Hi all!
I love doing perfume reviews! It’s so much fun trying out different scents and then giving my two (s)cents! Here’s my little statement regarding my reviews; basically it’s just a reminder that they’re for fun and not to be taken as the last word on anything.
Fragrances are always, ALWAYS going to be subjective. As I’ve mentioned in my Perfume 101 post, scents are going to be a little (sometimes A LOT) different on each of us, as we all have unique chemistry. We may (and probably will!) interpret them differently; I may only smell certain notes from a fragrance and you may not detect those at all but perhaps get a note or two that I didn’t. We may even smell notes not listed as we perceive different accords. Or maybe we’ll smell the same notes but they’ll be wonderful to me and awful to you or vice-versa.
I see so many folks arguing on perfume website forums about who’s ‘right’ and who’s ‘wrong’ about notes in a fragrance; someone calling another crazy just because they perceive the scent differently. Or my favorite: someone makes a blanket statement like “I hated it! If you want to smell like rotten fruit and poop and nightmares… well ok, then, go ahead and buy it!!” 😂 I hate to see that kind of silly contention and those sweeping, broad statements about something that’s so subjective. Perfume should be fun for everyone to explore and decide for themselves what they like and don’t like.
My purpose in doing reviews is to give a general sense of how each fragrance comes across, its overall performance, and provide whatever other helpful insight I can to help you make an informed decision on whether it’s a scent you may want to try. And over time, you may notice a pattern that we like a lot of the same scents and that could help you decide whether you might be interested in a fragrance or not. Or even the opposite could happen, where I keep touting things that you don’t care for, at least then you’d know what to avoid 😂
I always STRONGLY suggest sampling a fragrance in a shop or obtaining a sample or decant of it first (whenever possible) so you can test it out for yourself and see how it develops on your own skin. Blind buys can sometimes work out but sometimes are disastrous and with perfume being so expensive, I’d hate for anyone to be disappointed.
I also want to be very clear that anyone can (and should!) absolutely wear whatever they like. Perfume need not be gendered. I sometimes may use the terms ‘feminine’ and/or ‘masculine’ as part of my description. Though not perfect, I think those descriptors can be a helpful part of the picture. But I truly believe anyone should wear whatever they want. If you’re a guy who loves sweet fruity-florals, by all means, rock them! I proudly wear all sorts of fragrances that are more traditionally masculine (smoky, leathery, boozy, interesting vanillas are life!)
I will also sometimes mention seasonal and time of day ‘guidelines’ for fragrances in my reviews. Some people really like that kind of structure and find it helpful. I’m more of a ‘throw caution to the wind’ kinda gal when it comes to perfume and will wear pretty much whatever I want, whenever I want. So again, no right or wrong here, just whatever each person finds helpful to their personal choice-making guidance.
My opinions are always solely based on my personal preferences. I will always give it to you guys straight and share my honest opinion. If a post is ever sponsored, I will make that very clear – and still give my honest opinion! Hopefully, my reviews will give folks some helpful insight so that they can be better informed for purchases they are considering.
Happy sniffing! 💐
