Perfume Passion Pondering

[pomander]

Can you pinpoint when your general like of (or pre-perfumista/o-type-love of) perfume took the momentous turn to obsession? (And I of course, mean “obsession” as a good thing!) I’m talking about that point at which you experienced an epiphany, and realized this passion was showing you a part of your inner core that was as-yet truly unrecognized? When you first knew you were embarking on a deeply sensual, analytical, life-altering journey, and you were filled with excitement. That is, I’m assuming that you feel this way?

I’m trying to understand not just the reasons we’ve decided to devote our lives to “enjoying” scent, but what incited the turn from ordinary perfume pleasure to the extraordinary?

For me, I can remember when I took the turn (Early January, 2006). While not a spiritual epiphany of course, I wonder if this was a re-birth of a sort? As many have mentioned in various posts, there are the obvious religious aspects of this “hobby” such as the shrine of bottles, the sacred scriptures (a mass of articles and books, and of course the LT/TS Bible), the rituals (dousing/baptismal, daily anointments, scented candle burning, steeping, scented baths), the guilt (I should not have bought that bottle of niche perfume), the “houses” of communal worship (Basenotes, et al), special holidays (SotD, SnS) and the omnipresent consciousness of “Perfume”. It’s all there! Perhaps on that momentous day 3 years ago, while I sat in my living room surrounded by perfume bottles, books, and an open journal, I answered a deep need to worship, with a sensual awakening.

What was your experience?

[spicegirl]

Honestly, for me , it was basenotes. I always loved perfume, and had been spritzing from a young teenager, but finding this site turned me into an obsessive nutcase, literally from the very first thread!
When I discovered there was a world beyond "department" stores, I just couldn't get samples into this house fast enough. Day after day, reading about someone's new love or great "find" spurred me on! I did reach a point of saturation last year, when I realized I was ordering yet even more samples, without even trying out several of the scents I already had.
Happily though, I've finally come to a point of perfume passion, rather than the frenzied addiction which unmercifully took over my life for a couple of years. I am much more discerning now, and have come to really love and enjoy this strange obsession in a more calm and serene way.
So, this certainly will always be a passion and a great love of mine, and will forever be approached with ardent enthusiasm, but hopefully not with the excessive preoccupation of the past.
Basenotes, I salute you! You opened up a whole new world to me.

[fancynance]

Mine was when I was working my way through the Niche and Classic Perfume Sampler from The Perfumed Court. I had printed out some brief descriptive notes for each sample so that I could read them first and also so I could make my own notes for each one.

The first one that hit me like true love was Frederic Malle's Lys Mediterranee.

I have just dug out my file and (as a complete noob) I wrote

"blast of white, floral, exotic, intoxicating...
Lily of the Valley
Classy
Not too sweet
I want this!"

I distinctly remember thinking that I absolutely had have this gorgeous wonderful smell in my life and decided there and then that I would have to buy a full bottle, wherever it came from and however much it cost.

It is still one of my favourites along with Ambre Narguile, which took longer to get to know and love. I still really enjoy wearing my Lys Mediterranee and have been exploring white florals ever since although I still have full bottles from other fragrance families.

[odysseusm]

I like all the religious imagery and terms you've used, pomander. In a large sense, for something to be religious means that it is both a central feature of one's life and that it is some cluster of practices and concepts that guides life and enriches it.
So scent is that for many of us, I suspect.
For me, BN was a catalyst in the process. It showed me that there were like-minded people who loved to experience, analyze, and discover this beautiful realm. The clincher in my epiphanic moment was when I realized that that this so-called hobby could be part of the most basic feature of life: self-discovery. Why do I like or dislike certain scents? What memories do various scents evoke for me? How are my tastes and abilities changing? And so forth. The fact that this hobby let me use my senses and also my cognitive abilities, was very attractive.
So here I am, a BN'er for good.

[lizzie_j]

I'm not as articulate as many, but for me OBSESSION started last January. Here are some thoughts about that time, and what keeps me interested...
About a year ago, I was going through my things, and organizing (I have a touch of OCD, so I organize a lot, and the OCD certainly plays into my perfume obsession as well), and I found a handful of perfume samples from Sephora that I had not used. For some reason I decided to try several at once, on different patches of arm, and I had this epiphany that hough some were quite 'MEH' on me, a couple of samples were really quite wonderful. And I loved the tiny bottles, so cute and self-contained. I arranged the samples from best to worst (If you have OCD, you'll recognize the need to make orders of things) and soon got on the internet (another obsession) and found Lucky Scent! I had no idea that niche fragrances even existed, or that one could so easily purchase samples! After going through their lists of 'top picks' and reading their descriptions (especially for the vanilla-centric fragrances) I was thoroughly intrigued. I placed a large order for vanilla based scents, and I've been drawn in, hook, line and sinker, ever since. From there I discovered The Perfumed Court (and bimonthly sample ordering soon ensued), eBay, etc...

I think for me the draw is multifaceted. Certainly it involves the exploration of a sense that is often subservient to our other senses (but shouldn't be); the link between smell and our 'reptilian' brain stem, where deeply rooted memories linger (I love the way certain scents conjure up a very detailed landscape or moment in time for me); the possibility of an almost infinite number of scent combinations to discover--including those yet to be developed or marketed (I'm looking forward to the JC Ellena Vanilla scent almost as much as if my favorite band was coming to town!!); and the opportunity to interact with others who share this passion, and who are, generally speaking, well read, well spoken, thoughtful and interesting.

In some ways it's like a drug addiction, though without the negative connotations. When I find a fragrance I love, it's a moment of delight that FEELS good. Doing the Basenotes salute all day to re-sniff a new found love is like taking more drug! And it's a perfectly acceptable addiction without the negative health effects of most of the others I can think of. (One must simply be judicious with the pocketbook..sometimes easier said than done, eh?)

Enough said....interesting question and I look forward to what others have to say!!!

[LedByMyNose]

I was always, imo, more struck by and interested in scents (not just frags - and actually frags weren't a big part of my childhood because my mother was a judicious non-perfume wearer and my Dad claims all perfume smells like 'cat's p*ss'). In about 2001 I discovered the Demeter line by chance and that piqued my interest. The real obsession came about mostly due to the internet. I discovered perfume blogs, perfume sites (like Luckyscent etc.) and this place. It immediately pushed my interest to a much deeper level to realize just how involved one could be in this hobby! I think the biggest influence would have to be Luckyscent, which just happened to be the first site I randomly discovered. It also plays a large role in the fact that my experience is widely with niche frags, and I have comparitively little experience with classics and designer frags.

Also, this:

think for me the draw is multifaceted. Certainly it involves the exploration of a sense that is often subservient to our other senses (but shouldn't be); the link between smell and our 'reptilian' brain stem, where deeply rooted memories linger (I love the way certain scents conjure up a very detailed landscape or moment in time for me); the possibility of an almost infinite number of scent combinations to discover--including those yet to be developed or marketed (I'm looking forward to the JC Ellena Vanilla scent almost as much as if my favorite band was coming to town!!); and the opportunity to interact with others who share this passion, and who are, generally speaking, well read, well spoken, thoughtful and interesting.

Certain scents just do something nice to my reptilian brain.

[VM I hate civet]

My passion started on Jan 29th last year when I was idly googling the perfumes I disliked a friend wearing, to see whether there was any common element I might be averse to. And lo and behold, all her favourite scents shared this same bunch of ultra sweet florals, and I was so pleased that I had solved this puzzle by deconstructing the composition of the perfumes in question, that I started to look for patterns in the scents I had ever - very casually and half heartedly - worn (mostly floral orientals as it turned out), And then I discovered fragrance families and Osmoz, and within a couple of days I had printed out loads of note pyramids by family, and was hunting for particular scents on Ebay that epitomised that category because I wondered what they smelt like....in short, I was hooked!

[pomander]

Spicegirl said: "Happily though, I've finally come to a point of perfume passion, rather than the frenzied addiction which unmercifully took over my life for a couple of years. I am much more discerning now, and have come to really love and enjoy this strange obsession in a more calm and serene way."

Yes! The frenzied stage (maybe a necessary one?) is better when it's behind you!!

Here's to serenity!

[Somerville Metro Man]

This place turned it from casual to intense.
I discovered Basenotes toeards the end of 2007 and lurked for about four months. During that time I read most of the reviews and went to the local malls to sniff and see what I thought.
In February of 2008 I joined and de-lurked and being part of the community really sparked the passion. By doing SotW and observing the waxing and waning of scents have kept me passionate and endlessly fascinated as to what will happen next.
It looks like this will be a long-time passion for me.

[pomander]

I'm not as articulate as many, but for me OBSESSION started last January. Here are some thoughts about that time, and what keeps me interested...
About a year ago, I was going through my things, and organizing (I have a touch of OCD, so I organize a lot, and the OCD certainly plays into my perfume obsession as well), and I found a handful of perfume samples from Sephora that I had not used. For some reason I decided to try several at once, on different patches of arm, and I had this epiphany that hough some were quite 'MEH' on me, a couple of samples were really quite wonderful. And I loved the tiny bottles, so cute and self-contained. I arranged the samples from best to worst (If you have OCD, you'll recognize the need to make orders of things) and soon got on the internet (another obsession) and found Lucky Scent! I had no idea that niche fragrances even existed, or that one could so easily purchase samples! After going through their lists of 'top picks' and reading their descriptions (especially for the vanilla-centric fragrances) I was thoroughly intrigued. I placed a large order for vanilla based scents, and I've been drawn in, hook, line and sinker, ever since. From there I discovered The Perfumed Court (and bimonthly sample ordering soon ensued), eBay, etc...

I think for me the draw is multifaceted. Certainly it involves the exploration of a sense that is often subservient to our other senses (but shouldn't be); the link between smell and our 'reptilian' brain stem, where deeply rooted memories linger (I love the way certain scents conjure up a very detailed landscape or moment in time for me); the possibility of an almost infinite number of scent combinations to discover--including those yet to be developed or marketed (I'm looking forward to the JC Ellena Vanilla scent almost as much as if my favorite band was coming to town!!); and the opportunity to interact with others who share this passion, and who are, generally speaking, well read, well spoken, thoughtful and interesting.

In some ways it's like a drug addiction, though without the negative connotations. When I find a fragrance I love, it's a moment of delight that FEELS good. Doing the Basenotes salute all day to re-sniff a new found love is like taking more drug! And it's a perfectly acceptable addiction without the negative health effects of most of the others I can think of. (One must simply be judicious with the pocketbook..sometimes easier said than done, eh?)

Enough said....interesting question and I look forward to what others have to say!!!

Not articulate? Damn girl - you said it beautifully!

[spicegirl]

spicegirl said: "happily though, i've finally come to a point of perfume passion, rather than the frenzied addiction which unmercifully took over my life for a couple of years. I am much more discerning now, and have come to really love and enjoy this strange obsession in a more calm and serene way."

yes! The frenzied stage (maybe a necessary one?) is better when it's behind you!!

Here's to serenity!

Amen!

[auburnette]

Ooooh, mine was quite recent (in fact I am still in the 'frenzied obsession' stage, if the number of frags I've bought recently is anything to go by).

I've always loved scent (and the olfactory in general) but I think in the last two years or so the world of senses has become increasingly important to me - I am interested in exploring tastes, textures, sounds, sights and- of course- smells. So really it has coincided with a number of 'passions' - good food (in particular good chocolate and coffee), music, clothes, art. And what I would have described as an interest has metamorphosed into a passion.

I also think it has coincided with feeling more sure of who I am; perfume is part of making me 'me' (even if the perfume I wear changes from day to day). I've decided that I am a fragrant person; scent is part of the way I perceive my own identity.

[Nostalgie]

Not articulate? Damn girl - you said it beautifully!

What pomander said, Lizzie J!

[analavande]

Can you pinpoint when your general like of (or pre-perfumista/o-type-love of) perfume took the momentous turn to obsession? (And I of course, mean “obsession” as a good thing!) I’m talking about that point at which you experienced an epiphany, and realized this passion was showing you a part of your inner core that was as-yet truly unrecognized? When you first knew you were embarking on a deeply sensual, analytical, life-altering journey, and you were filled with excitement. That is, I’m assuming that you feel this way? ... What was your experience?

I've always been a loner in my obsession with perfume. I never knew there were so many of you out there who shared this same obsession. I never knew there were places that decanted samples of just about every perfume that has ever been formulated. What Basenotes has done for me is to provide a resource for more extensive exploration, a platform for debate and discourse, and a source of entertainment. I'm having more fun ,with my love of perfume, than I have ever had. Thanks to all who contribute to Basenotes. ;-)

[pomander]

Thanks for your posts.....such insightful reasons for perfume passion...

Self discovery, exploration and expression through scent.
Feeling pleasure through scent and able to revel in the olfactory sense all throughout our waking hours while we simultaneously go about our lives.
The analytical and organizational stimulation.
A connection to our memories and primal selves.
The celebration of the finer things in life.

As for the pinpoint of time when the passion was ignited,
For many it was upon finding Basenotes,
And it seems that it was at the end of one year / the first month of the next year for an inordinate number of us. I wonder why.......?

Any ideas?

[lizzie_j]

This place turned it from casual to intense.
I discovered Basenotes toeards the end of 2007 and lurked for about four months. During that time I read most of the reviews and went to the local malls to sniff and see what I thought.
In February of 2008 I joined and de-lurked and being part of the community really sparked the passion. By doing SotW and observing the waxing and waning of scents have kept me passionate and endlessly fascinated as to what will happen next.
It looks like this will be a long-time passion for me.

Yes, Basenotes has certainly fueled the fire! And I'm forever thankful! ^_^

[tigrushka]

It happened in 2002. I had always been interested in perfume and had already a small collection (about 10 scents) but then I started to search for more info, found fragrance forums and started to collect. I started with the classic Guerlains and then found houses like Etro, L'Artisan, Serge Lutens etc.

[Mimi Gardenia]

I have always loved fragrance but I did not know anything about them - I just knew what I liked - Mitsouko ,Chanel No.5 etc. My obsession started very recently and is mutli faceted.

1.I was bored with using just 24 Faubourg which I used without fail for several years and I began to look for something else .
2.reading reviews of fragances on the internet and discovering perfume blogs
3.Then discovering The Perfumed Court and Luckyscent and the wonderful world of niche scents and samples ! Woweeee !
4.I discovered Basenotes at this time too and I lurked for ages.

Love you Basenotes !

[kewart]

Two years ago I became computer literate and discovered Basenotes.
I felt drawn in by all the knowledge, warmth and excitement!
Now I am truly "hooked" and my knowledge of perfume has grown
very rapidly.

[soirdelune]

As with many, my passion flourished once I joined Basenotes and began to have a dialogue with like-minded others.

I first investigated the site a couple of years ago, and was really impressed but rather intimidated by the contributors' superior knowledge, so I was content just to read, and learn, and enjoy.

Last year, I was going through a very significant life change, and was at a very low ebb. I felt I needed a 'project' to inspire me and keep me stimulated. I am lucky to have a partner who really supports me in this hobby, and who has bought me numerous books to develop my education and broaden my horizons. Now my 'hobby' has become a way of everyday life to me, and one that never ceases to give me pleasure.

[Olfacta]

It started with discussion about online perfume buying which I heard on a local consumer talk radio show.

I realized I could replenish all my favorites for half the price.

Then I realized I could have twice as many favorites for the same price.

Then I discovered Basenotes and the other perfume blogs and sites. My interest in perfume turned from "Does it smell good?" to "Why does it smell good?"

Then I discovered the decant sellers and sample-world. After that, perfume became my all-encompassing hobby and now I have my own blog.

All this took about a year.

It's all about the Internet!

[Morgaine]

When I found Basenotes, of course.
I first stumbled across it when I was trying to confirm rumours that Armani Night -my then favourite- was being discontinued. I amused myself with creating a profile and putting some things in my wardrobe, reading the reviews and then completely forgot about the whole thing. Months later, I came across BN once more for some reason, and this time noticed the forum, which I'd missed the first time round. That was it. I only dipped a toe in at first, commenting here and there, mostly lurking - but I ended up splashing in the pool along with everyone else.

Of course, reasoning back I've always had a mild interest in scent, especially relative to my scentless family. I remember when I was 4 or 5 my mum giving me an empty Anais Anais mini, which still faintly smelled of the fragrance. I proceeded to fill it with water and splash it all over me, feeling so grown up.

[Lian]

On a different forum there was a basenoter writing about perfume and that urged me to sign up here when I did. But I didn´t have the budget to really try and buy perfume, plus my lovely ex wasn´t all that keen on perfume to start with.

In 2007 after moving to iceland I discovered a store here that sold L´Artisan which kicked start my nearly forgotten obsession which went from a few select mainstream bottles to full out aquire tons of L´Artisan, swapping on MUA, being adopted by basenoters here and showered in samples and advice.

Current bf mentioned that after I slept at his place his sheets still smelled intoxicatingly off me and he could never get me off his mind even while I was gone ( we were just seeing where it went there back then). That was Lolita Lempicka L, when it was released I went mad for it from the start and wore it for aaages.

Now I switch between perfumes daily and I fear it´s hard to really lock a scent into peoples memories that they can identify with me, which certainly has its advantages :P

[VM I hate civet]

Wot? Are you not in fact a native to Iceland, then? Why, for the past four months I have been marvelling daily at your superb command of English as a foreign language!

[Nostalgie]

I used to be a "signature scent" kind of gal yet I always sampled perfumes in shops. Joyfully. Passionately. Yet I was true to The One signature scent.I think it was sites such as basenotes, blogs and reviews (including the Turin Sanchez book) that made me realize that there was no reason I had to be a perfume monogamist. That was my first epiphany.

Then I discovered niche and began sampling in a way I never had before.

My second epiphany was that we seek out experiences with the other senses: hearing (hundreds of CDs and iTunes songs); sight (where to begin? Art museums world wide--or just a glance around ones own bedroom? photo albums? sunsets? movies?); taste (the wines, the foods, the coffees), and touch (water, air, fabrics, our pets' silky coats, just the right thread count...)

For some reason it is still considered a little quirky to seek out scnet experiences and to archive them--formally or informally. Why are we so stingy with ourselves when it comes to scent?
Isn't that strange when you really think about it?

[pomander]

I

For some reason it is still considered a little quirky to seek out scnet experiences and to archive them--formally or informally. Why are we so stingy with ourseklves when it comes to scent?
Isn't that strange when you really think about it?

What an excellent question Nostalgie! It is indeed very strange that for many people, the sense of smell is not revered as highly as are the others senses.. Maybe it's because scent is a fleeting experience, and not as sustainable and tangible as a heart-breakingly beautiful opera, a spellbinding movie, the strings in a bearuiful symphony, the richess of a gourmet meal, etc. It's also a somewhat solitary pleasure, not generally an experience shared on a Saturday evening within a group of friends.

[odysseusm]

What an excellent question Nostalgie! It is indeed very strange that for many people, the sense of smell is not revered as highly as are the others senses.. Maybe it's because scent is a fleeting experience, and not as sustainable and tangible as a heart-breakingly beautiful opera, a spellbinding movie, the strings in a bearuiful symphony, the richess of a gourmet meal, etc. It's also a somewhat solitary pleasure, not generally an experience shared on a Saturday evening within a group of friends.

I too appreciated Nostalgie's Q, and also your response Pomander.
Among art or craft forms, scent is (as you suggest) the most individually-oriented.
Paintings, music, many things can be widely disseminated so that many people experience them, in large groups. Symphony halls and museums served that purpose, now the internet adds to that process.
But scent is still a very, very personal experience. And the great scents -- sillage excepted -- are meant to be shared with at most the few who are closest to you. Perhaps to a greater extent than any other sensory experience apart from touch, the sense of smell is an intimate act.

On the other hand, just as fine cuisine and wine has enjoyed an explosion of popular interest, so too with fine scents. We here at Basenotes and other forums are the cutting-edge of what will be a larger movement. That is my fearless prediction!!

[beachroses]

I ran into these perfume mavens drinking tea, burning candles and buying samples over on MUA, when that frag board first started. What a blast. I didn't really stick around, but continued shopping on my own on Ebay from individual sellers (four of whom eventually started The Perfumed Court) and places like Aedes and DSH Perfumes (Dawn Spencer Hurwitz) until work slowed down recently and I had more time on my hands. I'm also into aromatherapy, scented bath & body products, herbal healing and botanical skin care. Worked in a tea house on campus years ago, too, and used to be a buyer for an antique clothing store and designed clothes. I grew up working in my father's salon and was always around women wearing beautiful fragrances, but I wasn't obsessed with them. That's one reason I don't wear classics, they always remind me of "somebody else." Unless I wore it or my Mother did, she was always in Chanel No 5 edt.

[alba]

My passion started about 2 years ago, when I was already tired of all the perfumes I had tried till then. I was wearing CK Truth and sometimes Eternity Moments, but found them so boring. On a trip to France, there was this big shop with an Annick Goutal display on the window. I thought the name was so nice that I went in and discovered a whole world. They had L' Artisan as well. I didn't buy anything then but I wrote down the names, and looked for them on the Net. Soon I found out that I could buy them in Barcelona and I did. The next step was finding blogs and websites to get more information... and a year ago I discovered Basenotes and a whole bunch of people I'd never imagined I could share this love with. I'm, right now, about 40 scents and thousands of "fellow-parfumistas" richer.

[Sugandaraja]

My passion really started going in the fall of '07, but for me, it ebbs and flows. Usually after I discover a fragrance I love my enthusiasm grows; if other things are occupying my mind, it wanes somewhat.

The enthusiasm around Basenotes is very catching, and can lead me to endless sampling and exploring.