Phases of getting into perfumery.
How we all got into perfumery. A silly story, actually...
Kim Gerlach, me, on vacation
Most of us have seen parents or other care takers around us apply their little spiffs of fragrance in the mornings before leaving the house.
And funnily, most of us share a similar, let’s say, transformation towards the topic. It comes in consecutive phases, though people like me can move back and forth between them.
To me especially, it all started with observing my mum apply a different one on Sundays that would make me see some sort of magic (she’s a churchgoer). But that’s how it usually goes:
Phase 1: A playful start.
This is the phase of bathroom bombs, children’s makeup, and dress-up parties. This is where, in case you discover perfumery at an older age, you quickly turn to a sub-phase I call “The collector”: hoarding every perfume sample possible, whether grandpa’s stack or aunties testers, you keep them all. Because you’re actually too broke to spend your divine pocket money on it.
Phase 2: Toe into the water.
You are likely in your teens. Vanilla and axe deodorants stuff the air of the school’s changing rooms and you think that being an adult also means needing to smell of more than deodorant and your unique hormonal cocktail. You start a serious hunt with your friends or family, scouting the nearby drugstores (like DM or Rossman in Germany) for labels that sound familiar. Puma, adidas and *insert 90’s celebrity name*. If you’re scouting with a family member, they may see it as a proud moment of your teens and want to contribute to your growth by going straight for the Channels and Diors.
I'm 16ish, on vacation with my family in Dubai. Mum treats me to a classic: Chance by Chanel
Phase 3: The explorer.
Image by Filiz Dindin from a Scent101 workshop
Fast forward a decade or two. You’ve been wearing fragrances for a couple of years, not investing much time in finding new ones, as the experience is draining and often ends up in frustration. You see ads on social media and don’t fully know how to virtually decide to buy one without smelling it.
But suddenly, fragrance seems to rank higher in importance to you. You have conversations with friends, start using your nose when you’re cooking, and even realize that there’s a whole unexplored world out there. What an explorer you are!
Phase 4: Becoming even more vogue.
On the photo: Kim Gerlach, me, live mixing scent next to a DJ at kwia in Berlin
You realize that you have the possibility of self-expression and shaping your identity through scent. And just like me, you become a bit of a freak, hihi. Some may start excessively buying fragrances. Others fanatically interview their friends. And others may end up in a little cycle I lovingly call “the true snob stage”: Niche! Nicher! Nichest! I’m not judging, I’ve actually gone through them all. And the end goal of it all: finding your signature scent (spoiler alert: the signature scent doesn’t exist)
