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Do you limit yourself when testing?

post #1 of 30
5/3/12 at 2:32pm
Thread Starter 
What I mean is, when you decide to go and sample some scents, I find there is so much I want to try, but I quickly run out of appropriate body parts to test on. Inside wrist, outside wrist - both hands gives me 4 different scents that I can try out on my skin.

I will often test on a card first, but find that I sometimes get totally different results when combined with my skin chemistry, so I prefer to just go straight to skin.

How do the more experienced members negotiate this?

thanks in advance
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post #2 of 30
5/3/12 at 2:35pm
Don't do very much testing, (mostly just buy) but when I do, four is about the max and only on skin for me.
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post #3 of 30
5/3/12 at 2:39pm
I rarely , very rarely test more than one perfume at a time.
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post #4 of 30
5/3/12 at 3:59pm
I will do up to 4 at a time - both wrists and arms - and only smell fragrances on paper to get a vague idea of the scent. The most luxurious fragrances are often complex, with up to 4-5 phases, and the fragrance's development unfolds best on skin.
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post #5 of 30
5/3/12 at 4:14pm
If I ever try to test a bunch of frags at once, my brain and nose usually lose a bit of focus. I don't mind doing that, as long as I can get another test on whichever of the bunch stands out... Usually, I'll smell a bunch on paper, then pick 1 or 2 of the best ones, put them on my skin, and come back the next day if I decide to purchase either.
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post #6 of 30
5/3/12 at 4:23pm
I stopped testing at stores . I buy samples, and give full wearings, so I don't get confused.
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post #7 of 30
5/3/12 at 4:40pm
when testing in niche stores i usually do 1 or 2
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post #8 of 30
5/3/12 at 4:45pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by AnthonyDG View Post

I will do up to 4 at a time - both wrists and arms - and only smell fragrances on paper to get a vague idea of the scent. The most luxurious fragrances are often complex, with up to 4-5 phases, and the fragrance's development unfolds best on skin.

This is a fair misconception. Fragrances don't "develop" on skin; skin absorbs anything put on it. Different molecules will be absorbed at different rates depending on their size and structure, and different people will absorb different molecules at varying rates because everybody's skin is different. Genetics will play a large part in this, but so will conditioning, as people with better circulation will absorb fragrances more quickly. I think everyone here has probably experienced the fragrance molecules passing through the blood vessels in the tongue and actually tasting the fragrance for a solid portion of the day.

I'm also not fond of the concept that different fragrances work better with certain peoples chemistry; that's just another example of dermal absorption making things smell different with different people. With modern hygiene a person's personal odor is pretty much never coming into play with their fragrance choice.

The bottom line is that fragrances develop, as intended, on a piece of paper or clothing.
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post #9 of 30
5/3/12 at 5:17pm
I don't test very often, but I always used my arm. I start at my elbow and work my way to the wrist
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post #10 of 30
5/3/12 at 5:34pm
Ack : double post.
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post #11 of 30
5/3/12 at 5:36pm
As much as I would like to be able to take advantage of the fact that I am actually *there* at the store where the frags are, it can get to be pretty confusing when you try and test more than a few. I was able to do four ( two spots on each arm ) but these days, a couple, or just one seems to be the only real way to get the hang of something.

So the old "less is more" rule can come into play for sure.

Like the other guys, I would rather take some samples home and be able to take my time with them.

Also, I'm much more likely to "be on a mission" when I visit the store now : Thanks to my readings here, I usually already have a pretty clear idea what I want to try before I get there, rather than just randomly trying things.
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post #12 of 30
5/3/12 at 5:51pm
today i went testing some fragrances , i tested like every part of my arms lol , all designer fragrances i never tried before and i was curious about.... i came out with the biggest headhache ever!!! my head is still hurting! at first they all smelled good but i think i did an overdose lol ;-)

designer fragrances are very heavy and in your face , they smell good but testing more than 2 is too much for me

i think i figured out why i love creeds , they are soft , smell good and i never get headhache testing them.
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post #13 of 30
5/3/12 at 6:15pm
The days that I test more than 1 or 2 fragrances are usually the days that I walk out with something I end up never wearing. I try to always sample first and do full wears. Otherwise I have better luck blind buying based on reviews by people with similar tastes, than I do by testing in store.
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post #14 of 30
5/3/12 at 7:24pm
On test strips I can smell heaps at once. Easily 20 or more as long as I let them dry a little first (wave 'em around like a polaroid!)

For testing on skin I rarely go for more than two (one on each arm) so I can start to get a feel for the frags through their various stages.
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post #15 of 30
5/3/12 at 10:34pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sunsetspawn View Post

This is a fair misconception. Fragrances don't "develop" on skin; skin absorbs anything put on it. Different molecules will be absorbed at different rates depending on their size and structure, and different people will absorb different molecules at varying rates because everybody's skin is different. Genetics will play a large part in this, but so will conditioning, as people with better circulation will absorb fragrances more quickly. I think everyone here has probably experienced the fragrance molecules passing through the blood vessels in the tongue and actually tasting the fragrance for a solid portion of the day.

No, very little is absorbed by skin. The perfume evaporates. Lighter molecules evaporate first, then heavier ones. The extent to which people can smell the evaporation is the sillage. Evaporation also occurs differently depending on whether skin is dry or oily, warm or cool, and on certain areas of the body, and that may account for why perfumes smell different on different people. Still, I do think perfumes can seem a bit different on different people. It's probably not the perfume but a combination of the perfume and the person's natural smell.

To answer the OP, I do what you do: 4 spaces, 2 arms and 2 wrists. Anything else I get on cards (and it helps to have a book with you so that you can slip the cards into it and keep them separate; the novel I'm reading works well). So I try to keep the four spaces for perfumes I REALLY want to try.

If I do more I find the scents start to bleed into one another and that doesn't help.
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post #16 of 30
5/3/12 at 11:08pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sunsetspawn View Post

This is a fair misconception. Fragrances don't "develop" on skin; skin absorbs anything put on it. Different molecules will be absorbed at different rates depending on their size and structure, and different people will absorb different molecules at varying rates because everybody's skin is different. Genetics will play a large part in this, but so will conditioning, as people with better circulation will absorb fragrances more quickly. I think everyone here has probably experienced the fragrance molecules passing through the blood vessels in the tongue and actually tasting the fragrance for a solid portion of the day.

I'm also not fond of the concept that different fragrances work better with certain peoples chemistry; that's just another example of dermal absorption making things smell different with different people. With modern hygiene a person's personal odor is pretty much never coming into play with their fragrance choice.

The bottom line is that fragrances develop, as intended, on a piece of paper or clothing.

You are kidding here right? Did you just see how much wrong information you could come up with in 2 paragraphs?

To the OP- I always say im going to limit my self but rarely do. Especially somewhere like Barneys that has so much stuff that you cant find anywhere else, I walk out with a runny nose and headache.
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post #17 of 30
5/3/12 at 11:55pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks for all the replies. Looks like I need to exercise a little more control. Tough when you're a relative newb and there is so much good reading on sites like this!
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post #18 of 30
5/4/12 at 12:11am
Quote:
Originally Posted by hopscotchy View Post

today i went testing some fragrances , i tested like every part of my arms lol , all designer fragrances i never tried before and i was curious about.... i came out with the biggest headhache ever!!! my head is still hurting! at first they all smelled good but i think i did an overdose lol ;-)

designer fragrances are very heavy and in your face , they smell good but testing more than 2 is too much for me

i think i figured out why i love creeds , they are soft , smell good and i never get headhache testing them.

I got a headache when I tested 7 creeds on my arms yesterday lol

I rarely test in stores I prefare to purchase samples and use for the whole day plus it means not dealing with the pushy sales people!
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post #19 of 30
5/4/12 at 2:38am
Passing through the blood vessels in the tongue?!? Never heard that one before... Interesting commentary LOL.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sunsetspawn View Post

This is a fair misconception. Fragrances don't "develop" on skin; skin absorbs anything put on it. Different molecules will be absorbed at different rates depending on their size and structure, and different people will absorb different molecules at varying rates because everybody's skin is different. Genetics will play a large part in this, but so will conditioning, as people with better circulation will absorb fragrances more quickly. I think everyone here has probably experienced the fragrance molecules passing through the blood vessels in the tongue and actually tasting the fragrance for a solid portion of the day.

I'm also not fond of the concept that different fragrances work better with certain peoples chemistry; that's just another example of dermal absorption making things smell different with different people. With modern hygiene a person's personal odor is pretty much never coming into play with their fragrance choice.

The bottom line is that fragrances develop, as intended, on a piece of paper or clothing.
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post #20 of 30
5/4/12 at 3:20am
I test one sample at a time on my skin. Sometimes if I have loads of samples in at the same time I may spray them onto a card just for a intial first impression.
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post #21 of 30
5/4/12 at 4:31am
One at a time. Particularly if it is something that I am serious about. Occasionaaly two. But I would compare a few at a time on paper.

Samples at home are best by far. When you have time, and are nice and relaxed, and you are not wearing other fragrance or soapy smells.

Spraying at a counter is not great. By the time some rubs off on tops, jackets, scarves, whatever, then gets mixed with whatever was on your jacket cuffs already, then you wash your hands, do other stuff, drive home etc etc etc, it is either gone or adulterated. This is why I can't stand it when companies are too mean to provide samples!! (Like Chanel Exclusifs). Grrrrrr.
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post #22 of 30
5/4/12 at 6:13am
Between 2 and 6. Depends if I'm trying something that I'm interested in (then perhaps just 1 scent on each wrist) or just raiding the shop (then 3 scents on each arm..well, in summer, when wearing a short sleeve and no jacket).
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post #23 of 30
5/4/12 at 7:04am
I usually do one, but no more than two at a time on skin.
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post #24 of 30
5/4/12 at 7:15am
usually only one these days. I have been trying to be more selective about what I buy, so I generally test one scent at a time so I'm able to get a full understanding of it before buying. I used to rest up to 4 at a time (inner elbows and wrists) but that generally muddles the scents together and wasn't very useful for me.
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post #25 of 30
5/4/12 at 11:00am
I prefer testing on paper first, then choosing two, one on each wrist. Any more and I feel the scents are mixing together
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post #26 of 30
5/4/12 at 11:34am
The only chance I really get to sample is from orders placed or free samples, I don't have any stores that interest me anymore close by. My happy spot is 4. I find 4, 2 on each hand, 2 on each inner elbow works perfectly for me, the distance is far enough to not get them mixed. The alternating scents allows much less olfactory fatigue on me, since my nose can't get used to smelling one thing, but I find more than that gets tiring.

That's not to say I haven't done more when I was impatient...the day I got 10 Creed samples every part of my arm was covered.
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post #27 of 30
5/4/12 at 6:10pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sunsetspawn View Post

This is a fair misconception. Fragrances don't "develop" on skin; skin absorbs anything put on it. Different molecules will be absorbed at different rates depending on their size and structure, and different people will absorb different molecules at varying rates because everybody's skin is different. Genetics will play a large part in this, but so will conditioning, as people with better circulation will absorb fragrances more quickly. I think everyone here has probably experienced the fragrance molecules passing through the blood vessels in the tongue and actually tasting the fragrance for a solid portion of the day.

I'm also not fond of the concept that different fragrances work better with certain peoples chemistry; that's just another example of dermal absorption making things smell different with different people. With modern hygiene a person's personal odor is pretty much never coming into play with their fragrance choice.

The bottom line is that fragrances develop, as intended, on a piece of paper or clothing.

I unabashedly disagree. Scents are made to be worn on one's person, which, by definition, includes their skin. I do not spray on my clothing inasmuch as the scent will remain and linger there. And, I do not wear paper.
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post #28 of 30
5/4/12 at 6:11pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by thebeck View Post

I buy samples, and give full wearings, so I don't get confused.

Quote:
Originally Posted by hedonist222 View Post

I rarely, very rarely test more than one perfume at a time.

these ^^^^^^^^^^^^^
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post #29 of 30
5/4/12 at 6:39pm
Generally only one scent at a time on skin. In stores I test on strips and in that case I can do many. Very rarely I will spray something that particularly strikes me on the back of one hand.

For me, a "test" is a full wear from a take-home sample for at least eight hours. It usually takes me several wears to understand what the fragrance is about though the ones I actually buy generally make a strong initial positive impression, either from a sample or a test strip (the latter not ideal but better than nothing). I do also blind buy but based on extensive reading. For expensive fragrances, I now expect a free sample before I will consider buying. I find fragrances are very different on bare skin and I never spray on anything else when I am wearing them.
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post #30 of 30
5/5/12 at 7:54am
Usually 3-5.
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