Random thoughts on Reviews

Negative reviews are indeed helpful, but usually only if I can identify a pattern of likemindedness with the reviewer. So many of my favorites have been panned by this person or that, but if someone whose taste I share pans it, it's more meaningful to me. I guess I'm just stating the obvious.

I enjoy reading reviews, negative and positive. When I read reviews about my favorite perfumes, I find them especially interesting to see how others interpret the fragrance for themselves. Sometimes I may not be able to put a finger on a note, but someone else nails it precisely and makes me investigate a perfume more intensely.

Agreed. The merits of a selection bias.

Indeed, reviews can be very educational, which I appreciate (especially if they are also entertaining). Much of what I have learned I owe to that.

When I read reviews looking for information about a perfume, I'm looking for both negative and positive information. People shouldn't hesitate to write the negatives. That's what others need to know. But, tell us what is negative in terms of how a perfume affects you, not just saying it isn't any good with simpleton's words. That's what happens over at another site.

That's what I like about Parfumo. When I read the reviews here, I don't scroll through them. I read them. We have quality reviews.

I also like imagery, it helps me to place a perfume. If I'm not familiar with a vintage that has a myriad of notes, but I know that I will like it, it does make it seem more exciting when reviewers paint a picture of that perfume.

If a perfume has only negative reviews, and I personally love the perfume, I must add my review. Because, if I like it then someone else might, in stead of them only seeing negative reviews. Or vice-versa.

The perfume speaks to me, in the way that a film does, and this means I don't need someone elses approval to love. Having said that, there is a wealth of experience on Parfumo and other sites that might prevent a big mistake. When buying blind, as I so often have to when you live at the bottom of the world, reviews are a great guide. I don't know if anyone has seen 'Love is all you Need' with Trine Dyrholm and Pierce Brosnan but it has a beautiful sillage trail

Yes. I'm sure I've said this before, but opinions couldn't be more relative than with regard to fragrance. Subjectivity is King (or Queen). My best example being the contrast between my feeling about a perfume: "The heavens opened and angels sang" and someone else's: "stinky cow's breath." We were both reviewing Chanel No. 19.

Which I adore so much I can't bring myself to review it. I think there's a lot of people who read but don't write reviews because they feel the relationship between them and their favourite scent is so personal

Yes, Omni, No. 19 practically requires a bona fide poet to do it justice, doesn't it?

Which concentration is best, do you think?

I would argue the EdT and Extrait to be the most beautiful versions of N° 19, Sleuth. Omni, would you concur?
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Apicius' blog post on How To Write a Good Perfume Review I believe to be a fabulous reference, defining some very pertinent guide line.
Excellent synopsis, Apicius!

After skimming (I hope it's not a derogatory word) the past pages of this thread, it was interesting to compare the development of the reviews here (and else) back then and now, and my own attitude.

It is difficult for me to find the balance between an absolute personal or a rather objective text (one careless step, and I'd be writing a monologue/diary entry, swayed by the oh so cosy stream of consciousness), where to place myself - as a 'commentator' telling from the side, pointing towards the fragrance on the table, keeping the view on the reader and the aspects that might be helpful, or telling of my experience, 1:1 sitting faced towards the fragrance?
I consider imageries extremely useful for grasping something that goes beyond rational analysis, same as for musical interpretation (and I'm sure, for acting); but then again, with all our different backgrounds, my association might not be the same as someone else's and rather close the door.

I also have to remember to detach myself from any negative emotion that occurred from the circumstances and not mix it with the perfume itself (if this happens, I edit the text, after 'cooling down'). It's very often the case with bad blind purchases based on (fabricated, hence untruthful) reviews, or the fact that people, for many reasons, prefer to only say nice things or nothing at all, and consequently, distorting the whole picture (this is one point which made me write a review in the first place).

When it comes to discussing a matter (and I find perfume reviews another form of dealing with a subject), I personally do not find the much-quoted advice "don't say anything if it's not pleasant" really useful, even though I understand how it is/was meant. From societies that do cultivate this motto more than it would be appropriate, I have seen how this can also work in the other, suppressive way. The art of considerate, objective and civilised discussion without veering into an argument is not easy and something that needs to be trained certainly, best from early on, but if not, it can still be learnt, I hope (at least for myself).

Aside from all that, I do enjoy reading the reviews, especially if I can sense that they are honestly felt and have not lost the focus - passion for fragrances, which we all share.