Perfume Math, But Make It Cute

generated by Ideogram AI and edited in Adobe Photoshop

Sometimes I feel a little guilty about buying perfume. (Okay, more than a little. At this point, I own enough bottles to scent several lifetimes.) But here’s the thing: my tastes have shifted over the years. Fragrances I once swooned over now sit gathering dust. And that’s not a moral failing, it’s just life with perfume.

The good news? I don’t have to drown in a sea of neglected bottles. Last year I had a revelation: eBay.

Turns out, plenty of people are thrilled to take my unloved scents off my hands. Even partial bottles! Since I baby my perfumes by storing them in their boxes in a dark, cool space, they’re usually in excellent shape. Before listing anything, I spritz-test to make sure it hasn’t gone off. (The sting of receiving a ruined bottle is real. Looking at you, GAP Om, which turned into swamp water. And yes, original Victoria from Victoria’s Secret, you’re on that list too.)

Some of my no-longer-worn perfumes have been discontinued, which means they’re suddenly hot commodities. And yes, that translates into more cash, which makes the letting-go process surprisingly painless.

Over the past year, I’ve listed about twenty bottles and made thousands of dollars. That money has almost entirely funded my new perfume habit. Case in point: since May 1st, 2025, I’ve picked up nine beauties: 1907 Vanilla Dry, Heeley Palm, Trudon Bruma, Liis Ethereal Wave, Vibiskov L’eau Rouge Nature, Molecule 01 + Mandarin, Miller et Bertaux Tulsivivah, Memo Eau de Memo, and a travel spray of Ellis Brooklyn Salt. Retail value? $1,656. What I actually paid? $1,235.

And because my eBay sales during that same stretch totaled $1,243, I technically came out $8 ahead.

Yes, I am officially justifying my perfume habit with math. And I’m not even sorry.

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Posted by theminx on Minxstinks
Note: this post is my opinion. I am not affiliated with the companies mentioned in this post or any other companies.