As someone who gets to test a lot of the best men's fragrances on the market, I'm no stranger to having a collection of big bottles. Often, bigger sizes represent better value than smaller ones, making it the logical choice.
But it's certainly not the only choice. Lately, I've been exploring the wonderful world of miniature fragrance bottles, in a bid to see whether bigger isn't always better.
To check them out, I picked out a few sets from Perfume Direct – this one from Paco Rabanne, this one from Jean Paul Gaultier and this one from Tom Ford. And spoiler alert – I'm feeling quite converted! Here are five reasons why.
1. It's cheap
Okay, point number one – it is cheap. One of the sets I picked up came from Tom Ford, and included three different bottles from the brand's Private Blend collection.
For the unaware – those don't come cheap. Expect to pay somewhere in the region of £300 (approx. €350 / US$405 / AU$620) for a full sized bottle, which is pricey no matter who you are.
Instead, this set cost just more than half of that, and allowed me to test three different scents. If you've got a large collection of scents in rotation, this is certain to be a more cost effective way to add to it.
2. Discover something new
Tied in closely with the last point, miniature bottles are a perfect way of testing a lot of different scents quickly. For less than the cost of a single large bottle, you can give a range of different fragrances a try.
Take that same Tom Ford set for example. I knew I liked Lost Cherry having used it before, but I had a chance to try two other bottles. Rose Prick isn't for me – it definitely leans a little more feminine – but the Bitter Peach is a surprise highlight for me.
Similarly, the other sets allowed me to compare different bottles from the same range, to understand which strength would be best for me.
3. Perfect for travel
Whether you're an international jet-setter, or just a regular in the office, travelling with a fragrance is a great idea. It gives you the chance to top up throughout the day, after your signature scent has burned away.
These little bottles are perfect for that. They'll slip into a bag or suitcase with ease, they won't break any remaining limits for airport liquid sizes and they look fantastic to boot.
Do note that most come without an atomiser top, so they won't spray like your bigger bottles. I've managed to bodge it with the top from a travel atomiser like this, but you could also simply fill those with your scent.
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