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.
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.
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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