When I first started reading blogs about perfume, probably the first thing that struck me was how welcoming and kind the community of perfume bloggers and perfume forums is. As I got more involved and eventually started blogging myself, I noticed what seemed like more commonalities, and that started me wondering if there is a perfumista “type.”
In writing this post (in my head, many times, and now on screen), I decided there is no way to talk about a type without making massively broad generalizations and possibly being offensive. But, I’m so curious to learn whether any of you have ever thought about this that I’ve decided to post this, and even to include some physical attributes – gulp. I hope I won’t offend anyone, and I definitely welcome disagreement (or criticism) in the comments.
Without further preliminaries, here are a bunch of adjectives that might describe the average perfumista.
Mental: Curious about how things work, focused, introverted, introspective, empathetic, kindhearted, wry, artistic, bookish, strong-minded, nervy, generally considered to be “serious”, polite/proper/considerate
Physical: “Feminine” features, stylish / creative about her appearance, attractive, often petite
I’m going to resist the urge to qualify and comment more, and just ask what you think. Am I off base? Or do we possibly share some personality traits that might also draw us to explore perfume? What do you think of the physical attributes I suggested?
Cover illustration for Wuthering Heights by Rubin Toledo.
Hmm. I’d have to disclaim the stylish/creative appearance part regarding myself; perfume is my only thoroughly girly pursuit. But I don’t think that that reflects a genuine lack of interest, but a lack of confidence that is only just now, in my forties, starting to fade. Just as women who are unhappy with their figures often focus on glorious shoes, I, convinced that my appearance was offensive, started focusing a few years ago on smelling good. The smells lured me gently into the feminine world, and more and more often I look in the mirror and realize, y’know, maybe I’m not ugly. With the sewing picking up speed, it’s possible that in a few years I might actually have a personal style.
I’d like to think that the rest of that description is true. It’s certainly appealing.
What an interesting connection you make between figure/shoes and appearance/smell. I found perfume to be something of a gateway to getting more into makeup (and Elisa has mentioned this was true for her too), so I can relate to that. And I must say that I’m glad you are beginning to feel more confident. I really strongly feel that there is no such thing as a physically ugly person – only people whose characters make them ugly. I know it’s a cliche, but there you have it. And since you’re a lovely person, you are therefore beautiful in my book.
Well for me u are remarkably spot on. I would shy way from physical discriptions but think the mental is probably generaly correct. Cool thoughts thanks for sharing
Thanks for chiming in! Yes, the physical seems not to be holding true, based on my interpretation of the comments.
What an interesting idea. And what can I say, for my part it mostly fits. (Aside from being petite that is.
)
Looking forward to reading other responses.
Thank you for giving me another data point.
As for not being petite – it is good to hear! From photos, I have guessed that I would tower over many of our wonderfully petite fellow perfume bloggers, even though I’m not terribly tall myself (5’7″).
That’s a good question and I’ve been asking it myself several times. I wonder what would others say if somebody asked them what “type” of perfumista you are, or I am.
Um, the awesome type, obviously.
Why, thank you sweetie!
P.S., I meant that in reference to you, not me. I really have to be careful not to come across as egotistical after posting this positive (I think) post about perfumistas!
You’re a great perfumista too!
Thank you!
you’re mostly welcome
Fascinating post, Natalie! I think Robin at NST once said that the thing she found which unites perfumistas is their love of books and you have that covered. I would add generous as it has always been amazing to me how willingly people share their perfume with others. Also maybe non-judgemental or open-minded or something like that because it’s such an inclusive, welcoming community.
I now feel I should come up with something negative as it all sounds rather “back-slapping” but I can’t
I completely agree with generous and open-minded, Tara. Good observations!
(You cannot imagine how much of a slug I felt when I posted this, which I fear can be interpreted as “perfumistas are the coolest and most creative and beautiful people on the planet” – a statement I would sign on to as long as I could name myself as the exception! But I just had to know if I’m the only one who has ever wondered this.)
I can understand but I’m so glad you went for it because it’s resulted in a really fun and interesting discussion. So thank-you!
Interesting idea. I actually found myself in the “mental” category so I believe you’re on the right track.
I was thinking of you when I included the book loving category!
I’m very flattered.
Thankfully – you’ve left the guys out – because there seems to be little commonality between the male type.
I am going to relate this back to my dance music exploration. Living in Nashville, back in the mid 90s when I started really getting into DJing/dance music, I thought all dance music lovers were gay – because that seemed to be the case back then – most straight guys were rockers or hip hop heads. Then I went to my first Winter Music Conference and found the Staten Island / New Jersey / guido contingent of str8 guys who loved techno. It kinda shocked me to be honest.
Fast forward to going to Elements and discovering the “bro” posse. I knew that grooming/fragrance was not strictly a gay thing – of course there’s the euros, metrosexual guys and I read/heard about the group of guys who met up (I forgot the name – the firefighters, etc).. but seeing the bros in action just brought much joy to my life. Seeing them work the room and talking to the prettiest girls – seeing the pecking order with the clear leader and his multicultural group (almost Benetton worthy) of followers.. as they all search for the ultimate panty dropper scent.
I couldn’t even begin to tackle the topic of the guys!
This glimpse into the male frag lover’s world is absolutely fascinating. I had no idea! (And as regards some things – “panty dropper”? ugh, how insulting – I will gladly remain ignorant.
)
Have you ever noticed how many perfumistas are cat lovers? I have always thought that was interesting.
I cannot believe I forgot to mention teh kittah connection.
I cannot believe it too!
I love cats but unfortunately, I am terribly allergic to them.
Oh, that’s a shame! So is Mr. APB.
What an interesting and thought-provoking post, Natalie! I think you have hit the nail on the head with regard to many aspects of the mental category; I think that we are people who do research and are interested in various things about the world in general and perfume in particular (how would we know about all aspects of perfume unless we did some digging, searching, reading…) And with regard to the physical, I do think that many of us have our own personal flair, for sure (“creative about appearance”), although I am a bit of a slob, not petite, yet never leave the house without lip color and usually fragrance, too, and this has been true since my early 20s. (I wonder how many tubes of lipstick I have gone through in the past 30+ years?
I forgot to include research! I think that is another thing we share in common – good point. As regards the physical: I wonder if the true uniting factor is lipstick/lipgloss?
But then there’s the question of what defines the perfumisto type!
I identify with about half of the mental characteristics. I’m not sure if people consider me “serious” or not — I feel that I am *always* making jokes! I also don’t think I’m necessarily considered “polite,” though I do think I am kind and good — a distinction you and I have talked about before.
Sometimes I feel like I only have one foot in the perfume community. I’m met so many delightful, generous people through perfume blogs, some of whom I’ve developed “real world” offline friendships with, but still often feel very much on the outside, perhaps because I’m involved in several other online communities too (notably poetry and internet marketing)…..
Anyway. Thanks for always being lovely and honest! xo
Oh, P.S. I feel like a lot of perfumistas are feminists. Or is that just wishful thinking?
Feminist here!
Me, too!
Yes! I think so! Especially when we make the distinction between the traditional definition of feminism and the political definition some of the more extreme Republicans are trying to sell us. Ahem.
(I’m feminist and liberal, clearly)
Yesss!!!
Good point. Another feminist perfumista present!
I agree – feminists all around.
Apparently the perfumistos are a diverse group. Yikes! (See Ron’s comment, above.)
I think I would put you in the serious category, as I was thinking more serious v. frivolous, rather than serious v. humorous. And you have that great dry sense of humor I was thinking of when I included “wry” in the list.
I wonder about the perfume community, and how many of us really feel we are 100% a part of it, embraced, etc. I know I don’t. I’m always questioning whether I am adding anything to the community and whether people read APB out of pity. Silly, but true.
Thanks for being your lovely self, too!
I think of you as 100% a part of it/on the inside, so maybe it is just perfumista paranoia … should we add it to the list of mental traits?
Yes! I had an email exchange about paranoia with another blogger once. I think we can add that to the list.
Put me down as paranoid too…
And if Elisa thinks she has feet in other communities, one of them should be the stand-up comic circuit, for her one-liner tweets are hilarious!
I agree completely. Her tweets are awesome!
I am very late seeing this, but thank you sweeties!!!
NO ONE is reading APB out of pity Natalie, I can assure you of that. You add so much to this community I can’t begin to tell you.
What Tara said.
Thank you!!
Oh, thank you so much, Tara!
You have an interesting idea there and some of these traits may be a common denominator but from my experience perfumistas come in all shapes and colours. A sensory sensitivity is a prerequisite but
the reasons why people blog are as diverse as their souls. You have the mellifluous writers, gentle and serene, some of them don’t even have a comment feature on their blogs, which is something I find tremendously courageous and I admire. And on the other side of the spectrum you have bloggers who aim to acquire some sort of delusional power over the perfume bloggosphere posting irrelevant, characterless posts day in, day out. I don’t think those two have much in common.
“Irrelevant, characterless posts” – ouch!
I share your admiration for those bloggers who are putting out there beautiful writing about perfume without any sense of selfishness behind it, and I think there are many of them. And I agree that those who do it without commenting are incredibly courageous.
That said, I’m not sure if I am misreading your comments about people wanting to acquire power in the blogosphere. I guess I think it’s possible to make some allowances for perfume bloggers (who usually seem to also write about beauty products) who run their blogs as a job and cooperate with brands and do sponsored posts and all that jazz. It’s not necessarily what I want to read all the time, and it’s not what I want for my blog, but I respect that in today’s economy being a blogger is a viable part-time or full-time profession for a lot of people. And I feel it’s pretty clear when a blogger is approaching it as a business and when they are approaching it from a passion/hobby perspective.
So, I’m not sure if I responded to your comment or misread it, so please correct me if I did misread!
You are right that some bloggers make a living of their blogs but am I too much of a purist if I want them to come out and say it that they receive compensation for writing a post? It seems that it is taken for granted that we are paid to write unless we explicitly state otherwise and this reflects to all of us I am afraid.
Yes, I do absolutely agree with that Christos!
Wow, very interesting idea!
Why does it have to be feminine? I consider myself quite masculine, I love to drive sport cars, sartorial blazer, shirt with cufflinks, drink wine and often invite girl to a dinner…. I can’t agree with you on that.
Juraj
Nope, no one’s saying you have to leave your masculine side behind.
(Please don’t!) I was only talking about us women.
P.S. Love cufflinks – always glad to hear of men who wear them. Mr. APB does, and I think it’s great.
My vSO also wears cufflinks
Of course he does! He is very dapper.
Interesting idea
I’ll put it this way: those perfumistas that I like and want to maintain relationships with possess most of the characteristics you’ve mentioned. But there are many other types…
I love this post – and the graphic! I have vaguely wondered about this point – more the mental characteristics than the physical – but only in a half baked way, so I am so glad you have bitten the bullet and run with it (to mix my metaphors slightly). I do recognise myself in the mental list (I would describe my character as wry, bookish, and nervy!), but I am more gregarious than that list suggests, and think nothing of booking myself in for a weekend with a perfumista who is a total stranger – Bloody Frida being the boldest such stunt, being the longest time we spent together. : – )
If you asked me to *name* individuals who epitomised the archetypal perfumista in my mind’s eye, I would say Olenska crossed with Suzanne. Or thereabouts. And of course I don’t know what everyone looks like!
But fun question, no question. And count me in for the cats, obviously.
I am so glad you *are* gregarious! You being so is one of the things I love about you and your blog. And I think Olenska crossed with Suzanne is a great suggestion for the archetypal perfumista (as well as thinking “archetypal” is a nice way to describe, since it implies a recognized degree of removal from reality).
PS I also have felt something similar to you about why people read my blog. Or why they comment on it, say. It’s a bit pathetic really, but I think too that when you don’t blog on a very set schedule you worry that the waters will close over your head in your absence – or that the party will keep going, and when you do rejoin it, you won’t fit in again!
I can’t imagine you feeling that way, as your blog is so consistently entertaining! Maybe that goes back to the paranoia Elisa mentioned?
Whoa! It was kind of spooky reading this. I wish I knew some perfumistas “in real life” to compare this to, but this is a pretty accurate description of me.
Thanks for chiming in!
This is an interesting blogpost, I’ve never really taken the time to analyze what kind of women tend to be more of a perfumista than others but I’d say for the most part, you’ve got it down to a T. I’m not so sure however about the “feminine” type, many female perfume enthusiasts I know actually use masculine smelling colognes to express their inner-tomboy. But to each her own, I suppose.
Regardless, this was a refreshing post!
Thank you, Gabe!
Lanier is 6’3″ tall, fine featured and a blend of both the masculine and feminine. He dresses to the nines but if depressed prefers a nice classic pair of pajamas. Outgoing, shy, funny, sharp, smart, slow to anger quick to love, and introverted extrovert, bookish but doesn’t read that much. What he knows of history, religion, art, romance, life he got from going to the movies. Movies lead him to books but never the other way around. He has been a painter, a flag designer, a writer, a film maker, a bill collector, an expediter, a waiter, and a nurses orderly. He has many friends but loves to be alone and finds that he is is own best company. He has imagination and pazzaz. He is theatrical and private. His interior world is so immense that when he falls asleep there is always an overture by a 70 piece orchestra. It has been said of Lanier that he turns life into a movie.
Oooh, you are exactly how I pictured you! That is such a wonderful description!
That is so sweet Natalie!
And we tend to like cats and if you don’t like cats you like smooshed face dogs.
We also seem to like Vincent Price and Edward Gorey.
And we like to eat delicious foods and drink delicious drinks.
Physical attributes, never really thought about that. I’m far from petite. When I go to perfume meet-ups, I notice that we come in all shapes and sizes. But, I would say we’re a good looking bunch
We are a classy bunch of ladies! And I do think we are of a certain type as well. Generalising helps haha
Im a member of the 5 foot ladies club who has a pomeranian and an r31 skyline that is beautifully scented also its either those scent car cans or a wee bit of euphoria 
lmao
Does anybody know if there are meet ups in Melbourne?
Generalizing does help!
I never heard of any meetups in Melbourne while I was there, but some of the Aussie or Kiwi bloggers, like Portia of Australian Perfume Junkies or Clayton of What Men Should Smell Like might be better resources than I.
I would second the comments about loving books. I absolutely love reading and I was participating in a multi-author book blog. I have recently (a month ago) decided to go off on my own hence the reason I am so terribly quiet on my blog. I am also doing really great in the book blogging world.
Knowing a lot of perfume bloggers have the love for books in common, I’m yet to find out if the same goes for book bloggers! Maybe I should write a post on that? It would be interesting to find out. However I must note that what book bloggers and perfume bloggers have in common is the support they give one another! Both groups are very inviting and welcoming, because after all we love to discuss why we love perfume as well as discuss a book we love or didn’t love. I don’t find that with beauty bloggers. Maybe I’m being judgemental, but I feel that for some of them its not about interacting. Also maybe because a lot of them become “commercial”?
I must also say that I started out just perfume blogging and then I did beauty too, which I obviously regret, because I’ve lost my passion for blogging on that site. Right now, I am not even sure if I would continue
Love the Emily Bronte book picture!
That’s so great that you have found the book blogging community to be welcoming. I saw your link to your book blog, but haven’t been to “visit” yet. I need to remedy that.
I hope you do, because I did what I said above… decided to write that post! Yes I’m really loving the book blogging! I might either stop blogging on my current blog, or just leave it open for perfume blogging. We’ll see…