Can perfume go bad?

I just put on some of my Jessica McClintock perfume after not wearing it for quite a while. It doesn't smell at all right; in fact, it smells bad. Then I realized I had bought it for my wedding almost 12 years ago. I'm about ready to chuck it. Does perfume go bad, or has my nose perhaps changed?

Thanks.

From what I have been told by someone who works at the perfume counter at a dept store, perfume has a shelf life of about 2 yrs. I guess stores can keep it that long and then are supposed to dispose of it (or send it back to the

I will occasionally get hung up on a fragrance and wear it for several weeks in a row, but at some point I get tired of it and either move on to something new, or go back to something I've had for awhile. Because of the limite shelf life, along with my tendency to tire of fragrances, I usually buy the smallest bottle available.

that smelled like spoiled shrimp!

Thanks for the input, all. I chucked the Jessica McClinock. Then I checked the Victoria's Secret that I'd had even longer. It was bad as well, so I chucked it. Thank goodness I've gotten a couple of new fragrances recently; they sort of lessen the blow.

Probably just depends on the actual perfume and how it's stored. I have some that was my Mom's that I know is over 20 years old and it smells perfect. I also have the bottle I was given when I had my daughter almost 17 years ago and it's perfect as well.

Following up my followup...I just went to the Victoria's Secret site to see about replacing my perfume. It's not on the site. I'm assuming they don't make it anymore, and I'm less than happy about it. I wanted to start wearing it again.

As a SWAG, I'd expect complex natural molecules to be somewhat resistant to degeneration... but the synthetic fatty aldehyde mixtures that are used in many modern perfumes would likely degenerate over

Does this apply to the spray on sealed fragrances? I think the ones that are open (non spray could turn even faster).

I had a bottle of Angel by THierry Mugler go bad, it wound up turning green and oily and didn't smell right at all. Now I use it whenever I can. On the other hand I've had Sunflower for years and it's still great

Yes, they're bad about discontinuing scents. Not surprising they're owned by the same company as B&BW. Check Ebay, you might be able to find a bottle there. Or check the swap boards at Makeupalley.