10 years ago
Longevity is such a deal breaker for me. Nothing disappoints me more than sampling a fragrance and really falling for it, only to find that it doesn't last. I'm not talking about the change of gear that turns down the initial volume but keeps the scent humming along; no, I'm referring to fragrances that just vanish after a couple of hours with barely even a trace of skin scent. EDPs and expensive ones, too! I try to sample in different seasons and temperatures, to be fair, but sometimes a dud is a dud.
I don't always have the opportunity, budget or inclination to reapply every few hours and doing so simply tops up the opening volley and robs one of the extended heart and base note evolution that keeps a fragrance interesting for me.
It's always a pleasure to go back to some of my older chypres (Miss Balmain, Miss Dior, Scherrer, Paloma Picasso to name a few, even though they're reformulations) to remember that these fragrances in EDT formulation run rings around the longevity of some of my newer EDP niche samplings.
I'm not a huge oriental amber/vanilla fan but admit that these seem to have the edge in endurance. Tauer's are great for longevity (half life of days!) but there are so many I admire but am not quite compelled enough to purchase.
I'm being a bit more forgiving at the moment, now that hot weather is underway and I'm sweating/showering a lot. In these circumstances it can be fun to change fragrances a few times a day without feeling they've been "wasted" by washing off before they're spent.
I should add: one of my biggest disappointments has been the Tommi Sooni line. They're a niche Aussie brand and their perfumes are gorgeous, just my thing, I'd buy them all in a heartbeat (er, their high price tags notwithstanding) but Jeeze - they just don't last! Only one of them (EDTSII - the amber oriental, of course) has good staying power. It is so frustrating, they use oak moss, they have a lovely green chypre and a floral aldehyde that smells divinely French - but even the bloggers agree with me about the poor longevity. Sigh.
Last edited by Triffid on 27.11.2013, 07:00; edited 1 time in total