Friday free-for-all, posting from THE FUTURE (or, okay, New Zealand)

[synecdochic]

This post is a free-for-all for people to:

a) post links to perfume-related content they posted elsewhere (on or off DW)
b) talk about anything they want to talk about that isn't big enough for a full post
c) socialize and hang out without worrying about "off topic".

Have at!

Comments

[lunabee34]

Okay, I have a question.

What is the point of a top note in perfume?

Middle and bottom notes I get but not so much the top note. What's the point of such an ephemeral note?

Is it to mask the alcohol blast of alcohol-based perfumes, fading when the alcohol does?

[synecdochic]

I think it's for first impressions -- since a lot of the heart notes and base notes take a few minutes to bloom, including the top note makes the perfume interesting in its first few minutes so people don't think "huh, there's nothing to this, guess I should apply more of it".

[lunabee34]

Okay. That makes sense. Thank you!

I kinda dislike the concept of the top note, though, because so many times I've wished that a perfume continued to smell like the opening, or at least retained the top note as the rest of the perfume blooms. Jicky was like that for me.

[kore]

ooh, do I spy someone else who hates alcohol-based perfumes? (I'm terribly allergic to them, is why)

[lunabee34]

:)

No, I actually don't dislike alcohol-based perfumes; my favorite perfume of everything I've smelled so far is Chanel's Sycomore, which is alcohol-based. I am not a fan of the misleading top notes in alcohol-based perfumery, though. I hate when I love the initial blast of a perfume only to be disappointed when it settles into its true self. :(

Alcohol allergies must suck. I'm so glad they have so many non-alcohol-based options right now. My daughter definitely prefers the essential oil perfumes, so we mostly buy BPAL to test.

[rydra_wong]

Well, whether something's a top, middle or bottom note is down to how volatile the molecule is and so how fast it evaporates off skin.

There are some smells which, by their nature, will be mostly top notes and very ephemeral -- think of something like basil, or grapefruit. There's no way to make them stick around; they come on-stage, dazzle, then disappear for the rest of the performance. *g*

[lunabee34]

Ah, okay. That also makes sense. By their very nature, some scents can only be ephemeral. I wish grapefruit was not one of those because it is so glorious to me. I think I might have adored Guerlain's Aqua Allegoria Pamplelune if the grapefruit had had any staying power.

Thanks!

[woldy]

I have the same problem, because many of favorite scents are top notes: bergamot, basil, grapefruit (I like the pamplelune). I guess all we can do is re-apply them more often.

[lunabee34]

OMG, bergamot, yes! Chanel's Eau de Cologne has the most fantastic bergamot opening. I love it.