Basenotes › Basenotes Forums › Fragrance Discussion › Male Fragrance Discussion › MFD Archive › Wearing Scents "Out of Season"
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Wearing Scents "Out of Season"

post #1 of 12
8/13/08 at 10:04am
Thread Starter 
I know scents are personal and I'm sure a ton of you wear whatever you want, whenever you want. I have just always compartmentalized my scents into Fall/Winter and Spring/Summer...or in Houston into Hot/Muggy for 9 months and Cold/Rainy mixed with Fall for 3.

So a fave I've discussed is Burberry London. It has alot of meaning to my wife and I because it was my wedding scent and Italian honeymoon scent. It is usually only Fall/Winter for me. But Saturday we had a date night where the nanny babysat for us and I decided to put it on. I'll tell you what, a light amount really held up well and smelled almost "refreshing" in the hot/muggy climate..in a spicy way. Anyways, does anyone else find that happening?I know there was a smiliar thread but I couldn't find it on advanced.
Reply
Reply

Features on Basenotes

Petals Falling From The Sky - A Report From The Cote d'Azur's Bataille De Fleurs
Greatest Hits: Annick Menardo
Basenotes Reader Awards 2013 - Finalists Announced.
post #2 of 12
8/13/08 at 10:33am
I find that I pay no attention whatsoever to the weather when I decide what to wear. I put on whatever I want to smell at that time. I've worn the heaviest, spiciest fragrances when it is 95degF out, and my nose is still stuck to my wrist. Of course, we don't really have any "weather" in Los Angeles, per se. It's always something between warm and unbearably hot. Contrary to what native Angelenos might tell you, it doesn't get cold here, even in the winter.
Reply
Reply
post #3 of 12
8/13/08 at 10:37am
me neither. I don't like the concept of smelling differently based on seasons
Reply
Reply
post #4 of 12
8/13/08 at 10:39am
I tend to wear all my frags year around. I find that the heavier scents with a lighter application really open up in warm weather. The only frag in my collection that I am a little apprehensive about wearing in warmer weather is Vetiver 46 - Le Labo

Wear your London whenever you want. you may be surprised at all the different aspects of it you do not notice in cooler weather and spraying it on drier skin. have fun.
Reply
Reply
post #5 of 12
8/13/08 at 10:53am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jock_With_Scents View Post

I tend to wear all my frags year around. I find that the heavier scents with a lighter application really open up in warm weather. The only frag in my collection that I am a little apprehensive about wearing in warmer weather is Vetiver 46 - Le Labo

Wear your London whenever you want. you may be surprised at all the different aspects of it you do not notice in cooler weather and spraying it on drier skin. have fun.

Thanks, I willI just always looked at it as such a "peppery/spicy/heavy" fragrance that it never crossed my mind until the other night and I really loved it on. Its almost like the humidity just brought it off of me.
Reply
Reply
post #6 of 12
8/13/08 at 11:34am
Quote:
Originally Posted by ToughCool View Post

I know scents are personal and I'm sure a ton of you wear whatever you want, whenever you want. I have just always compartmentalized my scents into Fall/Winter and Spring/Summer...or in Houston into Hot/Muggy for 9 months and Cold/Rainy mixed with Fall for 3.

So a fave I've discussed is Burberry London. It has alot of meaning to my wife and I because it was my wedding scent and Italian honeymoon scent. It is usually only Fall/Winter for me. But Saturday we had a date night where the nanny babysat for us and I decided to put it on. I'll tell you what, a light amount really held up well and smelled almost "refreshing" in the hot/muggy climate..in a spicy way. Anyways, does anyone else find that happening?I know there was a smiliar thread but I couldn't find it on advanced.

Hey, I am wearing London almost everyday here in the summer. I just love it too much. I would never had thought I would be wearing this outside of fall and winter, but I am. Just like you, it is an absolute fav !!
Reply
Reply
post #7 of 12
8/13/08 at 11:59am
I can't stand anything with lots of vanilla in the summer. Other than that, I pretty much use whatever.
Reply
Reply
post #8 of 12
8/13/08 at 12:07pm
I have my fragrances loosely categorized as summer vs winter scents but often break my own "rule". I find that a lot of stronger scents actually bloom in a much more appealing and delicious way in the heat. The only thing I really can't bear in hot weather is anything overly gourmand, especially chocolate notes.
Reply
Reply
post #9 of 12
8/13/08 at 12:10pm
no such thing.....

i am wearing a heavy dose of Body Kouros today.....and thats about as much of a "winter frag" as it gets.....and its coming off very lovely on this 85 degree summer day.=)

i wear burberry london all the time as well......and i can easily wear an aquatic/ozone/citrus fragrance on the coldest day of the year.......in fact one my fav fragrances to wear on cold days is mint full "beach" perfume - Aramis Ice.
Reply
Reply
post #10 of 12
8/13/08 at 2:22pm
Hm. There are some scents in my wardrobe (in today's political terms: war-drobe) that just collapse under certain circumstances. I'd be silly to wear A*Men (Thierry Mugler) in the heat when I know it looses the enveloping character it has during colder months. Same for something like Bois du Portugal (Creed) which becomes a "turn-off" when mixed with sweat. Just two examples.

During summer days I'm limited to things vetiver, green, eau-de-cologne-style (exceptions: Serge Lutens. I started a thread on the use of those fragrances during hot weather last year, I think.)

BUT, speaking with Hemingway (A Farewell to Arms):

"I know the night is not the same as the day: that all things are different, that the things of the night cannot be explained in the day, because they do not then exist [...]."

Chilly summer nights bring out the best of so-called "heavyweights". Nothing more seductive than Knize Ten (Knize) or Habit Rouge (Guerlain) or Fumerie Turque (Serge Lutens) etc. etc.!

[Added: No categories for me - just experience how the fragrances behave in certain situations.]
Reply
Reply
post #11 of 12
8/13/08 at 2:32pm
I too havae my scents categorized. Spring and summer scents have their own classification, while fall and winter kind of fall into the same category.

However, I find that wearing scents "out of season" manages to force certain ingredients to mingle with each other more than they usually would during their "on-season". I wore Domenico Caraceni 1913 the other day, and boy that is NOT a summer scent at all, but it worked out quite nicely.

I guess the higher the quality of the juice, the better it will conform to the season. Cheap scents are designed to smell like one thing and one thing alone, therefore, wearing those out of season will result in a yucky, headache-inducing scent; regardless of your skin's chemistry. However, with the more niche brands, we find that higher-quality ingredients are utilized, in ways that allow a more diverse plethora of particular notes to be exhibited; whether the overall scent represents a particular note, or if it's the fusion of two or more notes that are showcased. Something cheap and common like Cool Water (sorry guys!) will smell the same / very similar on most, if not all, people who wear it, while dabbling in niche houses like MPG will yield a variety of different smells.
Reply
Reply
post #12 of 12
8/13/08 at 3:18pm
I don't classify my scents either though I may tend to wear some scents more often in one season or another. I love that a scent can seem so different from one season to another, the weather can make certain notes bloom and others receed. Even big scents like Paloma Picasso or Obsession can be amazing in hot weather and the grapefruit in AA Pampelune is deliciously bracing in snowy weather. I think the only adjustment that is necessary is to apply strong scents more lightly in summer. I think you may be pleased to see different aspects of loved scents by getting away from the seasonal categories.
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: MFD Archive

Features on Basenotes

Petals Falling From The Sky - A Report From The Cote d'Azur's Bataille De Fleurs
Greatest Hits: Annick Menardo
Basenotes Reader Awards 2013 - Finalists Announced.
Basenotes › Basenotes Forums › Fragrance Discussion › Male Fragrance Discussion › MFD Archive › Wearing Scents "Out of Season"