Must Get Organised | Illustration by The Perfume Magpie
There have been some thoughts concerning perfumes on my mind. What’s new, you may say. True, I probably think about perfumes every day. I’m a self-professed perfume addict. I want to call myself a perfume connoisseur — it sounds much posher — but in reality, I’m simply an addict. Being an addict and a magpie, that’s a fatal combination. Now I have box after box of tiny sample vials and I have no clue what I have in them. Some of them are spilling out of a bowl on my dresser and sometimes I knock one of them off and it ends up as an instant room fragrance. When I want to try something, I have to dig around and think hard to figure out where on earth I put it. Needless to say, there are many that I haven’t had a chance to try yet. So, to get to the point, this is what has been nagging me; there has to be a structure in my perfume sampling and I have to get organised.
Although I no longer crave to try every single perfume released under the sun, I don’t think my incessant obsession in discovering something different will cease to exist anytime soon. I just love the experiences — some are extraordinarily intense and some are just a gentle emotional nudge — perfumes bring about; which means that there will be even more vials added to those boxes this year. I’m not a big believer in New Year’s resolutions but out of necessity, I decided to make a few and I’m determined to stick to it for a long time. Yes, I am that desperate. So here it is:
Magpie’s Resolutions — In other words, Sample Organising Challenge
- Test at least one perfume sample more or less every day.
- Enter the data of the tested sample in Excel on the same day.
- Put the tested samples away IMMEDIATELY in the appropriate cubby space in drawers.
Diaro App – I’m using this app for my perfume journal | Actual screen shot of my perfume journal
That’s it! Simple. Everything lines up in an elegant streaming flow. If I can keep up with this commitment with a healthy dose of motivation, by the end of 2016 or even before that, I will have beautifully organised samples in one place and also a database. My perfume life will run more smoothly, plus I will gain the habits and routines necessary to keep it that way. Clutter free! No more chaos!
It’s still early days but so far, so good. I also started using an app called Diaro to keep a bite-sized perfume journal. Wish me best for my well organised perfume life in 2016.
The Perfume Magpie 