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Evolution Of Taste

post #1 of 13
1/23/09 at 7:39am
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Ok, so I know we have had various discussions about realizing patterns about our wardrobe, and various experiments involving trying to define our "tastes". I can't speak for everyone, but these experiments ended up proving only that my tastes are ever changing. So, for the sake of satiating my personal curiosity, I propose a similar, yet different activity. Look at your wardrobe and go back, let's say one year. Look at your purchases/acquisitions from the beginning of this time period versus the purchases made closer to the present. Are you still using the older frags with the same frequency as you were when you first made the purchase, have they become a favorite or have they falling out of favor, etc? Do you notice any distinct growth in your tastes? I for one, can clearly say that I have learned, the hard way, to sample thoroughly before making a purchase, because various frags that I had purchased get less and less play as I purchase newer scents that I truly love. For those amongst us that have been into this hobby for a long time may have a difficult time as they may have figured out what they love a long time ago, but if you would like just participate by looking at a snapshot of the 2008 year.
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post #2 of 13
1/23/09 at 8:04am
Has my taste evolved, yes. I am still happy to wear my old scents though. I wore a couple of my old favorites at the beginning of the month for Sniff n Speak Saturday. What I've found with my older scents is that I notice more about them now. There are lighter notes I don't remember noticing before and that gives them new dimensions than they had before. So while my nose has evolved along with my wardrobe so has my appreciation of that which I liked in the beginning.
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post #3 of 13
1/23/09 at 8:26am
I am coming to terms with my own personal preferences. I have tried to have a very diversified collection, but there are certain ones that I just don't reach for and kinda dread to wear!

Scents like Bond No. 9 New Haarlem, Armani Code, really just about any gourmand or oriental scent fails to get me to consistently care.

Now scents like Chanel Allure Homme Cologne Sport (clear bottle), Prada Infusion, Green Irish Tweed, Silver Mountain Water, Terre d'Hermes, Original Vetiver, the new Versace Homme, those types of colognes are far and away my favorites.

Are my favorites from one or two distinct classifications? I'm not sure.

Anyway, the trick for me will be to find the ones that both myself and my wife like best. If she had her way, I'd have no aquatics and all orientals and gourmands. She does love Terre d'Hermes and SMW on me.

I have Encre Noire on order and I am anxiously awaiting its arrival!
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post #4 of 13
1/23/09 at 8:31am
The way I decide if a fragrance is worth buying is by its heart and base notes. I have to say, I've learned not to trust those gorgeous top notes any more. The base is where the money should be spent and when it isn't, and something just disintegrates into a cardboard, chemical miasma it will not be joining my collection. Of course there are linear fragrances, but they also must be built on a quality base; a few hours will reveal if someone skimped.
A good example of this is Estee Lauder's Cinnabar, a truly lovely begining and middle, but the final dry-down - I'm talking post 8 hours - has all the appeal of 1970's Glade.
In other words, it must fade to grey and not fall apart.
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post #5 of 13
1/23/09 at 11:38am
I had a bout of chemical sensitivity several months ago, so that limited what I could wear. I also realized that I should use a dab vial with powerful frags, and I've also diluted some frags to make them wearable. For a while, the sweeter frags interested me most, though at the beginning I didn't really perceive the sweetness factor at all. Now I like complexity, dynamism, balance, smoothness, etc., as well as a lot of variety. I generally can't tolerate "sinus rockets," "nose ticklers," etc., unless I can "tame" them, which sometimes works and sometimes does not. It seems that strong geranium creates a "perfumey" quality that really irritates me, as does the aldehydic florals that many call "bug spray" perfumes. Too much lavender is also something I avoid, because so many men's frags have a lot of it, and I don't want to get sensitized to it again (I had to avoid lavender-rich frags for months).
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post #6 of 13
1/30/09 at 8:46pm
Change is inevitable since life itself is revolution. Change is good also, but in this hobby, change is expensive.

If we don't evolve in our tastes, we have made no advancements and are no further along than when we first started. I still like most of the juice I purchased and wore a year ago, but not all. I've expanded my horizons like most here and the fun is in the journey.
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post #7 of 13
1/31/09 at 2:26pm
There's very little that I "repudiate" from the past, only a few things I was excited about that I turn up my nose at now. And I think some corse elements of my personal taste have remained pretty consistent: not liking vetiver on me, for example.
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post #8 of 13
1/31/09 at 10:18pm
Earlier last year, I didn't realize what my taste was and what I really liked. (It could be argued that I have always liked it since the beginning but just wasn't aware of it) In a way, I'd say that our taste continues to evolve and change as we try new things -- with some new favorites replacing the old now and then.

One important thing is that I've grown to become more open-minded. I wouldn't even think about using gardenia-prominent scents last year, but I am now open to trying and appreciating it. (even though I still don't like gardenia)

Similar to Bigsly, there was a little period where I couldn't use this and that due to 'sensitivity,' but it's a lot better now and probably gone, so I am pretty much open to anything.
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post #9 of 13
2/1/09 at 1:11am
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I've given up to define my taste and I dunno about any evolvement. I like many kind of scents and my preferences seem to change 'periodically'. At the moment I'm liking fresh and light designer scents, but it was not so long time ago when I was totally into the deeper and stronger old school scents. And before that I prefered niche scents. So in my case everything goes around and around...
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post #10 of 13
2/1/09 at 7:20am
My tastes tend to embrace whatever I am learning about. I wore mostly vetivers for a while, then mostly frags with pine/herbal notes, then lots of roses, and recently I've been interested in lavender and in the way traditional head/heart/base compositions change over a period of hours. I do go back to things that I haven't worn in a long while, though, often with renewed and deeper pleasure. What SMM says about noticing new dimensions of very familiar fragrances that you've not smelled in while seems quite right to me.
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post #11 of 13
2/1/09 at 9:26am
I've started with department store frags, then graduated to Creed and L'Artisan, then discovered Guerlain and Amouage. Lately my tastes took a dramatic (and infinetely more financially damaging) turn after I discovered pure oud oils. I can't see myself going back to "regular" perfumes, at least not with as much zeal that I had at the start of my fragrance hobby. I'll probably sell off most of my Western scents and keep only the ones I (think) I can't do without.
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post #12 of 13
2/1/09 at 10:18am
My tastes have really never changed in terms of what types appeal to me, but when exposed to things of a higher quality, it is natural to adapt ones' standard of reference to that.

I still like the 4 fragrances I liked in middle school (Cool Water, Bowling Green, Polo Sport, Paco XS)
But am aware that their quality is not upper tier now.
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post #13 of 13
2/1/09 at 12:58pm
I used to like JPG's Le Male. Now I can't stand it. 'nuff said.
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