Color and light
Updated
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What light does to a blend
Light drives oxidation in many fragrance materials, and an oxidized blend smells different and can be more irritating than the fresh one. A bottle standing on a sunny windowsill for six weeks is a real exposure, not a theoretical one.
What the shelf offers
13 amber, 14 blue and 2 purple against 17 clear and 8 frosted. So the light-reducing options are there, and the question is which job the bottle is doing.
Clear sells the product
A customer can see the liquid level, the color of the blend and the reeds standing in it, and in a gift category that is a large part of the purchase. It also shows every cloudy ring and every piece of sediment.
Amber and blue protect it
And conceal it. For a refill bottle that sits in a cupboard that is an easy trade; for the display bottle in a living room it is a decision about what the product is for.
Frosted is a third answer
Diffuse rather than dark, which hides sediment and softens the look without claiming much light protection. Eight bottles here are frosted and they tend to be the ones chosen for appearance.
Say what the color is for
If you choose amber for protection, say so in the copy; if you choose clear knowing the trade, say where to stand it. Either is honest and both are better than leaving a customer to discover it.
Color is not a substitute for storage advice
Amber glass slows oxidation, it does not stop it, and no bottle on this shelf makes a windowsill a good place to stand one for a year. Saying where to keep it is worth more than the glass color, and it costs a line.