I am so glad you wrote about this. The more people get to smell different perfumes of different price points through time, the more they will come to this conclusion. White Musk is an excellent example. Thank goodness it was made when it was because, had it been formulated today by a niche house, it would easily go for $400. As someone who’s older than Google, I remember when “cheapie” or youth targeted perfumes in the 90s & early 2000s had a quality similar to (or better than) some of today’s designer and some niche perfumes. Perhaps because of the focus on the heart and base 🤔. [Side note, this tech surveillance is insane. As I wrote this comment, I heard an ad play for ‘compliment getting Riddle perfume’ on my 5 year old’s Kids YouTube]. Sooo, I guess the digital spy on my phone also read your article, and Substack should double count reads now.
Where are all these mythical people who compliment strangers on how they smell? It may be a part of American culture, but it certainly doesn’t happen in the UK on a regular basis. The last time I was complimented was also a co-worker - I was wearing Lola at Coat Check by Discotheque - and I spent the rest of the day worrying I’d sprayed too much on. I generally consider perfume a private pleasure and wear it at home even when I’m not going out.
After I got really into perfume, I kept hearing about Delina like it was some fantastically gorgeous and incredible scent: imagine my surprise when it was just a tart fruity rose. And PdM’s pink tax is offensive. I shall have another spray of Jezebel, my 2ml sample still going strong as you need so little of it. Thanks again for the recommendation.
ooof this part: "Are they good perfumes? Does it matter? Do they have anything to say about the art of perfumery? Or do they have something to tell us about the consumer instead, that we are in an era when intimacy in perfume is less important than performativity. That we all stand a little further away from one another than we did before, and that our perfumes must be loud enough to fill the gap."
Thinking about how perfumery got so huge (in so many ways!) during covid, and this nails why. kudos.
In my pentimento of beloved scent memories: Cachet, by Prince Matchabelli (discontinued). Among my worst: a woman reapplying Giorgio on an airplane. I don’t get the “compliments” angle. My scent is for me.
Thanks for the read. I love how you balance opinion with fact! I can't help but correlate loud 'compliment-getter' perfume with rising individualism on a global level. As more and more people compete on social media for attention and influencer status it makes sense that 'look at me!' perfumes are everywhere too! So everyone who is going out of their way to smell different ends up smelling exactly the same. . .
I am so glad you wrote about this. The more people get to smell different perfumes of different price points through time, the more they will come to this conclusion. White Musk is an excellent example. Thank goodness it was made when it was because, had it been formulated today by a niche house, it would easily go for $400. As someone who’s older than Google, I remember when “cheapie” or youth targeted perfumes in the 90s & early 2000s had a quality similar to (or better than) some of today’s designer and some niche perfumes. Perhaps because of the focus on the heart and base 🤔. [Side note, this tech surveillance is insane. As I wrote this comment, I heard an ad play for ‘compliment getting Riddle perfume’ on my 5 year old’s Kids YouTube]. Sooo, I guess the digital spy on my phone also read your article, and Substack should double count reads now.
Where are all these mythical people who compliment strangers on how they smell? It may be a part of American culture, but it certainly doesn’t happen in the UK on a regular basis. The last time I was complimented was also a co-worker - I was wearing Lola at Coat Check by Discotheque - and I spent the rest of the day worrying I’d sprayed too much on. I generally consider perfume a private pleasure and wear it at home even when I’m not going out.
After I got really into perfume, I kept hearing about Delina like it was some fantastically gorgeous and incredible scent: imagine my surprise when it was just a tart fruity rose. And PdM’s pink tax is offensive. I shall have another spray of Jezebel, my 2ml sample still going strong as you need so little of it. Thanks again for the recommendation.
ooof this part: "Are they good perfumes? Does it matter? Do they have anything to say about the art of perfumery? Or do they have something to tell us about the consumer instead, that we are in an era when intimacy in perfume is less important than performativity. That we all stand a little further away from one another than we did before, and that our perfumes must be loud enough to fill the gap."
Thinking about how perfumery got so huge (in so many ways!) during covid, and this nails why. kudos.
In my pentimento of beloved scent memories: Cachet, by Prince Matchabelli (discontinued). Among my worst: a woman reapplying Giorgio on an airplane. I don’t get the “compliments” angle. My scent is for me.
Thanks for the read. I love how you balance opinion with fact! I can't help but correlate loud 'compliment-getter' perfume with rising individualism on a global level. As more and more people compete on social media for attention and influencer status it makes sense that 'look at me!' perfumes are everywhere too! So everyone who is going out of their way to smell different ends up smelling exactly the same. . .
Clever. I like stone roses.🙂
I am so deeply here for the Delina shade. And also you’ve reminded me that my life’s quest is to seek out a vial of Body Shop Fuzzy Peach.