There's a difference between liking the smell of something and wanting to smell like that.
So 2 weeks ago I was sampling fragrances at the store, and this young brother came next to me with his dad and was sampling as well. So I asked him, "What do you prefer? Do you know this or that?" And then he reached for Viktor&Rolf Spicebomb Extreme, which I once finished a bottle of. He said he likes it a lot, and I said I like it as well, but the dry-down makes me think of sweet bottled curry sauce because of the dominant cumin base.
He answered, "Why not? I like that sauce." I said, "I like it as well, but I like to eat it, not wear it." Then he lifted his eyebrow and gave me credit, because the dry-down really makes it feel like you just ate food with it and wiped your greasy, saucy hands all over your clothes. It's a delicious fast-food dopamine rush, but as I said, it's not smart to wear it.
Two weeks after that, I'm watching this YouTuber (Extranet Shaquille) talking about somehow exactly the same thing, saying: "There's a difference between liking the smell of something and wanting to smell like that."
So I'd like to know: in the pursuit of being
different and unique, are we not losing something along the way? Because what do you mean a certain fragrance has rum notes in it, making you smell like an after-party drunk guy? Or what do you mean a "soapy" note, like someone who didn't rinse their body enough under the shower and just let the bar of soap foam dry for the rest of the day? Or do you mean you smell like you dumped a glass of pineapple juice on yourself-and that fragrance costs a weekly paycheck-so tomorrow you smell like you've been baking apple pies all night?
Is this what being niche and unique is? Does making these types of fragrances make you a good perfumer and worth that price tag? Are we not losing the point of a fragrance, which was originally supposed to cover up any strange odors?