Hello, folks! I hope everyone is having a wonderful day today. I am ready for fall and cooler weather already. Thankfully, it's only about two months away here, so I am excited about that.
My articles are normally very positive, but this one isn't going to be. Sometimes I do topic articles like this and I might end up doing more in the future. I guess I will see how many people hate me for my opinion, haha.
Compliments are one of the most talked about things in the fragrance community. You see them plastered all over Facebook groups and clickbait videos on YouTube about them almost every day. I want to take a look at this phenomenon.
I will go ahead and let you know that I am against wearing fragrances for compliments only. I am not against compliments and I don't care what people choose to do with their money. This is just my stance and thought process on the topic. I assume it will rattle a few cages, but it doesn't bother me. I am still entitled to my opinion, just as you are to yours. This article is mainly for people who want something more out of their fragrances.
I will stop rambling now. Let's get into it!
Compliments
At some point, the fragrance community went from caring about the quality of a fragrance to only caring about compliments and performance. Do we remember what we actually enjoy wearing or do we only go on what is hyped in the community?
Compliments are not a bad thing. Getting that fuzzy feeling every now and then does lift your spirits a bit. However, too much of something is a bad thing. When we are constantly seeking affirmation that we smell good, it has a tendency to make it less special. If you eat pizza every day, then you will get tired of it and it's not so special anymore, but if you only have it once per month, then you are excited about it. The luster dims as you get more of anything.
I often hear people say, "Why am I spending money on perfume if I don't get compliments?". Would you pay someone $5 to compliment you? If the answer is no, then you are purchasing fragrances for more than compliments. I get that you want your money's worth, but there may be more to your fragrant endeavors than you believe.
I have never understood why people brag about overspraying like it's some sort of personal identity that defines them. I personally don't care if you wear the whole bottle in one wear. I just don't get why it's considered cool to speak about it and count the number of sprays. It's similar to a "keeping up with the Joneses" mentality. People often try to one-up one another like it's a competition of hairy bare chested men bellowing out a primal mating call like they are wild animals.
Overspraying can work to your detriment as well. Not everyone enjoys strong fragrances like we do. Some people also have allergies. You can overspray if you would like, I don't care. However, spraying more does not increase your chances of compliments. People can already smell you, trust me. I tend to get more positive reactions when I am wearing a moderate amount of fragrance and not something that is super strong.
Of course, your mileage can vary. I am not trying to dilute your own experience. I am only telling you mine. I am also the type of person who will not compliment someone if they smell strongly of perfume. Instead, I am probably just trying to get away from you so that I can breathe.
Then we always have the person who has watched too many Usher videos and acts like everyone flocks to them because of their scent. While this may happen on an extremely rare occasion, most of the time these stories are fictitious. Social media clout is a real thing, so don't believe everything you hear and read. Many of them are just fishermen's tales. They get bigger each time.
Can compliments help you boost your esteem? Absolutely. So can wearing modern clothes. However, none of these things are going to help you in the long run if you only crave more. It becomes a subtle addiction, just like perfume itself. After a while it manifests itself and it's not so subtle. If it gets to a point that it is hindering your emotions or life, then maybe it's time to rethink your relationship with fragrances. That is just my advice.
I was there at one point as well. I was addicted to fragrances and that is all I spent money on. It is all I wanted. I was obsessed. It wasn't until I had to sell the majority of my collection that I saw what it was because I only miss a few of them. When my finances become stable again, I only have a few that I will purchase.
A lot of these fragrance reviewers will have you believe that they are the Usher I mentioned earlier and get positive reactions all of the time. This is just hype. You aren't doing anything wrong if you don't get compliments. Just enjoy your life and be thankful when you get them. Don't try to force things that you cannot control. It's much simpler that way.
Of course, I am not telling you what to do. Again, this is only my own experience, You can take whatever you want out of it. I am just putting my opinion out there because it's an opinion of someone who isn't going to lie to you to sell you something and I think the fragrance community needs it.
Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed this article. If you didn't and you curse me out, that is okay too. I expect it. I wouldn't have put this out if I can't take the heat for writing it.
Much love to all of you and I hope you have a wonderful day. Don't forget to say something kind to someone today. You never know who it might help.
Until next time, keep smelling great and being great.
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