Hi Puddy,Originally Posted by Puddy
The olfactory system is extremely complex and far from from being understood.
"I should think that we might fairly gauge the future of biological science, centuries ahead, by estimating the time it will take to reach a complete comprehensive understanding of odor. It...contains, piece by piece, all the mysteries." - Lewis Thomas - Taken from the book, The Emperor of Scent
Once you have smelled hundreds of fragrances over a good deal of time, you realize (I have anyway) that what you initially smell (or not smell) may change substantially over time, and in ways which you cannot imagine. The perception of longevity is just another part of that. Whether it's you perceiving the scent, or those around you being able to smell it or not. It can be very deceptive.
I am tired. I'll just give this example. Many of the L'Artisan fragrances are perceived to have weak longevity. For a long time I felt the same way. Dzing! and Passage d'Enfer were good examples. I liked the way they smelled but after buying bottles of both I was disappointed. For months I didn't even wear them. Once I did start wearing them again, my perception of them changed several times. Over time (several months) everything seemed to settle. I now like both of them a lot. That goes for all of the features - they smell good, have good construction, balance etc, good presence, sillage and longevity. Many people will maintain that the longevity of these two is poor. I can't agree because I can smell them strongly for at least 5-6 hours. The scents themselves are not as powerful as many others but that's a different concept altogether.
It could be explained in a more consummate manner but that's what I can give you right now. This mystery of odor applies to many fragrances. There will be many which you may or may not like and then change your mind over time.
This quote comes to mind when thinking about fragrances:
"More knowledge makes more manifest the many gaps in your knowledge, for the more you know the more you know you don't know. That is why constant certitude is the mindset of fools."
When related to smelling fragrances one could change that quote to something like:
"More smelling makes more manifest the many gaps in your olfactory system, for the more you smell the more you...