Perfume Lasting Power
February 1st, 2007
In the February issue of the Town & Country magazine, there’s an excellent article – “T & C’s Guide To The 85 Best Scents” (pages 154-159). It’s a comprehensive, well-written list, comprising five categories: Classic (1919 – 1979), Contemporary (1980 – 2004), Current (2005 to today), and Rare (the hard to find scents). This is the best magazine piece on fragrance I’ve seen in a long time. But today I’m not planning to recap it (do buy the magazine!) In each category, the scents are also grouped according to their staying power – “potent”, “medium strength”, and “barely there”. While I agree on most selections, some are definite eyebrow raisers. For instance, classifying L’Air du Temps by Nina Ricci as medium strength, L’Eau d’Hadrien by Annick Goutal as potent, and Allure by Chanel as barely there. However, my intent is not to question the author. I’m more intrigued by how much perfume staying power depends on our individual perception and/or skin chemistry. No doubt, it is also determined by quantity (how much perfume you put on). Do you have any peculiar experiences in this area? Some universally potent scents not lasting on you? What are your ultimate potent and barely there scents?
My ultimate potent scent is probably Angel by Thierry Mugler. My ultimate barely there scent is Jour de Fete by L’Artisan Parfumeur.
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26 Comments
1. Tigs | February 1st, 2007 at 2:04 am
Sadly Dzing! disappears in nanosecods on me. The best for lasting power are Andy Tauer’s scents, they last longer than the modern marriage.
2. shifts | February 1st, 2007 at 3:43 am
I saw that list and was amused to see Guerlain’s L’Instant in the Barely there category. For me it has always been LOUD and almost blown out of proportions.
Jour de Fête is probably my choice of Barely There fragrances. I seldom encounter longetivity issues with fragrances and most tend to last long enough for me to be happy. But Comme des Garçons Tea might be my choice for Ultimate Potent Scent.
3. dinazad | February 1st, 2007 at 3:48 am
Most L’Artisan scents never make it to my wrist (OK; there are three or four exceptions). I read raves about the beauty, strength and lasting power of Timbuktu, Dzing and Mure et Musc. To me, they all smell the same: of nothing. Nix. Zero, zip, nada. Gobin Daudé’s Jardins Ottomans smelled lovely in my imagination (I couldn’t sniff fast enough to catch it) and Eau d’Hadrien lasts about half a second. Andy Tauer’s fragrances, happily, last all day. AND they’re beautiful. Yay! The ultimate potent scent: Aqaba. And Aromatics Elixir. To be used with caution, but aren’t they lovely?
4. aliki | February 1st, 2007 at 6:29 am
L’Eau d’Hiver (Ellena at Frédéric Malle) is a delicious barely there scent! It truly is a white snow coat. Unfortunately, all Etro scents are just not there at all on my skin: they feel and smell delicious for a few seconds then the odour is just sort of clean, with none of the personality their lovely names carry.
5. Judith | February 1st, 2007 at 7:29 am
Po-Tent: Norma Kamali Incense!
barely there on me (much to my dismay; I don’t think this is true on others): CD Bois d’Argent
Agree with alike about Hiver.
Talking in fragments at the moment. Sorry. Need coffee.
6. newproducts | February 1st, 2007 at 8:03 am
My ultimate potent scent is Opium. I only need two spritzes. My ultimate barely there scent is Miyako, and I wish it weren’t so! I would love for this lovely scent to have some sillage.
7. Elle | February 1st, 2007 at 8:15 am
I agree w/ you on the ultimate barely there scent – I’m convinced scientists could study JdF and come up w/ a formula for invisibility. My most potent, lasting scent award goes to KM Loukhoum. I *loathe* the lasting power – ruins any ability to switch out perfumes during the day. I have to agree w/ Judith about NK Incense being extremely potent, but I like it so much that I can’t really quibble. Oh, NK’s eponymous scent is a “kill them w/ your sillage” scent as well, but, again, I love it. I feel strongly that airport security should ban some of these high sillage scents – pure torture for fellow passengers.
8. Treazurekitten | February 1st, 2007 at 8:38 am
Potent: Miller Harris Fleur Oriental, Keiko Mecheri Loukhoum, Organza Indecence
Barely there : Chanel Bois De Iles (tragic)
Many scents disappear on my dry, fair skin quickly, especially in the winter. Too much showering, washing with soap is the culprit in my case. Applying moisturizers, jojoba oil etc… does not compare to the natural oils of the skin in ability to bind fragrance.
9. March | February 1st, 2007 at 8:43 am
What Elle said — mostly I don’t mind poor lasting power, because it’s an excuse to try something else. Having said that, generally things last decently on me — I wonder if it’s because, since my skin is so dry, I literally coat myself with oil (olive, almond or jojoba) I think that’s supposed to increase lasting power….
You continue to laugh, but the Guerlain Art and Whatever series are like powdered air — Bois d’Armenie runs away before I can get it on my wrist, and Cuir Beluga is pretty much the same.
10. March | February 1st, 2007 at 8:45 am
PS Just noticed Treazurekitten’s comment re oils! Also Bois de Iles, which I *love* lasts maybe 10 minutes on me. You can practically watch it fade.
11. greeneyes | February 1st, 2007 at 9:30 am
Potent: Fracas, Carnal Flower, Opium, Loukhoum
Barely there: Anything other than Pom Noir by Jo Malone, L’Artisan La Chasse (the original, not the extreme), several Diptyque scents (L’Ombre Dans L’Eau, which I love, Eau de Lierre, etc.)
12. Tommasina | February 1st, 2007 at 9:31 am
High potency and GREAT for it: L’Air du Desert Marocain. Andy, if I weren’t married… and, well, you know…
Barely-there scent: Preparation Parfumee.
And now it is snowing in sunny NC…
13. Teri | February 1st, 2007 at 10:48 am
Even though I’m extremely fair-complected, I seldom have difficulties with fragrances lasting on me. This is probably because, like March, I slather myself with body oil which tends to retain fragrances on the skin.
Of recent samplings, the Divine fragrances lasted all day on me. That’s a good thing because I quite like them.
As for the ephemeral, TDC’s Jasmin de Nuit absolutely disappeared on me. I could smell it in the vial, but as soon as it touched my skin it was gone.
14. dinazad | February 1st, 2007 at 10:54 am
Oooh, right, Bois des Iles – very fleeting as well, just like the TDCs. All of them!
15. tmp00 | February 1st, 2007 at 11:48 am
I suppose I can see why they put Hadrien in the “potent” group- it’s opening brightness can be construed as potency. But it’s not long-lasting at all.
l’Artisan scents last only about ten minutes on me tops, which is why I have never bought one. The exception to that was Piment Brulant, but since it went from terribly interesting to Ortega Taco Seasoning it’s lasting power was not a plus.
Long lasting champ? Ambre Sultan. I’ve spritzed it on Friday AM and had it last through to Saturday nights bathtime. I don’t need to try, but I’m sure it would last even longer if I let it.
16. Judith | February 1st, 2007 at 12:01 pm
Agree with Elle on NK Perfume (and on really liking both this and Incense). Also–my solution to the Bois-des-Iles-barely-there problem: get the parfum and SPRAY it (maybe sacreligious, but it works–and compliments follow close behing).
17. Judith | February 1st, 2007 at 12:02 pm
. . .and behind, too:)
18. patricia Seybold | February 1st, 2007 at 1:58 pm
FlowerBomb Extreme lasts until I scrub it off. Sadly, L”eau de Kasaneka is gone within seconds on me. I love so many of the L’Artisan scents but they are fleeting on me as well. Sometimes, I get the feeling that the scents that I sample and do not care for last forever on me, and the ones I fall in love with and impulsively buy…last but moments. Sigh…
19. Twibbet | February 1st, 2007 at 2:42 pm
Most Serge scents last a solid 24 hours on me, but the real winner is Del Rae Amoureuse – it’s like the Energizer Bunny. It will wash off eventually but it doesn’t go anywhere on its own
My barely-there scents are La Chasse and PG Hyperessence Matale – after a few hours I may as well have not put on anything. Great excuse to reapply!
20. violetnoir | February 1st, 2007 at 5:32 pm
Potent: Clinique Aromatics Elixir.
Barely there: L’Antimatiere
Hugs!
21. shifts | February 1st, 2007 at 5:56 pm
violetnoir: hehe, I was going to put down that one actually…
22. Gaia, the non-blonde | February 1st, 2007 at 9:52 pm
Most L’Artisans (even the Extremes) don’t stay on my skin unless I spray and spray and spray. Same goes for Hadrien, unless I layer it with something else.
I have a problem with most Bulgaris- some of them I can’t even smell, and they definitely don’t stick around.
Those that never go away are most Lauders, most Lancomes (except Climat, that one is flighty), Obsession, Goutal’s Quel Amour, and thankfully, all the Tauers.
23. Ina | February 2nd, 2007 at 12:20 am
Thanks, everybody, for your comments! I thoroughly enjoy reading them. I’ve been so busy this week that haven’t had a chance to respond individually but I really do appreciate your input.
24. evilpeony | February 4th, 2007 at 6:09 pm
kinda late on this post, but my 2-cents:
Po-tent: Carnal Flower (spritzed once on friday, i can still smell faint sillage wafting out of my skin 2 days later), amarige, organza, love in white, fracas
barely there: kenzoflower (and all other kenzos), L by apothia (sadly, for this is a favorite), La Baiser du Dragon
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26. katia | April 7th, 2007 at 7:57 am
Potent : eau pour Kenzo
Barely there : Eau D’Hadrien