The simple answer to that is oxidation and tempature changes kill fragrances. However it's not as common as most people think.

If a fragrance is properly stored in a tempature controlled environment (bathrooms are the worst), with little access to oxygen it can easily keep it's original state for decades, top notes and all. 

There's two types of expired fragrance a "turned" fragrance, (a mild spoiled aroma) or the lack of scent altogether.  I've smelled thousands of vintage colognes and it's actually rare when I find a turned fragrance. Most people who find a vintage bottle, spray it once and think it's gone bad because of the first spray. If a fragrance hasn't been sprayed in years, you need to clear the atomiser first by spraying numerous times to get the old dried liquid out. 

Or another variable is splash bottles, because of the abundance of oxygen the fragrance receives, splash bottles are more rare to stay true to form for the entire life of the bottle. When I have a splash Ill usually transfer it to a spray bottle for that reason.

The truth is, fragrance brands want you to believe cologne easily expires so you keep buying new fragrances! 

Reformulation is when a fragrance company changes the original formula of a scent. The public is not made aware of this. Usually but not always, after a reformulation the scent may become altered and or weakened. This can happen because of ingredient recalls, or a change of manufacturer. Often after a reformulation the packaging will undergo a change. Sometimes it's extreme like a new bottle style, or sometimes it's very subtle like  a slight rewording or placement of the text.

Ifra (The international fragrance association) claims reformulations are done on behalf of public safety, with the removal of certain ingredients that are known to be allergens.

I would never recommend someone to challenge that notion if that's your belief, or personal experience. However I have my personal opinion and some key points to make about the subject. 

My whole life I've had asthma, with allergies to dust, pollen, and animal dander, and I've never personally had a reaction from vintage cologne, nor have I seen someone who has.

 Ingredients like oak moss, patchouli, and animalic notes, are the same ingredients that have been used in hand soaps, laundry soaps, candles, and air fresheners for decades. There is a documented study that was done on 7000 individuals that only 2% had developed a small short term reaction from oak moss.

With all that being said if your unsure or are sensitive to cologne do a spray on a test strip first, then proceed with a small spray on one area of your skin before applying to your whole body. 

Yes! Contact us & let us know your favorites, and we will do our best to always update the store with new additions.

Before starting my business, I'm a frag head first and foremost. Fragrance is something I enjoy, and a hobby I would be collecting for regardless. 

Having smelled thousands of fragrances throughout the years my nose has become pretty advanced. Ive learned how to date colognes, and recognize if a fragrance is healthy by appearance alone. This has enabled me to collect some of the rarest scents available I can provide for you to sample.

 I understand how it seems hard to believe a fragrance made forty+ years ago can still smell as good as the day it was made, but it's true. 

Yes! As a fellow collector, I always struggled with how vendors rarely release an items bottle info. This is very important for the serious collector, due to batch variations.

After the bottle is empty, I delete the listing and seach for another vintage version. I'll make a new listing with different photos, and update the description if needed pertaining to the updated bottle.

Approximately A 5ml decant has 80 sprays, and a 2ml decantt has 30.

That's because the scent was originally released for women/men, but in my opinion I consider it unisex.

I can only speak for myself as a man, but I would argue 90% of fragrance could be worn by either sex. I consider the exceptions, extremely floral scents I still perceive as feminine, and extremely brooding dark scents I still perceive as masculine. If you love fragrance, keep in mind your missing half the picture if you never step outside of your comfort zone.

CK1 by Calvin Klein released in 1994, was the first scent marketed "unisex". Before then every fragrance was marketed either for men, or women. In fact fragrance profiles now like Amber, Oriental, chypre, white floral, and gourmand are all now marketed toward unisex.

Yes! But keep in mind, all vintage fragrance may have slight differences if compared side by side. However there is no mistaking that natural ingredients like oak moss, that are no longer present in formulations of current perfumes like Polo green, smell drastically different from their vintage counterparts.

Three sprays is my preference.

1.Back of the head, if you want other people to smell you/scent trail.

2. Front of your shirt collar, if you want to get occasional wafts for yourself during the day.

3.Top of your hand, if you want an easy to reach sniffable area for yourself.

*Bonus* Add one spray on each shoulder on top of that if you want to choke the room out, lol.

The safest route would be a from a trusted seller online. As an example Anooj from enchanteperfumes has a great reputation in the fragrance community.

Another route would be through a secondary site like eBay. Mercari, or Etsy. If you navigate with caution, those can be excellent outlets for finding good vintage. Use keywords like "vintage", "original formula" or "first batch" plus the name of the cologne your looking for. Be cautious if you buy splash bottles under half full, and A sealed box is usually your best bet. 

Estate sales can also yield good results, let your nose be the judge!