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What makes a perfume more suitable for young people?

What makes a perfume more suitable for young people? 8 years ago
And what does it mean 'young' in that context?

Hello,

Recently I tried Davidoff Cool Water for the very first time, and I found its smell pleasant on my skin. This perfume is more suitable for young people, according to the votes at Parfumo.

30 % voted for young people vs. 16 % that voted for old. I'm not really old, but not really young either. I'm turning 38 in a few weeks. So I'm not sure if this perfume is a good choice for me or not.

In your opinion, what makes Cool Water best for young people if anything? Should I wear it? Thank you for your opinions.
8 years ago
I know I speak for many here when I say that age-related qualifiers are simply to be ignored by anyone with a mind of their own. It's a bit like saying "only people over 60 should listen to the Beatles."

Very Happy
8 years ago
I echo what Dulcemio said, Jumbotron; serious perfume lovers tend to eschew age and gender marketing in favour of what floats their personal boat. However, as your question relates to actual votes by members here on Parfumo, I'm guessing Cool Water has garnered 30% of the 'young' wedge of pie because that style of aquatic/calone heavy fragrance came into being in the 90s, which is relatively recent in perfume terms. The logic, therefore, is that you are more likely to smell this 'modern' style on someone born since it's creation as people tend to identify with perfumes from their own era. I don't necessarily agree but that's my theory. Incidentally, 30% young, and 16% old, leaves 54% ...(middling age perhaps?). If you like it wear it, I say! Worth noting that it's fun to play against type and wear the unexpected.
8 years ago
Lots of excellent points have been made, and I would only reiterate that the perception of a fragrance as being appropriate for a certain gender or age group often comes from the way it's marketed. We take our cues from the advertising (in the case of mainstream releases), as well as the way the fragrance is packaged. Some niche brands have eliminated the outward distinctions with a uniform look and unisex labeling, but you'll nonetheless see fragrances being rated as best suited for young/old, women/men based on the notes. As Dulcemio and Triffid have said, all of the above are subjective generalizations, to be taken with a grain of salt. Smile
8 years ago
Thank you very much for your input, ladies. I'm definitely adding Cool Water to my wishlist. Very Happy
8 years ago
I do not agree any longer with the statement that perfume is not gender- or age-related. Even though the perfume industry does not explicitely say who a new perfume is aimed at, they are well aware of their targeted audience.

Sense of smell and sense of taste are closely related to each other, and both seem to change during a person's life. Most children and teenagers have a sweet tooth. A teenager can feed upon a huge amount of jelly bellies that the same person would find nauseating some years later.

Ask a teacher about the pupil's perfumes and you might hear him or her ranting about perfume sweets like Joop! Homme, One Million, Le Mâle and their cheaper copies (usually overapplied).
8 years ago
Interesting. It's certainly true that kids love sweets, but it appears that the preference begins to decline during adolescence, which is when many people develop an interest in perfume.
Liking Sweets Makes Sense For Kids, ScienceDaily, 2009

Although I haven't heard parents or teachers complaining about the perfumes you've listed, I am familiar with the "Wall of Axe" thanks to this hilarious article.
8 years ago
I am reasonably certain that the classification of perfume as being for the young or for the mature is a modern phenomenon.

I am old enough to remember people in my school leaving at 15 for fulltime employment and being expected to so as to contribute to the running of the household. Some were getting married at 16 and 17 to set up households of their own; I can't imagine any of them being pleased were marketers to tell them they weren't adult enough to wear Jean Patou Joy or Hermes Amazone and ought instead to gravitate towards Sugary Sugary Cough Cough Bonbon,

Young doesn't mean what it used to.
8 years ago
DorothyGrace:
I am reasonably certain that the classification of perfume as being for the young or for the mature is a modern phenomenon.

Seems that way to me too, DorothyGrace.

And my own personal history with perfume supports what Cryptic brought up about the appetite for sweets waning in adolescence. I came of age on Chanel No. 19 and Paco Rabanne Eau de Calandre. Oakmoss and aldehydes. No sugar there.

It was only in middle age that I opened my mind to sweet orientals. And now I'm hooked.

However, I think marketing has played the biggest role in our perception of what we should wear, BUT, only in tandem with what's in fashion, ie, what has been available to consumers at any given time.

For example, as a pre-adolescent in the 70's, there were no fabulous, sweet perfumes even available to me. At least not by today's standard of sweet. Back then, sweetness usually signified inexpensive (Heaven Scent comes to mind). But then again, sweet back then was nothing like the ubiquitous candy notes we have today.

Jumbotron, if you love how that stuff smells on you, wear it. If it turns out in my old age I develop a taste for "Sweet Delicious Creamy Meringue" I'm just gonna go ahead and wear that shizz. Wink

(By the way, the great thing about being a perfume hobbyist is that we are exploring the ones no longer available at Macys and appreciating perfume the same way we appreciate music, art and literature. No one would ever tell you you're wrong for listening to music that came out 50 years ago, right?)
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