The trouble that is longevity

In an earlier blog post, a commenter pointed out that quite often at the beginning of any collector’s fragrance journey, we value projection and longevity, but as times goes by and we mature in nose and scent experience, these things become less of a priority, and the scent itself takes precedence. At least, that is what I understood from that brief comment. His (I believe) comment enamoured me because it was true… at least for me. So this post is dedicated to you, Villo, and your astute pondering. Now, let’s get on with it.
What is the problem with longevity? Is that sentence oxymoronic, or am I here to bewail the lack of sensible longevity in big bucks eau de parfums? Quite on the contrary, in this post, I want to present the hypothesis that too-long longevity is actually not a good thing in the long run. In like fashion, I will present my arguments buttressed by two personal instances, and will conclude by reiterating my point of view.

How many bottles of fragrances are presently in your collection? Full bottles, travel sizes, handbag minis, tester bottles… the list of the fragrance possession we own goes on! 2 years ago, a fragrance YouTuber, Claire Smith, posted a video detailing how long it would take her to use up her at-that-time perfume collection. She calculated that if on average you use 3 sprays/ day of a 30ml bottle, it would take you over 200 days to fully consume it (Claire Smith, Perfume Maths, https://youtu.be/A6XlcKbT168). Assuming that what we have in question is a 100ml bottle of fragrance with longevity that is such that it lasts through the workday without the need to top up with a few extra sprays, it would take you more than 2 years to use up that one bottle, with consistent, daily wear. For me, this troublesome problem materialised in the first bottle of middle eastern perfume I ever owned- Rasasi’s Jasmine Wisp. Its projection and longevity was so solid that I could only use 3 sprays daily without the requisite to top up. I knew it would take forever to finish and when I found myself disinterested by its linearity, our acquaintance came to the last mile of the way.

Furthermore, how many fragrances do you like to go through in a day? If you are anything like me, then you would start with a perfume oil, work in an eau de toilette (EDT) and finish up with an eau de parfum (EDP) after your morning power shower. Evening, exhausted, back from the office and once again freshly showered up, you’d repeat that process with a different oil, EDT and EDP. All in all, consuming 4-6 different fragrances in a day… or perhaps you burn Bakhoor and that would make it 7-8 for you! Now with a fragrance of problematic longevity that would stick to your skin like drought to a desert, this process that aids the using up of your fragrances would be slashed.
It is not often that fragrances of long longevity have weak silage, so for this model, we will assume that you are able to smell the fragrance on your body all day. Therefore, that could very well eliminate the need for a perfume oil and EDT in the morning. I found this to be true in the case of Swiss Arabian’s EDP Shaghaf Oud. I had to be committed to this one fragrance all day long, and using a perfume oil and EDT on my skin were for the most part feckless attempts to use up what I had in the collection. I also had to launder my clothing after every wear in order to get the scent off, not a stellar move for the longevity of the fabric, or the protection of the environment. Subconsciously, what will eventually happen is that you will find yourself reaching less for these fragrances with eternal longevity, when you are of the mind to melange multiple fragrances for a unique scent.

In culmination of my ramblings, it seems to me that eternal longevity is as much a problem for the collector as the namby-pamby is. To the one, you find that you are made slow in using up your other fragrances in order to create space for new entries, and to the other, you are irritated by the need to prolong wear with regular top-ups. As with all things in life, moderation seems to be the key. On a side note, you will have to forgive me that my examples seem to be only of middle eastern fragrances. I briefly contemplated bemoaning Chopard’s Wish as a fragrance that could not be used up, but decided that it would perhaps be inconnu to most. Likewise, I am not making an argument for lacklustre longevity… just a case for the non-importance of an eternal one.

What say you? Am I making mountains out of molehills, looking for 2pm at 12 noon, or perhaps fishing for cream pearls in the ocean?