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I have a problem: almost nothing pleases me.

post #1 of 18
12/12/07 at 1:33pm
Thread Starter 
I'm a fickle person. I get tired of scents really quickly - I mean, I still have my staples but they lose their glitz and glamor as I explore them and explore them. That's probably why I can't commit to buying full bottles. I'm always looking for something new and I certainly don't mean popular. I mean lately, I've gotten to experience some pretty good fragrances, but I'm still not satisfied. I still have a lot of ground to cover despite trying hundreds and hundreds (thanks to basenotes olden day, liberal trading system) of fragrances already... the "holy grails" that I have yet to try, but I don't think I'll ever be satisfied (but at the same time I don't think I was made to be fully satisfied).

Who makes the fragrances for perfumers?
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post #2 of 18
12/12/07 at 2:17pm
  • r2s
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It's not so much about the destination but the journey to get there.
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post #3 of 18
12/12/07 at 2:47pm
Just give it some more time, and there are literally tens of 1000s of scents out there, there must be something for everyone.
You can also create a memory for a certain scent, use it only for certain moments, give it time to develop and then try it again a couple of months later, if the memories are fun and make you happy, the scent itself will make you happy. Even if it was one that you didn't love at first.
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post #4 of 18
12/12/07 at 5:30pm
Scentophile, you asked who makes the fragrances for perfumers? As a perfumer, the answer is simple:
I make all my own. That's probably why I got into perfumery in the first place years ago. I couldn't be happy with some commercial pisswater that smells like everything else. Maybe your calling is to learn perfumery too.

Michael Storer
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post #5 of 18
12/12/07 at 5:54pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mastorer View Post

I couldn't be happy with some commercial pisswater that smells like everything else.

Don't sugarcoat it Michael - tell us how you really feel!
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post #6 of 18
12/12/07 at 5:59pm
Maybe you're just a little burned out lately...

maybe take a one week break from scents, or maybe just lay off a bit from all the testing and wearing.

But I understand if you're just too picky! I overcomplicate the hell out of just about everything I do, and sometimes I wish I could just ignorantly make a simple decision.
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post #7 of 18
12/12/07 at 6:07pm
You need to spend more time analyzing and experiencing your fragrances, a week atleast. Too often people wear a fragrance for a day and pass judgment on it. Many fragrances reveal different facets over time and under different weather conditions.

Nowadays there are over 600 fragrances launched every year. 1 week per fragrance + 48 weeks per year = more than enough fragrances to keep you busy sniffing and sharing your thoughts here.
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post #8 of 18
12/12/07 at 6:19pm
Perhaps you're expecting too much from your fragrance experience. Olfactory sensation is just one small part of a life well-lived. This may be heresy on a forum devoted to the enjoyment of fragrance, but the path can only take one only so far. Enjoy it for what it is, and don't expect more than it can provide. r2s had the best advice: the journey is its own reward.
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post #9 of 18
12/13/07 at 2:48pm
I call this "the holy grail effect". (copyright JBL)

You're searching for a fragrance you will never find.
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post #10 of 18
12/13/07 at 3:08pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by zztopp View Post

You need to spend more time analyzing and experiencing your fragrances, a week atleast. Too often people wear a fragrance for a day and pass judgment on it. Many fragrances reveal different facets over time and under different weather conditions.

I couldn't agree more. I used to wear a different scent (or two) every day and found that just about nothing satisfied me. It even got to the point where I would be thinking about what I was going to wear (or buy) tomorrow just hours after I applied my SotD. Given, I liked what I had, but I didn't really love anything.

Then I decided to take a break. Instead of changing up every day, I chose to explore my collection and either wear one every day, or change it up every three or four days. Honestly, not only did I come to respect the fragrances that I owned, but they began to reveal themselves to me; I soon discovered notes and subtleties that previously went undetected.

So, don't give up. I would advise choosing a few from your collection that you know you really like and give them a week's wearing. You might come away with a new found respect for your selection of scents.
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post #11 of 18
12/13/07 at 6:19pm
I find that sound advise, Nicolas V, and beautifully articulated.
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post #12 of 18
12/13/07 at 7:29pm
There's a psychological condition related to depression that causes people to no longer feel pleasure for the things they once loved. You might want to check out a psychiatrist, as lacking the ability to enjoy cologne is a serious issue.
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post #13 of 18
12/13/07 at 8:03pm
If you haven't already...
...do what I did:
Go smell everything. EVERYTHING.
Smell it ALL twice, three times, as many times as it takes before you find a few you could live with.
Go back.
Go back again. Let the Nieman Marcus & Boutique broads become frustrated w/ you buying nothing.

When I stumbled into basenotes, I knew what I liked.
I still mostly like the same shiz (almost dissapointing), only Basenotes put me up on hundreds and hundreds of colognes I never would have even thought of going out of my way to find.

Well, I've now smelled literally everything available at major retailer and boutique in my city. Everything, every last one.
And I was dissapointed that I have less than thirty that I would wear, and only about a dozen I would ever pay for a full bottle.

Essentially, I'm w/ you, in the sense that I expected to be blown away by the high end stuff I never knew about. And while I like a few of them, I was like "Wow, WTF, I just smelled everything, at didn't find that much" ...almost in disbelief.

IDK, maybe do like I'm gonna do, research the few colognes you like, isolate the notes you like, don't overanylize, just narrow down, then buy 100% pure essential oils and make you own.

Edit: Make sure to smell even the shiz you know you hate, twice.
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post #14 of 18
12/14/07 at 1:48am
Thread Starter 
Truth be told, I know what I need to do. I'm going back to reeducate my nose and the scents that I overlooked. I guess it might be harder to understand when I'm on the way of trying to make this my career. It's a hobby for others, but a lifestyle for me. I'm glad that I was able to experience a lot of what America had to offer, but I went all the way here to France to open my eyes some more. I even went to Grasse and making my way to Paris soon. I wrote this post hoping to find someone who is truly passionate, someone who is not satisfied, and is looking for more... maybe another level of niche within this niche.

Uhh and I'm not depressed and I definitely don't need psychological help.
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post #15 of 18
12/14/07 at 2:45am
Revisit the classics.
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post #16 of 18
12/14/07 at 2:57am
There's nothing final about being in the position where nothing please anymore. The next step requires courage though...

After that everything is pleasing...
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post #17 of 18
12/14/07 at 6:22am
I have felt that way many times. We tend to make scents too "precious".

You'll never find that perfect scent. It is about the journey. That's pretty much life in a nut-shell.
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post #18 of 18
12/14/07 at 7:16am
Quote:
Originally Posted by ChuckW View Post

I have felt that way many times. We tend to make scents too "precious".
You'll never find that perfect scent. It is about the journey. That's pretty much life in a nut-shell.

L'homme sage
Don't be sad about this problem, scentophile - this will ultimatly increase your own freedom and creativity. It also helps you saving costly euros.
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