I just wanted to take a minute to introduce a new feature I’m thinking of adding to my blog. I would love to get your feedback. I have been very unsure as to whether I wanted to delve into any of this on Perilously Pale or not but I think it’s becoming more necessary for me.
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| Courtesy of the Ormonde Jayne website. Love this pic! |
I’ve recently started a fragrance adventure. At 35 years old I’ve never been that big into scents. Through the years I’ve usually had a bottle on the go but for the last several years I have gone pretty much scentless. I’d been feeling the urge to start exploring the world of fragrance a little more hoping to find what worked for me. It seemed like I was having a hard time finding any perfumes that appealed to me at all. Well it turns out I may have just been looking in all of the wrong places. Turns out all I needed to do was turn my attention to more indie and niche brands and I would be overwhelmed by the number of scents that captured my heart.
Now here is my issue with “reviewing” or discussing my fragrance explorations on this blog. I’m a total newbie. I have a really hard time identifying notes in scents since most of them I have no idea what they even smell like on their own. I am not at all knowledgeable and a lot of times my opinions go no further than “Wow I love this” or “Yuck get it off”. So there in lies my dilemma. I don’t really have any stellar insights to share with you on all of these fragrances I’m testing. Yet at the same time this new addiction of mine has become such a huge part of my life that I feel incomplete not having it as part of my blog. I have been far more consumed with it lately than I have cosmetics so I feel I must make my experiences a part of my blog even if only as reference for myself to be ignored by you my lovely readers.
So I introduce to you Fumblings of a Fledgling Fumehead. My inane ramblings of my diving into the depths of fragrance addiction and exploration. I hope that this will benefit you my readers by introducing you to scents or brands you may not have heard of or thought to try and hopefully you will be willing to share some of your knowledge with me and help me along the way. I am eagerly looking forward to your comments. Feel free to pipe up and say “Hey dummy, that’s ____ you’re smelling.” Maybe one day my reviews will actually be able to help someone but for now I hope you are willing to accept my ramblings and maybe even help a newbie out. xo
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I look forward to hear about your scented adventures. The first year is such a thrill! Enjoy!
I look forward to following this new adventure with you! Personally I like “fruity” scents! But always interested in learning about new brands!
LOL I feel the same way when I post perfume reviews. What it comes down to me is “What can I smell?” “Does the smell change as I wear it?” “How long does lit last?” and “Do I like it?” “Is it worth the price to me?” Then I just be honest. You’ll be fine!
Yay, I think everyone feels the same way when they post perfume reviews. And they are so subjective, it’s hard, anyway. I think it’s a fun journey, though, and I love reading about other people’s experiences!
This sounds interesting! I love scents too. I think few people are true experts and everyone has good insight to offer, no matter what their level of experience is. Looking forward to your series.
I’ve come to discover that writing about perfume is a lot harder than it looks. For one, as Olfactoria once famously said, “Great juice! Go buy it!” doesn’t do very much except tell a reader that the reviewer at least loved it! I’d say…forget the notes, the pyramid, the analysis. What’s more important is trying to get your own impressions across to your reader as uniquely as only you can – and of course you can! Use whatever analogies come to mind, pull rabbits out of your hat – and trust your instincts! But beware! Those samples and decants have a bad habit of multiplying in the dark!
I think it would be great to hear about your journey with perfume. I’m a total perfumista! Welcome to the world of samples, decants, full-bottle-worthy scents and more
Welcome to the rabbit- hole! Rather like rabbits, the bottles, samples, decants multiply when you are not looking.
And the swaps- oh joy! Have fun and I look forward to reading about your journey.
There are very few blogs I follow because of their insights into the perfumes composition and an ability to pick out and describe specific notes. But most of my reads consist of passionate people’s observations, stories, experiences. And for me – a person who isn’t capable of recognizing probably 90% of all notes, even if I have a list in front of me, – it’s not that important if a reviewer smelled some exotic moss or recognized some other note I might never heard of. I want to know what they thought about that scent, if they liked it enough to want to add it to their collection, if they thought it was worth its price, etc.
I look forward to reading your impressions.
Thank you so much everyone for your encouraging words. I feel so much better about this now. Now I just need to find the time to actually compile my thoughts and write something!
This is exciting news!
I love following perfume as much as I love following makeup and fashion. Expert opinions on fragrance have their place, and so do novice opinions. I think you should just be yourself in your perfume posts. For instance, I’m a total hopeless newbie, but I enjoyed what I wrote on Comme Des Garcons Avignon here – http://creatureofdesign.blogspot.com/2011/01/impressionscent-snow-whites-and-avignon.html Personally, I found “The Secret of Scent” by Luca Turin very helpful when I began my own journey into scents.
One last thing: am I the only one who got drug associations out of your title? Fumehead? Oh, dear!
I want to reach through my computer and hug you. I’m so excited for you.
Now I feel less bad about influencing you to buy perfumes =P LOVE YOU!
Yes, definitely write about your fragrance journey! It will be fun to see how you learn and grow. Yay!
Nice…Adrienne Vittadini
Every nose is equal in the eyes of the Perfume Gods…. sniff, love, sniff some more.
PS. better find a great big box for samples and decants right now. Tar and Fragrant are absolutely correct: sample vials multiply in the dark….
Actually, I’d love to hear thoughts on scents from a non “well-trained” nose, it would be easier to relate…
I’ll be looking forward to your future posts!
xx
hi you,
I’m a late bloomer in the perfume world as well, but with time and like other things in life, without knowing really what you are smelling, you know what speak to you. Like wine and coffee, you need to smell really bad stuff to realize what is the GOOD stuff. After a while I realize orientals was really what speak to me, what make me feel good and nostalgic!!! I remember the first time I smell Jeux de peau from Serge Lutens (I was there to buy Arabie!) I want back to the SA and said to her I fall in love with a PERFUME!!! Today I just buy Cuir Amethyste from Armani Privé and had the same fuzzy feeling when a smell my wrist.
Perfume is so subjective, it is all about memory and sensation. I remember this cheap perfume I use to were (lily in the valley) my boss almost huge me and cried on my shoulder after the death of his mother because my perfume was very similar to hers. Smell is a strong sense and could bring a lot of feelings. For me, perfume is like a cashmere scarf or sweater. It is like a warm cup of coffee or tea in front of a fire place, it envelop you and make you comfortable in your skin. It should be like a second skin that you can live for ever without growing tired of it. That why unlike makeup I have a few bottle of (10 in total) and perfume is the only thing I pass it on to other people, because it has to be you, be part of you and if you do not really like it do not wear it!
My favourite are Annick Goutal and Serge Lutens.
Good luck.