Much of what most of you have been told or believe about fragrance is completely wrong, starting with the terms used to describe them. It’s true that the fragrance industry has a well-earned reputation for being secretive about their formulas, but there are some flat out myths and misconceptions about fragrance that need to be tossed out with the garbage.
MYTH #1: Perfume is for women and cologne is for men. WRONG. These terms merely refer to the concentration of scent oils in the fragrance. Fragrance itself is genderless.
MYTH #2: Scents smell the same on a blotter as they do on the skin. NEGATIVE. Always spray or dab the fragrance on your own skin – preferably on your pulse points – to see if it is right for you. It’s tempting to go the blotter route, especially if you are sampling several different scents, but you are kidding yourself if you think this will be indicative as to how you will like it on you.
MYTH #3: Rubbing fragrance into the skin helps it last longer. NOPE. All this accomplishes is breaking down the oils in the scent and reduces the lasting power of the fragrance.
MYTH #4: You should only apply one scent at a time. ANOTHER MYTH. I get it that there are purists out there that truly think this a rule but layering fragrance is a practice that has been around for a long time. Not only is it fun to experiment with mixing different combinations, layering the right combinations can allow you to create your own signature scent.
MYTH #5: Fragrances should be kept in the bathroom. MOSTLY WRONG. Unless you have an unusually large bathroom that’s always temperature controlled to remain cool, bathrooms can be almost as bad as an overheated attic. Heat and moisture can alter and spoil fragrance by breaking down the scent oils.
MYTH#6: All fragrances are the same strength. NOT AT ALL. The strength depends on how much fragrance oil is in the potion. Perfume is the strongest with around 20-30% concentration, eau de perfume contains between 10-20%, eau de toilette has around 5-15% and cologne contains between 2-4% of fragrance oil.
MYTH#7: A fragrance smells the same from the time you apply it to the time it wears off. NIX THAT THOUGHT. Although there are some poorer quality fragrances where this may indeed seem to be the case, most fragrance transition to smelling quite different over the initial spritz to several hours later. Specific notes dominate during this little dance; the initial notes you smell are known as top notes, then come the heart notes, and finally arrives the base notes (also called the “dry down”).
MYTH #8: Essential oils are safer and cause fewer allergic reactions. NOT ALWAYS. I am a big believer in the health enhancing qualities of essential oils, but the unfortunate fact is that many people are also allergic to essential oils. Allergies are funny that way; they don’t discriminate. The important rule to remember is that if you start experiencing an irritation from any fragrance, even one that you’ve enjoyed for years, you need to stop wearing it cold turkey.
MYTH #9: Buying fragrances online is dangerous because you don’t know if it’s the real product. YES AND NO. As I wrote in a previous article, How To buy Perfume Online Without Getting Scammed, you really need to be careful that you are ordering from a reputable seller. There will always be scam artists so you just need to do your homework and find out what the fragrance price from the website of the company who actually makes the scent (Lancome, Chanel, Jo Malone, etc.). If the price sold by an alternative seller is significantly lower, beware.
MYTH #10: You are wearing too much if you can smell the fragrance you’ve applied. CRAZINESS. Obviously you don’t want people to smell you a mile away, but if you can’t smell the scent on yourself then really what’s the point in wearing it at all? If you’ve sprayed an appropriate amount and actually can’t smell it then you need to get a refund from wherever you purchased it or see a doctor.
MYTH #11: More expensive scents are of better quality. WRONG. There is often very little correlation between the price of a fragrance and the quality. There is a great deal that goes into pricing and the cost of the ingredients is only one part.
Have you heard any other fragrance myths floating around out there? If so, please share them below.
Until the next time,
Thanks for setting the record straight. If we hear something often enough we tend to accept it as fact. Most people probably don’t know the difference between perfume and eau de toilette; they just know that perfume costs more. And who knew that perfume was for men too. I was of the belief that perfume is for women and cologne for men like most people.
Hi Andrew,
I think I covered the main ones but I’m sure there are more fragrance fallacies out there. There’s been a growing trend in niche brands labeling fragrances as “unisex”. This seems to clear up any confusion. What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.
Thanks for stopping by:)
Erica
Well reading this made it realize that I have been a fool all of my life! I believed almost all of these things. I have learned about fragrance through trial and error but I didn’t realize that it was okay to layer scents. I’m now wondering if what order you apply them in matters? Any thoughts?
Ally,
Don’t worry, I used to believe some of them too. Fragrance manufacturers aren’t in the business of educating consumers and we don’t often question things that we believe to be true. As far as layering, please check out my short article 5 Tips for Layering. The shorter answer is to start with the heavier fragrance.
Good luck and have fun with it:)
Erica