Who is your favourite current youtube reviewer. - Page 2

Aww thanks Dailey that's very sweet
I'm only very small time on there - taking it easy ha.

And +1 to QWERTYOP. All true!

+1!!!!!!!!!!!!!
They have passion for this hobby just like us. And they have the guts to put their face on it!

Looks like there's some craziness going on in the youtube community. Take a look at this video. WARNING: This has a ton of cursing in it.

Guy was ranting. Did not think people took fragrance reviews that serious!

My fav reviewer is Mickers.

Yeah I think he needs to go to some anger management classes.

Already took it down. Kind of hard to believe people are this invested in reviewing fragrances.

BRAVO:

I saw the video. Good stuff. I subscribed to him because of it.

And I want to make a statement about the Youtube community in general because I've noticed that a lot of originals and the more popular members of the community have stopped making videos. It seems like 2 years is the average life cycle of a frag reviewer with a lot of subscriptions. People like Tim, JR Writer and Hiro were really into it for 2 years and then burnt out. Hiro announced that he sold most of his collection. And JR Writer told me on video chat that he sold half his collection. Basically, when people get obsessed with something radically and do it hours a day, then they are quick to lose interest and feel a sense of emptiness after.

I think people like Robesand Mickers will have the passion to make videos for much more than that. But I think I was right when I said the whole Youtube fragcomm is mostly a fad. Basenotes has been around for a while and I think it's gotten a boost off of the youtube fragcomm, but the people who have been here on Basenotes for a long while seem less like fad-followers.

Yes, new will replace the old. But generally, I think when things reach their time, it's best to let them go. But people like Dracdoc for example was a new reviewer who earned his stripes quite fast.

It's kind of like Elvis. Elvis was really innovative when he combed his vaseline and wore leather, but it doesn't have the same effect when people now try to copy that. And I think that's what other reviews have essentially done with the formula Tim has laid out.

This is why I've said I would wait at least a year before considering doing videos. To let the smoke clear up and see things as they actually are.

Yup! Me too.


That's very common in general, not just with videos. I've been a blogger since 2003 and an active photographer since 2010. I've seen the exact same patterns both among blogs (New blog! Lots of posts. Less posts. No posts.) and among photo sharing online (New member! Lots of photos. Less photos. No photos.) For a few, the new thing will become a lifelong hobby, be it photography, writing or making videos. For most, it'll be a hobby to explore and eventually drop. I've noticed that the youtube fragrance community of reviewers follow the exact same pattern. If you say 2 years is a common point where many drop out, the timeline matches too. It's usually a year of excitement, then it slows, then it stops entirely.



It takes less work to write online, and it's easier to hide behind a keyboard, so forums will always have more members, but youtube isn't going to be a fad, and communities there will flourish so long as new members come along as older ones leave. Look at basenotes. Surely, you weren't here five years ago. Neither was I. Some members here have left, but new people arrive. The fragrance community on youtube will do the same. Al won't be there forever, but what he's doing with Street Scents is unique and compelling, and I'm sure he inspires others to start making videos.



I think a better idea is to do your own thing rather than watch, wait and follow in others footsteps. You're young, so you're at the age where everything is new and a few years seems like a lifetime. As years pass, I notice that most things exist in cycles. The music world didn't end when Elvis died. Or when John Lennon died. Or when Kurt Cobain died.

The fragrance community existed in its many forms before you or I found it, and it will exist in many forms regardless of whether or not we take an active role. Within any community, there will always be people who have natural talent and there will be people who don't but still want to be important. There will be leaders, there will be followers, and there will be people who get upset because they think they should be the leaders. It happens on every sports team, it happens in every office environment, and it happens in online communities. It's always easy to spot the people who want to be more important than they are.

Watch Katie Puckrik's videos for a perfect example of talent. Other than the produced into, there isn't a lot of production value there, but her videos are excellent. It's all about the content, and she has a natural gift for being genuine. Dan Mickers (or whatever his name is) is an example of a guy who does a fantastic job of giving his opinions and letting his personality shine. Dan doesn't know how to NOT have a personality, and I mean that as a huge compliment. It takes a bit of genuine personality to be compelling on camera. Personality is such a fascinating thing. Check out the Fragrance Bro's channel. Watch the difference from before and after Jer got involved. Both of those guys are great, but if I worked at an ad agency, I'd hire Jer for almost any ad campaign for a male product. The guy just has a genuine gift for connecting on camera. Daver does too.

Getting back to the topic of favorite reviewers: I wish this woman was still posting videos. She just seemed so genuine and her reviews were great.

yeah i agree LBI.

with me, i dont know whether fragrance collecting for me will be a life long hobby or a fad. while i've always been on basenotes, i've been slowing down over the past 8 months. i don't purchase and sample nearly as much as i used to. i remember last summer when i was sampling literally 10 fragrances a week and buying 4 bottles a month.

youtube, for me, is just too much of a commitment. i like basenotes because there is no commitment. i can go on as much as i want and i dont really have a fan base to please. who knows if ill even be on basenotes in a few years. maybe, maybe not. but i definitely don't see myself ever getting as deep into the hobby as i was in 2012.

also, ariscotm is a good reviewer and it doesn't hurt that she's good looking either.

Good looking bugger too...

@ QUERTYOP - Cool, someone u know?

Oh no, I just think he seems like an all round dashingly handsome, well groomed, good looking, highly intelligent, witty chap!...

aaah, I see, honest too

Definitely Marc (Robes08). Definitely.

Oh and Katie. Because Katie has got both: beauty, brains and a good sense of humor.
Uh-oh that's three. Ah well, never mind, you get the point.

Wow cool topic, so much great vids out there but I started watching vids from Tswetcoff, robes08, JR Writer, 959lover. They were really a big part of me starting on my fragrance journey. since then I like watching Vids from the likes of CutlassSupremeSL, FragranceBros, itmllc, QandAaren, and hiroyoruzuka.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5l5rGQFZkjE

i love this chap:.

Fumerie Hilaire, among others....have seen one video where he compares 6-7 different leather scents, and since i have not smelled some of those....and can relate to what he smells....loved how he described that Rue Cambon there

i love Katie P. i wish she reviews more of those niche perfumes i never smelled...
love Duke too....makes me lough too ...and
My Mickers....he is so typical American , but he is the only one who did review on some amouage attars!

will watch the others mentioned here too, i love watching videos , thanks for this thread!

For those, who don't know, the reviewer Hiro made a farewell video a few days ago and shut down his channel yesterday.

Basically, he graduated from university and got a great job offer, but it was the best interest in his career to not be a public figure of any kind (that, and he said he wasn't as passionate about fragrances as he used to be), so he will no longer have a presence on Youtube to avoid a conflict of interest. Of course, some people downloaded his videos and they probably will be re-uploaded by somebody.

To be honest, I started this hobby in late 2011 (and by then Hiro was less active). I did watch a lot of his videos in mid-2012 during his hiatus, but they did not have the same impact on me as they did for some of you, since I was not into the hobby yet while he was putting them out. Still though, career or not, his interest just burned out. It will happen to many people in the community, especially the ones on Youtube. It just happens I guess.

Still though, he seemed like a cool guy. I wish I got to know him.

- - - Updated - - -

Some additional notes. Robes08/Marc does seem like a really cool guy and I didn't mean to attack him on a personal level. It's just that his videos are often repetitive and long-winded, although he's an excellent reviewer. And I gained a ton of respect for him when he made his top 100 designer video.

He does come and go perennially, but that's part of his career. I suspect (but I'm not 100% sure) that he is an engineer or geologist, as those careers easily make $80-100k per year (enough to buy a collection like his). And, generally, ship engineers and geologists, are sent away to work for a month at a time and then they come home to a month long vacation. They work six months out of the year basically.

And I found out that Tim / Tswetcoff is alive and well. He has a facebook page and he puts up pics of him and his girlfriend from time to time. Likely, he's just not interested in fragrances anymore and he moved on with his life.

Couldn't agree with you more. As for my favourite Youtube reviewers:

Marc (Robes08) - good reviewer. very good nose. His reviews have come a long way. Watch his early videos and compare to now. More confident and knowledgeable.

Al - Street Scents! Al is passionate about fragrances and walks the streets of New York to get feedback from strangers on scents. He also does some great reviews.

Dracdoc - Cody makes great videos and puts in that extra effort with outside feedback on scents

Fragrancebros - Dave and Jered put out good videos with very practical and honest feedback

CoachRob - Mr.Practical. Rob is a no-nonsense, 'cut to the chase' reviewer. Like his videos - especially 'believe the hype' episodes (watch his Musc Ravageur one)

Lionel Woods - Good nose, good guy, honest feedback

I do miss CutlassSupreme, JR Writer, Hiro and Kerosene....all have retired or have taken time off

Jose

I would say coach rob619 is the most informative and honest and mickers is the funniest.

I like Hiro's and Kerosene's videos.

My favourites are Robes08, Kerosene and BetawiBlood.

I just don't see the draw of these Youtube reviews, after I've watched many of them mentioned in this thread. They are all awkward, repetitive, and most of the guys are just plain sloppy looking. Me recommendations is to do some research on the product, make yourself look relatively worthy of reviewing what is broadly considered a luxury item, have somewhat of a script, and take more effort in showing the bottle instead of passing it back and forth between your hands while you're talking.

Dracdoc my fav by far