i'd love to hear what details you keep track of and how!
for me, some of the most useful data are:
- source (e.g., online platform or person's name)
- estimated fill level at time of acquisition (i often get partial bottles)
- cost/mL
- bottle's full volume
- size (sample, mini, travel, full)
- dispenser (atomizer, splash, dabber vial, applicator wand)
- date decanted
- date gifted or returned to someone
- date emptied
That's interesting that you keep track of so much without looking at top notes or ingredients or any of the aroma data!
Im not much of a fragrance person, but I mostly love bergamot. I think if I were to categorize it would be day scents vs night scents. But then I'm more of a signature scent person as opposed to someone who rotates through different ones.
i do have a field where i add the fragrantica blurb on the fragrance notes, but i don't really use it much. given the capabilities of my current nose, a list of notes won't really give me a very good idea of what i might like as i'm not so great at identifying them anyway.
how did you come to know what ~bergamot~ smells like? what constitutes a day scent vs night scent for you?
And my night scents are muskier. My fav right now is Harvest Mouse by Zoologist. It's a little smokey and musky and smells like a bonfire on a fall night with a warm drink to go with it.
Day scents are cleaner imo. I'm really liking black chamomile from bath and body works, even though it's not what might be considered a real fragrance per se. It's bergamot and chamomile- I guess I just really like smelling like tea. I was bummed that it was discontinued.
as an example: per source, i could break down costs/mL, my personal ratings, and release years.
local ad-posting sites and estate sales have been excellent cost-wise while most online shopping platforms are pricier. i've also used cost/mL (looking at my overall collection as well as excluding costly outliers and/or free gifts) to determine if something i want to get is reasonably priced in the context of my overall spending habits.
there is a significant relationship between my personal rating and the purchase source. perfumes i buy myself on secondary market platforms are generally higher rated than ones i received as gifts, which makes sense since i sought out the purchase.
on average, certain sources (i.e. people) have gifted me much older perfumes with respect to release dates than those I buy, as the gifts are usually hand-me-downs from people's much younger years.