How to collect basic perfumery wardrobe
Lately to me often ask the same question, why do I need so much perfume. About forty bottles for personal use - this is, perhaps, really quite a lot, but absolutely not the figure, which should be frightened, because every self-respecting "perfume maniac" has hundreds of them. However, more than 300 samples of selective perfumery are stored in my personal inspection. Perfume journalism and stylistics are my main profession, and I often have to help people in the selection of individual perfume wardrobe. Why is it important to them? The reasons are very different. From elementary love for fragrances and unwillingness to consider dozens of options for various brands, styles and trends, to elementary perfume illiteracy, combined with the need to conform to social status, position or lifestyle.
Many of my colleagues have said, reluctantly, I repeat: fragrance is an inseparable, important part of the image of a modern person. Like clothes. Perfumery, as a rule, is thinner in perception, more difficult to select and evaluate, and, of course, not only creates mood, but is associated with memories. Creating a perfume wardrobe is just as normal a process as clothing selection. A person on the dresser should not be half a bottle of someone once donated perfume, which he uses from time to time. People react much more sharply to smells than we used to think, and the fragrance that you choose for yourself carries the information that you use to send it into the surrounding space. Of course, the selection of aromas is a psychological work, a continuous dialogue between the stylist and his ward, a mutual desire to achieve a positive result. But you can choose a perfumery wardrobe from scratch on your own: I approach from the position of rational minimalism and I believe that a person is able to be satisfied with five bottles that correspond to the contents of five conditional areas of his life. I will make a reservation that what is written below may seem obvious and even stereotypical, but clear distinctions should be introduced to everyone in any case - otherwise the information will not be systematized.
For work
If you spend your weekday in the office or even work with people, you need certain flavors. Such perfumes are called "white shirts", as they must always be appropriate, low-key, fairly light and not very stubby. In this category, I recommend paying attention to feminine glasses, classic citrus and eau de cologne or eau de toilette with fruit, violet, freesia, wisteria, cyclamen, lavender, iris, cedar, cypress, vetiver, etc. Almost all “shirts” are perfect. Jo Malone, A Lab on Fire L'Anonyme ou OP-1475-A - citrus-woody fragrance, as if purposely created to be worn in the office; Elegant, iridescent from wisteria to jasmine Anna Paghera Blu d'Arabia or Byredo La Tulipe - for those who love the delicate, elegant aroma of fresh tulips. In general, when choosing an aroma of this category, one should be guided by three conditions: unobtrusiveness, restraint, rigor. Perfume is designed to create a general pleasant background and should not distract your interlocutor, focusing on attention. Representatives of senior positions can afford a little more - non-aggressive chypre, suede and wood-smoky compositions, for example, Pineider Cuoio Nobile. There is no need to pay special attention to the concentration of fragrant substances: eau de toilette can easily outweigh perfumed water and eau de cologne eau de toilette.
For outdoor activities
During physical activity, blood in the circulatory system moves faster, body temperature rises, and the evaporation of aromatic molecules from the skin becomes intense (I feel like Captain Obvious). If during sports games you still want to wear some kind of fragrance, choose cologne or what is called voile or mist abroad, considering that after classes you will still have to take a shower. There are far fewer requirements for sports fragrances than for office ones, but in any case they should not be heavy, sweet, and loops (especially loops). For these purposes, dynamic, sparkling, invigorating waters with citrus, sea, ozone, water notes, cold spices (cardamom, ginger, pink and black peppers) and pure woody tones (cedar, cypress, juniper) are best suited. My most courageous clients enjoy the sports waters of their husbands or boyfriends. And in this recommendation I will include, perhaps, the entire line of the American brand, creating the aromas of purity, Clean, grass-aquatic A Lab on Fire Almost Transparent Blue and the rare, almost perfectly balanced Roger & Gallet Eau de Thé Vert - a fresh, choppy flavor with a bitter grapefruit, noble tartness of green tea and gentle freesia.
For a city break
My favorite perfume shelf. To rest in the city, I take everything that you can do in free from offices, negotiations and meetings time: visiting exhibitions, cinemas, galleries, nightclubs, restaurants, cafes, shopping and bar-hopping. Despite the fact that this category is the most stylistically free, for the same reason it is the most difficult for remote recommendations. In places of large concentrations of people, even in a rush of olfactory self-expression, one should not forget about respect for them: the flavor plume should be moderate, and the fragrance itself should not be too provocative. Etat Libre d'Orange Sécrétions Magnifiques will probably not be very appropriate, although this is not excluded. You can choose light, unobtrusive, transparent spirits or avant-garde water with unusual flavors: snow, tobacco, leather, engine oil, all sorts of flowers, pastry notes and more. It is difficult to recommend something specific here, but champagne lovers will be pleasantly surprised by Vraie Blonde geniuses of intellectual provocation Etat Libre d'Orange, connoisseurs of noble aromas will find themselves in a smoky, black Afghan Herbal or transparent, non-role leather, whispering Cuir de Russie - Mad et Len, and those who prefer feminine, languid fragrances can pay attention to Orchidea Reale or Classica di Magnolia - Pineider. Pleasantly peppery, flaming Memo Shams or cooling, suspended by Serge Lutens L'Eau Froide - the choice is always yours. Feel free to listen to yourself and avoid the banalities of the mass market.
To issue
Dense, elegant, complex bouquets, relevant to the theater, social events or holiday. It is worth paying attention to the compositions with surround sound of roses, ylang-ylang, tuberose, framed by noble wood of agarwood, sandalwood, rosewood and warmed with resinous tones of styrax, labdanum, incense and animal shades of amber, musk, cibetin, etc. directions, as well as elegant chypre, sophisticated wine glasses or gourmet floral water, you can afford kilometer trains and intimate auras. The simple rule works here: the harder, the richer the flavor, the better. The main mistake that can be made is the excessive use of citrus fresh fruit. As a recommendation, I can offer Viktoria Minya Hedonist honey-peach or its new variations with iris or rose - Hedonist Iris, Hedonist Rose - which were presented at the September Pitti Fragranze in Florence. Gorgeous, complex, iridescent patchouli and flowers of tuberose Doped Tuberose I found in the Italian brand Dr. Gritti, which focuses on natural perfumes with unusual sound. And if you want to create a detached, impregnable, slightly male, but elegant image, pay attention to Jovoy Paris Private Label. By the way, the whole Roja Dove and the famous Le Bolshoi from the exclusive Guerlain collection will be appropriate here.
For myself
All that causes your emotional high. It is impossible to make recommendations here, but every person should have a personal whim. Sometimes we fall in love with such strange flavors that the majority do not understand them, and there is no question of wearing it to work. This includes those compositions that you use alone or only with close people, for meditation or art therapy, and those that you choose to shock or shock others. They best reflect your character and your condition, and it is for them that much can be said about a person. I will share my personal example: I have always liked mystical, ritual aromas, but with the oriental direction I did not work out. Among the favorites is the aroma of the Catholic Church COMME des GARSONS Avignon, icy wormwood smoke creeping from the burners in Paul Emilien Pure Addiction, the creamy styrene haze of Armenian paper Mad et Len Papiers and a couple of similar water styles. If you like the smell of pumpkin pie or fried bacon, the air before a thunderstorm or the Mediterranean wind, you can find such flavors - if only they would bring you joy. Pleasure is generally the only emotion that spirits must create. Perfumery is completely non-utilitarian and does not cover the hole in the wallpaper.
It is not necessary to make a separate group, but you need to mention the flavors for making love. Scents for these purposes can be, of course, any, but must please both partners. At one time, the great revelation for me was the existence of the French brand YESforLOV, which specializes in creating fragrant accessories for sensual pleasures. There are perfumes for intimate zones, for the body, and even for flavoring bed linen. And lovers of various toys and thrills may like the recently released UERMI Latex. In fact, these guys do not specialize in creating sexual provocations, and the composition is only included in the main collection devoted to the olfactory expressions of various tissues, but the flavor of latex is transferred so well that all its frivolous overtones become obvious.