Sillage and Longevity?

[ghoulmasser]

What do these terms mean? I tried looking around and couldn't find an answer, but people always mention them when discussing fragrances. Could someone please fill me in?

[Ab74]

I'm sure someone could explain the terms more eloquently than I can but basically:

Longevity: How long a scent lasts. If you spray it on can you still smell it 5 hours later?? Does it vanish in an hour? Generally speaking better longevity = good.

Sillage: Ever had someone walk by you and you catch a nice (or not so nice) whiff of their scent in the air behind them? That would be sillage. Some scents wear very close to the skin (can only be detected very close up) and some can overpower an entire room if applied to generously.

Hope that helps a bit - Welcome to Basenotes!