Lessons for my novice self

As I've moved deeper into this hobby, I've made a lot of purchases and choices I regret. Here are some tips I'd give my more naive past self that other novices or dilettantes might find useful:

1. Notes don't mean much

Fragrance notes and the note pyramid are among the first ways we learn how to describe a scent. However, it is not without its pitfalls. Each perfumer and house can interpret a note or accord artistically in their own way. Take the tobacco note in "XJ 1861 Naxos | XerJoff", Tobacco Vanille Eau de Parfum, and Tabac 28. These can all be said to be "tobacco" fragrances, but they take the note in wildly different directions. Naxos combines it with honey and creamy florals to create a comforting, cozy scent. Tobacco Vanille combines it with vanilla and dried fruits to create a sweet yet dark accord. And Tabac 28 is a straightforward recreation of the scent of running a fresh cigar under one's nose. If you like one, you might hate the others, or vice versa! So it's difficult to say "I love tobacco fragrances," or "I hate tobacco fragrances."

2. Flankers are different fragrances and should be treated as such

Despite what department store salespeople might try to convince you, an Eau de Parfum flanker is not simply a stronger version of the Eau de Toilette. Their argument is since the EdP is the same thing but stronger, it is a better deal, since you will be using less sprays for the same effect, and the cost is not much more for a full bottle. This is simply to get you to spend more money. Higher concentrations can be stronger, but not always (I'll get to that in my next point), but they are also different scents. The higher the concentration, more base notes have to be added to the fragrance to balance the composition. Of course, this is a simplistic explanation and the chemistry is much more complicated, but the point is that you can love the EdT but hate the EdP and vice versa.

3. Higher concentrations don't always mean better performance

Whether it's because fragrance houses straight-up lie about concentration, or because of aromachemical reasons that are, again, beyond the scope of this blog post, Parfums/Extraits are not always better performing than EdPs, and EdPs are not always better performing than EdTs. I've always had a good example of this for an EdT that is very good in its performance, namely, Polo Eau de Toilette, which is longer-lasting than most designer EdPs and many designer Parfum flankers, but until recently, didn't have a good example of the opposite: an extrait that had terrible performance. I think I've found one: Scorpio Rising. I sprayed this 10 times last night and it barely gave me 2 hours before dying with a whimper.

4. Just because others like a fragrance doesn't mean you will too

Another way of saying this is, "don't blind buy based on reviews," but I will go a step further. Not everyone has the same taste, and even if it feels like everyone likes a scent, it doesn't mean you will too. A lot of my favorite scents have 6s and low 7s on Parfumo, and a lot of the top-rated fragrances I don't care for. Another big thing to point out here is that most influencers are paid or given free bottles to hype up a fragrance. Always test and draw your own conclusions! Speaking of testing...

5. Always give fragrances a full wearing before deciding to buy

This is one I still very much struggle with. The temptation is great for me to spray something on a blotter, love the way it smells, and place it on my wishlist, or worse, make an impulse buy. Testing on a blotter gives you a very skewed perception of a fragrance, where the top notes dominate. Even spraying once on the wrist and sticking your nose on the sprayed spot doesn't do a scent justice. What you will be smelling, and more importantly, what others will be smelling on you, is how the fragrance makes the air around you smell, and sometimes that can be very different than how it smells up close.

6. Get to know SAs at your favorite store

If you are friendly, approachable, and a good customer, sales associates will be much more likely to give you free samples and even discounts. I don't think that online discounters are always the way to go, especially when the discount is not very deep. Establishing a rapport and relationship with the folks at your favorite store can go a long way in making your sampling and buying experiences there much more enjoyable. I suggest (for people living in the US) either a specialty niche store if there is one near you, or Neiman Marcus or Saks Fifth Avenue. The associates at Macy's and Nordstrom are not very knowledgable, and they tend not to be representatives of the fragrance brands themselves, so they will not know about future releases, etc.

Agree/disagree with any of the points here? What advice would you give your past self? Leave it in the comments!