When, Why and Who

     When you start looking for a fragrance, be it for yourself or a friend, you tend to look for what they usually like in a fragrance. I normally wing it and get a fragrance that reminds me of that person. I haven't failed so far.

     I remember once, I gifted a perfume to a friend and she told me: "this is the perfect night out perfume". I smiled, but in my head I was thinking...wait....why? Why just for a night out? Why not for the office? Or to go out shopping? Which takes me to a question that plagues people in search for perfume:

When should I wear it?

Short answer is whenever the hell you want.

Long answer:

     Perfume and makeup companies sell their products by marketing. Do you need to feel sexy for a night out? Use this sexy, strong, spicy, heady perfume. Want to tip-toe through a prairie on a spring morning and roll around in daisies? Buy this juicy floral fragrance....what? you want to use the spicy perfume during the day? ARE YOU CRAZY?

     No. You're not crazy. It makes sense that for a "night out", a perfume company might try to sell you a spicy, maybe hints of sweet and very heady perfume. It makes sense that if you're out clubbing, you need a strong perfume made to last. Perfumes are given labels and settings for when they should be used. For some people, if you can't go to a funeral dressed like a total vamp, then a perfume that smells like one should be out of the question. Strong perfumes are even frowned upon in the office environment because most people in the office or corporate environment find it offensive to the nose.

Marketing examples!:

     Dior Addict has a very special place in my heart and will be reviewed soon. The original formulation, which I happen to have, is very strong and sweet. It's the perfect clubbing fragrance. It's spicy, sweet and it lasts forever on the skin.

     Estee Lauder's Pleasures, while it's not by any means my favorite, I can admire it. It has ridiculous sillage (fancy french word for trail or in perfume talk, the amount of time perfume lingers when worn). It's pure lilies in a basket of fresh picked flowers.

Can you wear a basket of flowers for a night out on the town? Yes! You can.

Can you wear a Queen of Sheba perfume to go to work, shopping or having lunch alone? Oh absolutely.

     Perfume is a way to express your individuality. If you need to tone it down because of work, try wearing less or just use a different one for the weekdays. It won't kill you and you need your job.


Who

     I get this question a lot. Can men wear women's perfume? Or vice-versa?

     First of all, this question merits an eye-roll.

     Perfume has no gender. A man can easily wear Britney Spear's Fantasy and smell amazing. A woman can wear Égoïste by CHANEL and smell A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. Our bodies are different and our skin chemistry will differ from person to person. A perfume will smell different on a person with dry skin than on someone with oily skin. Even age makes scents on your skin smell different.

     So guys, feel free to wear that fruity-floral. Girls, feel free to smell like tobacco and leather. Do not stop wearing a scent because it's not nighttime. We're finally entering an era where makeup, clothes and perfume are making a boom in neutrality. We see men wearing makeup, women looking androgynous and experimenting with pieces of clothing the way it was not done in more than a decade ago and it's empowering.

     I was thinking that it might be not such a bad idea to test perfumes during the day and post my thoughts on how it reacts on my skin. Also to test perfumes targeted for men to try and break that stereotype. I will also give recommendations on office perfumes and for other occasions.

-C