So I started a blog…

Why is finding a fragrance that you like so difficult?

My goal here is to help people navigate the labyrinth of the fragrance world, whether it be choosing fragrances for yourself, learning about how they’re made, scent psychology, or other parts of the industry. It’s an unfortunate truth, but like with any product, much of the information available on fragrances is essentially just marketing masquerading as science. Having spent a few years digging deep into this material and learning a lot through experimentation, formulation, and external research, I’ve gained a solid understanding of the truths behind many of these messages.

Ever since I was a child, I’ve had an interest in scent, and have always been one to take an inquisitive sniff before digging into a meal or buying a book (there was a time when I could approximate the age of old books by smell alone). For the first time in my life, I can say that I have found an industry that fascinates me in its entirety – primarily the perfumery part, but also marketing, chemistry, business, history, legislation, and everything else.

I wish that others thought about smell more, because it’s such a wonderful, ephemeral way to appreciate the world around us (after all, very few people can imagine a smell in their mind). It’s also a vital part of emotional memory. I’m sure most of you can remember times when you smelled something that took you right back to a formative childhood memory with a jolting force that none of your other senses ever has.

It’s my goal to help you to choose your fragrances based on style, science, psychology, and anything else that might be relevant. I’ll do my best to look beyond the marketing, and help you appreciate fragrances for what they truly are – liquid emotion.

We’ll be exploring some big, often subjective, questions such as:

• What’s the difference between a $50 bottle of perfume and a $500 one (or a $5 can of deodorant, for that matter)?
• Why do some fragrances smell better on other people than they do on me?
• What’s the difference between masculine and feminine fragrances?
• What goes into a bottle of perfume?
• Why are fragrance ads so confusing?
• What smells are most attractive?
• What scent should I wear to work?
• What are top, middle, and base notes?
• Are natural fragrances better than synthetic or combination ones?
• How should I store bottles?
• What is the point of wearing fragrances?
• What’s the difference between eau de cologne, eau de toilette, eau de parfum, etc.?
• How should I apply fragrance?
• How does the sense of smell work?
• Why are fragrances so expensive? And how much do they cost to make?
• How do I make my fragrances last all day?
• Why do most celebrities seem to have fragrances? Are they all closet perfumers?
• How do perfumers create new fragrances? What is a perfumer?
• What brands make the best fragrances?

I’ll also be using this blog to organise my thoughts and fragrant discoveries, share reviews and comparisons, publish interviews with people in the industry, and generally just write things I’d want to read myself. The aim is to publish something new every week – usually an article, but sometimes a gallery or video. I look forward to this exciting journey, leading to a career somewhere in the fragrance industry here in Australia or abroad.

If you’ve got other questions you’d like answered, comment below or send me an email.