Fragrance ERA |OT|
Hey there, good folks of ResetEra! It turns out that a bunch of us are into fragrances so I figured we should have an OT to chat in. What exactly are fragrances, you may ask? Here's a brief general guide:
For the purposes of this thread, we are referring to any sort of scent worn (usually sprayed, rolled on or dabbed onto) your skin or clothing. Yes, this does include deodorants and the like if they have an intentional scent to them, and many perfumes/colognes even come in deodorant stick variants!
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Now, you might have been confused by the differences between "cologne", "aftershave", "perfume" or abbreviations like "EdT". Most of these just refer to the concentration of aromatic compounds (aka the things you actually smell) within a fragrance.
Cologne or "Eau de Cologne" is simply the lightest concentration of a commercial fragrance. It generally contains ~5% aromatic compounds and is contrary to popular belief not a gender signifier of a fragrance, though the word "cologne" is often used in that context in modern English. However, the word Cologne also shows up in some higher end brands to signify a classic genre of citrus-based scents which may or may not actually have the standard amounts of perfume oil concentration. Go figure.
Eau de Toilette or EdT is anything between 5%-15% concentration and is usually what you will find in most mainstream so called "designer" (more on that later) fragrances on the market. Usually strong enough to last for a number of hours but not so strong as to choke out everyone inside an indoor space. This varies a lot depending on the scent and oils used, of course, as well as how sensitive a person's nose is to different types of smells.
Eau de Parfum or EdP is anything around the 15% mark and this is where things start getting serious. It is not uncommon to find fragrances that last anywhere from 6 to 24+ hours and easily fill up an entire room with just a few sprays once you reach this concentration. With that you usually (but not always) get a steeper price tag, but you also usually get more bang for your buck. Most niche (again, more on that later) fragrances tend to reside here or above. If you see the word "millésime", this is usually what its referring to.
Parfum or Extrait de Parfum is anything from 15% to 40%+. The prices can be as extravagant as the smell/performance of these puppies. If you're purchasing this sort of stuff, you probably don't need to read this and already know what you're doing. In some cases you will find these in as little as 5ml roll-on tubes selling for several hundreds of dollars. You might not even need more.
After-shave is somewhat confusing. Sometimes it is indeed some type of Eau de Cologne, other times it has nothing to with fragrance at all and the scent is mostly just a side-effect of whatever is going on. The thing after-shaves have in common is that they are anti-septic in order to prevent skin irritation due to shaving cuts, hence the name. I encourage folks to not use this term for regular sprayed fragrances that do not contain anti-septics in order to prevent further confusion though discussion of actual after-shaves is welcome if they feature an intentional scent (or, hell, if you just like the scent of one).
To make matters worse, different brands use these terms differently, so view these terms more as guidelines than what to expect in terms of performance.
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Next up we have terminology in regards to the marketing and sales of fragrances. First off, we have so called Designer fragrances. These are generally what people refer to when they are talking about Fashion Designer brands such as Dior, Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent etc. but also brands like Ferrari, Lacoste or Davidoff. If you want to be more specific, one could define these as "brands that primarily do other things but also started creating and selling fragrances". The opposite of these would be so called Niche fragrances. This generally refers to brands that primarily/only deal with the creating and selling of fragrances.
Contrary to popular belief, this does NOT mean that Designer fragrances are cheaper and/or worse or that Niche fragrances are always more expensive and of higher quality. Often you are also paying for extravagant and often times very cool packaging/bottles that are worth collecting and showing off on your shelf. One must however realize that the latter usually lacks the distribution and mass production channels of the prior which usually results in higher prices per ml. My somewhat verified speculation is that this is a major factor as to why Niche fragrances usually contain higher concentrations - they can charge more while still giving a sense of value to the consumer. However, there are also plenty of Niche scents that perform terribly to the point of barely being noticable after an hour or two, buyer beware.
Next up we have so called notes and accords in fragrances. These are terms borrowed from the world of music composition and I suggest you just view them simply as aromatic ingredients featured in a fragrances. Sometimes they are very obvious and easy to individually discern, other times they are very hard to pin down, which is usually what folks refer to when they say a scent is "expertly blended". A trained nose can definitely tell certain ingredients from others after lots of practice - but even then there are some scents that are incredibly unlike anything otherwise found in nature/life. Which you prefer is completely personal preference.
Another factor in the marketing and sales of fragrances is gender. Personally, I find this approach to marketing fragrances somewhat silly and useless. In many cases it does a lot more harm than good and keeps people from trying scents they might have otherwise loves simply because its being marketed to a different gender. I say screw that and go with whatever strikes your fancy! That said, there are definitely certain notes that are generally considered more feminine (white florals, rose, fruits like pear etc.) while others are considered more masculine (tobacco, cedarwood, pine etc.) but most notes can come across as either one depending on the blend. Since Niche perfumery can't really afford to further narrow their audience since its so small to begin with, you will more often than not find scents marketed as Unisex within this sphere of fragrances.
In regards to application of fragrances, its all very personal. Most people suggest applying directly to pulse points (wrists, neck etc.) because warmer areas of your body "activate" a fragrance more easily. Personally, I like to spray on my neck only because then I don't go around sniffing my wrist constantly which tends to tire my nose out very quickly to the point where I can't even smell the fragrance after an hour unless I really dig in. Its also a good way to get a more realistic representation of a scent since they usually smell very different around you (called "Projection"), in the trail left behind when you walk past someone (called "Sillage") and when smelled at very close proximity (which no one else but you will be doing, realistically). One thing to be mindful of is that certain scents tire out your nose (known as "Olfactory Fatigue") incredibly quickly, something that also varies from individual to individual. You might think a scent only lasts an hour on your skin (referred to as "Longevity" unless you smell it up close but its actually just your nose getting used to the scent to the point where you're burnt out on it and can't register it any more. This makes it hard to have an objective sense of how strong and long-lasting a fragrance is when you wear it. People around you might be getting choked out by it while you can't smell a thing! Be careful when spraying and if you notice that you can smell a fragrance better and longer with fewer sprays than with many, you know its a case of olfactory fatigue. Otherwise, don't be afraid to ask your friends or family whether they notice you are wearing a scent or not. Even then, sometimes they might not notice it when you ask but then if you walk in front of them outside they'll get blasted in the face and go "WHOA!" at you. Happens to me all the time.
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So, what can you do with all this knowledge?
Well, some people decide to not wear intentional fragrance at all for many different reasons. A common complain is that "all fragrances smell the same!" which to a certain extent is true when it comes to some mainstream Designer offerings found at your local department store. If this is your main hang-up, consider seeking out some Niche fragrances to try, since lots of them forego the "wow!"-factor while in return being more unique, though this is not always the case. You might have also thought that all fragrances just smell like alcohol. This was me a couple of years ago. Thing is, alcohol is used in fragrances as a solvent material and takes a while to evaporate. So if you just spray a fragrance and instantly smell it real close, that is usually all you will get. I learned to not do that and instead both spray and smell fragrances from a bit of a distance. This made it much easier for me to discern the huge difference between different fragrances.
There is also a perception that fragrances tend to be too strong and overbearing and that one should not risk offending others in their vicinity by wearing one. This can usually be avoided if you know what you are doing in regards to knowing how your chosen fragrances behaves and how much of it you should use. Like, maybe don't use the heaviest stuff you've got when you're in a crowded office with folks who have expressed sensitivity to scents before, but also don't shy away from your more discrete choices that have a very "open" and "airy" smell to them in the same situation. Unless your workplace has rules in place that specifically forbid use of fragrances, of course. Realize that some people are allergic to or get a very strong sensation of irritation from certain notes. Personally, I feel clogged up and easily get a headache from using or being around strong musk scents, so be mindful of that and realize that not every note works well with your or others' nose/noses.
Next up we have those who find one or just a few scents and stick with them. Many fragrance users in this category decide to have one or a few warm weather scents (generally fresher and lighter as to not be overbearing since fragrances are come across as sweeter when your skin is hot and sweating) and one or a few cold weather scents (which are generally sweeter and/or stronger in order to give off a warming and cozy sensation), as well as split them up into different social categories (work, night out, dates, gym).
Others decide (or have it decided for them by a significant other or someone else in their life) to discover a single (or perhaps two) scent(s) that they choose to define them. This is what the fragrance community refers to as a Signature Scent. While some may consider this to be a somewhat casual approach to perfumery, it can be an incredibly powerful tool in social settings, especially if you use one that no one else in your social sphere knows of and/or uses. Before I got into fragrances, I had a friend who wore Acqua di Gio pour homme by Giorgio Armani every single day and I honestly had no idea it was a fragrance he was wearing, I just assumed it was his natural scent. Fast forward several years and I'm checking out different fragrances at the store, suddenly coming across a bottle of said scent. I was shocked to realize that little bottle was essentially contained all of my memories of him. That's how powerful a signature scent can be.
Most folks who fall under the first and second category are (excuse my language) normal people. Then you have the crazies. The people who collect fragrances and spend hours upon hours reading about and researching both discontinued classics they will never get their hands on as well as the newest releases they will never justifiably afford. The people who set up facebook groups and forum threads containing intense walls of text describing their passion in hopes of infecting others. People generally referred to as "Fragheads". People like me. Perhaps you as well, soon! Just keep an eye on the bottom of your wallet... Jokes aside, some of us simply like to mix it up and since scent is so strongly linked with a subconscious sense of nostalgia you can use (commercial or otherwise) fragrances in order to trigger emotions and memories in the privacy of your own home simply for your own enjoyment. Not all fragrance use needs to be social in order to attract/impress/build trust with others. Its very easy to become addicted to collecting fragrances once you reach this point.
All of these people are more than welcome here and even if you don't use fragrances, don't be afraid of asking around or even criticizing improper use of fragrance! Most of us can relate and some of us need a wake-up call if we don't realize we're over-doing it :P
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So you've read this far and you feel intrigued and want to start a fragrance journey filled with discovery and new sensations of your own but you don't have a clue how to get started. Allow me to present you with some options:
Go to a department store and ask a sales clerk to show your around.
Pros:
-Highly varied selection.
-Easy access to guidance and in the best case education.
-You can smell everything instantly without having to ask/look around yourself.
-You can sometimes ask for samples of scents you think you might enjoy to bring home with you for free.
Cons:
-The clerk might try to force sales on you even though you are unsure, leading to impulsive purchases you end up regretting after a while.
-You can only purchase full official bottles which depending on your fragrance use could contain WAY more fragrance than you will ever end up using.
-You have to be highly wary of so called Olfactory Fatigue when you're smelling a bunch of scents at once and realize that the way something smells when you're surrounded by a million other scents could be completely different when you get home and try it in a more neutral setting.
All in all this is the classic and most widespread way to discover fragrances. There's nothing wrong with it and it can be a highly enjoyable approach with lots of social interaction with (hopefully) friendly sales clerks but there are definitely things to be wary and mindful of. Realize that a lot of time, money and effort goes into marketing and essentially trying to fool you into liking something you can quickly realize you actually don't.
Research lots of things online, then do one of the other things in this list.
Pros:
-Huge amounts of information in a very short amount of time-
-Way easier to look around a store by yourself when you have an idea of what you're looking for or what you like. You also don't have to interact as much with sales clerks if you find that stressful or awkward-
-Very effective way of getting excited about fragrances in general, especially with Youtube personalities talking about stuff-
-Less exposure to official marketing and generally very low amounts of astroturing. People are usually genuine about their preferences and there has been a surprisingly low amount of obvious shilling within the community-
Cons:
-You don't actually get to smell anything while doing research, which can require some patience
-Lots of times you will end up being disappointed when smelling a hyped up fragrance you've read a bunch about since tastes are incredibly subjective in regards to scents.
-You can miss out on the greatest scent of your life simply because it flew under the radar and no one online is hyping it up.
Join a Facebook group (or forum) that features trading of small decanters and/or used bottles.
Pros:
-Incredibly cost-efficient way to experience lots of fragrances.
-You can find very rare fragrances that are not otherwise available in your region, especially when it comes to Niche fragrances due to distribution costs.
-You don't have to get a full bottle just because you want to fully test out a fragrance at your own pace with a reasonable amount.
-Most people can be trusted and the administration is usually very strict in regards to scamming. Its never happened to me thus far.
Cons:
-You can still get scammed, obviously. If you're worried, make sure to only hand over money to trusted members of the community that you see others vouching for via prior transactions.
-You're at the mercy of the postal service even if the seller is reputable and actually sent you the fragrance. Sometimes post workers straight up open your package and steal your scents. Sometimes boxes just fall off the truck and/or get damaged to the point where your fragrance is crushed and ruined, though most reputable sellers take great care to safely pack their decants.
-It can be hard to find these communities in a local area. Please ask others in this thread if you are interested in finding them. I personally participate in several Facebook groups in Sweden. Don't ask me if you live elsewhere 'cause I don't have a clue, though some groups/sellers do ship internationally.
-You might come across a scent that is so good and addictive and unique that you just have to get a full bottle even though you should know better at this point. RIP Wallet.
A decant is simply a tiny bottle of perfume, usually with a sprayer attached, that someone can fill up in several different ways (best practices in regards to decanting are beyond my current knowledge) from regular, usually much larger bottle of fragrance. If the decant isn't completely filled, don't worry - a pocket of air (or vacuum? Not sure) is required inside the bottle in order for the sprayer to work. You're most likely getting the exact amount you paid for.
Go to a specialty store.
Pros:
-Usually have very rare and obscure fragrances around that you won't find anywhere else. Sometimes even from local perfumers who can hardly even be considered a brand. You might be the first to discover and hype them up for the rest of the world to enjoy!
-Prices can be surprisingly low for what you're actually getting. Some Niche fragrances sold here are actually cheaper than popular Designer offerings.
-The sales clerk(s) is usually a complete fragrance nerd and you can chill out in a relaxed setting and just reach peak geek mode for several hours if you enjoy talking about scents. You might even end up becoming a regular or making a friend! It's happened to me.
Cons:
-Very limited selection because the store can rarely afford to stock lots of different brands.
-It can be hard to even know these stores exist near you since they rarely have the funds to advertise. Ask around and use google to your advantage. Sometimes you have to travel quite a ways to reach one.
I strongly discourage using Amazon and especially Ebay in order to purchase fragrances. There are intense amounts of fake fragrances being sold, especially when it comes to Designer fragrances and even some popular Niche ones. You might get lucky and buy something incredibly cheap, but its not worth the risk IMO. Use reputable suppliers instead when buying full bottles.
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If you want to do your own research before hopping into this discussion (though I encourage you to participate regardless of knowledge/nerd/obsession level!), here are links to some popular resources to check out. I am not sponsored by or affiliated with any of these in any way, shape or form.
Information/reviews:
Basenotes - Reviews, forum and database
Fragrantica - Very good database in order to quickly look up notes and short reviews from others when discovering new fragrances. Also has a forum.
Purchasing online (I strongly discourage buying fragrances - so called "blind buys" - without trying them first):
Notino.com - Available in several countries around the world, so make sure to switch to your local version of the site. I haven't personally purchased from here but I'm told they are completely reputable and reliable. No fakes or scamming going on here even though the prices would honestly imply otherwise at times. They sometimes sell (new and unopened) sample bottles of fragrances for incredibly low costs, so if you don't have about packaging etc. you can definitely strike gold here.
Fragrancenet.com - Another reputable online store.
Luckyscent.com - Huge selection of Rare/Niche fragrances that are also available as paid samples. A slightly more expensive alternative to Facebook groups if you can't/don't want to join one of those but still want to get your hands on small amounts of rare scents.
Scentsplit.com - Same as the above, slightly different selection. I've purchased from here as they ship worldwide and I love their packaging. The sprayers on their glass decants are very high quality and even a 5ml purchase from here feels like a premium product.
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While I will not list suggestions for general recommendations of specific fragrances in this post (the rest of the thread will surely be filled by these, and I encourage you to ask questions akin to "could anyone suggest a fragrance that smells like cinnamon buns?") I have decided to highlight one fragrance at a time here at the bottom of this post. This will be rotated out to highlight interesting choices posted by others in this thread with images and short reviews/impressions and a link to the scent's Fragrantica entry. Hopefully this will result in some of people's favorites being highlighted and over time resulting in a bunch of interesting scents being showcased instead of the usual super popular choices. If you want those, please check out Jeremy Fragrance's (or other Youtubers') top list videos. They are generally very solid.
With that said, here is one of my somewhat obscure favourites with impressions listed from a previous thread on ERA:
Xocoatl by Fueguia 1833
This one is just lovely. Vanilla, sweet rum and bitter cocoa. Incredibly simple but smells really authentic and "airy/open", which is impressive considering its actually a very dark scent with ridiculous performance. This one lasts for well over 24 hours on me. Anything more than 2 sprays makes my nose completely immune to it after a couple of minutes though. That said, no one has every said anything negative about it no matter how much I've sprayed, so there's that. Maybe avoid it for the office so you don't smell like you've been drinking rum before coming to work? Otherwise, go HAM. Completely unisex.
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Please let me know if you feel something is missing from this OT and should be added. All suggestions are highly appreciated!
Special thanks to Magicman103 for OT suggestions and inspiration for this thread.
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