Share: Tell us what you love and hate about Rollerball Perfumes!
my answer: I think they’re amazing for traveling, unless they’re poorly packaged and leak everywhere! They can get expensive (relative to full bottles), though. If you like a lot of scents and can’t commit, they’re a nice way to play around with different scents without buying full bottles, but again, the price per ounce is a lot higher!
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I love the idea of them, and wish more brands would go that route. I don’t necessarily care for the portability aspect, as I don’t travel much, but I like that product can be concentrated to specific points, leaving less product to just spray into th air, and not offending others who may be in the room.
They are my favorite way to try a fragrance. I don’t like to purchase a $70 + perfume that I’m not sure I would love, when I can purchase the $20 version first. I’m not a signature scent person, and love the variety of being able to have a different fragrance that will suit my mood each day. I’m always dismayed when a fragrance company doesn’t have a rollerball version (Tom Ford- I’m talking to you! even though I know the rollerball of any of his products would be way over $20)
I wish these were a standard size option for all the brands. I would probably have every expensive perfume available. I love the pricey scents, but spending Tom Ford prices for anything I love is brutal. I could justify spending 30-35 bucks on high end rollerballs.
Kelsey, have you considered decanting websites like The Perfumed Court or Surrender to Chance? They sell, well, decants of thousands of perfumes (expensive, cheap, mainstream, niche) in both spray bottles and rollerbals, in sizes you can choose from. I think Luckyscent does it, too. It’s not the cheapest option, but if you don’t use up fragrance quickly and want variety, it’s a pretty good option IMO.
Rollerballs are awesome because if it is a seasonal scent then I don’t have to worry about how long I will have a huge bottle. Plus I have a signature scent and I when I like to change it up I don’t have to spend a lot. The down side is they do occasionally leak depending on the brand
I think they are the best kind to carry in your purse. If a perfume that I love has a gift set with a rollerball in it, I will most likely buy it. Or buy one on its own.
Rollerball perfumes aren’t really much of a thing here, unless you count the sickly ones they have in the pharmacy (in only about 3 scents)… :-S Maybe I haven’t noticed them!
I love rollerballs. I had a terrible experience though with the Victoria’s Secret “Victoria” fragrance rollerball. The ball bearing part is too small and it drips all over when you try to use it! But otherwise, I have quite a few rollerballs and they’re great since I can never commit to a particular scent.
Sara, are you talking about the old, 1980’s original Victoria? I thought I knew everything that came in Victoria. I loved that scent and when they discontinued it, I went to 4 or 5 VS and bought as much as I could afford. I still have a bottom drawer in my fridge half full of the stuff. Anyhow, I didn’t know there was a rollerball.
I actually kinda prefer them over the bigger bottles. Like others have said, it’s more travel friendly but not only that, it’s easier to get the product on yourself.
I LOVE rollerballs for perfume. They’re travel friendly, it’s a more precise application (I find sprays give too much product at once), it’s a more realistic amount of product (for me), and frankly, I have a much easier time spending 15-25 bucks on a rollerball perfume than throwing money away on a full size spray that I will literally NEVER use up. Plus, I can have a bigger collection without the guilt of 80-150 bucks a shot.
I’ve never actually used a rollerball perfume, so I can’t really tell you about what I think are pros and cons, but they do seem very practical for on the go.
I dislike rollerballs because it is the fastest way I can think of to distort a fragrance. Rolling the ball over your skin picks up skin debris, lotion, sunscreen, powder, etc. and deposits it back into the perfume. It’s a good thing rollerballs on,y contain a small amount otherwise women would be alarmed at how quickly their favorite scent turned bad.
I appreciate the desire to get a small amount of a fragrance and wear it awhile before committing to a full size bottle that can easily cost hundreds of dollars, but I’d rather try it out in the form of a small spray bottle instead of a rollerball. Many perfume sites sell decanted fragrances in small spray bottles that are just about perfect for travel or for trying out something new.
Totally agree – rolling or ‘crushing’ between the rollerball and the skin will distort the scent itself. Not to mention that i found almost all rollerball scents smell awfully of alcohol (which the spray bottle never does). They’re size-wise travel friendly but when they break in your purse, they’ll also create a mess that’s not so friendly. Think again.
Love the fact they can be travel friendly
HATE that they can really smell really plasticky and ruin and otherwise fabulous scent for me.
I love them. I’ve never had a poorly packaged one so I don’t hesitate to toss one into my purse, keep one at my desk at school. I like that they can be applied EXACTLY where you want them and you don’t have to worry about accidentally misting someone else in the vicinity (or the furniture, etc.). I often reapply scent at lunch time (it’s a nice lift to get me through the afternoon) and this way, I don’t have to worry it getting on other people.
oh, I meant to add that when they’re all “finished”, I put the bottle (without the lid but still with the rollerball) in one of my dresser drawers to keep them nice smelling.
I love them! They are such a great way to try out new fragrances and I love that it’s so easy to control the amount you apply, that way I won’t over apply if it turns out that I hate scent or (even worse) that I’m allergic.
I don’t really buy the travel friendly aspect, though. Sure, it’s not as heavy as the typical perfume bottle, but it breaks just as easily and will still completely ruin an expensive purse.
I wear oils almost exclusively, but one of the best little investments I made was buying a few tiny rollerball bottles. I mean like 1mL or so tiny. I can keep a couple sample vial’s worth of oil in my purse for emergencies without worrying about leakage. I just decant from my larger bottles. It also makes applying on the go easier. No oil on anywhere but where I roll. 🙂
Using a rollerball pulls foreign objects into the vial with the actual perfume and can crush the notes of the perfume, further distorting the integrity of the fragrance. I will only use a rollerball in a bind (that was a free gift with purchase to begin with).
They’re not my favorite because I like being able to spray my hair and clothes. I also find that they don’t work all that great with alcohol-based perfumes. I can live with them when it comes to fragrance oils, but sprays are still my preference if I want a good throw.
I’ve always wished that I could get a rollerball size in a spray bottle form, instead (I know they’re out there, but they’re not the majority). I dislike the application with rollerballs and the fact that they generally don’t last as long. I like that you can try out different scents comparatively cheaply, but I just wish they wouldn’t have the rollerball.
I love them! I like to carry perfume in by bag, and apply it sparingly throughout the day instead of spraying a big load in the morning. I find it much less offending to people around me and a more intimate and personal way to enjoy a scent that makes me happy, without necessarily having to bother too much others who might not like it as much as I do!
I hate them personally. If they come as a gift with a full size perfume, I end up giving them to my family and friends, can’t stand them:)to me they are cheap and tacky:) for the purse I have a purse versions, no need for the rollerball thingy 🙂
love them, but there price which is why I haven’t had once since… I don’t even remember when….