. I suspect the Be Delicious bottle was designed by the same idiot-savant.

There are some scents, though, where I wish I loved the scent because the bottle is so gorgeous. I love the Kenzo Flower bottle, but am not wild about the contents. I think Michael Kors Island is an elegant bottle with its azure juice (although very difficult to hold and spray). I love the classic Guerlain perfume bottles. And j'Adore, with its long golden neck. And I must admit to a sneaking regard for all the J-lo bottles....

N, I'm not really sure what the problem is with PdN, but I've seen more than one post on basenotes complaining about how ugly they are. I don't have any strong opinion on them either way.

Like the L'Artisan bottle, but they look boring when you have a bunch of them, which I do, and I don't like having to look at the label to see which one I am picking up. Ormonde Jayne is even worse, you have to pick it up and and look at a label on the bottom of the bottle.

Agree on the Michael Kors Island, although I haven't seen it in person yet.

Dear Vanilla Girl, I remember the PdN bottles in the early 90s were much more elegant, so the current bottle design is a little disappointing in comparison. They used to look like glass pillars.

Exactly! I loved the old style bottles, but the current ones, just as C said, are disappointing in comparison.

Oh, now I'm thinking all my bottles must be old!

Now I'm dying to see the old bottles! And an hour ago, I didn't know any better...

I feel the same way as you do on this topic. And my bottles are stored in a dark cabinet in a cool room. But I will admit that when it comes to store testing, I will pick up and test anything purple or lavender because I am the Queen of Purple and that's what catches my eye! LOL

My favorite bottle is my lead crystal Bagutta Life, so beautiful! A close second is my engraved Serge Lutens bottle brought back from Paris by a friend. Filled with lavender tinted water, I admire it every morning as it is on display in my bathroom.

Least Favorite is Marc Jacobs Blush, long and rectangular with the sprayer in the middle. Very hard to use, a real treat to decant.
:O)

Yes, the Bagutta Life bottles are just lovely. Haven't yet seen the Jalaine bottles in person.

Which SL is lavender-tinted??

Hello R! I love to look at gorgeous bottles but that does not dictate what I buy.

I adore the Guerlain extraits bottles and the Violette Madame escargot crystal pieces but there is no way I will shell out 800 euros for a piece.

I do not care for some bottles like IUNX because they are so HUGE and unhandy and takes up too much space.

Like many of the ladies here - I always keep all my perfumes in dark cupboards and most times in their boxes.

Have never seen an IUNX bottle, N! The Guerlains are works of art.

Are your perfumes in cupboards AND in boxes? You are more fastidious than I am. I toss the boxes first thing.

Will send you a pic of some bottles when my camera decides to behave herself! I keep most boxes for parfums and toss some of the EDT/EDPs - it depends. :))

I've also been forced to toss boxes for the sake of space also.

I just ordered a new Jalaine (Rain Forest) from Lucky Scent. According to Franco, the ones he has are the same as the Bagutta Life bottles but without the monogram. Very interesting because Aedes shows their Jalaine in new oval bottles.

I just re-filled the SL bell bottle with lavendar colored water to match my bathroom. It contained Un Lys which I decanted into a sprayer. :O)

Hello! I love the SL limited edition bottles too. I have one (a bois de violette) with my name etched on it. Lovely indeed.

Great idea for an empty bottle, V.

Can't imagine why luckyscent would have different bottles, unless she is "using up" old bottles that hadn't yet been monogrammed?

Yep, that was my thought.

Well, let's face it, I think we all know I am a bottle dork. I do consider the juice, of course, but I love when scents are packaged creatively.

One scent I really love the bottle and the juice for, and I think they pair nicely, is Bal a Versailles. Both are lovely. But my latest acquisition bought because I loved the bottle was a disappointment, and forunately an inexpensive disappointment: Guipure and Silk. I do think the bottle is still worth owning, though, and clearly there are those folks out there that DON'T suffer from play-doh-itis from anything with an almond note.

Yes, K, was waiting for you to show up!

Guipure & Silk (Jeanne Arthes for anyone who is curious) is a cool bottle. I actually like a bit of play doh, but the coconut isn't likely to appeal to me.

The coconut is pretty limpid, at least on me. It's nothing that I really noticed per se. That, of course, may have something to do with the play-doh taking over the universe around me when I wore it.

Hello NST!
I love the old atomizer bottles with the little pumps attached to the nozzles... they were so quaint and lovely. I know that Boucheron Trouble has one version of their bottles like this. And I admit that the Britney Spears Curious bottle catches my attention just because of that pump!
Generally, I think I really like most bottles... I love the way they all look so different, with their own character! But I admit that the Paris Hilton one bothers me for some reason.

M, look at TJ Maxx for Paula Dorf Zita, it is a lovely bottle that comes with one of those atomizer attachments. You'll have to like rose though. I think the Nanadebary bottles have them too.

The Paris Hilton bottle is ugly, although it is another that I haven't seen in person.

Yes! I think the Nanadebary bottles do have them! I tested the original one a long time back, but only once, and then I lost the sample... I think I liked it! I'd buy it just for the bottle...! I will look for the Zita, but I'm usually allergic to fragrances with a lot of rose. I just start sneezing non-stop! =( Curses!

Another aesthetic point that I find very pleasing are bottles with those glass stoppers with long glass sticks (sorry, can't think of the correct term!) at the end. I like the idea of dabbing it on your pulse points... but I know that it's not practical, b/c it would get skin contaminants in your fragrance, and that's not very good!

This is a grassy rose, so is certain to make you sneeze. Forget it!

Bottle designs don't sway my opinions. It's all about the juice.

But, when I come across a sprayer that leaks, or is hard to use, I do grumble a bit. Have had trouble with the Creed sprayers for some reason. They dribble if you don't spray them a certain way. That shouldn't happen, especially with a price point that high!

I do love the Caron bottles, the Guerlain bottles, the Femme bottle, and the L'Artisan bottles. And the heavy bottles used by The Different Company - with their screw-on caps - are a big favorite.

Hate bad sprayers, especially since I spend a lot of time decanting. On the other hand, sprayers that deliver the kind of fine mist that I prefer to use on my person are not always the best for decanting.

The Different Company has wonderful packaging.

Ok, I'm thinking that I am the only person that has perfume displayed on her dresser! I'm not hiding that beautiful bottle in a closet or under the bed, though I do have some in dresser drawers because there are so many.

On my dresser, on top of my grandmother's gilded mirror are some of my perfume bottles. Guerlain, Chanel, Ormonde Jayne. I enjoy the sight of them on my dresser, being reflected back by the dresser's mirror. I wear these and I want to see them, too!

L, Part of my concern is the number of bottles I have. I don't go through them very quickly, so am perhaps more careful with storage than I need to be. Also, and this is especially true because of this blog, I tend to apply fragrances while sitting at the computer rather than when I get dressed in the morning. But totally understand wanting to see pretty things on your dresser!

I'm trying to be more open-minded about packaging. Sometimes I want so badly to love a fragrance just because the bottle is so appealing. On the other hand I missed out on Trish#9 for years because I thought it couldn't possibly be as good as Mure et Musc (mainstream, "safe" cosmetic company; mainstream, "safe" bottle)- now I haven't worn MetM in several years and the #9 is a HG.
So, I think packaging often has too strong an influence on how I experience a fragrance. But oh, the joy of loving the juice and the bottle and all of the aesthetics coming together.....that's the perfect scent experience for me.
~Ana

A, I would have run to try the MetM first, because of the brand name probably more than the packaging -- although it is all intertwined I guess. Glad you found a HG! And I need to try more of the TM line...

a stupid question - how do you decant a perfume? the bottle cap/spray seems to be stuck solid and you can't twist it off or anything, can you? would be much obliged if anyone could explain the process... thanks

Copied from a FAQ I maintain on MakeupAlley:

If your original is a splash bottle, you can try to simply pour into the new container, however, this can be risky depending on the size. A stainless steel funnel might help you to avoid spillage. If you don't have one handy, using a clean straw as a siphon usually works. And perhaps the best method of all: disposable plastic pipettes can be purchased at the hobby store, and work well even with the small sample vials.

If the original is a spray, you can see if the top unscrews easily, but most are crimped on and cannot be removed without breaking the spray mechanism. In that case, the best method is usually to spray directly into the new container by holding the nozzle right up to the opening. This usually works well even with small containers, like sample vials, but some atomizers are better than others. If you have trouble, again, a stainless steel funnel is helpful. Other recent recommendations from the fragrance board: buy the small paper cups used to dispense medicines in hospitals. Spray into the cup, crush the side to make a spout, and pour. Or, use tin foil to fashion a funnel.

Robin, you do everything! very informative, thank you :)

No problem! Actually should have just given you the address of the FAQ, because it also has sources for buying decanting supplies. It is at:

http://www.makeupalley.com/user/notepad/perfumefaq/

Love this topic!!

The way a bottle looks is very important to me. It's not enough to get me to buy a fragrance I dislike, however, a really ugly bottle can prevent me from purchasing a pleasant fragrance.

I do tuck most of my perfume away, but like to display a few really pretty bottles on my dresser.

Some uglies in my opinion:
Bulgari Omnia: Haaaate. Ugly unappealing shape Plastic on perfume bottle is a big no-no for me. Metal and glass only!
Arden Red Door: I actually like this perfume, but hate the tacky bottle with its ugly red cap.
Emporio Armani bottles: (plastic and...rubber? Can't see the juice?)
Oscar De La Renta: Again.. ugly shape, ugly plastic cap.

My fave bottles:
Rochas Femme: Love the elegant feminine curved shape!
Guerlain: Classic packaging. Wish I loved the perfumes!
Caron: Soooo pretty
Annick Goutal: Love the old-fashioned look of the bottles - classic & timeless.
Boucheron Trouble: One of the coolest bottles I've seen in ages! I love the serpent coiled around the cap.
Lolita Lempicka: Totally adorable packaging. Unfortunately I'm not fond of the scent, but would love to get the ltd. edition solid perfume - it came in a beautiful golden apple with a tiny gold-crowned frog perched on top.
Estee Lauder Pleasures: Simple and elegant
Adrienne Vittadini Venezia: Love the written script etched on the bottle.

That's all that comes to mind for now. What are everyone else's favorites?

CW, glad someone agrees with me on the plastic Omnia bottle. I don't want to feel plastic unless the perfume was REALLY cheap. Happily I have managed to amass a large collection of Omnia samples so I can wear it anyway.

Agree on Lolita Lempicka, great packaging. Also should have mentioned the L'Artisan LE bottle for Premier Figuier, it is adorable, but very expensive.

My favorites:
Lolita Lempicka is one of my alltime favorite bottles too. I used to have the roll-on "magic wand" with the concentrate in it.
About 6 years ago when I was all about the Mure et Musc, I got the LE blackberry flacon. I still treasure it even though I never wear MetM now- but the flacon being almost 200ml, I give out lots of samples!
Annick Goutal's with the butterfly on the stopper is so lovely. IIRC, she found the design in the ruins of an old glass factory. I especially love the Petite Cherie mini that's light blue frosted glass. I wonder if Eau du Ciel comes in one of those. Hmmmm....
EL Beyond Paradise: awsome bottle, yucky juice on me.

Not so much:
Creed: just not an appealing shape except the little ones are kind of cute.
Trish McEvoy: too mainstream looking (but I love that #9)

A, Never saw the MetM LE, sounds lovely! There are also some GORGEOUS LE handpainted bottles on the AG website, check them out if you haven't seen them.

I am completely sucked in by packaging and advertising. The name, color of bottle or juice, words in the description, the look of the ad itself, even what reviewers write about it, all influence me to desire a scent. But once the perfume gets my attention, my final decision to buy is usually up to what it actually smells like--unless I just have to have it for whatever reason.

S, love "unless I just have to have it"...that pretty much covers all the bases ;-)

Being a visual type, I'm attracted to nice bottles. 'Nice' for me is usually simple, though. My favorite recent bottles are Extrait de Songe and Jardin sur le Nil--lustrous, transparent colors and understated shapes, both. Aahhhhh.

Hi L. Love the classic Hermes bottles, and glad they used them for the Jardin series. Like the green version for Eau d'Orange Vert & the blue for Hiris too.

i've said some of this in other posts, but have to comment again! i am the rare person who finds the bottle as important as the scent. there have been times when i've bought scents i liked whose bottles i didn't like, and even though i wanted to i just never ended up wearing them because i didn't want to keep them around.

i think the MPG bottles are absoultely stunning, but like NST i hate the tacky faux gem on top and so i will not buy them (even though there are a couple of the fragrances i really like). there are so many beautiful scents i love that i feel okay just buying the ones whose bottles i love also. otherwise i'd max out ALL my credit cards.

also, NST, unlike you i love the way it looks when i have several bottles by the same brand together - it's like a store display, which i guess to some isn't a good thing but to me looks beautiful. i have five l'artisan bottles in a row (2 of which are tubereuse) and three creeds (2 tubereuse indiana, 1 fleurissimo). and because i live in a tiny one-bedroom new york apartment, i keep my perfumes on my living room shelf along with books and candles (all diptyques - lilas, tubereuse, gardenia, jasmine) and dvds and photos and art objects. i like to kind of mix them all together.

some of my favorite bottles are l'artisan, frederic malle, serge lutens, creed, and diptyque (i like niche brands). others are chanel, hermes, chantecaille, and annick goutal (don't love any of the AG scents though). and i think all of them look best when next to others of the same brand!

Interesting; you take packaging much more seriously than I do. You're right, I don't like the MPG faux jewel, but I do buy the bottles (or one of them, anyway).

And while I understand the esthetic behind the Frederic Malle bottles, they are far from my favorites. If I was going to display my bottles, these might end up in a cupboard anyway :-)

also...FRACAS!

Fracas is a great bottle!

No one seem to have mentioned DelRae bottles, which I think are comfortingly chunky yet simple and elegant. I do love old-fashioned chunky bottles, so Crown Perfumery would be another example of what I think is nice. Of course, L'Heure Bleue and Mitsouko are beautiful too. I generally don't like minimalist, so even though Parfum 06130 Yuzu Rouge is my HG, the bottle bothers me no end.
Sometimes boxes are really attractive, my favourite is probably Madame de Rochas, the one with gold lacing all over it. And those old wooden Guerlain boxes...to die for.

Yes, agree that the Delrae bottles are nicely done, and the old Guerlain boxes, especially Shalimar, are lovely.

Caron has some nice boxes too, although since I've thrown them away, I can't remember which perfumes...

http://www.gofeminin.de/beaute/2004parfums/im2004parfums/4/8.jpg

is this the snowflake bottle you like?

That is the one! Thank you so much for the link.