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"sillage" and "longevity"

post #1 of 12
11/29/10 at 1:42pm
Thread Starter 
I would like to ask, what mean exactly the terms longevity and sillage, referred to a perfume?
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post #2 of 12
11/29/10 at 2:17pm
Sillage is how far your scent projects, and how detectable it is to people around you.

Longevity is how long it lasts on your skin until the scent fades away.

They often go together, but not always. It's possible to have a scent with, for example, very little sillage (so only you can smell it, and only by sniffing yourself) and enormous longevity, so that you can still smell it the next morning. Or a citrus scent that goes on HUGE so that all your neighbors know when you apply it, but is gone by lunchtime -- great sillage, terrible longevity.

The one true rule is that anything you HATE will have massive sillage and last forever, no matter how much you try to wash it off!
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post #3 of 12
11/29/10 at 3:30pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Thalia View Post

The one true rule is that anything you HATE will have massive sillage and last forever, no matter how much you try to wash it off!

So true! And anything you adore, you'll end up sniffing and re-sniffing until you're anosmic (can't smell it anymore)... or perhaps that's just me.
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post #4 of 12
11/29/10 at 7:42pm
More sprays = more sillage/longevity ^_^
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post #5 of 12
11/29/10 at 7:59pm
Thalia is exactly right, particularly about the sillage/longevity of scents that you hate!

And sometimes you do become anosmic (unable to smell) scents that have both great sillage and longevity. But not often. I find myself anosmic to some musks, which is probably why when I wear Montale Black Aoud (Rose, oud, patchouli and musk) I often get comments long after I can actually tell how much the scent is projecting or how long it is lasting. I know that it still smells good and it seems like a skin scent (something only I or another can smell, close to my skin) but the musk is leaving a scent trail around me that I can no longer detect.

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post #6 of 12
11/29/10 at 7:59pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by giacomodb View Post

I would like to ask, what mean exactly the terms longevity and sillage, referred to a perfume?

Use the search function here and you will learn more than you ever waned to know.
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post #7 of 12
11/29/10 at 8:12pm
careful though, too many sprays and you will be a walking bomb!
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post #8 of 12
12/2/10 at 9:10pm
Silliage the volume of the scent
longevity that last on the skin
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post #9 of 12
12/3/10 at 8:52am
Thread Starter 
Thank you very much for your explanations,

I knew the longevity but I didn't know what the term sillage means (it's not present in many dictionaries).

I did the search but I have not been able to find anything of exhaustive.
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post #10 of 12
12/3/10 at 9:06am
it is not the same, they are rather opposites. something with great sillage tends to have a high evaporation rate (but there are other factors), longevity means low evaporation rate. so, in general topnotes tend to have greater sillage than basenotes, but they evaporate faster. but then, i said there are other factors: some notes are more diffusive by nature than others. so you can have basenotes with good sillage, too.

spray more, and you will get both more sillage and longevity. but be aware about olfactory fatigue. spray too much, and everybody will think you have used too much, except you. you won't smell a thing anymore. never spray too close to your nose, as this will happen much quicker.
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post #11 of 12
12/3/10 at 12:22pm
To take the concept of Sillage a step further, I think it ultimately means "wake". Like the wake of a boat or ship. So Sillage would be the scent trail you leave behind as you are walking/moving.

I see the term "Projection" used a lot in reference to fragrance too. So to me Projection would be how far away someone could smell your fragrance while you are stationary. And Sillage would be the sent trail you leave behind when you move.
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post #12 of 12
12/3/10 at 10:14pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Thalia View Post

The one true rule is that anything you HATE will have massive sillage and last forever, no matter how much you try to wash it off!

lol so true
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