confused by patchouli

[kindkit]

I hate patchouli. Except, apparently, when I love it.

Much of my experience with patchouli comes from encountering people drenched in it, and in those circumstances it literally makes me queasy. So, as I explore perfumes, I thought that hating patchouli gave me a guideline.

However, some years back I had a sample of BPAL's Mary Read, which is sea salt and "ocean" and rum and a pretty significant dose of patchouli. I liked it, but I thought I liked it despite the patchouli.

Recently I got a new sample, and now I love it, and what's more, I'm pretty sure I love it because of the patchouli. And yet the patchouli-soaked hippies I deal with at work still make me gag. I'm baffled!

So what's the difference between the nice patchouli and the rank stuff? Is it the quality of the patchouli itself? The amount (but I put on quite a bit of Mary Read and still loved it)? Is it the fact that Mary Read is made with aged patchouli?

I googled around a bit looking for articles but didn't find much. I did see the post at Kafkaesque with recs for patchouli scents she recommends, but it seemed written more for enthusiasts than skeptics. Can anybody point me towards some info? And I'd also welcome recs for perfumes with a patcholi presence but where the patchouli is smooth, gentle, not dirty.

Thanks!

Comments

[devon]

for BPAL, this site has great reviews of perfumes you might be considering, and there's also an entire forum for recommendations. I think you get faster search results if you make an account and login, but you can read all that stuff without doing it.

https://www.bpal.org/

https://www.bpal.org/topic/1838-bpal-patchouli-theres-nothing-else-like-it/

[kindkit]

Thanks! I have an account there, I just don't use it very often. I'm not looking for BPALs specifically (I just happen to be trying some at the moment, because I used to wear BPAL a lot and I'm trying to see what I still like), but I'll have a look and see what people are saying.