Why you Should Wear Classic Fragrances

 

Greetings! I hope everyone is having a wonderful day today. I am doing just fine. It's a cool and rainy day here and I decided to wear some Rogue Bon Monsieur to go with it. Such a wonderful scent that I need to review at some point...

I have been watching for years and years as people have trashed classic fragrances as "dated" or "old man". If you follow my blog, then you know I love the classics, so I figured I would give my opinion on this. I am well aware that people have different tastes and "to each their own". I just want to illustrate some common misconceptions people might have about classic scents. This includes modern scents made in a classic style, such as Rogue Perfumery and Meleg Perfumes. 

Many people will probably disagree with me on these points, but that is okay. These just come from my personal experiences. I also know that someone will comment "99% of classics are shadows of their former selves", which a part of me thinks they hold that opinion because someone else said it or it's the cool thing to do. I don't know, but in regards to certain formulations, that statement has some vague validity to it. However, these things are not what I am discussing. I am speaking for vintage and modern iterations of classics. 

A classic fragrance to me is something made before 1990. Be sure to let me know what you think in the comments. If you reply on here, I do reply to every comment. Blogger just doesn't always tell people that I do. 

I have rambled on for long enough, let's get into it!


Classics are Still Made

Classic fragrances, such as the pictured Shalimar, have been produced since their introductions to the market. You don't typically go to a furniture store and see carpets and couches from the 70s that are still made today. Yes, some antique or very niche stores might have these things, but they are not mass-produced in the same styles as they were back then.

These vintage fragrances are still made today. That is because they are still being purchased...by a lot of people. Not all of those people are elderly either. I don't have any data to prove that, so it's just my assumption based on what I have personally seen. If there wasn't a market for them, then they wouldn't be produced. Businesses don't like losing money for nostalgia. 


Dated Smells

Can a smell actually be dated? What determines what is dated and what isn't? A scent memory of someone older wearing it? If that is the case, then Creed Aventus and Bleu de Chanel can be considered dated. I have smelled them on men who were over 50. What metrics do we use?

It seems like it's a misconception about something we are not familiar with. If something is new and foreign to us or it reminds of us something in the past, then we cast it off as dated or bad. The same thing goes for most oud scents. 

Early on, I wanted modern stuff too. I still like some modern fragrances. However, the more I explored the older fragrances, the more that I found that I liked them. They don't smell dated to me at all. Many do come off as products of their era though. 

I think our natural inclination towards progress and advancing technology makes us shy away from things of the past because we want to embrace the future. The future cannot happen without the past. 

Compliments

As many of you know, I shudder at the thought of talking about compliments. It's just not my style and I don't care about them. However, I realize that many people do, so I am going to cover it. 

I can count how many times I have been told that I smell old on one hand. I get far more positive comments on my classic fragrances than negative ones. You do have to have the presence to pull off these scents though. Wearing ripped skinny jeans is going to conflict with the vibe you are giving off with these. I am not saying that ripped skinny jeans are bad, only that they don't fit the classic style very well. 

I have been told that I smell very manly and masculine before wearing these scents, but I can only count the times that has happened on two hands. Most of the time people say "fresh" or that I just smell "good". 

I am not one to care what people think. I am 35. Some of the women who have complimented me have been in their 20s. Some of them don't like men smelling super sweet. Let's not put women in a box and say all of them like the same things. That's just not cool. If your goal is to impress every woman you come across, then you might need a reality check. Sorry, but I am not sorry. You only need to impress one, not all of them. The same goes for impress men, if that is your thing.


History


Houses like Guerlain, Penhaligon's, Floris, and Caron have been around a long time. There is a lot of history, love, and passion in their fragrances. These houses have been around for so long because they are making good fragrances.

Maybe I am a bit biased because I love history. This side of them just appeals to me. To think that some guy in the 60s shaved with the same shaving cream and slapped on some Eau Sauvage aftershave and then sprayed some on...That appeals to me. To think that some women might have worn Shalimar to celebrate their husbands returned from World War II. Maybe my mind is being too creative here, but those things intrigue me deeply. 

The fragrance that is pictured above is Guerlain Jicky EDP. It was the first fragrance to use synthetic vanilla and to make the Guerlainade that we all know today. It was revolutionary and led to many of the fragrances we have today. Yes, I do wear Jicky and I love the scent deeply. 


Masculinity

I am hesitant to cover this topic because I know someone will say "masculinity isn't in what you smell like. It's how you present yourself". That is very true, but at the same time, I can't help but to think that some of the classic women's fragrances such as Shalimar EDP, Jicky EDP, and Mitsouko EDP are more masculine smelling than many of today's men's releases. 

This is just my own perception of the scents though. I am not saying that all modern releases smell feminine to me. I wear plenty of unisex and feminine stuff. I do believe that fragrances are unisex, but some do have more masculine qualities than others. 

I think part of this association is do to the men who were influential in raising us. They wore some of these fragrances and therefore we associate the smells with masculinity. Maybe the next generation will think that way for Bleu de Chanel and Creed Aventus. I am not sure, but it would make sense.

I see a lot of men asking for masculine scents. Classics will give you that. I also see people asking for "alpha male" fragrances, which I find to be humorous. I will probably get some heat for this. but the whole alpha male ideology is flawed to me. No fragrance will make you an alpha male, even though I don't think alpha males exist. It's just some fantasy/facade that guys have that makes them cover up their insecurities. There are men and there are boys. That is my take on it. A fragrance isn't going to make you appear as either if you are a man. 


Conclusion

I might have upset some people with what I said in this one, but I still love all of you. I just try o speak from my heart. Sometimes I can be a bit opinionated and abrasive. That is just who I am. 

Remember to say some kind words to someone today. You never know what they are going through. You could be the voice that makes a difference. Keep smelling great and being great. Thank you for the support. Until next time, be safe.

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In Memory of Kyle Stevens

 

Hello, ladies and gentlemen. I hope everyone is doing well today. I am doing okay. We have had two major losses in the fragrance community. Carlos Powell(Brooklyn Fragrance Lover) and Kyle Stevens. It was a difficult month last month for us, but we will endure with their memories. 

Some people asked me if I was going to do an article on Carlos and I decided not to. I was friends with him, but I wasn't super close to him and it just didn't feel right to me to do an article for a man that I didn't know very well. It just felt like clickbait. I despise clickbait. 

However, I will say a few words for him here, since I have not posted since his passing...

I will miss him. He posted some amazing-looking food on his Facebook page. He loved his cats dearly and I also love my cat dearly. He was very passionate about fragrances and he loved getting in front of the camera and sharing his hobby. He also had the best musical introduction of any YouTuber, bar none.

I remember when I first started speaking to him. He was getting bashed over one of his live streams he did when he probably had a bit too much to drink and I told him I was there for him and encouraged him. I asked him if I could do anything for him and he replied, "Watch my back in these fragcomm streets". The "fragcomm streets" stuck with me and gave me some perspective on some things that go on in the fragrance community. 

I also remember watching his duet with Steven(Redolessence) at ScentXplore(2020). Those two had such an awesome synergy and you could see the bond that they shared with each other. My heart breaks for Steven as well, since that was his best friend. 

Rest in peace, Carlos. You will be missed and thank you for the magic you brought to the fragrance community. 

I hope people don't think it's distasteful to speak about two people who have passed in the same article, but this article is mainly about Kyle Stevens. I was much closer to him and I haven't seen anyone post a tribute to him yet, so I am going to because he deserves it. I just wanted to touch and say a few words for Carlos because I felt like it was needed, even though it's been a month. 

Since Kyle's passing, I have wanted to do an article on him. I tried planning it out in my head and the words just escape me. This is very much an article I am doing on the fly and just typing whatever comes into my head, so it might be more sporadic than my usual ones...Well, let's give this a shot...

I am not even sure when I first met Kyle. It has been a few years. It was probably because of one of my mental health articles, but I can't say for certain. Kyle always enjoyed conversing with people and always made time for them. He wasn't super active in the groups, but he would respond to messages. He was a more personal guy, I think. 

I am not going to tell all of his business because it's not mine to tell, but his health wasn't in prime condition. He had to stay at a home and get care from nurses. He would often comment on what the nurses said about his fragrances. It makes me chuckle to think about some of the stories about the nurses and his oud fragrances lol...

Kyle was also very knowledgeable about ouds. He taught me quite a bit when I first got into them. I wouldn't know most of what I know about oud if it wasn't for my conversations with him. He also sent me some samples a while back and introduced me to PK Perfumes and that led to me knowing Paul Kiler.

In that same bag of samples that he sent me, there was Houbigant Fougere Royale. I still have a bit of that sample and I need to get a bottle of it. That sample led me down the road of loving fougeres and barbershop scents, so Kyle inadvertently started that. I never told him that. I regret that. Some people come to me as a fougere guy now for advice and Kyle is the reason that it started. I don't think he knew the impact he had. 

Kyle didn't have much money, much like myself. He could only sell things at certain times when his parents came to visit him. He would have to sell stuff to buy new things. Kyle would give away stuff to his friends and some of those people did take advantage of him(I am not naming anyone, but if you read this, then you know who you are). It was quite sad. 

Despite all of this, Kyle was still optimistic. Even when his health wasn't great and people upset him...He still managed to be just as friendly and positive as he could be. He had a certain strength that most of us can only hope to attain. 

He also was an audiophile. He loved getting high-quality headphones and it was another passion of his. I don't know very much about that sort of stuff, so I will leave it at that, but the picture for this article was made by Kenny Walker and included some headphones, so I thought that I ought to explain why. 

You will be missed, buddy. I hope heaven smells like some amazing oud and you are just as joyful as ever. We will continue to remember what you did and how your light shined so brightly. We will remember how you treated people and made an example for all of us. 

One more musing before I finish this...You never know when someone is going to leave this earth. Make sure to tell them what you want to tell them. I wish I would have told both Kyle and Carlos more things. I procrastinated and never had a chance to. Just like I did with Mr. Sillage. Make sure to tell people you love them and care about them. You may never get another chance to. Even if you are angry, seek to find that love in your heart and tell them. 

Say something positive to someone today. You never know who it might help. A simple kind word can bring someone back from what feels like the abyss to them. You never know what someone is going through. Be a voice of kindness. Being kind is free and it makes you feel better about life. 

As I said before, Kenny Walker made this banner for this article and my Facebook group. He is also a fragrance reviewer who is highly underrated and does some of the most unique reviews out there. Show him some love, please. Here is his channel. Thank you for making so many things for me, Kenny...and never asking for anything in return. 

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