Do you pay attention to reviews? why?

**StylinLA** · 06-12-2012, 07:32 PM

To a degree, but really, you have to read several reviews. I find scent to be very subjective. But for awhile over at Basenotes, there were a handful of guys whose opinions and tastes I often found were in sync with my own. If I saw a couple of them really liked a scent, there was a pretty good chance I would too (but not always).

In the end, I thinks reviews can give you an idea of some things you might like, once you have developed a wee bit of sense about frags. Specifically, if a reviewer starts referencing various notes or other similar scents that you're not familiar with, the review may not give you a good indication of how you would like it.

**The Knize** · 06-12-2012, 08:22 PM

I was thinking about this and I wish I had said this the first time around. A long time ago I read someone refer to cooking magazines as being "food porn" to folks into cooking. I thought that was a clever and apt analogy, if a bit vulgar.

I admit that fragrance reviews are something of frag porn to me. Even if I never try the scent being written about I like reading about it.

**StylinLA** · 06-12-2012, 08:31 PM

Originally Posted by The Knize

I was thinking about this and I wish I had said this the first time around. A long time ago I read someone refer to cooking magazines as being "food porn" to folks into cooking. I thought that was a clever and apt analogy, if a bit vulgar.

I admit that fragrance reviews are something of frag porn to me. Even if I never try the scent being written about I like reading about it.

Yes, very true for me too.

**Lamb Root** · 06-13-2012, 05:04 AM

Originally Posted by The Knize

I was thinking about this and I wish I had said this the first time around. A long time ago I read someone refer to cooking magazines as being "food porn" to folks into cooking. I thought that was a clever and apt analogy, if a bit vulgar.

I admit that fragrance reviews are something of frag porn to me. Even if I never try the scent being written about I like reading about it.

This is very amusing and juicy comparison.

If analogy can be made with fragrance reviews and porn, and obviously it can;

A) What of the people who don’t like porn?
B) Can in the same manner a niche perfumery be compared with brothel? One with refined Madame, and many fine ladies.

As far as the scent indulgencies are concerned, I’m more of a brothel kind of a guy. Buying a scent makes me immeasurably happier than reading a thousand of best written and most eloquent reviews. In sort of a typical male aftermath, after I’ve tried the scent properly, on the skin and outside the weird atmosphere of the shop, I’ll sometimes look at the reviews to see what others have seen. While reading I’m very partial off course.
If most of the reviewers thought that the scent is the finest scent ever made, I can only agree with them.
If most of them think that he scent is completely out of place and time, poorly executed, overpriced etc. etc. well, I think they’re terribly wrong and sometimes ignorant.
If I end up with the scent that proved to be below my initial expectations, well I usually think that I should have red the reviews prior to the purchase. Even the best scent in the world will have at least one negative review.

**Renato1** · 06-13-2012, 12:47 PM

Originally Posted by Dennard

When I was a more frequent poster on basenotes, I found a few people whose tastes lined up pretty well with mine. I paid attention to their reviews, but not many others.

Same here. There were several people posting at Basenotes that I could never go wrong with a blind buy based on their tastes.

The tastes are a tad too varied at Basenotes - some reviews are written by people who think anything with something synthetic in it is sinful, and they can most designer scents, others just think everything is "crap" or smells like "hamster cage", others don't like male scents because they're not female scents, and others are fairly objective and sensible. I find the Fragrantica reviews to be a better guide for my more mundane tastes.

Also, I keep an eye out on the more expensive scents for the one guy who says "this is a girl's scent". Even though the other 70 reviewers haven't said that, I usually agree strongly with that one guy.
Cheers,
Renato

**StropShoppe** · 06-13-2012, 01:32 PM

The thing about reviews are, and this goes for everything in general not just scents, is that people complain more than they compliment, and they compliment when they are blown away.

The best way to look into reviews and really glean good information, is not to pay attention to marketing buzzwords, and ignore the highest and lowest comments. The best reviews are the two, three, and four star reviews, where they point out what they didn't like and concede good points on the bad reviews, and point out the short comings on an otherwise good product on the good reviews.

Try to read as many as you can, so you can get a bit of wide perspective. This policy has worked for me for years doing online shopping.

**The Knize** · 06-13-2012, 02:57 PM

Welcome to B&B!

**Schad** · 06-13-2012, 03:25 PM

I pay attention to the reviews I agree with and ignore the rest.

**Bioletti** · 06-15-2012, 10:00 AM

I think the German composer Max Reger said it best:

"Sir: I am seated in the smallest room in the house. Your review is before me. Shortly it will be behind me."

**Ron991** · 06-16-2012, 07:24 AM

I find most views, and or reviews on fragrances interesting in that I like to find wearers different perspectives on the same fragrances. It just further confirms what I already know, and that is that the only universal truth in fragrances is that there is no universal truth. Fragrances have a rather personal subjective view, and opinion. As to your question I think I have answered it. Personally I have never purchased a fragrance based on a persons view of It's likability, or dislike-ability. Any fragrance that may be newly introduced into the market place, and has a pyramid that catches my eye I will sample, and form my own opinion....

**blantyre** · 06-16-2012, 06:38 PM

With reviews, like the scents themselves, YMMV. I always read a few reviews before I get a sample but the acid test is wearing a frag.

**vitalMyth** · 06-16-2012, 06:46 PM

there are only two things i look for in fragrance reviews:

1. a strong trend of dislike among a sample of at least 20 reviewers. if 14 out of 20 people hate a scent, then i'm not even going to bother with it. this does not apply with trends of approval - even if 20/20 people love a scent, that doesn't matter to me.
2. comments about changes in formulation. if many people post that a scent used to be one way but has since been reformulated in another way, then i want to know that.

otherwise, i just look for fragrances with the types of scent profiles that i'm interested in, and i buy samples.