How should I write a review?

Have you ever wanted to describe a perfume but then give up because you think you are inadequate? Well, know that you don't need to be a writer or a professional in the trade to write a review. In fact, according to my taste, I find the articles that tell us a story about the perfume more attractive than those that merely describe the sequence of perceived, or not perceived, notes compared to those declared. The smell is part of us and our memory. How many times did you catch in the air an odour that instantly takes you back in time to a specific situation? A scent brings back vivid memories and delineates things as if they were the present. Therefore, when we approach a perfume that we have smelled in perfumery or perhaps bought blindly, we should learn to feel and listen to what the aroma tells us while slowly mixing with the chemistry of our skin. What are the sensations, emotions, feelings, or memories that come to mind smelling its essence? Perfume has the power to evoke a memory and stimulate feelings of pure well-being, which is why thousands of people use it to enrich themselves with an extraordinary ability: that of arousing an emotion.

If you are not novices, you should all know that a perfume, after having sprayed it, grows and goes through three phases: top, heart, and bottom. Okay, there are some exceptions, the linear ones, which smell the same from the beginning to the end. During this evolution, it is not vital to understand which notes are detected or not detected, but which chords or blends we can perceive and what sensations they make us feel. For example, I find it much more intriguing to read a review that tells me about the thrill of fizz, hairspray-like, or something soapy rather than reading that it features aldehyde notes in the opening. And I find it more stimulating to know that in the heart you can feel the typical aromas of the lipstick or makeup powder we smelled among the tricks in the mother's handbag when we were a child, rather than knowing that in the heart there is the iris root or the violet leaves. Same for the dry-down; what is better than something akin to a forest after a rainfall, in place of wet wood? Do you get the pencil shaving aroma when dry cedarwood is present? And the sappy creaminess of the cashmeran? Perhaps, the initial accord on your skin reveals a flavour similar to bubble gum, cola, or cherry, doesn't it?

If you can associate the sensation of the moment with the presence of a specific olfactory note, the better. But it is not essential. Hence, don't worry if you are not an expert in recognizing each note in the concoction. The olfactory notes are on par with the musical notes. Each note has its scent or sound, but its sequence, its succession, and its whole make the phases of perfume unique and full of charm. You should try to describe what emotions a song gives you rather than explaining the notes that follow one another on the pentagram.

So, next time you write a review, try to put in a little effort and passion and express the sensations you feel. Maybe associating them with everyday things that bring joy in your life, such as the aroma of morning coffee, Sunday grandma cake, evening liquor, spring morning air, or the salty sea spray. These beautiful sensations and emotions help us understand and share all the art that lies behind every single perfume. Come on, do not be shy, you will see that it is easier than it seems in the end!

I look forward to reading your great review!

-Elysium