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Worst basenotes reviews

post #1 of 63
1/15/13 at 1:05am
Thread Starter 
After seeing the best reviewers threads, it got me thinking about all the reviews that I couldn't even finish reading...

I hate seeing a review that is attepting to be poetic. I don't want to read excessive analogies about what a scent does to you. I don't want to read your metaphoric description, or your three-page allegory.
If a fragrance transports you, fine; a brief description of where a fragrance takes you is fine.
I will admit I have been guilty of this. My first review I did this because I couldn't do any better than was already done. Now I know that isn't important and it will be edited soon...

Please be concise. Unless you are truly gifted at plucking out notes like some of the reviewers or the "best of" thread, or have some industry info on the frag, there is no need to write an essay.

***PLEASE DO NOT FLAME***
This thread is a place to vent/complain about the type of review you do not like, not about particular reviewers.
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post #2 of 63
1/15/13 at 2:01am
The type of review I can't stand are the ones that are short sighted and unbending "This frag sucks, only a fool would wear this" it's the same as the type of customer I can't stand, the ones that literally sniff a blotter card for 1/2 second and say "NO". I had one couple where the girl must have tried 15 different frags in about 2 minutes. Sometimes she just sniffed the sprayer and said "no" almost before it got to her nose. It was as if she was trying to show me what refined tastes she had, color me impressed....


I misread the question initially and first thought of an individual reviewer. His verbose reviews sometimes made me worry my eyes were going to get diabetes. They did seem to be rather formulaic as well, "Upon initial application one is treated/assaulted/transported to ..." etc. BUT having said that he was very good at what he did, he was knowledgeable and opinionated and he had his own style that some may have loved and some not, but he was very committed. There were a few times when I was in TJ Maxx and I found myself looking at his reviews, skimming thru the verbiage, to see his opinion. I would love to know what happened to him.
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post #3 of 63
1/15/13 at 2:29am
There's a place for the "poetic" stuff though I am not fond of it, and the "dis crap sux" reviews are obviously not especially helpful, but for me the "worst" ones are by those who are most interested in top notes (but who do not disclose this fact) because they can be very misleading to someone like myself, who often actually tries to avoid most of the top notes. Once I figured this out the reviews became more helpful to me, when viewed as a whole.
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post #4 of 63
1/15/13 at 3:22am
Not a fan of the "dis crap sux" reviews either. Similar positive reviews also tell me very little.

I don't mind some of the florid, poetic reviews, but TBH, I find them hard to read and often don't bother. I assume that like many people, I'm reading on a relatively small screen, so walls of text, poetic or otherwise, just make me give up. I don't even need proper paragraphs, just some breaks make it easier to follow.
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post #5 of 63
1/15/13 at 3:26am
The ones that bash a scent I like in an unwarranted, lazy way lol.

And the other way around, one sentence hyperbole about scents that clearly suck.
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post #6 of 63
1/15/13 at 3:26am
All reviews I find worth reading to make me think. I find short ones that glorify or deprecate a scent without details or reasons the least interesting.
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post #7 of 63
1/15/13 at 3:35am
...see my post under the header: The best basenotes reviewers ever...!
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post #8 of 63
1/15/13 at 3:45am
Generally I don't like reviews in which the author calls other reviewers' opinions to make his/her point. I think a proper review should make sense on its own. It should be suitable to be posted everywhere and still make sense...
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post #9 of 63
1/15/13 at 4:00am
I actually think it's wonderful to see how much a fragrance moves the reviewer. Sometimes I get tempted to try on a fragrance simply on the strength of one eloquent review.

The ones I tend to avoid reading are lengthy ones with no paragraphing. Huge unbroken chunks of text make my eyes water...!
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post #10 of 63
1/15/13 at 4:20am
I skim reviews. I don't have to time to read through as a member waxes on and on about how they're running through a forest, and they fall in the grass...then they get chased into a barn....then from there they stop in a meadow to pick up a rose...and THATS how XXX perfume smells like. Really?

I need the basic gist on longevity, projection etc. Basic breakdown of what YOU think it smells like (because i can guarantee i will think differently).

So, any of those longwinded reviews are on my "worst" list.
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post #11 of 63
1/15/13 at 4:26am
Quote:
Originally Posted by SteelerOpera View Post

The type of review I can't stand are the ones that are short sighted and unbending "This frag sucks, only a fool would wear this" it's the same as the type of customer I can't stand, the ones that literally sniff a blotter card for 1/2 second and say "NO". I had one couple where the girl must have tried 15 different frags in about 2 minutes. Sometimes she just sniffed the sprayer and said "no" almost before it got to her nose. It was as if she was trying to show me what refined tastes she had, color me impressed....


I misread the question initially and first thought of an individual reviewer. His verbose reviews sometimes made me worry my eyes were going to get diabetes. They did seem to be rather formulaic as well, "Upon initial application one is treated/assaulted/transported to ..." etc. BUT having said that he was very good at what he did, he was knowledgeable and opinionated and he had his own style that some may have loved and some not, but he was very committed. There were a few times when I was in TJ Maxx and I found myself looking at his reviews, skimming thru the verbiage, to see his opinion. I would love to know what happened to him.

that would be dollars&scents ... yeah what happened to him?

http://www.basenotes.net/fragrancereviews/13375978
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post #12 of 63
1/15/13 at 4:34am
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I'm glad someone started a thread like this to be quite honest!

I totally understand what you people mean by 'poetic' reviews. It's almost as if the writers are trying to get their posts noticed for Roja Dove's magazine or something similar. In doing so, there are probably about 5 people in the entire world that can understand whether they actually like the fragrance or not!

In addition, the one-liner review is also not the most helpful. In my opinion fragrances need to be reviewed three times - once for each stage of their evolution. After all, you wouldn't judge a book by its cover, so why else would you review a fragrance based on its first 30 seconds?
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post #13 of 63
1/15/13 at 5:11am
I got to tell you the truth, the tone of this thread worries me. I'm about as poetic as mud and used to do more reviews but if someone has a scent "move them" so be it. This is a hobby and an art so why not let people go nuts? There are all kinds of people here so I won't fault someone for giving their own take on things. Does that mean I read those Vs. more concise stuff. No. Just I respect their opportunity to give their thoughts.
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post #14 of 63
1/15/13 at 5:22am
Personally I enjoy the variety in styles and find something useful in most reviews.
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post #15 of 63
1/15/13 at 5:33am
At least on fragrantica, the ones that say "PM me I'm trying to sell this" give me almost no sense of what the fragrance smells like.
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post #16 of 63
1/15/13 at 5:54am
The one's that try to make best selling novels. If a review is four an five paragraphs, it's too long. After reading this novel, you still have no idea what the frag smells like.
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post #17 of 63
1/15/13 at 5:56am
Quote:
Originally Posted by 30 Roses View Post

Personally I enjoy the variety in styles and find something useful in most reviews.

you got it!
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post #18 of 63
1/15/13 at 5:58am
Quote:
Originally Posted by SteelerOpera View Post

.... it's the same as the type of customer I can't stand, the ones that literally sniff a blotter card for 1/2 second and say "NO". I had one couple where the girl must have tried 15 different frags in about 2 minutes. Sometimes she just sniffed the sprayer and said "no" almost before it got to her nose. It was as if she was trying to show me what refined tastes she had, color me impressed....


Why would you want her to waste her or your time with something she's not going to like? I do this too, and it's not because I have "refined tastes" (I should be so lucky), it's because I have such an exaggerated sensitivity to certain notes and styles that there is no way I will appreciate or even be able to perceive the subtleties and qualities of a fragrance that includes them. So yeah, I can reject a fragrance by smelling the sprayer, because I can tell there's something in there that repulses me on a fundamental level, or to which I am perhaps even physically sensitive.

The least useful reviews to me are the poetic ones, even though I enjoy them on an artistic level. I don't experience fragrances that way (at best, I can feel certain aspects almost synesthetically, in terms of colour, shape and texture). As far as actually guiding me to fragrances I have half a chance of liking, I prefer the ones by people who have a detailed nose for notes... so that I can guess at ruling out things on which, yes, I would waste my time trying.
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post #19 of 63
1/15/13 at 5:59am
gah. double post.
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post #20 of 63
1/15/13 at 6:18am
I don't have a problem with any of the reviews. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and everyone is entitled to express that opinion in their own way.
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post #21 of 63
1/15/13 at 6:37am
the worst kind of reviews are the cliche ones, that pretty much propagate other peoples opinions.
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post #22 of 63
1/15/13 at 7:52am
I dislike the reviews where people just use the pyramids and not their noses.

It makes the reviews silly when people talk about smelling 'Egyptian vetiver' or 'Madagascan vanilla' as if they could tell the difference between vetivers or vanillas and they are apparently able to smell each and every note listed in a pyramid as the reviews provide merely a run-down of the pyramid. I refuse to believe that's possible (smelling every note), a few of the main notes, sure, but not all of them.
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post #23 of 63
1/15/13 at 7:59am
I like all types of reviews, but find the ones that are heavy in sarcasm the least interesting and most wasteful of my time.
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post #24 of 63
1/15/13 at 8:32am
Quote:
Originally Posted by chopwet View Post

I dislike the reviews where people just use the pyramids and not their noses.

It makes the reviews silly when people talk about smelling 'Egyptian vetiver' or 'Madagascan vanilla' as if they could tell the difference between vetiers or vanilla and they are apparently able to smell each and every note listed in a pyramid as the reviews provide merely a run-down of the pyramid. I refuse to believe that's possible (smelling every note), a few of the main notes, sure, but not all of them.

That's especially annoying when people just talk about the notes. Saying they smell this, then this, then that. That's not a review, that's just saying what happens! Like reviewing a book and just retelling the plot in brief. There's absolutely no point.
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post #25 of 63
1/15/13 at 8:42am
I dislike people who are oblivious of the fact that they have an obsession mixed with ego and other personal issues, and you can tell through their opinions, well, actually the lack of their own opinions, proper analysis and knowledge.

I think it's even simpler, some people have genuine passion, some not.
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post #26 of 63
1/15/13 at 8:48am
I don't mind what people say in their reviews.
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post #27 of 63
1/15/13 at 8:57am
I can appreciate 'poetic' type reviews.

However, most of the time I'd maybe rather read reviews that are more-so to the point.

Such as, what it smells like to them, what it may smell similar to (comparison(s)), the notes, how long the top note(s) last, longevity, projection, what type of fragrance (gourmand, chypre, etc.), etc.?
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post #28 of 63
1/15/13 at 9:04am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ken Cosgrove View Post

That's especially annoying when people just talk about the notes. Saying they smell this, then this, then that. That's not a review, that's just saying what happens! Like reviewing a book and just retelling the plot in brief. There's absolutely no point.

It's usually that or the reviewer will start talking about things like: "it smells exactly like standing in a Moroccan desert" (I hear this one often, apparently the fragrance in question was actually named after a shop), which is good for a laugh if the person wasn't being serious.

In 99% of the cases where I've read something similar, I never doubt that the person actually has no clue (or experience) of what they are talking about.

Again, the inspiration for the review is what's written on the box and not what they are smelling.
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post #29 of 63
1/15/13 at 9:40am
I tend to skip too short reviews and the ones that focus only on notes and try to be objective. I also don't like reviews that rate a fragrance thumbs down because the reviewer hates the main note!

Regarding poetic or funny or even dramatic reviews I tend to like them when I'm in the mood of reading something more than just trying to understand what the fragrance smells like. There are reviewers that I feel closer to my way of feeling fragrances, of course, and others I don't get on very well with, but I think everybody's experience is interesting.
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post #30 of 63
1/15/13 at 9:52am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian_Towers View Post

I dislike people who are oblivious of the fact that they have an obsession mixed with ego and other personal issues, and you can tell through their opinions, well, actually the lack of their own opinions, proper analysis and knowledge.

I think it's even simpler, some people have genuine passion, some not.

This.
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post #31 of 63
1/15/13 at 10:01am
Great chunks of boring information about each note. It's the same with books and paintings -- I don't want to read a page and a half of descriptive text about a room and I like the 'impressionist' style of conveying a scene or place through a painting
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post #32 of 63
1/15/13 at 10:02am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Spoombung View Post

I don't mind what people say in their reviews.

Nor do I.
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post #33 of 63
1/15/13 at 10:14am
I don't like this thread because I think it stinks.

;-)
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post #34 of 63
1/15/13 at 11:30am
Difficult to say, keep in mind many bad reviews/reviewers are consequence of not perfect use of English language (here I am, difficults with foreign language by Italian people are legendary )
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post #35 of 63
1/15/13 at 11:35am
I like them all. In its own way they all help...
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post #36 of 63
1/15/13 at 11:38am
WORST REVIEWS: I hate when people say what they think they're supposed to say in order to look like one of the cool kids here, and it amazes me how often we see that sort of thing. Those posts are usually based on hype, or they're filled with big words that manage to say not much at all. I'm always surprised by how important it is for some people to feel important on a message board.

BEST REVIEWS: I love when people are honest and fair. Don't bash a $20 scent because it doesn't compare to Bond or Creed. Don't bash Amouage because their latest creation didn't equate to the 2nd coming of christ. Just review what you smell and how it wears with the same level of fairness and honesty you'd want from anyone else. Eloquent prose is fine. Simple folksy language is fine. It's less about the style of the text than it is about the opinion and personal experience a review conveys. I want opinions with as much honesty and fairness as possible.

WISH LIST: I wish there were a way to flag certain reviewers to have their opinions always show up at the top of the list of reviews so I could see the noses I trust most first (I'm not referring to comments in threads. I strictly mean reviews in the reviews section). Honestly, if I could afford it, there are people here I'd try hire to curate a monthly collection of samples for me to try. THAT would be AWESOME.

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Quote:
Originally Posted by Akahina View Post

I don't like this thread because I think it stinks.

;-)

Sorry. Uhm... er... that might be me. I may have overdone it with the Fahrenheit today. It's a Fahrenheit kind of day.
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post #37 of 63
1/15/13 at 12:50pm
When people say something along the line of "anybody who wears this is just dumb/doesn't have good taste"... as if their opinion should reflect what everyone else should believe, say or do.
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post #38 of 63
1/15/13 at 1:00pm
If I said whose reviews i disliked, I'd probably get banned lol
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post #39 of 63
1/15/13 at 2:30pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nosebud View Post

I hate seeing a review that is attepting to be poetic.

What about reviews done to musicals?

I'll tell you the tale of A*Men original, the demon scent of fleet street...
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post #40 of 63
1/15/13 at 3:33pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Osi1s View Post

What about reviews done to musicals?

Now THERE'S a youtube style waiting to be done! Fragrance reviews done as musicals!
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post #41 of 63
1/15/13 at 3:46pm
I like most of the reviews, whether brief or long. Most are interesting, and ultimately helpful.
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post #42 of 63
1/15/13 at 3:51pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by aphexacid View Post

I skim reviews. I don't have to time to read through as a member waxes on and on about how they're running through a forest, and they fall in the grass...then they get chased into a barn....then from there they stop in a meadow to pick up a rose...and THATS how XXX perfume smells like. Really?

I need the basic gist on longevity, projection etc. Basic breakdown of what YOU think it smells like (because i can guarantee i will think differently).

So, any of those longwinded reviews are on my "worst" list.

Man this is so funny!!:-)


I like to have to read as many reviews as possible, i kind of learnt to interpret the data for myself, so every review is helpful, but must admit , when i started reading reviews i could not wonder more when people would make up some stories about perfume:-) , thats why the above made me so laugh:-)
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post #43 of 63
1/15/13 at 3:59pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by TheBlackAdonis View Post

When people say something along the line of "anybody who wears this is just dumb/doesn't have good taste"... as if their opinion should reflect what everyone else should believe, say or do.

I havent seen any reviews like that, although i'm sure they exist. Pure ignorance!

In all my years of being a fragrance lover, i have smelled tons that i don't care for. And only a few that really make me curse out loud/want to vomit/scrub it off...But even still, someone must like it and you have to respect that.

Having said that, i would like one day for someone who absolutely LOVES Pasha de Cartier to explain what it is about it they love, and give me a list of other frags they use. Because to me, its revolting. But someone must love it.
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post #44 of 63
1/15/13 at 4:36pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by alfarom View Post

Generally I don't like reviews in which the author calls other reviewers' opinions to make his/her point. I think a proper review should make sense on its own. It should be suitable to be posted everywhere and still make sense...

LOL, my recollection is that I've seen a number of reviews that say that Alfarom's review pretty much summed it up and there's nothing more to add. I don't mind them so much as it can be reassuring that there is a consensus, particularly if you aren't tuned in to whether a reviewer has similar perspectives to yourself.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Diamondflame View Post

I actually think it's wonderful to see how much a fragrance moves the reviewer. Sometimes I get tempted to try on a fragrance simply on the strength of one eloquent review.


Quote:
Originally Posted by ToughCool View Post

I got to tell you the truth, the tone of this thread worries me. I'm about as poetic as mud and used to do more reviews but if someone has a scent "move them" so be it. This is a hobby and an art so why not let people go nuts?

I appreciate and think that it's great when this happens, but I can't always read them and they don't always tell me much about the scent. I do love the passion and enthusiasm though. It is a great aspect of the forums in general and not just the reviews.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Osi1s View Post

What about reviews done to musicals?

I'll tell you the tale of A*Men original, the demon scent of fleet street...

Probably better suited to YouTube, but I would be interested if done well.
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post #45 of 63
1/15/13 at 11:34pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by 30 Roses View Post

Personally I enjoy the variety in styles and find something useful in most reviews.

you got it!
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post #46 of 63
1/15/13 at 11:40pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by CompassRose View Post


Why would you want her to waste her or your time with something she's not going to like? I do this too, and it's not because I have "refined tastes" (I should be so lucky), it's because I have such an exaggerated sensitivity to certain notes and styles that there is no way I will appreciate or even be able to perceive the subtleties and qualities of a fragrance that includes them. So yeah, I can reject a fragrance by smelling the sprayer, because I can tell there's something in there that repulses me on a fundamental level, or to which I am perhaps even physically sensitive.

I can totally understand if there is something in the frags you don't like, but this customer had no intention of honestly looking for a fragrance. It is very easy to tell when a frag is displeasing or has a bad note to a customer, the eyes squint, the nostrils flare and the corners of the mouth droop. This woman had no change in expression from frag to frag to frag, she was just having fun being difficult

Being sensitive to certain notes I'm sure can be frustrating, and I agree sniffing the sprayer to make sure you're not going to have a reaction is best, but just sniffing the sprayer can be very deceiving sometimes. I had a customer as me if our tester of Issey Miyaki had turned, I sprayed it on a card and it was completely different than what he smelled before on the sprayer. I smelled the sprayer and it was obvious that remnants of the nearby bottle of JPG Le Male had recently been misted on the Issey. Also, I see people every day who will literally stick the sprayer in their nose... and I mean INSIDE the nostril... this is something I do not want to have any part of and why I have bottles of rubbing alcohol handy.
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post #47 of 63
1/16/13 at 1:11am
I am also not a fan of reviewers that don't take time for the fragrance to develop before they rush off to write their review. Reviewing a fragrance before the top notes are gone is like reviewing a bottle of wine after you smell it and take the first sip from the new bottle. give it time to expand and progress to what it is supposed to be, not what it is at the start.

Another type I do not care for is the review that takes time to tell you a whole list of great things about the fragrance. It opens wonderfully, progresses through the middle very well, the base notes are perfectly balanced and last surprisingly long. But, it does, after reading the note listing contain something the reviewer doesn't care for, so...thumbs down for the whole thing. That has never made sense to me.

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I am also not a fan of reviewers that don't take time for the fragrance to develop before they rush off to write their review. Reviewing a fragrance before the top notes are gone is like reviewing a bottle of wine after you smell it and take the first sip from the new bottle. give it time to expand and progress to what it is supposed to be, not what it is at the start.

Another type I do not care for is the review that takes time to tell you a whole list of great things about the fragrance. It opens wonderfully, progresses through the middle very well, the base notes are perfectly balanced and last surprisingly long. But, it does, after reading the note listing contain something the reviewer doesn't care for, so...thumbs down for the whole thing. That has never made sense to me.
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post #48 of 63
1/16/13 at 5:03am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ken Cosgrove View Post

That's especially annoying when people just talk about the notes. Saying they smell this, then this, then that. That's not a review, that's just saying what happens! Like reviewing a book and just retelling the plot in brief. There's absolutely no point.

That's exactly what I look for.

I need to know facts not opinions.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Profumo Saggio View Post

I am also not a fan of reviewers that don't take time for the fragrance to develop before they rush off to write their review. Reviewing a fragrance before the top notes are gone is like reviewing a bottle of wine after you smell it and take the first sip from the new bottle. give it time to expand and progress to what it is supposed to be, not what it is at the start.

Another type I do not care for is the review that takes time to tell you a whole list of great things about the fragrance. It opens wonderfully, progresses through the middle very well, the base notes are perfectly balanced and last surprisingly long. But, it does, after reading the note listing contain something the reviewer doesn't care for, so...thumbs down for the whole thing. That has never made sense to me.

- - - Updated - - -

I am also not a fan of reviewers that don't take time for the fragrance to develop before they rush off to write their review. Reviewing a fragrance before the top notes are gone is like reviewing a bottle of wine after you smell it and take the first sip from the new bottle. give it time to expand and progress to what it is supposed to be, not what it is at the start.

Another type I do not care for is the review that takes time to tell you a whole list of great things about the fragrance. It opens wonderfully, progresses through the middle very well, the base notes are perfectly balanced and last surprisingly long. But, it does, after reading the note listing contain something the reviewer doesn't care for, so...thumbs down for the whole thing. That has never made sense to me.
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post #49 of 63
1/16/13 at 5:04am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ken Cosgrove View Post

That's especially annoying when people just talk about the notes. Saying they smell this, then this, then that. That's not a review, that's just saying what happens! Like reviewing a book and just retelling the plot in brief. There's absolutely no point.

That's exactly what I look for.

I need to know facts not opinions.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Profumo Saggio View Post

I am also not a fan of reviewers that don't take time for the fragrance to develop before they rush off to write their review. Reviewing a fragrance before the top notes are gone is like reviewing a bottle of wine after you smell it and take the first sip from the new bottle. give it time to expand and progress to what it is supposed to be, not what it is at the start.

Another type I do not care for is the review that takes time to tell you a whole list of great things about the fragrance. It opens wonderfully, progresses through the middle very well, the base notes are perfectly balanced and last surprisingly long. But, it does, after reading the note listing contain something the reviewer doesn't care for, so...thumbs down for the whole thing. That has never made sense to me.

- - - Updated - - -

I am also not a fan of reviewers that don't take time for the fragrance to develop before they rush off to write their review. Reviewing a fragrance before the top notes are gone is like reviewing a bottle of wine after you smell it and take the first sip from the new bottle. give it time to expand and progress to what it is supposed to be, not what it is at the start.

Another type I do not care for is the review that takes time to tell you a whole list of great things about the fragrance. It opens wonderfully, progresses through the middle very well, the base notes are perfectly balanced and last surprisingly long. But, it does, after reading the note listing contain something the reviewer doesn't care for, so...thumbs down for the whole thing. That has never made sense to me.
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post #50 of 63
1/16/13 at 9:42am
The ones I don't find useful are those that tell me what kind of clothes or occasion a fragrance would be suited for. "Perfect with a nice suit" - could be Chanel Bleu, Sartorial, Aramis, Egoiste, or 1000s of others. "Great for a night out clubbing", etc. That's no more helpful than "I like this".
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post #51 of 63
1/16/13 at 10:14am
I enjoy an analogy or brief story that is on point about the notes in fragrance. It's better than this stuff sucks or its a panty dropper. I don't care for reviews that are reader digest short stories about where they were emotionally after applying fragrance.
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post #52 of 63
1/16/13 at 10:22am
This thread illustrates exactly why I don't dare do reviews: I wouldn't know how to write about a fragrance leaving out all the talk on notes nor emotions/atmosphere. I appreciate when reviews do discuss these particular aspects.
Is there a book on 'review etiquette' somewhere?
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post #53 of 63
1/16/13 at 10:44am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Irina View Post

This thread illustrates exactly why I don't dare do reviews: I wouldn't know how to write about a fragrance leaving out all the talk on notes nor emotions/atmosphere. I appreciate when reviews do discuss these particular aspects.
Is there a book on 'review etiquette' somewhere?

For me this thread illustrates that there is no "right" way to do it. We all have different preferences & writing styles, & this is part of what makes the reviews so fascinating. How dull it would be if we all wrote in the same style & agreed with each other on everything.
Please don't be put off from writing by worrying about what other people think!
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post #54 of 63
1/16/13 at 12:30pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by teardrop View Post

For me this thread illustrates that there is no "right" way to do it. We all have different preferences & writing styles, & this is part of what makes the reviews so fascinating. How dull it would be if we all wrote in the same style & agreed with each other on everything.
Please don't be put off from writing by worrying about what other people think!

I agree What I meant is rather: why would one write or read reviews? I think one's drive behind the writing is just as important. If I would write I would do so in order to help people when making a choice (that's why I read them). Not so much to become famous with my writing or please people LOL So I would would write about the notes, structure and similar perfumer's or emotional talk, things I like to read when looking at reviews. If people don't find such reviews helpful, that would be a waste of my time, right?

Hope I make sense, sorry, bit tired ...
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post #55 of 63
1/16/13 at 1:00pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Irina View Post

I agree What I meant is rather: why would one write or read reviews? I think one's drive behind the writing is just as important. If I would write I would do so in order to help people when making a choice (that's why I read them). Not so much to become famous with my writing or please people LOL So I would would write about the notes, structure and similar perfumer's or emotional talk, things I like to read when looking at reviews. If people don't find such reviews helpful, that would be a waste of my time, right?

Hope I make sense, sorry, bit tired ...

Yes, that makes sense. What l meant was that different readers might be looking for different things from reviews. l personally enjoy reading a variety of styles & viewpoints. l admire those who can "tell a story" with a review, but l also want to know about notes, structures, etc. ln my own reviews l tend to stick to describing what l smell, & sometimes how it makes me feel, or when l might feel like wearing it. But l don't pretend to have any writing talent, & sometimes l think l lack imagination because l rarely wax poetical about a fragrance. l would love to be able to do that!
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post #56 of 63
1/16/13 at 11:53pm
I'm not gonna judge people and how they review, but I'd rather read a review from someone who owns instead of samples. It just means you wear it in its intended form and can make a proper description of the scent. A sample is good for giving you an idea of what the fragrance smells like, but it's annoying to hear people complain that they're not getting 10+ hrs off a .3ml sample vial.
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post #57 of 63
1/17/13 at 1:30am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Preston H View Post

I'm not gonna judge people and how they review, but I'd rather read a review from someone who owns instead of samples. It just means you wear it in its intended form and can make a proper description of the scent. A sample is good for giving you an idea of what the fragrance smells like, but it's annoying to hear people complain that they're not getting 10+ hrs off a .3ml sample vial.

I understand where you are coming from, but it may not be feasible for a lot of scent reviews. For example, some scents reviewed here are extremely difficult to acquire and/or have only 6 bottles or less in existence, costing $500+ a bottle; many *thousands* of dollars. It is quite expensive in relative terms for most folks to acquire a bottle for that kind of dough to write a review (let alone buy for their collection on any regular basis). If someone owns one of those rare gems, more power to them and I would love to hear their take on it for sure, but a sample review is just fine by me (on any scent of any dollar value, mass market or rare alike).

As an aside, most samples I have ever bought or received that are not extrait where a little goes a very long way are between 1 and 2 ml, some more. That should be more than sufficient to get a good read on a full wearing or two of a given scent for most people. Transferring the samples to sprayers can give a better feel for what the scent would smell like coming from a full bottle atomizer though (assuming that is the delivery method of choice for the fragrance in question).
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post #58 of 63
1/17/13 at 3:36pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by hawk View Post

that would be dollars&scents ... yeah what happened to him?

http://www.basenotes.net/fragrancereviews/13375978


Apparently he was banned.

I would love to know why...
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post #59 of 63
1/17/13 at 6:38pm
Wow. So much negativity here. If the sole purpose of reviews is to please everyone nothing will ever get written. A review may not be in a style I prefer but I appreciate the efforts nonetheless. I thank every reviewer who bothered to contribute to Basenotes review section, without which we would have easily been overtaken by Fragrantica.

Now how about a new section where whining is elevated to an art form?
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post #60 of 63
1/18/13 at 3:12pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Buysblind View Post

Apparently he was banned.

I would love to know why...

...?!!?!?!??!? He was banned? I'll admit, there was a sameness about the way his reviews were written, but he always seemed so polite and helpful. He was banned? I wonder why.
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